Overview
Bard College Berlin is a small liberal arts university in Berlin offering a four-year B.A. program in the humanities and social sciences, along with specialized Project Year and Academy Year options.
The new Bard in Berlin study abroad program at Bard College Berlin offers courses in economics, art, history, and other fields. Typically, juniors from Bard and other colleges and universities participate in this program. Students are encouraged to intern with a nongovernmental organization, arts institution, or other organization, and to study German. First-year Bard students may apply to spend one or both semesters of their first year at the Berlin campus through the Begin in Berlin program.
Bard College Berlin is a college without departments, dedicated to providing a broad foundation in intellectual history from antiquity to the present day. In each academic program, students work with faculty from different backgrounds on moral, political, epistemic, religious, and aesthetic questions, with the understanding that such questions are naturally and deeply connected. Possible areas of concentration are humanities, the arts, and social thought or economics, politics, and social thought. Students are taught in small discussion seminars and one-to-one tutorials by a select faculty from disciplines like philosophy, literature, political theory, art history, and film theory. Philanthropic grants allow the college to have a need-blind admission policy, so no qualified student is turned away for lack of funding. Students and faculty come from all over the world and work together in English. They share the facilities of a small residential campus and the cultural riches of one of the most vibrant capitals in Europe.
Core Courses
Every term Bard College Berlin students spend half their time on a core course, created and co-taught by several faculty members and guest teachers. Core courses are mandatory and, quite literally, form the core of a Bard College Berlin education.
More information on Bard College Berlin academics
Elective Courses
In addition to mandatory core courses, students follow individually chosen seminars – 'electives' – every term. These are often designed as complements to one of the core courses, in this manner facilitating integrated studies. An elective on Dante’s Divine Comedy, for example, may be offered as a complement to a core course on Values of the Florentine Renaissance. A core course on Property may be supplemented with an elective on Jealousy. Other electives are independent explorations of more specialized topics. Every elective, however, uses the same format: one to three weekly discussion seminars with 5-12 students, and one-to-one tutorials twice a term for the discussion of student essays.
All Bard College Berlin language courses address the development of skills in reading and listening comprehension, conversation and writing within the context of the European Framework of Languages from level A1 through C2.
Elementary German, French, Spanish I
Emphasis on familiar vocabulary building, listening comprehension and speaking with gradual introduction to grammar and writing skills.
Elementary German, French, Spanish II
Continued emphasis on listening comprehension and routine communication. Students read and write short, simple texts.
Intermediate German, French, Spanish I
Emphasis on communication skills including comprehension of standard speech and descriptive reading passages, topical conversation and simple, descriptive composition.
Intermediate German, French, Spanish II
Continued emphasis on communication skills including comprehension of extended speech and lectures, reading of newspapers and general periodicals, spontaneous conversational interaction with native speakers and writing clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects.
Advanced German Language, French, Spanish I
Development of listening and reading comprehension levels to include extended speech and some literary texts. Emphasis on conversational and writing skills to express ideas and opinions and present detailed descriptions expressing points of view.
Advanced German Language, French, Spanish II
Development of comprehension skills to allow for understanding of all forms of spoken language and written texts. Emphasis on communication skills for the fluent expression of ideas and argument both orally and in written form.
Bard College Berlin typically offers students three levels of language instruction, beginning, intermediate and advanced. Placement tests determine each student’s enrollment level.
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