The learning atmosphere at Bard is informal but rigorous. Working closely with faculty, students are expected to develop as scientific thinkers, learning how to pose problems as well as how to solve them. Care is taken to place each concept and method we teach into context, explaining how it was developed and what its limitations are. An unfamiliar idea is treated as a challenge to find the best way to approach it and to gain more understanding.
Like all Bard programs, classes are small, with 20-30 students in the introductory classes, 10-15 in intermediate classes, and 1-5 in advanced classes and tutorials. This allows a high level of student-teacher interaction, as each faculty member handles all aspects of the course themselves—lectures, laboratories, discussion sections, and grading. That way, we are well attuned to the strengths and needs of each student. Classes are never solely lectures, as student questions and comments lead to clarification or elaboration, or take the discussion in unexpected directions. Outside of class, faculty spend a great deal of time with individual students or small groups, discussing homework problems, lab work, or material beyond what was covered in class.
We offer the full range of courses for a Physics major and in support of other majors in the sciences. The content of advanced courses and tutorials is tailored to the interests and backgrounds of our Upper College students. Students have opportunities to engage in individual research projects with faculty, and each student works closely with one or more faculty members on their own senior research project. Physics majors who wish to pursue graduate study in the sciences or engineering are well prepared, and our recent graduates have been accepted into excellent postgraduate programs.
In affiliation with the schools of engineering at Columbia University and Dartmouth College, Bard offers several programs of study leading to a degree in engineering.