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Division of Social Studies

Photo by Peter Aaron '68
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The Division of Social Studies offers academic programs in anthropology, economics, economics and finance, history, philosophy, political studies, religion, and sociology. Additional courses are available through interdivisional programs and concentrations. Students are advised to take courses from a range of fields in the division in order to develop a comprehensive perspective on humanity in both contemporary and historical contexts. By applying what they have learned of general philosophical, historical, and scientific methods and of particular research methods and interpretations, students will be able to focus on some aspect of the diversity of human cultures and civilizations, institutions, values, and beliefs. Although the main emphasis in the division is on a liberal arts curriculum, students are encouraged to design programs to satisfy personal needs and interests in preparation for work in graduate or professional school or a profession requiring no further training.
Our Programs
Photo by Scott Barrow

Our Programs

The Division of Social Studies includes the following academic programs:

Anthropology
Economics
Economics and Finance
Historical Studies
Interdisciplinary Study of Religions
Philosophy
Politics
Sociology

Michelle Murray, Division Chair; Associate Professor of Politics
Melissa Germano, Program Coordinator

Coursework and Requirements

Typically, courses in the Upper College are seminars, in which the student is expected to participate actively. Advisory conferences, tutorials, fieldwork, and independent research prepare the student for the Senior Project. The Senior Project may take any form appropriate to the student’s field, subject, and methodology; most are research projects, but a project may take the form of a critical review of literature, a close textual analysis, a series of related essays, or even a translation.

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Levy Economics Institute of Bard College

Levy Economics Institute of Bard College

The Levy Economics Institute of Bard College is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy research organization that encourages a diversity of opinion in the examination of economic issues. The Institute offers graduate programs in economic theory and policy, as well as 3+2 and 4+1 dual-degree options for undergraduates. Bard undergraduates also have the opportunity to meet the prominent figures who serve on the Levy Institute’s research staff and attend its conferences. Integrated activities of the Institute and Bard College include the Levy Economics Institute Prize, awarded annually to a graduating senior; annual scholarships for students majoring in economics; and an endowed professorship, the Jerome Levy Professor of Economics.

LevyInstitute.org

Featured News

Professor Pavlina Tcherneva Helps Chart a Path for Job Guarantee Program in Colombia
Pavlina Tcherneva, associate professor of economics at Bard College, research associate at Bard’s Levy Economics Institute, and director of the Open Society University Network's Economic Democracy Initiative, recently met with government officials in Bogotá, Colombia, to present her proposal for a national job guarantee program. At the invitation of Vice Minister of Finance Diego Guevara, Professor Tcherneva met with five government divisions: the ministries of energy, development, finance, and culture, and the SAE (Sociedad de Activos Especiales, or Special Assets Society), which administers seized assets of narcotics traffickers in the country. More >

Recent News

  • Bard College Hosts Second Annual Rethinking Place: Bard-on-Mahicantuck Conference on Indigenous Research Methods and Practice in the Liberal Arts, October 12–14
  • “Self-determination is the basis for any decolonial movement”: Candice Hopkins Interviewed in ArtReview about Indigenous Studies and Native Art Initiatives at Bard
  • Bard College Professors Souleymane Badolo and Kite Each Receive 2023 Creative Capital “Wild Futures: Art, Culture, Impact” Awards
  • Michael Martell Awarded the American Economics Association CSQIEP Award for Outstanding Research Contribution in LGBTQ+ Economics
View All News >>

Upcoming Events

  • 12/11
    Monday

    Medieval Islamic Cosmology and the Role of the Soul in Apprehending Musical Beauty
    5:00 pm EST/GMT-5 Olin 102
  • 12/12
    Tuesday

    Impact of Migration and Migrant Remittances on Elders Left Behind: Case of Kyrgyzstan
    5:00 pm EST/GMT-5 Olin 102
  • 12/12
    Tuesday

    Beyond Borders: Gendered Histories of Colonial and Postcolonial Race-Making in the Middle East and North Africa
    5:30 pm EST/GMT-5 Hegeman 204A
  • 12/14
    Thursday

    What’s in a Leak?: The Struggle for Information Justice in the Modern Middle East
    5:30 pm – 6:30 pm EST/GMT-5 Hegeman 204A
View All Events >>
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