<p>My son was admitted to Bard and is interested in possibly doing a double major. How common is this, given the requirement for what looks like pretty hefty Senior Projects? He has mentioned that his potential double majors would be Theater and Computer Science. Comments from Bard students or alumni/parents on the feasibility of double majors at Bard would be most welcome.</p>
<p>It is certainly possible to double major at Bard but , yes, he will have to do two senior projects. My son has friends who are doing this. Senior projects are very demanding but they can stagger when they begin and end the projects starting Mia junior year. Bard has ambitious kids passionate about their work so I hear it is very doable.</p>
<p>From the Bard website:
PATHWAYS TO GRADUATION</p>
<p>· Single major - Students moderate in one program, complete the course requirements, and complete one Senior Project.</p>
<p>· Single major with a concentration - Students moderate in both a program and a concentration, complete the course requirements for both, and complete one Senior Project that combines the interdisciplinary theories and methods of both the program and the concentration.</p>
<p>· Double major - Students moderate in two separate programs, complete the course requirements for both programs, and complete two Senior Projects.</p>
<p>· Joint major - A joint major allows students to achieve depth in two related fields of study without requiring two separate Senior Projects (as with a double major). Students complete the course requirements for two programs of study and produce one unified, integrated Senior Project involving ideas from both disciplines. Students moderate into two programs, ideally in a joint moderation, with members from each program on the moderation board and on the Senior Project board. This option requires a grade point average of 3.0 or higher and approval by the Executive Committee.</p>
<p>A program is a sequenced plan of study designed by faculty to focus on a particular area of knowledge or a particular approach to an area. Each program establishes requirements for Moderation, course work, and Senior Projects. The required courses can be either specifically designed courses or menus of courses, and may be offered by the program or by other programs. All students must establish their major in a program and transition from the Lower College to the Upper College through the process of Moderation, usually by the end of the sophomore year. </p>
<p>A concentration is an optional plan of study consisting of a cluster of related courses on a clearly defined topic. Concentrations may only be pursued in conjunction with a primary program of study. To complete a concentration, a student must moderate, fulfill all course requirements, and produce a Senior Project that combines the interdisciplinary theories and methods of the concentration with the disciplinary theories and methods of the program.</p>
<p>SpiritManager has the correct info.</p>
<p>Most students who have two interests will do a joint major rather than a double.</p>
<p>D2 graduated in May '12 with a double major in Literature and Photography. She ended up doing two senior projects that were totally unrelated (I had been pushing for a joint project that would meet both fields, but that didn’t work out!). Her original plan had been to finish one project in the fall and do her “defense” then and finish the other in the spring, but as it turned out, she ended up doing both in the spring semester. </p>
<p>It is doable, but the senior project alone is very consuming. Two projects are, well, doubly consuming. She came very close to dropping one major and just graduating with one project, but with lots of support from the faculty (and friends) (and family) (and coffee) she was able to pull it off. </p>
<p>A double major at Bard is very different from a double major at a school where the requirement is simply to complete a list of classes. That said, I have confidence that my daughter will be able to handle any level of work stress or grad school stress she encounters!</p>
<p>I think I saw perhaps ten double majors in the commencement program out of a graduating class of about 500, not counting the 5-year conservatory grads who also do a double major in Arts & Sciences. I’m in no way diminishing their achievements, just trying to differentiate a 4 year degree from a 5 year degree. (Personally, I can envision a great joint theater - compsci project, but that’s just me!)</p>