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BELL NYC
Main Image for Bard Experiential Learning Lab

Bard Experiential Learning Lab

Forge a community in New York City with your peers from around the world. Engage with scholars, researchers, public intellectuals, and entrepreneurs who can help you explore the intersection of liberal arts education and the future of work.
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Where the Liberal Arts Meets the Future of Work

Where the Liberal Arts Meets the Future of Work

The Bard Experiential Learning Lab is designed for students who embrace a hands-on approach to their academic success and professional development.

Our faculty, staff, alumni/ae, and professional partners mentor Lab students. We help them translate the skills and insights they have been developing in the liberal arts into professional settings in the arts, international relations, journalism, human rights, public health, sustainability, and more.

Apply Now

Our Model

The core elements of our BELL learning model help students gain a clearer understanding of who they are, what they want for their future, and how to get there. These are our academic seminars, internship program, coliving community, and global alumni/ae network.

Our Values

BELL seeks students who:

• Take a multidisciplinary approach to their liberal arts education.
• Think analytically about problems that are important to them: social, economic, environmental, and more.
• Value experiential learning and experimentation, testing assumptions as they map their transition from college to career.
• Reject rigid or mechanical approaches, preferring to apply new paradigms in order to see and understand the world like design thinkers.
• Seek to immerse themselves in New York City and explore their role as members of a dynamic community committed to equity and inclusion.
• Celebrate diverse viewpoints by acknowledging the efficacy of collaboration across different cultural, ethical, and personal perspectives in their education and work.
• Are future-oriented, applying new and creative solutions to the problems facing the world today.

The City Is Your Laboratory

  • Internships
    Students blend advanced academic courses with internships at some of the leading companies operating in these disciplines. By design, the work is demanding. Interns consult on climate resilience strategies, investigate human rights abuses, plan independent documentary film festivals, conduct due diligence on blockchain startups, raise funds to support research on cures for chronic diseases, and much more.
    More about Internships

Global Alumni/ae Community

Your personal talent bank.

The fields of education and work are in rapid transformation, and no one knows this better than our alumni/ae, who have recently navigated this transition and built successful careers and professional networks. Through BELL, you will gain access to the wisdom of their insights and extended networks.
 
But we will also ask you to give something back: to share your knowledge and experience with future generations of students, in order to continue the cycle of growth by paying it forward. This is how we change the world for the better as part of a global alumni/ae network.

Academics

  • Courses
    Small seminars are taught by renowned faculty with deep connections to the city and expertise in disciplines that connect with student internships.
    More about Courses
  • Faculty
    Faculty are thought leaders in their fields, equipped to help students translate their academic experience to excel in creative careers and build a professional network.
    More about Faculty

Student Life

Lab students live in a unique student residence and coliving community in the heart of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Unlike most traditional dorm rooms, our student residents have access to discover a whole range of thoughtfully designed shared spaces, and access to community building events and programming. The dorm wing of the building has aseparate, safe, and secure entrance to five dedicated floors of student-only housing.

Student Life
Download Housing Brochure

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Who is eligible to apply for the Bard Experiential Learning Lab?

    Who is eligible to apply for the Bard Experiential Learning Lab?

    Currently only moderated undergraduates from Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, are eligible to apply for BELL. In exceptional circumstances, we will consider a current senior or recent college graduate. If you are a senior or recent graduate, please contact us before applying to discuss.
  • May I apply if I am a senior?

    May I apply if I am a senior?

    We will consider seniors in exceptional circumstances. Please contact us to discuss before applying.
  • May I apply if I have already graduated from college?

    May I apply if I have already graduated from college?

    We will consider recent college graduates, however please contact us to discuss before applying.
  • Is there a summer program?

    Is there a summer program?

    We have not yet determined if there will be a summer BELL program.
  • May I attend BELL for more than one semester?

    May I attend BELL for more than one semester?

    On a case-by-case basis, we will allow a currently enrolled BELL student to extend for a second semester. If we decide to offer a summer program, we may permit students to combine a semester and summer.
  • Are all majors welcome to apply?

    Are all majors welcome to apply?

    Yes, we are accepting applications from all majors.
  • How many credit hours will students earn in a semester?

    How many credit hours will students earn in a semester?

    Students are expected to take 16 credit hours per semester.
  • What courses are required?

    What courses are required?

    A four-credit Internship Seminar and four-credit Civil Society Seminar will be required.
  • Are internships required?

    Are internships required?

    Yes, all students are expected to intern with an organization 20–30 hours per week.
  • How do I secure an internship?

    How do I secure an internship?

    No specific internship organization is guaranteed. BELL staff will help you identify the types of organizations where you would like to work and prepare application materials (resume, cover letter, and writing sample). It is up to the internship organization to select students they would like to interview. 
  • Is there a meal plan/dining hall at the facility?

    Is there a meal plan/dining hall at the facility?

    Bard in New York does not have a dining hall. However, there is a state-of-the-art kitchen facility and dining room for students to prepare their own meals.
  • Are single rooms available in the Bard in New York facility?

    Are single rooms available in the Bard in New York facility?

    There are no single rooms available.
  • Are students allowed to opt out of Bard housing?

    Are students allowed to opt out of Bard housing?

    Students may petition us to opt out of Bard housing.
  • How competitive is the admission process?

    How competitive is the admission process?

    BELL is launching in spring 2023. We do not have any admissions data at this time.
  • Is there a minimum GPA required?

    Is there a minimum GPA required?

    No, there is not.
  • What are the key criteria for admissions?

    What are the key criteria for admissions?

    We select students on the basis of academic performance, leadership on campus and in the community, as well as previous work experience.
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Phone: 845-758-6822
Admission E-mail: [email protected]
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