Bard at BPL provides an opportunity for New Yorkers of all ages who have been previously deterred or excluded from higher education to partake in ambitious, tuition-free college courses conveniently located right in the center of Brooklyn.
Bard at BPL students enjoy the benefits of varied, full-time liberal arts programs that culminate in associate degrees from Bard College.
Expanding from a shared commitment to democratize access to all kinds of learning, Brooklyn Public Library and the Bard Prison Initiative have created a unique, borough-based college for undergraduates of every age. In its essence, Bard at BPL reimagines the use of a public library and the place of a liberal arts college
With tuition and books fully covered, Bard at BPL students pursue degrees while taking advantage of academic advising, tutoring, continuing education seminars, and non-academic student services. Students benefit from Brooklyn Public Library’s collection of four million materials, state-of-the-art technology, Business and Career Center, art exhibitions and cultural events, and countless other programs.
Students study everything undergraduates study at liberal arts institutions the world over: literature, philosophy, anthropology, art, science, writing, mathematics, sociology, economics, history, and more. The campus and the college conjoin two leading social institutions to offer Brooklynites a one-of-a-kind, community-based college experience.
As members of the BPI community in New York City, Microcollege students receive focused assistance as they apply to bachelor’s degree programs and benefit from access to the resources of the broader BPI alumni network. Many students come to Bard at BPL looking to further advance their existing commitments in areas of community and civic engagement, and they leave prepared to use their Bard experience in Brooklyn and beyond.