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Photo by Karl Rabe

Division of Languages and Literature

The Division of Languages and Literature offers majors in the areas of literature; written arts; and foreign languages, cultures, and literatures. All students in the division are encouraged to study languages other than English; foreign language instruction currently offered includes American Sign Language, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Yiddish, and ancient Greek and Latin. Interdisciplinary majors are also offered in Asian studies, classical studies, French studies, German studies, Italian studies, Middle Eastern studies, Russian and Eurasian studies, and Spanish studies (see Interdivisional Programs and Concentrations).
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Photo by Karl Rabe

Our Programs

The Division of Languages and Literature includes the following academic programs:

Foreign Languages, Cultures, and Literatures
Literature
Written Arts

Matthew Mutter, Division Chair; Associate Professor of Literature

Coursework and Requirements

  • Literature
    Bard students who make the study of literature the central focus of their work explore specific periods (such as medieval or Renaissance Europe), relations among national literatures (in forms such as lyric poetry or the novel), or literature within the context of culture, history, or literary theory.
  • Written Arts
    Students in the Written Arts Program take workshops and tutorials in prose fiction or poetry and study a foreign language, in addition to completing the same course requirements as literature majors. Those who choose foreign languages can explore a range of interests and develop courses of study that bring together work in culture, history, and other fields.
  • Senior Project
    Seniors must summon up imagination, knowledge, discipline, and independence for the Senior Project. Each student usually decides on a topic in the spring of their junior year and is matched with a faculty member to serve as their Senior Project adviser at that time.

Discover More

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Bard Translation and
Translatability Initiative

BTTI encourages curricular initiatives that promote translation, particularly from a multicultural or multidisciplinary perspective, and aims to bring together scholars, teachers, writers, and artists from the United States and other countries. BTTI also works with Bard faculty members to elicit new interdisciplinary insights, develop new curricula, strengthen communication, and stimulate experimentation among the College’s four divisions and across its network of international liberal arts and graduate studies programs. Among other events throughout the academic year, BTTI hosts an annual translation symposium at Bard.
BTTI Website →