MA in Curatorial Studies

The Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College (CCS Bard) graduate program is an intensive two-year course of study in the history of contemporary art, the institutions and practices of exhibition making, and theory and criticism since the 1960s. The program provides extensive practical experience in exhibition-making within a professional museum setting, as well as training through prestigious work placements and participation in a range of curatorial programming and tasks. The faculty at CCS Bard includes luminary curators, scholars, writers, art historians, and other professionals committed to innovation in the arts.

A master’s degree at CCS Bard will prepare you to work at a museum, biennial, research institute, artist residency, artist-led organization, foundation, archive, library, or magazine. CCS Bard graduates compose a strong network (over 350) of mutual support as new graduates make their way.

Financial support
CCS Bard provides generous scholarship and fellowship support to international students and U.S. citizens alike on the basis of financial need and academic merit. We also offer scholarships within particular areas of research. More on financial aid and scholarships can be found here.

Hands-on curating and curatorial experience
Graduate students curate at least two significant exhibitions at the Hessel Museum of Art, among other projects. In their first year, students work in small groups to organize an exhibition from the Marieluise Hessel Collection which is presented to the public at the end of the Fall semester.

Over the course of the program, each student prepares a final master’s degree project, consisting of a thesis exhibition (or similarly ambitious curatorial project) presented at the Hessel Museum and a related scholarly paper which is supervised by the student’s Faculty Advisor. The exhibition or curated component can consist of works from the Hessel Collection, temporary loans, new commissions, or performance or time-based works—the form is open and flexible for all graduate students.

These exhibitions allow students to conceptualize and present an original curatorial project in a full-scale contemporary art museum, demonstrating the skills, knowledge, and creativity they will bring to future projects and roles.

Professional work placement & international trip
During the summer between their first and second years, each student conducts direct, project-based work at an art institution of their choosing and receives mentoring from a curator, scholar, critic, or other arts professional. Students and faculty also travel together to an international art event or artistic center and meet with a variety of curators, artists, and other cultural producers. Students have previously visited Venice, Rome, Sharjah, Kassel, and Lima, among other places.

About CCS Bard
CCS Bard is distinguished by its singular resources: the Hessel Museum of Art, dedicated to innovative and experimental approaches to curating; the Library, one of the leading contemporary art research collections in the U.S. focusing on post-1960s art; and the Archives, which contain archives and manuscripts of preeminent curators, gallerists, scholars and artists. Together, these resources support one of the world’s most forward-thinking teaching and learning environments for contemporary art research and the study of contemporary curatorial practices.

For further details or to apply, visit ccs.bard.edu. With inquiries, please call T (845) 758 7588 or email ccsadmissions [​at​] bard.edu.