Bard College at Simon's Rock: the Early College
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Personalized Study and Tutorials

At Simon’s Rock we expect (and respect) that you are a self-directed learner, an individual intent on following your own passions and interests.

Independent Projects

You have a big idea, and we want you to go for it. An Independent Project gives Upper College students the chance to pursue independent work to produce a unified product - a scientific poster, a mathematical result, an exhibition, a play, a series of poems, or a longer academic paper for a conference presentation. A faculty advisor will oversee your progress, but you’ll set the agenda.

Independent projects earn four credits, and no student may take more than three independent projects over the course of their BA studies. Independent projects are reserved for juniors and seniors, and eligible students apply by submitting a completed Independent Project Contract to the Standards and Procedures Committee.

 See the full range of fields and interdisciplinary concentrations

Tutorials

I really enjoyed the two tutorials I took…The first class was curated to my interests in illustration and biology… The second course opened my eyes to the frontier of immunology which will be the topic of my senior thesis, summer research, and possibly my future career interest.

-Rachel Shi ’15

RoboticsCreate your own class, or take a course from the catalogue that’s not being offered in a given semester. You’ll meet one-on-one or in a small group setting with a faculty advisor.

Tutorials consist of advanced academic work undertaken with a faculty member in a subject central to your program of study. Tutorials typically earn four credits, and are meant to complement and not replace the round-table discussions you’ll have in the rest of your classes, so no student may take more than one tutorial per semester.

Tutorials are mostly reserved for Upper College BA students (moderated sophomores may appeal for a policy exemption), and eligible students apply for tutorials by submitting a Tutorial Contract to the Standards and Procedures Committee.