BARNARD COLLEGE
New York, New York
The College
Barnard College was among the pioneers in the late nineteenth-century crusade to make higher education available to young women. Founded in 1889, it became affiliated with the Columbia University system in 1900 and today serves 2,300 students who come from nearly every state and more than thirty-five countries. It remains an independent affiliate of the university, and students at the two schools may cross-register for courses at either institution. Barnard students have access to Columbia University libraries and receive their degree from the University. Barnard College, however, has remained a small, independent liberal arts college, devoted solely to the undergraduate education of women. The College maintains its own Board of Trustees, faculty, and administrative staff; its own endowment; an independent admissions process; and sole ownership of its property and physical plant. It offers the intimacy of a small college with all the added advantages of a major university.
The self-contained Barnard campus occupies 4 acres of urban property along Broadway between 116th and 120th streets. Barnard Hall, with its newly renovated Ethel S. LeFrak 41 and Samuel J. LeFrak Gymnasium and Julius S. Held Lecture Hall, stands opposite the main gates of the College, while the south end of the campus contains the Brooks, Reid, Hewitt, and Sulzberger Hall residence hall complex. Additional housing is located nearby, and some options for coed housing are available; all students are guaranteed housing for all four years at Barnard. Millicent McIntosh Center, the focus of student activities, has a cafeteria, lounges, student leadership offices, and the Java City Caf as well as other facilities.
Location
Barnard is located in New York City. In so cosmopolitan a setting, cultural, educational, and internship opportunities abound. New York is the College's laboratory and museum, its most constant and energizing resource.
Majors and Degrees
Students are recommended by the faculty members of Barnard College to the Trustees of Columbia University for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in the following subjects: Africa and African Diaspora studies, American studies, ancient studies, anthropology, architecture, art history, Asian and Middle Eastern cultures, biochemistry, biological sciences, biopsychology, chemistry, classics (Greek and Latin), comparative literature, computer science, dance, economic history, economics, education, English, environmental science, film studies, foreign area studies, French, German, history, human rights studies, Italian, mathematics, medieval and Renaissance studies, music, philosophy, physics and astronomy, political science, psychology, religion, Slavic (Russian), sociology, Spanish and Latin American cultures, statistics, theater, urban studies, and women's studies.
Barnard College also offers double- and joint-degree programs in cooperation with other schools within the Columbia University community. These include a five-year (3-2) program offered in conjunction with the School of International Affairs, in which a student earns both an A.B. degree and a Master in International Affairs (M.I.A.) degree, and a five-year (3-2) program combining undergraduate studies with the graduate public policy administration program in which a student earns both an A.B. degree and a Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) degree. In cooperation with the School of Law, Barnard offers an accelerated program in interdisciplinary legal education; selected students can begin their legal studies after three years of undergraduate course work. The School of Engineering and Applied Science and Barnard College offer a five-year (3-2) program in all branches of engineering, including aerospace, civil, and electrical engineering, in which candidates receive both an A.B. and a B.S. degree. Outside the University, a student can earn both an A.B. degree and an M.M. degree in a five-year (3-2) program with the Juilliard School. In cooperation with List College of the Jewish Theological Seminary, students can earn an A.B. degree from Barnard and another undergraduate degree from the seminary.
Academic Programs
Two required courses, first-year seminar and first-year English, set the foundation for a Barnard education within small classes limited to 16 students. General education requirements are organized around the nine Ways of Knowing, which reflect the breadth and depth of a true liberal arts education while building the skills of analysis, independent thought, and self-expression. The nine Ways of Knowing offer a flexible structure and a wide array of courses under the following categories: reason and values, social analysis, cultures in comparison, language, laboratory science, quantitative and deductive reasoning, historical studies, literature, and visual and performing arts.
Advanced placement and I.B. credit are available, as are opportunities for independent or honors work. Barnard operates on a two-semester calendar, with classes beginning in early September. The fall semester ends in mid-December; classes resume for the spring semester in mid-January and end in mid-May.
Off-Campus Programs
Barnard College is an independent affiliate of Columbia University. As such, its students have open access to the courses, libraries, and other facilities of Columbia. With special permission, students may also register for classes in Columbia's graduate and professional schools. A program offered in cooperation with the Jewish Theological Seminary, located two blocks from Barnard, allows students to take courses for credit. In a similar exchange with both the Juilliard School and the nearby Manhattan School of Music, qualified Barnard students may take music lessons in a conservatory setting.
Under the auspices of Reid Hall in Paris, a Barnard-Columbia facility, several semester-long and full-year programs are offered. Students of classics are eligible to study at the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome. Qualified students may also study at Oxford (Somerville College), Cambridge (Newnham College), the University of London (University College, London School of Economics, King's College, or Queen Mary College), or the University of Warwick. Qualified students are also eligible to study in Germany, Italy, Japan, and more than 300 programs in more than thirty-five countries. Students may also participate in exchange programs with Spelman College in Atlanta and Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Because of its location in New York City, Barnard offers its students a variety of work experiences through its extensive program of more than 2,500 internships. More than two thirds of Barnard students participate in internships throughout the academic year and summer; approximately one third of these internship opportunities receive stipends.
Academic Facilities
Milbank Hall, the oldest building on the campus, houses administrative and faculty offices, classrooms, the Arthur Ross Greenhouse, and the Minor Latham Playhouse. Millicent McIntosh Center includes music practice rooms, a student darkroom, and the Java City Caf. Fourteen-story Altschul Hall, devoted mainly to the sciences, has classrooms, department offices, and the most modern laboratory equipment.
Wollman Library offers three floors of reading areas and more than 170,000 volumes in open stacks. Students also have access to the 8 million volumes of Columbia's Butler Library.
Costs
Tuition and fees for 200405 were $28,340. Housing costs were $10,800 for room and board.
Financial Aid
All financial aid supplied or administered by Barnard is awarded on the basis of demonstrated need, as determined by federal regulations and the College's Office of Financial Aid. Barnard gives no merit or athletic scholarships. College aid is supplementary to family resources. Once need has been established, it is Barnard's policy to cover 100 percent of that need for U.S. citizens and permanent residents through grants and self-help awards (work and/or loans). A student who is admitted to Barnard with a Barnard College Grant may expect grants in future years, provided she continues to meet economic and academic eligibility. Approximately 55 percent of the students at Barnard receive financial aid. A limited number of scholarships are available to international citizens.
Barnard College has a need-blind admission policy in which all applications are judged on merit without reference to the applicant's financial circumstances.
Faculty
Barnard College has 186 full-time teaching faculty members and 107 part-time members. The student-faculty ratio is 10:1. Although actively engaged in research and publication in their respective fields, Barnard faculty members regard teaching as their primary commitment. All students have faculty advisers who assist them in selecting courses and designing individual academic programs.
Student Government
Every Barnard student is a member of the Student Government Association, which sponsors numerous extracurricular activities. These include the College newspaper, the literary magazine, dramatic groups, political and religious organizations, and preprofessional and departmental clubs. Cooperation between Barnard and Columbia groups is common and seamless. Students, faculty members, and administrators serve on tripartite committees and share responsibility for policy recommendations on curriculum, housing, financial aid, orientation, and the library.
Admission Requirements
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he Committee on Admissions selects young women of proven academic strength who exhibit the potential for further intellectual growth. Careful consideration is given to candidates' high school records, recommendations, writing skills, standardized test scores, and special abilities and interests. While admission is highly selective, no one criterion determines acceptance. Each applicant is considered in terms of her individual qualities of mind and spirit and her potential for successfully completing her program of study at Barnard.
Candidates for admission to the first-year class must have taken a college-preparatory program at an approved secondary school or have an equivalent level of education. A recommended program comprises 4 years of work in English, 3 or more years in mathematics, 3 or 4 years in a foreign language, 3 or more years in science (with laboratory), and 3 years in history. Barnard also requires candidates to submit scores from the SAT I (with writing) and two SAT II Subject Tests, or from the ACT. An interview is optional.
Application and Information
Applicants for first-year admission should apply to Barnard in the fall of their senior year of high school. Applications must be received by January1 and should be accompanied by a nonrefundable fee of $45. Students are notified of the admission decision in early April. Well-qualified high school seniors who have selected Barnard as their first-choice college may apply under the binding Early Decision Plan. Applications must be submitted by November15. Barnard accepts transfer students to the sophomore and junior classes. Applications must be submitted by April1 for admission in September and by November1 for admission in January.
For more information about Barnard College, students should contact:
