Bard Graduate Center

The Bard Graduate Center (BGC) is an advanced graduate research institute located in New York City, dedicated to the cultural histories of the material world. Affiliated with Bard College, BGC offers MA and PhD programs that focus on decorative arts, design history, and material culture, integrating scholarly research with public exhibitions and programs. The institute’s academic building and library are situated at 38 West 86th Street, while its six‑story gallery occupies a neighboring townhouse at 18 West 86th Street. BGC’s faculty and students engage in interdisciplinary research that draws on methodologies from art history, archaeology, anthropology, and museum studies. The center maintains formal relationships with major New York museums such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art, providing graduate students with unique opportunities for curatorial practice, fieldwork, and scholarly collaboration.