The five-year programme combines liberal arts and policy training for future global leaders.
Beginning in the 2025 fall semester, the Hertie School is teaming up with Bard College Berlin to offer a new BA–MA dual-degree pathway. The programme enables undergraduates at Bard College to earn a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and subsequently a Master of Public Policy (MPP) or Master of International Affairs (MIA) at the Hertie School, all within five years.
Designed for students pursuing concentrations in Politics, Economics, or Ethics and Politics at Bard College, the programme allows participants to complete most of their fourth undergraduate year at the Hertie School. Courses taken during this period will count towards both institutions’ degree requirements, fostering an integrated academic experience.
Hertie School President Cornelia Woll highlights the significance of the partnership: “This pathway exemplifies our commitment to interdisciplinary and international education. By combining Bard College’s liberal arts foundation with Hertie’s policy expertise, we prepare students to tackle complex challenges with an open mind and a global perspective.”
The partnership aligns with the Hertie School’s mission to cultivate future leaders equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary for effective governance and policymaking in an interconnected world.
Students interested in the programme apply during their third year at Bard, following a decision to pursue the pathway at the end of their second year. Admission to the Hertie School is contingent upon meeting specific academic criteria, including proficiency in statistics and economics.
For more information on the BA–MA pathway programme, please visit: Bard College Berlin BA–MA Pathway Programme.
About Bard College Berlin
Bard College Berlin is a state-recognized, non-profit university in Germany which combines the strengths of American liberal arts education with the rigorous research profile of a German university. Its unique approach to education emphasizes interdisciplinary study, small-group seminars, and individual academic advising. On its residential campus in the Niederschönhausen neighborhood of Pankow, over 350 students from 70 countries engage in intellectual dialogue across disciplines, supported by a world class faculty committed to teaching. Accredited at both the state and federal levels in Germany and in the US through its affiliation with Bard College Annandale, Bard College Berlin offers three BA degree programs in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.
About the Hertie School
For 20 years, the Hertie School has been teaching, researching, and debating good governance and public affairs in the heart of Berlin and Europe. The social science university offers master's degrees, doctoral programmes, and executive education to train change-makers in government, business, and civil society. True to its motto "Understand today. Shape tomorrow." the university conducts interdisciplinary research, provides international and practice-oriented education, and serves as a forum for public debate. Six Centres of Competence strengthen its expertise in European affairs, international security, fundamental rights, sustainability, digital governance, and data science. The Hertie School was founded in 2004 by the non-profit Hertie Foundation and has been generously supported by it ever since. It is a member of the European university alliance CIVICA, publicly recognised, and accredited by the Accreditation Council as well as the German Council of Science and Humanities. www.hertie-school.org