• First year BA students, Begin in Berlin and Academy Year students should arrive on August 8, 2020. Check in: 9am-4pm.
• BA students year 2-4, Liberal Arts Berlin, Arts and Society in Berlin, Exchange and Project Year students should arrive on August 26. Check in is 9am-4pm.

For those students who need to be in quarantine, the above dates are two weeks before the start of the respective starts of programs (L&T and first day of classes). All arrival dates can also be found on the Academic Calendar.  

Returning students holding a long-term residence permit for Germany and having a permanent place to live in Berlin (proved by having a registered address - Anmeldung) are permitted to return to Berlin at any time.
German border regulations allow in principle entry for students enrolling at Bard College Berlin for the first time, as the programs of study at the college cannot be completed online. The admissions team will closely work with you to discuss any visa-related issues. Please note in addition that border regulations are under regular review.

Please contact the Admissions Office for further information on your options if you are an incoming student and please contact Xenia Muth if you are a returning student.

Yes. We are in full compliance with all social distancing guidelines issued by the Berlin Senate.

• In-person seminars will allow for social distancing, which means that larger seminars will either be scheduled in larger spaces, such as the Lecture Hall or Reading Room, or they will be conducted in a blended format in which some participants will be joining in person and some participating from another campus location.
• Lectures given to a larger group will be conducted online or in a blended format.
• When in use, classrooms will be ventilated regularly.
• In good weather, some classes may even be held outdoors.  

Yes. Masks are required:

• Whenever social distancing cannot be maintained
• Inside academic/administrative buildings
• While waiting in line inside in the cafeteria
• While speaking with faculty or staff in their offices, unless otherwise directed
• During seminars (Faculty may permit temporary removal by individuals)

Masks are not required outdoors, when social distancing can be maintained; in your household (your on-campus apartment), while eating in the cafeteria, while studying, practicing, or meeting in a small group in the library, reading room, computer lab, or other campus space where social distancing can be maintained.  

Yes, this will be possible without any disadvantage to the student. All students and instructors must refrain from in-person attendance if they are feeling ill or are exhibiting any symptoms linked to Covid-19. However, regular attendance is essential to the collaborative work of learning in seminar format and forms part of the participation grade. Unless prevented by illness, students are expected to engage fully with their classes. Instructors will offer alternatives to in-person attendance where needed, including remote participation or asynchronous options.

Yes, and students may sit outside in the garden at any time.

• Due to space limitations, on-campus students are asked not to sit inside the cafeteria to eat lunch. Instead, students are requested to take their meal to their residence hall or other campus space, or sit outside.
• Off-campus students are also encouraged to make use of other campus spaces for lunch.
• Students waiting in line must stand 1.5 meters apart.
• Faculty and staff are asked to eat lunch in their offices or outside, or to use the kitchens, terraces, or free spaces of the academic/administrative buildings.
• All community members may sit and eat outside the cafeteria at any time, if social distancing can be maintained.

Student Clubs and the Civic Engagement Office have been very active remotely throughout the summer and are encouraged to continue in the fall. Any inside gatherings with members of more than one household should be avoided, so all clubs will meet online in the fall.

As the situation evolves constantly, one of the most comprehensive resources are the reports that are regularly issued by the Robert Koch-Institute (RKI), the German Center for Infectious Diseases. The RKI provides daily updated infection numbers on Germany and specific numbers for Berlin are provided (in German only) by the Berlin Senate.

On public transportation, in supermarkets, retail stores and public offices you are required to wear masks in Berlin. A minimum distance of 1.5 m is to be maintained from all persons who do not belong to your household. Public and private events may take place with a limited number of participants. As these stipulations are under regular review, please refer to the official guidelines from the Berlin senate for a comprehensive list of social distancing measures.

Bard College Berlin community members are expected to download and utilize the Corona-Warn App, issued by the German federal Government, to track any potential exposure to individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19.

If you are experiencing symptoms, please stay at home and check the current guidelines from the Berlin senate that outline your next steps and provide answers on where to get tested.

A number of hospitals in Berlin have set up special coronavirus screening centers. You should call beforehand to ask when and how you should travel to the screening center; please observe preventive measures when traveling to the center.

For all mental health concerns, Bard College Berlin offers its students a variety of services. Students have the possibility to set up online appointments and speak confidentially to a professional counselor about any personal difficulties. In addition, Student Life staff and trained peer counselors (BRAVE Counselors) also assist students in finding mental health specialists. You can also pursue mental health support from professionals where you live.