The Smolny Associate Degree is a two-year online program that represents the first stage of higher education. Upon successful completion, graduates are awarded the Associate of Arts degree from Bard College.

Who Can Apply

The program is intended for Russian-speaking displaced students from the Eurasian region affected by the war in Ukraine or by authoritarian regimes in the former CIS states. It offers an opportunity for students who are not yet able to attend an international university — due to financial, logistical, or other challenges — to begin or continue their undergraduate education.

Liberal Arts Approach

The educational program builds on Bard College’s expertise in the liberal arts—an approach to learning that centers on the individual, primarily through small group seminars designed to foster thoughtful, critical discourse in an inclusive environment. The program aims to prepare students to be engaged citizens and to promote rigorous, open inquiry, intellectual ambition, and creativity.

Why Choose the Smolny Associate Degree Online Program

This program provides exiled students with a valuable pathway toward higher education abroad. Graduates of the program may continue their studies at Bard Network institutions (starting from the third year and pending admission to these institutions) or transfer their credits to other universities.