PARsons school of design Graduate Programs
graduate programs 2
OVERVIEW
12
M.ARCH Architecture
14
MS Data visualization
16
MFA DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
18
MS DESIGN AND URBAN ECOLOGIES
20
MA DESIGN STUDIES
22
MFA FASHION DESIGN AND SOCIETY
24
MA FASHION STUDIES
26
MFA FINE ARTS
28
MA HISTORY OF DESIGN AND CURATORIAL STUDIES
30
MFA INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
32
MFA INTERIOR DESIGN
34
MFA LIGHTING DESIGN
36
MFA PHOTOGRAPHY
38
MS STRATEGIC DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT
40
MA THEORIES OF URBAN PRACTICE
42
MFA TRANSDISCIPLINARY DESIGN
44
Student services
46
Tuition, Scholarships, and Financial Aid
48
Admission
Discover a university dedicated to unleashing your creativity. Parsons School of Design, recently ranked the country’s top art and design school,* has offered students innovative approaches to education since its founding in 1896. Today we’re the only American art and design school within a comprehensive university—The New School— which also houses a rigorous liberal arts college and a progressive performing arts school. Here you can master established art and design fields or advance emerging ones and study across all university disciplines. Guided by Parsons’ faculty, graduate students draw on the university’s extensive resources to challenge convention and innovate, improving people’s lives directly and preparing for an evolving world.
ABOUT PARSONS
P
arsons gives students the tools needed to achieve professional success and prepares them to think beyond current paradigms. They arrive here with diverse interests, perspectives, and backgrounds; they graduate prepared to creatively and critically address the complexities of life in the 21st century.
A Legacy of Progressive Innovation Parsons has pioneered art and design education since its beginnings, championing new movements and teaching methods that have shaped generations of artists, designers, scholars, entrepreneurs, and community leaders. Programs at Parsons are grouped into the following five schools: • School of Art and Design History and Theory (ADHT) • School of Art, Media, and Technology (AMT) • School of Constructed Environments (SCE) • School of Design Strategies (SDS) • School of Fashion (SOF) This organizational structure supports Parsons’ educational mission, and its interdisciplinary approach builds community among students and faculty in related disciplines.
A Distinguished Faculty, a Collaborative Approach Parsons’ faculty of leading design practitioners, artists, critics, historians, writers, and scholars reflects the spectrum of art and design disciplines. Instructors collaborate with students to develop technologies and refine research methodologies, creating work that is relevant to contemporary social, cultural, and economic systems. By combining art and design studio curricula with instruction in liberal arts and business, Parsons faculty members prepare students to lead in a range of fields and to excel in their creative practice. To learn more about the faculty, visit newschool.edu/parsons-faculty.
The new school parsons
3
ABOUT PARSONS
Second-year students in the MFA Fashion Design and Society program present their work publicly each year, attracting industry and press attention.
ABOUT PARSONS
A community for learning Parsons, like The New School as a whole, is a community made up of people representing a wide range of identities, backgrounds, and academic and professional practices. Parsons students come from all 50 states and 109 countries, making the university one of the most geographically diverse in the country. At Parsons, collaboration with individuals of varied perspectives and backgrounds enriches the overall educational experience and prepares students to communicate and build relationships within the increasingly global workplace.
An urban focus Cities are models of sustainable living because of the efficient resource use and forms of community life that are possible in densely populated areas. New York City is an ideal setting in which to study the ecologies of urban environments. The city also offers opportunities to explore emerging design fields, such as the design of services. Parsons instructors are part of the city, too; most are working professionals who practice the disciplines they teach.
DIVERSITY AND PARSONS Parsons is committed to achieving greater diversity, with a community that reflects a broad range of experiences, identities, cultures, and beliefs. Cultivating a learning environment in which all can thrive requires respect and an understanding of academia’s vast spectrum of social, political, and economic contexts. Diversity enables tomorrow’s designers to devise innovative, thoughtful solutions to social inequities and injustices. This effort emphasizes contributions from historically underrepresented people within higher education.
The new school parsons
The University at a Glance (Fall 2014)
10,131 Total enrollment at The New School
3,489 Total graduate enrollment at
5
The New School
880 Total graduate enrollment at Parsons
5,085 Total enrollment at Parsons
40 Percentage of international students at Parsons
Average class size
11:1 Student-to-faculty ratio at Parsons
ABOUT PARSONS
15
ACADEMICS
W
ith a renowned comprehensive curriculum, Parsons offers students many opportunities to collaborate across academic disciplines within a diverse intellectual community. The university’s extensive libraries, archives, studio spaces, and other resources enrich research and projects, while public symposia and events connect the university to real-world practices.
Faculty and students form a diverse body of scholars critically addressing contemporary issues in their fields, moving beyond current frameworks using advanced practical and theoretical knowledge. Because Parsons is part of a large research university, students have access to courses in a range of subjects. Visit the university course catalog to see the variety of topics available to you as part of your curriculum: courses.newschool.edu.
degrees of difference In addition to its graduate degree offerings, Parsons offers a variety of associate’s degrees (AAS) intended for mature students hoping to make a career change or add career-enhancing skills to their résumés. If you have a bachelor’s degree in an unrelated field and lack the formal training or professional experience needed to be competitive for entry into a graduate degree program at Parsons, explore our AAS offerings in Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Interior Design, and Fashion Marketing.
Continuing studies Parsons also offers open enrollment courses in which nondegree students of all ages can build portfolios or take art and design courses for credit or on a noncredit basis. Intensive courses for undergraduate and graduate credit are offered each summer on the New York campus and in Parsons programs abroad. Some courses are offered online. newschool.edu/parsons-continuing-studies newschool.edu/parsons-summer
The new school parsons
Study Options at Parsons Paris The New School’s Parsons Paris campus offers courses, programs, and study abroad opportunities, enabling students to benefit from our pioneering approach to learning in an intimate setting in a European capital. Our exclusive partnerships with the city’s premier art and design and social science organizations, such as Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Institut d’études politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), and ENSCI–Les ateliers (École nationale supérieure de création
7
industrielle), give students unique learning experiences. Parsons Paris offers the following graduate programs: • Design and Technology (MFA) • Fashion Studies (MA) • History of Design and Curatorial Studies (MA) • Strategic Design and Management (MS, Global Executive)* To explore the graduate degree programs currently offered at Parsons Paris, visit newschool.edu/parsons-paris. *The Global Executive Master’s in Strategic Design and Management—an 18-month program conducted primarily online and with week- and weekend-long intensives in Paris, New York City, and Shanghai— launches in summer 2016. Students can complete study while working full-time. Please contact us at global@newschool.edu for enrollment restrictions that may apply to your geographical area.
academics
Students in Parsons’ graduate urban programs recently collaborated with peers at KU Leuven, a Belgian partner university, to devise design-led responses to global urbanization, migration, and climate change as part of an internationally funded research project, which they presented publicly.
ACADEMICS
Facilities Access to state-of-the-art and traditional tools at the Making Center facilitates students’ creative growth. Available are 3D printers; laser cutters; CNC routers; high-speed plotters; printmaking equipment; woodworking, metalworking, and sewing tools; and digital imaging, audio, and production gear. Art and photo studios, fabrication shops, a lighting simulation lab, a video “green room,” computer stations, and our new Innovation Lab offer additional resources. The University Center provides ample space for collaboration; meeting rooms, quiet-study areas, and practice rooms throughout campus offer work space as well. University libraries and resources available through the online Research Library Consortium of South Manhattan support student research. Students can also draw on the Kellen Design Archives, which conserves Parsons-related primary-source materials.
The University Center, our sustainably built campus anchor, encourages interdisciplinary work through its open design and ample co-working areas. The new school parsons
9
academics
Courses and campus facilities help you stay current with the tools of your chosen practice—such as 3D printers like the one shown here.
GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES
P
arsons graduate students come from around the world. Over the past few years, we have received applications from every state in the United States and 109 countries. Once here, they participate in projects with a global focus, show work abroad, and take courses overseas, developing their critical and creative abilities and gaining valuable experience. Learn more: newschool.edu/parsons/global-learning
TOP: Lucia Cuba, MFA Fashion Design and
Society ’12, drew on her experience in design and activism for her thesis project. She designed Artículo 6, a line of garments and “actions”—installations, performances, objects, photos, and videos—intended to raise awareness of the involuntary sterilizations of Peruvian women that took place in the 1990s and their present-day legal battle. BOTTOM: Designer and alumna Donna Karan partnered with faculty and students on an initiative in Haiti, working with local designer Paula Coles on the DOT (Design, Organization and Training) Center, a new vocational education hub for Haitian artisans. Students helped design the space, explore products to develop, research local practices, and lead making workshops.
The new school parsons
TOP: Designers at Parsons’ PETLab
gaming incubator and residents of St. Louis, Senegal, created a game to develop climate-related disaster-preparedness systems for the Red Cross/Red Crescent. Versions of the game have been tested in Namibia, Kenya, Indonesia, and the Philippines, and the project was presented at the UN Climate Change Conference.
11
MIDDLE: Parsons and Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts students explored the relationship between the arts and urbanism in Phnom Penh and New York at the Season of Cambodia Festival. Students curated a related multimedia exhibition documenting the role of arts in civic life.
GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES
BOTTOM: Students from Parsons’ School of Constructed Environments and graduate students in the university’s International Affairs program traveled to Jinga, Uganda, to collaborate with Slum Women’s Initiative for Development (SWID) on a project to develop housing.
ARCHITECTURE (M.ARCH) School of Constructed environments
T
he Master of Architecture (MArch) program is a three-year NAAB-accredited professional degree for students holding a pre-professional undergraduate degree in architecture or a fouryear non-architecture degree. New York City provides students with a comprehensive context in which to develop design-build experience and explore architecture’s formal and sociopolitical dimensions. Students work with the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, the NYC Housing Authority, and studios addressing environmental challenges presented by sea level rise and storm surge. The studio course sequence
The MArch curriculum focuses
challenges students to address
on contemporary issues directly
demands imposed by use, site,
affecting the field, ranging from new
context, structure, and construction.
representational techniques to
Interdisciplinary electives in history,
sustainable built and natural
theory, and technology highlight
systems. It prepares students to
architecture’s pivotal role in shap-
enter the professional architecture
ing culture. Students can choose
community and shape the built
electives offered in other programs
environment and the field.
throughout The New School. Courses draw on Parsons’ network of municipal and institutional partners, local practitioners, and commercial clients, providing students with internship, design competition, and research funding opportunities. Students in the Design Workshop design and construct— from schematics to punch list—a project for a nonprofit client. Established in 1996, the workshop embodies the progressive values of Parsons and The New School. It unites theoretical and hands-on learning and trains students to develop practices to improve the social and physical environment. Past projects include a sustainable laundromat and information center for Hurricane Katrina survivors, a rooftop garden with educational and recreational facilities for Bronx youth, and a pool pavilion for an NYC community. The new school parsons
The MArch is a program within
Parsons’ School of Constructed Environments (SCE), alongside related degrees in interior, lighting, and product/industrial design. In the SCE studio, members of the diverse student body collaborate on complex design problems, from interiors to comprehensive architectural volumes, public spaces, and urban design. Graduates have gone on to open their own practices and work in prominent firms, including Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Rogers Marvel Architects, LevenBetts, Bernheimer Architecture, Gensler, Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis, Matter
MFA Lighting Design/ M.Arch Dual Degree Those who wish to pursue studies in lighting design and architecture can apply to the dual-degree program, a four-year, 120-credit-hour curriculum that combines the NAAB-accredited Master of Architecture and the MFA in Lighting Design. Interested students should apply directly to the dual-degree program; they will automatically be considered for admission to the individual Master of Architecture and MFA Lighting Design programs as well.
Hawkinson, and Young Projects.
Engineering; Urban Planning; Landscape Design; Interior Design
TOP: Students in the Design
Workshop created new lockers and changing room pavilions for the Sunset Park Recreation Center and Pool in Brooklyn. BOTTOM: Jordana Maisie Goot
For more about faculty, courses, and requirements, visit newschool.edu/parsons-march.
and Moochi Liu, Project for spring 2013 Housing Studio
Architecture (M.ARCH)
Architecture Practice, Smith-Miller
Career paths include—Architecture;
13
DATA VISUALIZATION (MS) School of art, media, and technology
P
arsons’ Master of Science in Data Visualization is a multidisciplinary program in which students develop skills bringing together visual design, computer science, and statistical analysis.
Today, the presentation of data is
their insights and expose students
integral in the shaping of opinion,
to new possibilities in data visual-
policy, and decision making in an
ization and related career paths.
increasingly global society. Giving students a competitive edge as
Career paths include—Data
they enter the field, the MS program
Analysis; Digital Design; Advertising
responds to the increased demand
And Branding; Journalism; Business
for experts to turn data into insight.
Consulting And Analytics Strategy;
Housed within Parsons’ School
Management; Strategic Planning;
of Art, Media, and Technology, MS
Entrepreneurship; Social Enterprise;
Data Visualization’s 30-credit cur-
Public Policy; Trend Forecasting;
riculum can be completed in one or
Business Intelligence.
two years. The program integrates theory and studio practice, so stu-
For more about faculty, courses,
dents acquire the creative, quanti-
and requirements, visit
tative, and coding tools needed to
newschool.edu/parsons-msdv.
analyze and depict data, gaining a holistic understanding of context, audience, and objectives. With the MS in Data Visualization, students obtain the diverse skill set needed to succeed in a range of data interpretation– related careers. Students graduate with portfolios demonstrating their ability to create databases and Web-based software tools that reflect an understanding of data analysis and information visualization for varied applications. The program’s setting in New York City, a technological hub and pioneer of open-source culture, offers invaluable industry access. Students intern with industry leaders and external partners from the government, nonprofit, and commercial sectors. Faculty invite guest lecturers and critics to share The new school parsons
15
TOP: Daniel Sauter, interactive
MIDDLE: Graduates leave prepared
to create online tools that express in visual form insights derived from data. BOTTOM: Daniel Sauter and Mark
Hereld, The Emergence Project
data visualization (ms)
program developed for the Burnham Centennial Pavilion, designed by UNStudio. Sauter, a professor in MS Data Visualization, created a program that dynamically translates visitor traffic data into changing light patterns in the pavilion.
DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY (MFA) School of Art, Media, and technology
D
esigners today face two fundamental challenges: the expanding influence of design within society and the increasing role of technology within design. The Master of Fine Arts in Design and Technology program provides a lively environment in which to address these challenges. The full-residency, two-year,
Samsung, and the Whitney Museum
60-credit MFA in Design and
of American Art. Students collabo-
Technology (MFA DT) curriculum is
rate with peers from other schools
studio based, but critical thinking
and colleges of The New School, a
and study of the design process are
progressive urban university empha-
central to the program. Areas of
sizing civic engagement.
practice include interaction design,
MFA DT resides in the School
physical computing, game design,
of Art, Media, and Technology at
new media art, digital fabrication,
Parsons, alongside programs in
data visualization, and critical
communication design, fine arts, photography, and illustration. Students supplement core courses with electives offered throughout Parsons and other schools and colleges of The New School. Career paths include—Mobile and Application Design; Web, UI, and UX Design; New Media Art; Game Design; Motion Graphics; 2D and 3D Animation; Digital Filmmaking For more about faculty, courses, and requirements, visit newschool.edu/parsons-mfadt.
design. Candidates build ideas through prototyping, synthesizing research and practice. Graduates embark on careers in creative, academic, commercial, and educational fields that engage with the growing influence of technology. In Collaboration Studio courses, students work with industry firms and nonprofits on real-world projects. Past partners include Apple, Eyebeam, gameLab, Human Rights Watch, Mozilla, NASA, the Red Cross, The new school parsons
program alumni: Recent graduates include Open Standards Developer R/GA Founder Fridge network, Google+ Design Analyst Frog Design Inc. Creative Technologist Google Creative Lab Interaction Designer IBM Design Creative Technologist New York Times R&D Lab
TOP: Data Cafe, a multidisciplinary project installed at
Parsons Festival 2015, invited visitors to consider alternatives to the present窶電ay data-driven economy. OPPOSITE LEFT: Manuel Rueda Iragorri, SCALE System. SCALE (Self Constructing Auxiliary Living Environment), an automated disaster response system, consists of flat-pack housing modules and a robot to assemble them.
17
OPPOSITE BOTTOM: Ramsey Nasser, Zajal. Zajal is a
programming language for artists and hackers. BELOW: Dong Yoon Park, Typography Insight. This app brings traditional typography teaching methods to tablets.
Senior UX Design Lead Microsoft Bing
Mobile Interaction Designer Nokia Research Center Beijing Creative Manager Interbrand Interaction Designer HUGE Game Designer Institute of Play Founder and Game Designer Large Animal Games Installation Category Finalist Adobe Design Achievement Awards
design & technology (mfa)
Interaction Designer Disney Interactive
DESIGN & URBAN ECOLOGIES (MS) School of design strategies
T
he Master of Science in Design and Urban Ecologies program at Parsons radically reframes the study of and design approaches to cities. Through activism, research, and fieldwork, students gain a broad understanding of the complex forces that influence urban growth and development. Using world cities like New York as a laboratory and working in transdisciplinary teams, they design processes for urban transformation.
The first graduate program of its
Affairs, Management, and Urban
kind in the United States, the two-
Policy; and in other schools and
year, 60-credit Master of Science
colleges of The New School.
in Design and Urban Ecologies explores the urban complex and
Career paths include—Urban
its interconnections with political,
Design; Urban and Regional
social, economic, and environmental
Planning; Public and Urban Policy;
systems. Bringing together the
Leadership of Nonprofit and Civic
academic strengths of Parsons and
Organizations; Community
other schools and colleges of The
Planning and Organizing;
New School, this studio-based
Government Administration;
program trains graduates to become
Municipal/Regional Development;
agents of change, working with the
Social, Civic, and Environmental
communities and institutions that
Enterprises; Urban Research and
shape urban ecosystems.
Consulting; Urban Curatorship;
Guided by internationally recognized urbanists, designers, and
Academia; Doctoral Studies in Urbanism and related fields.
activists, students confront urgent problems facing cities and develop
For more about faculty, courses,
new research methodologies, design
and requirements, visit
frameworks, and critical practices.
newschool.edu/parsons-msdue.
The program is aimed at urban planners, design professionals, social scientists, community leaders, and managers of nonprofit and government organizations motivated to critically address issues of contemporary urbanization. Students collaborate with colleagues in the research-based MA in Theories of Urban Practice program; in Parsons’ School of Constructed Environments and School of Art, Media, and Technology; in The New School for Social Research; in the Milano School of International The new school parsons
19
MIDDLE: Studio design skills offer new
tools with which to guide sustainable and collaborative urban development. BOTTOM: Anne Duquennois and Ron Morrison, Connecting Corners: Towards a Collaborative Food Ecology. The Connecting Corners website was created to maximize existing food and organizational resources and foster community integration in a NYC neighborhood.
DESIGN & URBAN Ecologies (MS)
TOP: Sabrina Dorsainvil and Luisa Munera, Urban Atlas Project. Munera’s project employs various documentary, storytelling, and performative methods to record Harlem residents’ ideas about community development, connect citizens with shared goals, and facilitate direct action aimed at social change.
DESIGN STUDIES (MA)
School of Art and design history and theory
T
he MA in Design Studies program draws on the unique range of graduate disciplines available throughout Parsons and the rest of The New School, an academic laboratory at the intersection of design and scholarly research. In the program, students examine design’s complex interactions with society, technology, and contemporary culture, exploring its capacity to transform sociopolitical relations and investigating how design processes can effect social change.
The 42-credit research-driven
history offer guidance for dealing
program critically addresses
humanely with one another and
historical, philosophical, theoretical, and social issues—politics, gender, power relations—related to design practices and products. Students work with pioneering design thinkers, emerging with the
the world we have made • Design enabling practitioners to project and critically assess scenarios of the future • Design writing and criticism for academic and general audiences
concepts and skills they need to become informed activists, writers,
Career paths—Graduates can
researchers, scholars, and consultants.
work in design-led entrepreneurial
MA Design Studies investi-
creative industries, applying their
gates how design affects human
knowledge of design and social
experience and considers design as
innovation to assist in research to
a fundamentally cross-disciplinary
support new product development,
endeavor. Students are encouraged
lead new approaches to curating
to take courses in the full range
and criticism, and help guide the
of graduate programs at Parsons
work of media and consulting
(including design history, curato-
firms, think tanks, technology
rial studies, fashion studies, urban
start-ups, and nonprofits such
studies, and media studies), and at
as NGOs and foundations.
The New School for Social Research
The program also provides a
(including anthropology, history,
foundation for those who want
economics, philosophy, politics,
to pursue doctoral studies in
psychology, and sociology).
related disciplines.
Aimed at both designers and nondesigners, MA Design Studies
For more about faculty, courses,
(which can be completed full-time
and requirements, visit
or part-time) offers four overlap-
newschool.edu/parsons-mads.
ping, flexible project-based research pathways: • Design through the integration of ecological, economic, technological, and social systems • Design as a phenomenon whose analysis, insights, and The new school parsons
21
TOP: Students publicly share their perspectives and research on design’s multifaceted role in contemporary society, preparing for careers in fields ranging from academia to media to social innovation entrepreneurship.
design studies (MA)
BOTTOM: Plot(s), the MA Design Studies program’s student-run journal, presents the community’s research and gives students opportunities to develop their design criticism writing abilities.
FASHION DESIGN & SOCIETY (MFA) School of Fashion
T
he MFA Fashion Design and Society at Parsons School of Design is the first graduate program of its kind in the United States, with a unique interdisciplinary and international approach to fashion. Each year, a small group of students join this academy for advanced studies in fashion design and train to become innovative and progressive world-class designers. Initiated by Parsons alumna Donna Karan, the program has received support from major names in fashion such as Diane von Furstenberg, Swarovski, Uniqlo, and Kering.
The two-year, 60-credit program
the New York Times, WWD, Vogue
combines intensive studio-based
(US, UK), Style.com, Elle, Marie
projects with research and, in the
Claire (US), SO-EN (Japan), and
tradition of social inquiry at The
many others.
New School, helps students develop
Part of Parsons’ renowned
an understanding of the global
School of Fashion, the MFA program
critical, ecological, and business
offers students opportunities to
contexts of their
connect with the international
work. Supplemental
community and industry part-
classes in filmmak-
ners and take part in high-profile
ing, presentation, and
collaborations. Students have won
photography broaden
or are finalists at fashion events
students’ visual
such as the International Fashion
design vocabulary
Showcase in London; International
and communication
Talent Support (sponsored by
skills, preparing them
Diesel); H&M Awards; New York
for collaborative pro-
Fashion Week; and the LVMH Prize.
fessional workplaces.
Graduates have gone on to design
At the end of
for firms including Alexander
their second year,
Wang, NIKE, Kanye West for
students present a
Adidas, St. John, Burberry, Donna
graduation collection. This pres-
Karan, Calvin Klein, Coach, GAP,
tigious exhibition attracts press,
Reed Krakoff, Ralph Lauren,
buyers, and other industry insiders
Narciso Rodriguez, and Opening
and is sponsored by individuals
Ceremony. Some have launched
and major fashion companies. In
businesses, selling to stores like
addition, students show their work
Dover Street Market.
on the runway in September during New York Fashion Week. At this
Career paths include—Fashion
event, students distribute a publica-
Design; Archiving; Curating;
tion documenting their collections,
Research; Teaching
which is sponsored by Kering and other firms and is seen around the
For more about faculty, courses,
world. Student work is regularly
and requirements, visit
featured in media outlets including
newschool.edu/parsons-mfafds.
The new school parsons
23
ABOVE: Andrea Jiapei Li, I AM WHAT (I AM),
from a runway show presented during New York Fashion Week at MADE Fashion, Milk Studios, in New York City BOTTOM: Pengji Cai, Garment Crash collection OPPOSITE: Katherine Mavridis, Rather, it
seeks a kind of suggestiveness; in holes, in emptiness
FASHION design & society (MFA)
TOP: Jia Hua, A Lot
FASHION STUDIES (MA) School of art and design history and theory
I
n the groundbreaking interdisciplinary Master of Arts in Fashion Studies program, students develop a critical understanding of fashion and its complex intersections with identities, histories, and cultures in the contemporary world.
MA Fashion Studies investigates the
opportunities to publish work and
material and visual dimensions of
collaborate with MA Fashion Studies
fashion as dress, image, and bodily
peers. Students complete intern-
practice and as a major cultural
ships at fashion companies, maga-
industry that positions the individ-
zines, and museums, including Elle,
ual within society and the world.
V Magazine, The Fashion Institute of
Students in the 42-credit program
Technology, Diane von Furstenberg,
are challenged to explore
Comme des Garçons, Ralph Lauren,
the interdisciplinary
Halston, and Hermès.
theories and methodol-
Students have the opportunity
ogies that have shaped
to spend a second-year semester
fashion studies and to
at Parsons Paris, where
contribute to its advance-
they have unprecedented
ment. Core and elective
access to some of the
courses open up broad
most prominent fashion
perspectives on fashion
and textiles collections
and its connections
in France through the
with design, production,
Musée des Arts Décoratifs,
consumption, imagi-
the Musée Galleria, and
nation, representation,
the Yves Saint Laurent
embodiment, and identity.
Foundation (see page 7
Informed by perspectives
for more information).
from a variety of disci-
Depending on their
plines, courses examine material
research interests, MA
from anthropology, sociology,
Fashion Studies students
art history, gender studies, visual
may wish to supplement
studies, film and media studies, and
their studies with the
material culture studies.
Graduate Certificate in
The program draws on New
Gender and Sexuality
York City’s museums, exhibitions,
Studies (GSS), designed
and public events and also calls for
to promote intellectual
students to observe streets, neigh-
collaboration on issues of
borhoods, and retail environments
gender and sexuality in a
critical to the fashion system. The
variety of disciplines.
program sponsors public events,
MA Fashion Studies
panels, and symposia such as
graduates have gone on to pursue
“Fashion Criticism” and “Fashion
PhD degrees at top universities
Curation.” Student-led projects,
throughout the world; others work
like the journal BIAS, offer students
in top fashion media companies
The new school parsons
and publishing houses including Rizzoli Publishing, Vogue, W, Nylon, I-D, and InStyle. Other graduates work as archivists, consultants, researchers, merchandisers, buyers, and public relations professionals in fashion houses and corporations such as Alexander Wang, Gucci, J.Crew, and Louis Vuitton. Career paths include—Fashion Archiving; Museum Administration;
TOP: Students in the Materiality of Fashion class examine a 1960s Yves St. Laurent colorblock dress from Parsons’ growing collection of garments available for hands-on study. BOTTOM: Students document fashions
ranging from couture to streetwear for cultural analyses that they present on a variety of platforms.
25
OPPOSITE: BIAS is the annual
student-run publication of the program. Other issue themes have included Fashion + Surveillance and Fashion + Healing.
Gallery Management; Media and Consulting; Criticism; Journalism; Academia For more about faculty, courses, newschool.edu/parsons-mafs.
Fashion studies (MA)
and requirements, visit
FINE ARTS (MFA)
School of art, media, and technology
G
uided by the belief that artists perform an essential role in society, the MFA in Fine Arts program provides a dynamic, challenging environment in which students develop diverse studio-based practices and pursue interdisciplinary scholarship. Students come from many backgrounds and cultures and work in media including painting, drawing, sculpture, video, performance, digital media, installation, and photography.
MFA Fine Arts encompasses modes
include Shirin Neshat, Paul Pfeiffer,
of study and practice ranging from
Tehching Hsieh, Kara Walker,
rigorous formal and aesthetic
Fred Wilson, Mark Dion, and Ann
investigations to social and political
Hamilton. Prominent curators guide
engagement. The two-year, full-
students preparing for their thesis
time curriculum includes 27 studio,
exhibitions. Parsons’ industry and
12 academic, 6 professional prac-
alumni connections yield abundant
tice, and 15 elective credits. Students
opportunities for collaboration and
work independently in
exhibition. Students have recently
their own studios and
presented work at the Pulse Art Fair,
participate in weekly
The Kitchen, and Sydney College
critiques with an interna-
of the Arts at the University of
tionally acclaimed faculty
Sydney and have held residencies at
of art professionals. The
Skowhegan Institute and Jentel.
program curriculum
MFA Fine Arts is housed in
centers on one-on-one
Parsons’ School of Art, Media, and
studio visits, group cri-
Technology (AMT), alongside the
tiques, critical theory sem-
Communication Design, Design
inars, personalized classes,
and Technology, Illustration, and
and writing and research
Photography programs. Shared
for studio practice, as
faculty and collaborative projects
well as professional
allow students to explore the inter-
practices seminars. The
sections between art, technology,
Transdisciplinary Seminar
design, and social critique. Students
reaches into the larger
can also draw on the extensive
New School community
resources of The New School, a
and focuses on a range of
progressive urban university with a
topics such as art and feminism,
tradition of civic engagement and
art and science, and art and
renowned graduate programs in the
poetry. Academic classes expose
social sciences, media studies, and
students to global contemporary
urban studies.
discourse on art and develop their critical abilities. Students interact with visiting
Career paths include—Fine Art; Arts Administration; Curation;
artists of varied practices and
Museum Management; Art
cultural orientations. Recent visitors
Criticism; Teaching
The new school parsons
27
TOP: Bing Han, Void #2. Oil
on canvas, 44 x 60 in. MIDDLE: John Furer, Sequence of Tenses III and IV. Spray paint on acrylic sheet, poplar, plywood, MDF, veneer
For more about faculty, courses, and requirements, visit newschool.edu/parsons-mfafa.
OPPOSITE: Jess English, The Original Skin #3. Aircraft-grade aluminum, fluorescent light, cleco fasteners, steel, plastic putty (approx. 74.4” x 60’)
fine Arts (MFA)
BOTTOM: Thesis Exhibition Installation, The Kitchen, 2015
HISTORY OF DESIGN & CURATORIAL STUD School of Art and design history and theory
T
his prestigious two-year master’s degree program, offered by Parsons in conjunction with Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, brings an object-focused and practice-based approach to the study of European and American decorative arts and design from the Renaissance to the present. Housed for more than 30 years at Cooper Hewitt—the only U.S. museum devoted exclusively to historical and contemporary design—the program enables students to work directly with the museum’s collections and its curators, conservators, educators, and designers. The MA History of Design and
In addition, MA students can apply
Curatorial Studies curriculum offers
for paid teaching assistantships.
practical and theoretical instruc-
Parsons’ School of Art and
tion in researching and displaying
Design History and Theory (ADHT)
interiors and design objects such
programs reflect the faculty’s
as furniture, ceramics, metalwork,
expertise in areas including art
textiles, and works in other media.
and design methodology
New courses in curatorial studies
and philosophy, design
and courses exploring the history of
criticism, cultural anthro-
design in social and cultural context
pology, sustainability, and
reflect the program’s broadened
material culture and are
scope and relevance. Students com-
designed to provide stu-
plete the 42 required credits in two
dents with opportunities to
years of full-time study or three to
take related courses within
four years of part-time study.
ADHT. Students can access
In the renovated Cooper
courses and collabora-
Hewitt, graduate students have
tive projects taking place
opportunities to curate exhibitions,
throughout Parsons and
create programming for the public,
The New School, which
and produce interpretive materials,
open up new topics and
which provide essential hands-on
areas of investigation in
experience in museum and
curatorial practice and
curatorial practices. Access to the
historical research. Students
Smithsonian’s Design Library, New
graduate prepared to join
School library holdings, and the
alumni who work in some
library consortium enriches object-
of the world’s most presti-
based research. For-credit intern-
gious nonprofit, commer-
ships enable students to explore
cial, cultural, and academic
professions in museums, auction
institutions.
houses, and galleries and on new online platforms. A limited number
Career paths include—
of master’s curatorial fellowships at
Curatorial and leadership
Cooper Hewitt, which provide par-
positions in museums and
tial tuition remission, are available.
historic houses; specialist
The new school parsons
DIES (MA)
Alumni Career Paths and management positions in auction houses; academia; con-
Graduates hold curatorial posts in museums and collections worldwide and specialist positions in auction houses and galleries. They serve in a range of capacities related to interpreting, promoting, and educating the public about art and design.
sulting for private and corporate collections; e-commerce; criticism and journalism; media For more about faculty, courses, and requirements, visit newschool.edu/parsons-mahistory.
Specialist positions in auction houses, galleries, and online platforms • Sotheby’s • Paddle.com • Christie’s • Doyle • Phillips • One Kings Lane Fellowships • Cranbrook Art Museum
• Winterthur Museum • Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum • Metropolitan Museum of Art Editorial positions (print and online) • Metropolis • New York Times • Martha Stewart Living • The Magazine Antiques Positions in interior design industries • Peter Marino Architects • HOK Associates • Archive Edition Textiles Academic positions • New York School of Interior Design • Parsons • National Institute of Design (India) • Fashion Institute of Technology • School of the Art Institute of Chicago
TOP: The program is housed in the newly renovated
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Shown here are students researching in the National Design Library, North Reading Room. BOTTOM: Cooper Hewitt’s collection of more than 250,000 objects and its world-class library offer Parsons students unique opportunities for curating and interpreting design objects—and reaching new audiences.
29 history of design & curatorial studies (MA)
Curatorial positions in museums • Museum of Modern Art • Victoria & Albert Museum • Indianapolis Art Museum • Museum of Arts and Design • Metropolitan Museum of Art • Museum of Fine Arts, Houston • Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum • Wolfsonian Museum • M+ Museum (Hong Kong)
INDUSTRIAL DESIGN (MFA) School of constructed environments
P
arsons’ Master of Fine Arts in Industrial Design program offers an innovative two-year, 60-credit, full-time graduate curriculum that prepares students to negotiate the seemingly contradictory forces at play in the growing product design industry. Students explore the way goods can be produced in both localized contexts (a “making in place” approach, which relies on regionalized needs and constraints) and globalized contexts (employing design principles focusing on universal needs).
In the MFA Industrial Design pro-
environment, and promoting the
gram, students combine advanced
quality of life.
making skills and critical inquiry to
Students develop their
design for production at all scales,
knowledge and skills at the uni-
from low volume to high volume,
versity’s state-of-the-art product
employing methods ranging from
prototyping and testing facilities.
desktop manufacturing to systems
In their second semester, MFA
involving global supply chains.
students explore limited-run making in New York City, and in the third semester they can investigate large-scale global production through virtual collaborations or study abroad at sites including Parsons Paris. An innovation-focused university with programs in the social sciences, business and management, media studies, and the performing arts, The New School offers complementary courses that enrich design practice. Local industry events and collaborations with commercial
MFA Industrial Design’s curric-
and nonprofit partners deepen
ulum balances competing interests
connections to the field. A
such as economical production and
specialized thesis project offers
sustainability, consumerism, social
opportunities to develop designs
and environmental improvement,
that advance—or challenge—
and global and local production,
industrial design theory and practice.
investigating ways to integrate and
New York City boasts
reconcile these forces as a whole.
the country’s largest number of
The faculty of design practitioners
creative-sector jobs and attracts
aims to develop a community of
top design talent. The MFA
designers committed to improv-
Industrial Design program attracts
ing industry, protecting the
motivated, reflective students with
The new school parsons
TOP: Miriam Josi and Stella Lee Prowse, Nomad. Nomad is a locally manufactured planter made from recycled sailcloth and designed with New Yorkers’ small apartments in mind. The designers hope their product will encourage people to grow their own herbs and become aware of food sources. LEFT: Parsons students and an in-house strategist at Poltrona Frau—a luxury furniture producer and frequent collaboration partner—explore the materials proposed for a competition project.
31
OPPOSITE: The design of
prepared to design innovative
also accepts candidates from other
products and lead the industries
design professions and disciplines
that produce them as well.
such as engineering, management, anthropology, and psychology.
Career paths include—Industrial
Students graduate equipped with
Design; Product Development;
the ability to integrate the many
Manufacturing; Furniture Design;
considerations involved in product
Humanitarian and Service Design;
design and to lead as socially aware
Toy Design; Design Management;
makers, strategists, and industry
Architectural Building Systems
specialists. Graduates emerge
For more about faculty, courses, and requirements, visit newschool.edu/parsons/ mfa-industrial-design.
industrial design (mfa)
experience in product design but
Spiraloop, a vegetable masher created by program director Rama Chorpash, engages the production processes of a local Brooklyn spring manufacturer. The product embodies the kinds of decisions contemporary designers can make to influence systems involving employment, production and sustainability, and distribution, thereby advancing the field along responsible paths.
INTERIOR DESIGN (MFA) School of constructed environments
T
he Master of Fine Arts in Interior Design program at Parsons is uniquely positioned to lead the discourse and practice of interior design in the 21st century. Inaugurated in 2009 at Parsons, the school where formal interior design education began, this graduate program builds on 100 years of leadership in the field. Design as a social practice is the program’s guiding philosophy. Students explore design as a force for change, a means of environmental stewardship, and a tool for shaping experiences.
Integrating sustainable design strat-
consumption, drawing and digital
egies with new developments in
representation, and the history and
technology and materials, the two-
theory of interior design. Students
year, full-time professional MFA in
supplement core classes with
Interior Design* program prepares
electives offered throughout Parsons
a new generation of designers to
and in other New School divisions in
address social changes and demo-
fields such as design and technol-
graphic shifts shaping
ogy, anthropology, psychology, and
clients’ needs today. A
environmental and urban studies.
faculty of distinguished
Using New York City as an
practicing professionals
urban laboratory, the curriculum
work with students to
draws on Parsons’ long-standing
imagine new possi-
connections to interior design and
bilities for the design
architecture firms, manufacturers,
of habitable space.
galleries, and museums. During the
The program hosts
second year, students develop a
“AfterTaste,” an annual
capstone project that culminates
international conference
in a thesis project, written thesis
dedicated to expanding
book, and exhibition. Graduates
the conceptual boundaries between
are positioned to transform the
interior design and related fields
field as practitioners and educators
including art, architecture, film,
by working in interior design and
science, psychology, philosophy,
architecture studios, developing new
medicine, and music.
design practices, and collaborating
A 60-credit, studio-centered, research-oriented curriculum challenges students to analyze the
with nonprofit, government, and educational institutions. The program is offered by
relationship between human
Parsons’ School of Constructed
behavior, comfort, and perception
Environments (SCE), which also
and the built interior. Courses
houses related programs in archi-
investigate materials and their envi-
tecture, lighting design, and product
ronmental impact, fabrication and
design. SCE students share research
manufacturing processes, building
and fabrication facilities and work
systems and operational energy
together in an open design studio
The new school parsons
MFA Lighting Design and Interior Design Double Major The School of Constructed Environments offers students wishing to combine studies collaborating on projects, uniting historically separate design disciplines to support crossdisciplinary innovation. Career paths include—Interior Design; Industrial Design; Sustainable Design; Consulting; Teaching
in interior design and lighting design a unique double major. In the MFA Lighting Design and Interior Design double major, a three-year, 90-credit-hour curriculum, students develop an in-depth technical and aesthetic understanding of the relationship between light and interior design. Interested students should apply directly to their primary program of interest—Interior Design or Lighting
33
Design—and follow the application prompts for the double major. TOP: Students created the environment shown here for the evening dinner of the “AfterTaste 2015: Inside Imagination” symposium. BOTTOM: Paolo Agostinelli, Food for the City. This project proposes alternatives to current food systems; shown here is a space in which urbanites connect through rituals of dining.
riors: Private workspheres in the open-plan environment
For more about faculty, courses, and requirements, visit newschool.edu/parsons/mfainterior-design. *Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, this program fulfills the education requirement that qualifies graduates to sit for the National Council of Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) professional licensing exam.
interior design (mfa)
OPPOSITE: Gosia Rodek, Pockets of the Inte-
LIGHTING DESIGN (MFA) School of constructed environments
T
he Master of Fine Arts in Lighting Design program at Parsons, the first of its kind in the world, has trained leaders in this rapidly evolving field for more than 30 years. With a solid foundation in the intellectual, aesthetic, and technical dimensions of light, Parsons’ interdisciplinary curriculum focuses on human experience, sustainability, and the social impact of lighting design.
Students explore the relationships
The Lighting Design pro-
between theory, technical applica-
gram is part of Parsons’ School of
tion, energy conservation, and social
Constructed Environments (SCE),
and environmental aspects of
along with closely related programs
electric and natural light. The two-
in architecture, interior design, and
year, full-time course of study is
product design. In the open envi-
composed of 24 studio credits, 30
ronment of the SCE design studio,
credits of seminars (on cultural,
students work collaboratively on
historical, and perceptual aspects
complex problems ranging from
of light), and 6 electives. The
single interior
unique curriculum is anchored in
environments to
an integrated studio experience in
comprehensive
which students interact with peers
architectural
in architecture, interior design, and
volumes, outdoor
product design disciplines. Projects
public space, and
integrate research, conceptual
urban planning.
design development, innovative
The School
representational techniques, techni-
of Constructed
cal analysis, and full-scale study to
Environments
uncover the experiential and social
also offers
implications of illumination.
two multidisciplinary programs,
The birthplace of architectural
described on page 35, that enable
lighting design, New York City offers
students to develop an in-depth
students abundant opportunities for
technical and aesthetic understanding
learning and career advancement.
of the relationship between light,
Students also benefit from access
architecture, and interior design.
to important built projects, industry-related activities, trade
Career paths include—
shows, conferences, and the uni-
Architectural and Interior Lighting
versity’s network for professional
Design; Theatrical Lighting;
internships and postgraduate
Exhibition Lighting; Equipment
placement. Lighting design is
Design and Manufacturing
relevant to zoning and building regulations, traffic and pedestrian
For more about faculty, courses,
safety, neighborhood integration,
and requirements, visit
and numerous other matters
newschool.edu/parsons-mfald.
affecting the city. The new school parsons
MFA Lighting Design/Master of Architecture Dual Degree TOP: James Clotfelter, Silvia Mazzarri, Jordana Maisie, Atrium electric lighting visualization OPPOSITE: Access to the
Lighting Lab—a resource unique to this Parsons program—lets students take varying lighting conditions into account in their designs. BOTTOM: Sirada
Kuevibulvanich and Junkyeong Park, Light, Vision, and Representation
Those who wish to pursue studies in lighting design and architecture can apply to the dual-degree program, a four-year, 120-credit-hour curriculum that combines the NAAB-accredited
MFA Lighting Design and Interior Design Double Major
Master of Architecture and
The School of Constructed
MFA Lighting Design. Interested
Environments offers students
students should apply directly to
wishing to combine studies
this dual-degree program; they
in lighting design and interior
will automatically be considered
design a unique double major.
for admission to the individual
In the MFA Lighting Design and
Master of Architecture and MFA
Interior Design double major,
Lighting Design programs as well.
a three-year, 90-credit-hour
35
curriculum, students develop an in-depth technical and aesthetic understanding of the relationship between light and interior design. Interested students should apply directly to their primary program of interest—Lighting Design or Interior Design—and follow double major.
lighting design (mfa)
the application prompts for the
PHOTOGRAPHY (MFA)
School of art, media, and technology
T
he MFA Photography program prepares students to become practicing artists and scholars who redefine the creative role of photography within contemporary culture. The program challenges students to move beyond current paradigms, anticipating and setting trends rather than following them. The flexible 26-month, 60-credit
graduate thesis exhibitions and
MFA Photography curriculum
publications extend students’ reach
enables students to undertake local
into art communities. Graduates go
internships and apprenticeships
on to publish, exhibit internation-
and participate in international
ally, and work in related positions.
projects. The program begins with
The MFA in Photography
an eight-week summer session
program is part of Parsons’ School
in residence at Parsons, the first
of Art, Media, and Technology
of three, in which students attend
(AMT), which is also home to the
lectures by and meet with visiting
Communication Design, Fine Arts,
artists, curators, and critics. Recent
Design and Technology,
visitors include Elinor Carucci, Lisa
and Illustration programs.
Oppenheim, Eva Respini, Anna
Photography students work
Ostoya, Charlotte Cotton, Tehching
together and access the
Hsieh, Matthew Buckingham, Louise
many academic resources
Lawler, Jason Fulford, Penelope
of The New School,
Umbrico, Jill Magid, Dread Scott,
including all of Parsons’
and Artie Vierkant. In the fall and
programs, for their research.
spring semesters, students engage in faculty-supervised independent
Career paths include—
study and fulfill course requirements
Commercial Photography;
on campus or online.
Editorial Photography;
The school’s long-standing
Fashion Photography;
ties to the photography and art
Documentary Production;
communities offer students access
Fine Art
to New York City partners for internships, exhibitions, research, and
For more about faculty,
representation. Rigorous critiques
courses, and requirements,
and regular meetings with
visit newschool.edu/
faculty and professional artists
parsons/mfa-
help students situate their work
photography.
within broader historical, theoretical, and visual culture contexts. Program-sponsored conferences, such as the recent “Photographic Universe,” bring together practitioners and critics to explore contemporary issues in the field. Annual The new school parsons
37
ABOVE: Charlie Rubin, Red Rock
Painted Truck Purple Tree BOTTOM: Lara Atallah, The
Abandoned Dinner Party (Coffee Time)
photography (mfa)
TOP: Craig Callison, Desktop_003, 2014, Pigment Print
STRATEGIC DESIGN & MANAGEMENT (MS) School of design strategies
T
he Master of Science in Strategic Design and Management program brings together a diverse group aspiring to initiate and lead change in emerging fields: business professionals wishing to complement their business skills with design capabilities, design practitioners seeking to acquire expertise in business and leadership, and entrepreneurs looking to develop transformative business propositions for an evolving global economy. Led by a world-class faculty, the program is academically rigorous and industry focused. Students can complete the MS entirely on campus or online, or study both on campus and online.
The MS in Strategic Design and
in projects structured like real-world
Management responds to the major
industry consulting jobs.
restructuring of economies world-
With evening classes and
wide. The program incorporates
online instruction, this flexible grad-
design thinking, service design, and
uate program is well suited to early-
sustainability frameworks. Strategic
to mid-career professionals seeking
Design and Management gradu-
to complement their design and
ate students focus on the evolving
business expertise with professional
global economy and are exposed to
application. The program connects
sophisticated real-world perspec-
students to the broader intellectual
tives on operations, sustainability,
community of Parsons and other
management, leadership, intrapre-
schools and colleges of The New
neurship, entrepreneurship, and
School. Housed in the School of
design innovation and research. A
Design Strategies at Parsons, the
36-credit program, Strategic Design
program is part of a leading urban
and Management divides into two
university known for its courses
sections, each with its own distinct
on design thinking, organizational
pedagogy: academic courses and
management, nonprofit manage-
integrative studios, both offered on
ment, sustainability management,
campus and online. Coursework
leadership, and entrepreneurship.
incorporates cutting-edge analyses of the new economy, which help
Career paths include—Business;
students develop new business
Sustainability Management;
models and organizational designs
Innovation; Social Innovation;
for the creative industries. These
Entrepreneurship; Strategic and
classes provide hands-on experi-
Service Design
ence in designing, managing, and improving design-intensive and
For more about faculty, courses,
creative firms—and help students
and requirements, visit
develop their capacity to inspire and
newschool.edu/parsons-mssdm.
lead creative teams. In the studios, students apply their course learning The new school parsons
)
Curriculum FIRST YEAR / FALL Strategic Design and Management in New Economies Sustainable Business Models Managing Creative Projects and Teams FIRST YEAR / SPRING Design Innovation and Leadership Integrative Studio 1 SECOND YEAR / FALL Regulatory and Ethical Contexts Independent Project: Internship/ Action Research SECOND YEAR / SPRING New Design Firms Integrative Studio 2
39
Certificate Option Part of the MS curriculum is Certificate in Business of Design. In this innovative program, students complete six design management, leadership, and innovation courses to qualify for the certificate. The program is aimed at professionals interested in managing in creative fields, innovation-focused companies, and firms that routinely TOP: Students share their research at a public
event held at Brooklyn’s Industry City venue. BOTTOM: Students in the recent Designing
Thoughts workshop, led by trend analyst and program visiting fellow Zuzanna Skalska, learned about new economies, their effects on society and commerce, and the value of global awareness. They were then asked to imagine future business challenges and develop creative responses to them.
employ design. To learn more, visit newschool.edu/ parsons-businessdesign.
strategic design & management (ms)
available as an 18-credit Graduate
THEORIES OF URBAN PRACTICE (MA) School of design strategies
T
he Master of Arts in Theories of Urban Practice program offers an innovative path for students interested in acquiring a critical understanding of the design of urban environments and the transdisciplinary knowledge required to transform cities.
The program reframes the study of urbanism and urban design as transformative practices that draw on an expanding body of knowledge, research, and action. This 30-credit research-driven MA degree program is for students who wish to pursue advanced studies in urbanism or careers as urban researchers, designers, teachers, design critics, policy advisors, and leaders of nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and private design and development firms. Students conduct research and develop design strategies through critical engagement with contem-
Career paths include—Urban
porary urban issues. They can take
Design; City Planning; Government
part in project-based studios in
Administration; Nonprofit
related programs, including Parsons’
Management; Collaborative
MS in Design and Urban Ecologies
Urbanism; Teaching; Research;
and MFA in Transdisciplinary
Social Enterprise
Design, as well as other New School graduate programs. The program
To learn more about faculty,
is housed in Parsons’ School of
course descriptions, and
Design Strategies, an educational
requirements, visit
environment that fosters innovative
newschool.edu/parsons-matup.
thinking about and experimentation with the design of cities, services, and ecosystems. Parsons is part of The New School, a pioneering university located in the heart of New York City that offers some of the nation’s most respected programs in design, social sciences, liberal arts, performing arts, and management and policy.
The new school parsons
TOP: MA Theories of Urban Practice
program students Renae Diggs (left) and Joy Alise Davis (center) interview residents near Diversity Plaza in Jackson Heights, Queens, for their research.
41
OPPOSITE: Today urban designers often
BOTTOM: A student sketches an infographic depicting the development of Cairo’s Al-Azhar Park, a complex 20th-century project to design an urban public space incorporating local needs, resources, and vernacular landscaping and architecture on a 500-year-old landfill site. .
theories of urban practice (ma)
involve local stakeholders in the process of urban transformation, including the creation of public policy. Here, students meet with community members to gauge interest in a recycling initiative.
TRANSDISCIPLINARY DESIGN (MFA) School of design strategies
E
mphasizing collaborative design-led research, Parsons’ Master of Fine Arts in Transdisciplinary Design program serves as an academic laboratory in New York City for graduate students seeking to define the next phase of design practice globally.
The MFA in Transdisciplinary Design program was created for designers interested in developing ideas, tools, and working methods
• Sustainability considers how to build public infrastructure for sustainable practices. • The Social investigates the
to address the complex challenges
use of design to envision new
of a global culture. Students work
modalities of social interaction
in cross-disciplinary teams, learn from industry leaders, and emerge
and community. • Urban seeks ways to reshape
with a portfolio that reflects the use
everyday practices within highly
of design processes to transform
networked urban environments.
social relations and contemporary life. Graduates go on to work in
Career paths include—Service
traditional design consultancies or
Design; Design Consulting;
apply their skills in new ways, such
Academia; Business Development;
as restructuring services like health
International Development;
care and public education, initiating
Entrepreneurship; In-house
microbusinesses, and developing
Design Leads within Government
projects for nongovernmental
Organizations and other Industries
organizations. The MFA in Transdisciplinary
For more about faculty, courses,
Design program is housed in
and requirements, visit
Parsons’ School of Design Strategies
newschool.edu/parsons-mfatrans.
(SDS), alongside graduate programs in Design and Urban Ecologies, Strategic Design and Management, and Theories of Urban Practice. In its programs and projects, SDS employs innovative approaches to design and business education in the context of cities, services, and ecosystems. This two-year, 60-credit program focuses on project-based work connected to four flexible and overlapping research pathways: • Systems explores ways to integrate ecological, economic, technological, and social systems to achieve common ends. The new school parsons
TOP: Howard Chambers
and Bland Hoke, Softwalks. Softwalks is a set of easy-toinstall components that uses construction scaffolding to support seating, plantings, and lighting, fostering social interaction in a greener urban landscape. Softwalks won Fast Company magazine’s Innovation by Design Award (Student Category). MIDDLE: Doremy Diatta,
BOTTOM: Amplify The Bronx, the latest in a series of social innovation projects led by Parsons students and faculty, engaged local residents and staff of Soundview Park in a community engagement co-designing activity. Students learned about challenges facing park users and administrators, heard residents’ perceptions of the park, and tested concepts aimed at increasing local stewardship and use of the park.
43
transdisciplinary design (mfa)
Material Communications. For her thesis, Diatta developed objects for parents of children with disruptive behavioral disorders to use at home to practice techniques learned in therapy. With support from Parsons, Diatta recently presented her thesis at the 2015 Design Indaba conference in Cape Town, South Africa.
STUDENT SERVICES
Housing The university offers graduate housing, but most graduate students choose to live off campus. To learn more about housing options on and off campus, visit newschool.edu/student-housing.
Career Services Internships and collaborations with external partners connect students with New York City’s professional communities and institutions and enrich their educational experience. Through these projects students develop valuable skills in collaboration. The New School Center for Student Success assists students by developing industry contacts and professional opportunities. To help students find work, the office offers a range of services, including • One-on-one counseling on job strategies • Résumé, portfolio, and interview preparation • On-campus job and internship fairs • Access to an online job database with more than 30,000 registered employers • Alumni career panels, workshops, and special events • A resource blog To learn more and read alumni profiles, visit newschool.edu/css.
The new school parsons
45
student services
TUITION, SCHOLARSHIPS, AND FINANCIA
A
graduate education is an investment in your future. Students need to take action to be as well prepared as possible for the financial commitment. The New School Office of Student Financial Services can help students budget and find support resources, including aid. For information on the cost of attendance and financial services, visit newschool.edu/sfs.
Financial Aid and Scholarships All graduate students who apply by the priority scholarship deadline of January 1* are considered for New School merit-based scholarships; no additional application is required. In addition, U.S. citizens or legal residents should file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) between January 1 and March 1 if they are applying for either the summer or fall term. The FAFSA can be found online at fafsa.ed.gov (the New School/Parsons code is 002780). Some graduate programs offer paying research assistant and teaching assistant positions that support research and develop students’ skills while defraying the costs of attendance. Students should also research non–New School scholarships and grants that can be applied to graduate study. For a list of additional scholarship opportunities, visit newschool.edu/scholarships-and-grants.
Tuition and cost of attendance For up-to-date information on tuition and fees, visit newschool.edu/tuition-and-fees. *Applications received after January 1 may be considered if space is available in the program.
The new school parsons
AL AID
47
Office of Student Financial Services 72 Fifth Avenue, 2nd floor New York, NY 10003 212.229.8930 sfs@newschool.edu
tuition, scholarships, and Financial aid
Contact the Office of Student Financial Services
ADMISSION
M
ost students who are considering graduate study begin the application process in the fall before their intended term of entry. The following timetable outlines a schedule of the necessary steps.
Fall
Spring
SUMMER
SEPTEMBER–DECEMBER
JANUARY–MAY
JUNE–AUGUST
• Review application
• Apply for the fall term
• Explore housing options.
requirements. • Attend an admission event or portfolio review.¹ • Research non–New School scholarships. • Register for the TOEFL or GRE if needed. • Contact those who are writing recommendations. • Request college transcripts.²
by January 1 (priority scholarship deadline). • Check your application status online at
• MFA Photography students begin class in early June. • Register for classes.
newschool.edu/
• MFA Design and
admissionhub.
Technology students
• Submit FAFSA online by March 1.³
attend Bootcamp in late July.
• Check for correspondence from admission and
• Attend orientation. • Classes begin in late
faculty.
August.
• Check for admission decision letter, sent out in mid-March or later. • Meet faculty and alumni at events for admitted
¹See website for locations.
students.
² International transcripts require additional time for English
• Submit tuition deposit. • Apply for international
language translation. ³Applies only to students who meet federal eligibility requirements.
student visa if necessary.
ACCREDITATION Parsons and The New School are fully accredited by the Com-
tions with U.S. regional accreditation, recognizes three types of
mission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association
degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture,
of Colleges and Schools. The New School, a privately supported
and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted
institution, is chartered as a university by the Regents of the
an eight-year, three-year, or two-year term of accreditation,
State of New York. Parsons is also an accredited institutional
depending on the extent of its conformance with established
member of the National Association of Schools of Art and
educational standards.
Design (NASAD) and a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD). In the United States, most registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. The National Architectural Accrediting
Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs may require a pre-professional undergraduate degree in architecture for admission. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree. Parsons School of Design offers the following NAAB-accredited
Board (NAAB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit
degree program: Master of Architecture (pre-professional degree +
professional degree programs in architecture offered by institu-
90 credits). Next accreditation visit for this program: 2016.
The new school parsons
Learn More About Parsons and Visit the Campus There are a number of ways to connect with us: campus visits, open houses, portfolio days, and other admission events in New York City and around the world. If you are unable to travel, email an admission counselor. GRADUATE STUDENT TOURS Tours are recommended for prospective, applied, and admitted students; they are intended not to provide answers to questions about academics or admission but rather to offer an overview of The New School’s facilities. Schedule a tour: newschool.edu/ parsons/grad-events. (Tours are not held on national holidays or when the university is closed.) A highlight of the tour is the University Center—the new hub of campus life, designed to facilitate collaboration within the New School community. To learn more, visit newschool.edu/university-center. SPEAK WITH A PROGRAM DIRECTOR AND OBSERVE A CLASS Speak to a program director to learn more about programs. Visit the program landing webpage to find the name of the director, and select the name to obtain an email address. Or find contact information using the New School online directory, at newschool.edu/directory. Some program directors welcome class visits. INFORMATION SESSIONS, WEBINARS, AND GRADUATE PORTFOLIO DAYS Prospective students should attend an information session to learn about Parsons, The New School, and Parsons’ graduate programs. Admission counselors
Contact the Office of Admission
explain the admission and financial aid process and
Parsons School of Design
give portfolio feedback before students apply. For more
Office of Graduate Admission 72 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10011 212.229.5150 thinkparsonsgrad@newschool.edu To apply, visit newschool.edu/parsons/apply.
answer questions. Webinars are also offered throughout the year. On Graduate Portfolio Days, faculty members information, including upcoming session dates, visit newschool.edu/parsons/grad-events. SPEAK WITH AN ADMISSION COUNSELOR If you have not yet submitted an application to Parsons or were recently admitted and have questions, request an appointment with an admission counselor by emailing thinkparsonsgrad@newschool.edu.
A few facts that
The new school
set us apart
at A GLANCE
#1 FOR SMALL CLASSES: Among national
• Founded in 1919.
universities, The New School had the highest proportion of classes with fewer than 20 students.
• Located in the heart of NYC in Greenwich Village, with a branch campus in Paris.
2014, U.S. News & World Report
• Houses five schools and colleges.
#1 ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL: Parsons School
• Offers 130 degree and diploma programs
of Design was named the Best College for Art and Design in the United States. 2015, Quacquarelli Symonds 2015 World University Rankings #1 MOST INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY: We have a higher percentage of international students than any other U.S. university. 2014, U.S. News & World Report #1 FOR SUSTAINABLE BUILDING: The American Institute of Architects named the New School University Center one of the greenest buildings in the United States—and it’s the largest LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certified urban university building.
and majors and more than 50 minors. • Has more than 10,000 degree-seeking students. • Students come from all 50 states and 118 foreign countries. • The New School offers a range of graduate programs. See details at newschool.edu/academics. Membership and Accreditation The New School is a member of the Association of American Colleges and Universities and is accredited by the New York State Board of Regents and by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.
*By Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings, a London-based global provider of specialist higher education and career information. Ranking based on feedback from both academic peers and employers. The New School is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Institution. For important information regarding your rights as a student, visit newschool.edu/your-right-to-know. Published 2015 by The New School. Produced by Marketing & Communication, The New School. Photography: James Ewing, Andrew Gam, Conway Liao, Jessica Miller, courtesy of Daniel Sauter, Adam Schwartz, Martin Seck, Matthew Septimus, Albert Vecerka, Phillip Van Nostrand
graduate Programs
SCHOOL OF DRAMA Acting MFA Directing MFA Playwriting MFA
PARSONS School
THE NEW
of Design
SCHooL FOR
Architecture MArch
SOCIAL RESEARCH
Architecture/Lighting Design
Anthropology MA/PhD
MArch/MFA
AFFAIRS, MANAGE-
Creative Publishing and Critical
Business of Design Graduate
Journalism MA
MENT, AND URBAN
Certificate
Economics MA/MS/PhD
Data Visualization MS
Global Political Economy and
Design and Technology MFA
Finance MA
Design and Urban Ecologies MS
Gender and Sexuality Studies
Design Studies MA
Graduate Certificate
Fashion Design and Society MFA
Historical Studies MA
Fashion Studies MA
Liberal Studies MA
Fine Arts MFA
Philosophy MA/PhD
History of Design and Curatorial
Politics MA/PhD
Studies MA
Psychology MA/PhD
Industrial Design MFA
General Psychology MA
Graduate Certificate
Interior Design MFA
Clinical Psychology PhD
Public and Urban Policy PhD
Lighting Design MFA
Cognitive, Social, and
Sustainability Strategies
Photography MFA
Developmental Psychology PhD
Graduate Certificate
Strategic Design and Management MS
Harm Reduction Certificate Sociology MA/PhD
MILANO SCHooL OF INTERNATIONAL
POLICY Environmental Policy and Sustain ability Management MS Julien J. Studley Graduate Program in International Affairs MA/MS Leadership and Change Graduate Certificate Nonprofit Management MS Organizational Change Management MS Organization Development
Urban Policy Analysis and Management MS
Theories of Urban Practice MA Transdisciplinary Design MFA
college of performing arts
Parsons
Arts Management MA
Paris
Launching fall 2017
CREATIVE WRITING PROGRAM Creative Writing MFA
Design and Technology MFA Fashion Studies MA
MANNES SCHooL
MATESOL
Global Executive Master’s
OF MUSIC
Teaching English to Speakers of
in Strategic Design and
Classical Guitar MM/PSD
Other Languages (TESOL) MA
Management MS History of Design and Curatorial Studies MA
Collaborative Piano MM/PSD Composition MM/PSD
SCHooL OF MEDIA
Harpsichord MM/PSD
STUDIES
Orchestral Conducting MM/PSD Orchestral Instruments MM/PSD
Media Studies MA Media Management MS/Graduate
Piano MM/PSD
Certificate
Theory MM/PSD
Documentary Media Studies
Voice MM/PSD
Graduate Certificate