GRADUATE PROGRAMS
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Aina Hussein MFA Fashion Design and Society
MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
PARSONS COMMUNITY Parsons Learning Communities The New School Parsons: Parts of an Urban Network Parsons: Engaged with the World
Grace Salem MFA Design and Technology
Jason Hudspeth M.ARCH
ADMISSION TIMELINE Graduate Admission and Financial Aid Timeline
Dong Yoon Park MFA Design and Technology
Standard Application Requirements M.ARCH ARCHITECTURE
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MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
M.ARCH/MFA ARCHITECTURE AND LIGHTING DESIGN DUAL DEGREE MFA DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY MS DESIGN AND URBAN ECOLOGIES¹ MA DESIGN STUDIES¹ MFA FASHION DESIGN AND SOCIETY
MS DESIGN AND URBAN ECOLOGIES
Launching fall 2012 MA DESIGN STUDIES
Launching fall 2012 MFA FASHION DESIGN AND SOCIETY
MA FASHION STUDIES
MFA FINE ARTS
MFA FINE ARTS
MA HISTORY OF DECORATIVE ARTS AND DESIGN MFA INTERIOR DESIGN MFA INTERIOR DESIGN AND LIGHTING DESIGN DOUBLE MAJOR MFA LIGHTING DESIGN
MA HISTORY OF DECORATIVE ARTS AND DESIGN
MFA INTERIOR DESIGN
MFA INTERIOR DESIGN AND LIGHTING DESIGN DOUBLE MAJOR
Launching fall 2012 MFA LIGHTING DESIGN
MFA PHOTOGRAPHY
MFA PHOTOGRAPHY
MA THEORIES OF URBAN PRACTICE¹
MA THEORIES OF URBAN PRACTICE
MFA TRANSDISCIPLINARY DESIGN
MFA TRANSDISCIPLINARY DESIGN GRE SCORE
ADDITIONAL ESSAY
PORTFOLIO
TOEFL SCORE²
Katie Koepfinger and Burcum Turkmen MFA Design and Technology
TWO LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
www.newschool.edu/parsons-summer
STATEMENT OF INTEREST AND INTENTIONS
Take classes on selected topics on our New York campus or abroad.
Launching fall 2012
RÉSUMÉ
Graduate Admission and Financial Aid Timeline
MFA DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS³
ADMISSION TIMELINE
M.ARCH AND MFA LIGHTING DESIGN DUAL DEGREE
MA FASHION STUDIES
PARSONS COMMUNITY Parsons Learning Communities The New School Parsons: Parts of an Urban Network Parsons: Engaged with the World
M.ARCH
For a complete list of application requirements, visit www.newschool.edu/parsons-grad-apply. ¹Awaiting review by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). See website for application requirements.
² If English is not your native language, you must submit a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score. See website for official testing policies.
³All applicants with international transcripts must submit an original transcript from each institution attended outside the United States along with a certified English language translation, if English was not the language of instruction.
DEADLINE FOR FALL APPLICATIONS: JAN. 10
M.ARCH ARCHITECTURE
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MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
PARSONS COMMUNITY Parsons Learning Communities The New School Parsons: Parts of an Urban Network Parsons: Engaged with the World
ADMISSION TIMELINE Graduate Admission and Financial Aid Timeline
M.ARCH/MFA ARCHITECTURE AND LIGHTING DESIGN DUAL DEGREE MFA DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
MS DESIGN AND URBAN ECOLOGIESยน MA DESIGN STUDIESยน MFA FASHION DESIGN AND SOCIETY MA FASHION STUDIES MFA FINE ARTS
MA HISTORY OF DECORATIVE ARTS AND DESIGN MFA INTERIOR DESIGN
MFA INTERIOR DESIGN AND LIGHTING DESIGN DOUBLE MAJOR MFA LIGHTING DESIGN MFA PHOTOGRAPHY
MA THEORIES OF URBAN PRACTICEยน MFA TRANSDISCIPLINARY DESIGN
Take classes on selected topics on our New York campus or abroad.
www.newschool.edu/parsons-summer
Katie Koepfinger and Burcum Turkmen MFA Design and Technology
REFERENCE FOLDER Cover Graduate Programs and Admission Requirements Admission Deadline Parsons at a Glance Career Services, Tuition & Financial Aid
MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
PARSONS COMMUNITY Parsons Learning Communities The New School Parsons: Parts of an Urban Network Parsons: Engaged with the World
ADMISSION TIMELINE
Parsons gives students the tools to achieve professional success and prepares them to think beyond current paradigms. Students learn to challenge convention and collaborate on work that can improve people’s lives in direct and fundamental ways. Students 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
A Distinguished Faculty, a Collaborative Approach
Parsons has been a pioneer in art and design education since its founding in 1896, championing new movements and teaching methods that have shaped generations of artists, designers, scholars, entrepreneurs, and community leaders. Because Parsons is part of The New School, a progressive urban university, students can take liberal arts and sciences courses to strengthen their work and combine academic knowledge with social activism. Programs at
Our faculty of leading design practitioners, artists, critics, historians, writers, and scholars reflect the spectrum of art and design disciplines. Faculty members collaborate with students to develop technologies and refine research methodologies, creating work that is relevant to a wide range of social, cultural, and economic systems. By combining art and design studies with instruction in liberal arts and business, Parsons faculty members prepare students to lead scholarship in their field and to excel in their creative practice. To learn more about the faculty, visit www.newschool.edu/parsons-faculty.
The City and Parsons SCHOOL OF DESIGN STRATEGIES
SCHOOL OF FASHION
SCHOOL OF CONSTRUCTED ENVIRONMENTS
PARSONS THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DESIGN
Housing SCHOOL OF ART AND DESIGN HISTORY AND THEORY
SCHOOL OF ART, MEDIA, AND TECHNOLOGY
Graduate Admission and Financial Aid Timeline Parsons are grouped into the following five schools: This organizational structure supports Parsons’ educational mission, and its interdisciplinary approach builds community among students and faculty in related disciplines. Photography: Bob Handelman, Michael Moran, Adam Schwartz, Martin Seck, Matthew Sussman
Cities are becoming models of sustainable living because of the efficient resource use and forms of community life that are possible in densely populated areas. New York is an ideal place to study the ecologies of urban settings for insights to apply elsewhere. 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.
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 www.newschool.edu/studentservices/housing.
Diversity and Parsons The Parsons community is diverse and 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 the social, political, and economic contexts in which academic study takes place. Diversity enriches the learning community by introducing varied points of view, enabling tomorrow’s designers to devise innovative, thoughtful solutions to social inequities and injustices. This effort relies on the contributions of people who have been historically underrepresented in higher education. Parsons is committed to achieving greater diversity at The New School and is making institutional changes to reach that goal. Learn more at www.newschool.edu/parsons-diversity.
Cover Graduate Programs and Admission Requirements Admission Deadline Parsons at a Glance Career Services, Tuition & Financial Aid
MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
PARSONS COMMUNITY Parsons Learning Communities The New School Parsons: Parts of an Urban Network Parsons: Engaged with the World
DEADLINE FOR FALL APPLICATIONS: JAN. 10
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ADMISSION TIMELINE Graduate Admission and Financial Aid Timeline
www.newschool.edu/parsons-grad thinkparsonsgrad@newschool.edu
The University
Scholarships and Financial Aid
at a Glance
All graduate students who apply by the priority scholarship deadline are considered for New School merit-based scholarships; no additional application is required. The New School Office of Student Financial Services can help students budget and find support resources, including aid.
3,700
Total graduate enrollment at The New School
555
Total graduate enrollment at Parsons
Career Services Professional internships and collaborations with external partners connect students with New York City’s cultural, artistic, intellectual, and business leaders and institutions and enrich their educational experience. Through these projects, students lay the foundations for the professional networking and collaboration that are vital for careers in creative industries.
Total enrollment at Parsons
Parsons’ Career Services office assists students by developing industry contacts and seeking out professional opportunities. To help students find work both in the United States and abroad, the office offers a range of services, including
34
– One-on-one counseling on job strategies
4,800
Percentage of international students at Parsons
15
– Résumé, portfolio, and interview preparation – On-campus job and internship fairs
Average graduate class size
– Access to an online job database with more than 30,000 registered employers
9:1
– Alumni career panels, workshops, and special events
Student-to-faculty ratio at Parsons
– A resource blog To learn more and read alumni profiles, visit www.newschool.edu/parsons-career-services.
For more information, contact the Office of Student Financial Services at 212.229.8930 or sfs@newschool.edu. For current information on the cost of attendance and financial services, visit www.newschool.edu/studentservices/financialaid.
Contact the Office of Admission Parsons The New School for Design Office of Graduate Admission 72 Fifth Avenue, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10011 212.229.8989 thinkparsonsgrad@newschool.edu To apply, visit www.newschool.edu/parsons-grad-apply. Parsons and The New School are fully accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The New School, a privately supported institution, is chartered as a university by the Regents of the State of New York. Parsons is also an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD). The New School is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution.
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Niv Rozenberg MFA Photography
MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
PARSONS COMMUNITY Parsons Learning Communities The New School Parsons: Parts of an Urban Network Parsons: Engaged with the World Rehan Bashir MFA Fine Arts
ADMISSION TIMELINE Graduate Admission and Financial Aid Timeline
CONNECT TO PARSONS AND LEARN MORE.
MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
PARSONS COMMUNITY
Graduate Admission and Financial Aid Timeline
Melanie Hendel MoMA @lbany
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Photography: Michael Moran (interior)
Parsons Learning Communities The New School Parsons: Parts of an Urban Network Parsons: Engaged with the World
M.ARCH ARCHITECTURE
Cover Graduate Programs and Admission Requirements Admission Deadline Parsons at a Glance Career Services, Tuition & Financial Aid
School of Constructed Environments
www.newschool.edu/parsons-march
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MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
Parsons’ graduate architecture program (M.Arch) focuses on a range of contemporary issues directly affecting the field. The program incorporates in-depth instruction in representational techniques and a grounding in history, theory, technology, and methodology pertaining to sustainable built and natural systems. It prepares students to enter the professional architecture community and contribute to shaping the built environment and the field.
The studio course sequence challenges students to respond to the formal and cultural demands imposed by use, site, context, structure, construction, and program. Interdisciplinary electives in history, theory, and technology highlight architecture’s pivotal role in shaping culture. Architecture students can choose electives offered in other graduate programs at Parsons or at other New School divisions. Courses tap into Parsons’ network of municipal and institutional partners, local practitioners, and commercial clients, providing students with internship, design competition, and research funding opportunities.
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The Master of Architecture program is a threeyear NAAB-accredited professional degree for students holding a pre-professional undergraduate degree in architecture or a four-year non-architecture degree. The program offers its diverse, international student body a learning environment of critical architectural inquiry. The curriculum uses New York City as a context for exploring the natural and social ecologies of the contemporary city.
The Design Workshop: BronXscape
Graduate Admission and Financial Aid Timeline
For more about faculty, courses, and requirements, visit
www.newschool.edu/parsons-march.
In the Design Workshop, a premier design/build program, faculty members guide students to design and construct—from schematics to punch list—a medium-scale project for a nonprofit client. Established in 1996, the Design Workshop embodies the progressive values of Parsons and The New School. Extending education beyond the academy, the workshop 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 in Mississippi, a rooftop garden with educational and recreational facilities for young adults in the Bronx, and a pool pavilion and activity space for a New York City community.
The Master of Architecture program is housed in Parsons’ School of Constructed Environments (SCE), alongside related programs in interior, lighting, and product design. In the open environment of the SCE design studio, students work collaboratively on complex design problems ranging from single interiors to comprehensive architectural volumes, outdoor 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, Leven Betts, Standard Architects, Davis Brody Bond Aedas, Matter Architecture Practice, Adam Fuss Studio, Odegard Inc., Anderson LaRocca Anderson Architects & Planners, Skjár Einn, BKSK Architects, Tillotson Design Associates, Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis, Smith-Miller Hawkinson, and WXY Architects.
MFA Lighting Design/Master of Architecture Dual Degree Those who wish to pursue studies in lighting design and architecture can apply to the dual-degree program, a four-year, 142-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.
MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
PARSONS COMMUNITY
Launching 2012
Graduate Admission and Financial Aid Timeline
R. Buckminster Fuller Tetrascroll, 1975 Published by Universal Limited Arts Editions (ULAE). Courtesy of ULAE.
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Photography: Andrew Garn (interior, bottom right); Martin Seck (interior, left and top right)
Parsons Learning Communities The New School Parsons: Parts of an Urban Network Parsons: Engaged with the World
MA DESIGN STUDIES
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School of Art and Design History and Theory
www.newschool.edu/parsons-mads
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MA DESIGN STUDIES* REFERENCE FOLDER Cover Graduate Programs and Admission Requirements Admission Deadline Parsons at a Glance Career Services, Tuition & Financial Aid
Drawing on the expertise in design theory and practice at Parsons, the new Master of Arts in Design Studies program* is an opportunity to explore design as a field of scholarly research and an agent of social change.
MAJORS AT PARSONS
A work shown at the Control: Print exhibition in the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Gallery. Malcom Clarke, Mother (series A, 1–10), 2009. Mixed-media prints (two-color offset lithography with overprinted digital inkjet in CMYK + White).
Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
MA Design Studies is offered in Parsons’ School of Art and Design History and Theory (ADHT), alongside related MA programs in fashion studies and the history of decorative arts and design. ADHT programs reflect the expertise of its faculty in areas such as art and design methodology and philosophy, design criticism, cultural anthropology, sustainability research, and spatial, visual, and material culture studies. All three programs benefit from the extensive resources of Parsons, a leader in design education for more than 100 years, as well as those of The New School, a progressive urban university. Students are encouraged to create individual study paths tailored to their interests, supplementing core classes with electives in fields like design and technology and fashion studies at Parsons, social sciences at The New School for Social Research, and environmental, global, media, and urban studies in other divisions of the university. A critical component of the program is its connection to Parsons’ graduate design studio courses, which enables students to investigate the interrelationship of theory and practice in design.
PARSONS COMMUNITY Parsons Learning Communities The New School Parsons: Parts of an Urban Network Parsons: Engaged with the World
Parsons’ MA in Design Studies program, launching in 2012,* will shape a new generation of thinkers with the ability to critically address historical, philosophical, and social issues related to design practices, products, and discourses. This two-year full-time (or four-year part-time) program is for those wishing to pursue a career in design research, writing, curating, or criticism; incorporate design research into their design practice; or go on to advanced study (PhD).
Works shown at the Control: Print exhibition in the AnnaMaria and Stephen Kellen Gallery. At left, Mark Wilson, e8416, 2009. Indigo print on paper. At right, Chris Bigg of V23, Crystal Visions, 2009. Photographs by Marc Atkins. Ink, water, bleach, and Indigo print on paper.
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*Awaiting review by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
For more about faculty, courses, and requirements, visit
www.newschool.edu/parsons-mads.
An overview of the exhibition Design for the Other 90%, held at the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in 2007. Photo by Andrew Garn, © Smithsonian Institution.
MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
PARSONS COMMUNITY
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Joon Moon Augmented Shadow Moon’s interactive project was included in MoMA’s Talk to Me exhibition.
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Photography: Adam Schwartz (interior, bottom right); Martin Seck (cover; interior left)
Parsons Learning Communities The New School Parsons: Parts of an Urban Network Parsons: Engaged with the World
MFA DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
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School of Art, Media, and Technology
www.newschool.edu/parsons-mfadt
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MFA DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
Ramsey Nasser Zajal Zajal is a programming language for artists and hackers.
Designers 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.
MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
The two-year, 64-credit MFA in Design and Technology (MFA DT) curriculum is studio based, but critical thinking and study of the design process are central to the program. Areas of study include interaction (mobile, games, Web, and installation), physical computing (programming code and chip-based applications such as enhanced toys, performance, architecture, and fashion), 2D and 3D animation, motion graphics, and digital filmmaking. Graduates embark on careers in creative, commercial, research, and educational fields that engage with the growing influence of technology. A unique feature of the program is its Collaboration Studio courses, in which students work with industry firms and nonprofits on real-world projects. Past partners include Apple, Eyebeam, gameLab, Human Rights Watch, MTV, NASA, Samsung, UNESCO, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Students collaborate with peers from other divisions of The New School, a progressive urban university with a tradition of civic engagement. MFA DT resides in Parsons’ School of Art, Media, and Technology (AMT), alongside programs in communication design, fine arts, photography, and illustration. Students supplement their core courses with electives offered throughout Parsons and other New School divisions.
PARSONS COMMUNITY Parsons Learning Communities The New School Parsons: Parts of an Urban Network Parsons: Engaged with the World
Recent graduates include Open Standards Developer R/GA Founder Fridge network, Google+ Design Analyst Frog Design Inc. Visual Designer Yahoo! User Experience Designer Funny Garbage Creative Technologist Arnold Worldwide Senior UX Design Lead Microsoft Bing Founder VisualComplexity.com Mobile Interaction Designer Nokia Research Center Beijing Creative Manager Interbrand
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Program Alumni
Manuel Rueda Iragorri SCALE System SCALE (Self Constructing Auxiliary Living Environment) consists of flat-pack housing modules and a robot to assemble them.
For more about faculty, courses, and requirements, visit
www.newschool.edu/parsons-mfadt.
Dong Yoon Park Typography Insight
Interaction Designer HUGE
This app teaches users about fonts.
Game Designer Institute of Play Game Designer and Founder Large Animal Games Installation Category Finalist Adobe Design Achievement Awards
MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
MS DESIGN AND URBAN ECOLOGIES
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School of Design Strategies
www.newschool.edu/parsons-msdue
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Miguel Robles-Durรกn/Cohabitation Strategies Diagram of the Grand Parc Project, Bordeaux, France, 2011
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Photography: Miguel Robles-Durรกn (interior)
Parsons Learning Communities The New School Parsons: Parts of an Urban Network Parsons: Engaged with the World
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MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
MS DESIGN AND URBAN ECOLOGIES
An interdisciplinary workshop with local urban experts in Bordeaux, France, explored strategies for revitalizing urban areas through community activism.
The new Master of Science in Design and Urban Ecologies at Parsons radically reframes the study of and design approaches toward 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.
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Public demonstrations, such as the one shown in this photograph of a Spanish city, are attempts to secure greater political, economic, and social justice.
For more about faculty, courses, and requirements, visit
www.newschool.edu/parsons-msdue.
The first graduate program of its kind in the United States, the 60-credit, two-year Master of Science in Design and Urban Ecologies (launching in 2012) will explore the urban complex and its interconnections with political, social, economic, and environmental systems. Bringing together the academic strengths of Parsons and other divisions of The New School, this studio-based graduate program trains students to become agents of change, working with the communities and institutions that shape the urban ecosystem. Guided by urban activists from around the world, students confront urgent problems facing cities and develop new research methodologies, design frameworks, and critical practices. In the tradition of The New School’s commitment to rigorous inquiry and civic engagement, the program is aimed at urban planners, design professionals, social scientists, community leaders, and managers of nonprofit and government organizations who wish to critically address issues of contemporary urbanization. Housed in Parsons’ School of Design Strategies, the MS in Design and Urban Ecologies prepares students to advocate for responsible, transformative urban design that promotes social justice and environmental action. Students collaborate with colleagues in the research-based MA in Theories of Urban Practice, in Parsons’ School of Constructed Environments, The New School for Social Research and in other New School divisions. The program offers intensive summer courses in New York, as well as international exchange programs through a network of partner institutions around the world.
Fieldwork conducted along the Tijuana– San Diego border provides data for research on urban migration.
MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
PARSONS COMMUNITY
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Jie Li Still from film made for Alexander McQueen Graduate Competition, held in conjunction with exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
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Photography: Mariano Garcia (interior, top right); Yichen Zhou (cover) Models: Colby Model Management
Parsons Learning Communities The New School Parsons: Parts of an Urban Network Parsons: Engaged with the World
MFA FASHION DESIGN AND SOCIETY
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School of Fashion
www.newschool.edu/parsons-mfafds
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MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
MFA FASHION DESIGN AND SOCIETY Fashion is an increasingly complex phenomenon encompassing design, media, distribution, production, consumption, representation, and technology. The MFA in Fashion Design and Society program enables students to confront realworld challenges in fashion design, guiding them to become outstanding designers, leaders, and scholars as well as engaged global citizens.
Aina Hussain Illustrations from Alexander McQueen Graduate Competition, held in conjunction with exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
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Elisa van Joolen Research image from Personal Identity/Design Studio I project
For more about faculty, courses, and requirements, visit
www.newschool.edu/parsons-mfafds.
An academy for advanced studies in fashion design, this master’s program trains a small cadre of world-class designers. The two-year, 60-credit program combines intensive studiobased projects with research and, in the tradition of social research at The New School, helps students develop an understanding of the global, critical, ecological, and business contexts of their work. Supplemental classes in filmmaking, presentation, and photography broaden students’ visual design vocabulary and communication skills, preparing them for collaborative professional workplaces. Parsons The New School for Design is one of the world’s oldest and most comprehensive schools of art and design. The home of America’s first fashion design program, founded in 1906, Parsons helped establish New York City’s Seventh Avenue as the epicenter of American fashion. Today Parsons carries forward its legacy of innovative fashion education with the MFA Fashion Design and Society program, initiated with the support of Parsons alumna Donna Karan, whose own career helped define a new chapter in fashion. Part of Parsons’ prestigious School of Fashion, the MFA program offers students opportunities to connect with the international community and industry partners and take part in high-profile collaborations. MFA students recently created fashions responding to the work of Alexander McQueen that were presented at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art in conjunction with Savage Beauty, the museum’s acclaimed McQueen retrospective.
Samples from collaborative yarn project by Talia Shuvalov; styling by Aina Hussain
MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
PARSONS COMMUNITY
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Slow and Steady Wins the Race Mailboxes (No. 2 Prints)
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Photography: Bob Handelman (interior); Christina Moon (cover)
Parsons Learning Communities The New School Parsons: Parts of an Urban Network Parsons: Engaged with the World
MA FASHION STUDIES
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School of Art and Design History and Theory
www.newschool.edu/parsons-mafs
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In the groundbreaking Master of Arts in Fashion Studies program, students employ an interdisciplinary approach to develop a critical understanding of fashion and its complex intersections with identities, histories, and cultures in the contemporary world.
MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
MA Fashion Studies offers a new academic route to advance research on and analysis of fashion as a cultural phenomenon. Students in this 42-credit program investigate the material and visual dimensions of fashion as dress, image, and bodily practice and as a major cultural industry that positions the individual within his or her society and the world. They are challenged to explore the interdisciplinary theories and methodologies that have shaped fashion studies and contribute their own inquiries to its advancement. Core and elective courses open up broad perspectives on fashion and its connections with design, production, consumption, imagination, representation, embodiment, and identity. Courses in this master’s program are informed by perspectives from a variety of disciplines, including anthropology, sociology, gender studies, art history, visual studies, and material culture studies. The program will be of particular interest to students with degrees in the humanities and social sciences as well as those seeking a deeper understanding of fashion and fashion scholarship. It provides an entryway for those who want to pursue careers in fashion research in settings such as fashion archives, museums and galleries, media and consulting firms, and educational institutions. Students can also choose to pursue advanced studies (PhD).
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The program offers students opportunities to collaborate with peers in other programs throughout The New School and Parsons, including the MFA in Fashion Design and Society, an advanced studio program in fashion design. Courses draw on New York City’s museums, exhibitions, and events and also call for students to observe street
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For more about faculty, courses, and requirements, visit
www.newschool.edu/parsons-mafs.
culture and the retail environments that play critical roles in the fashion system. Program-sponsored symposia such as “Locating Fashion Studies” bring students together with international scholars to discuss innovative research approaches advancing the field. The MA Fashion Studies program is offered in Parsons’ School of Art and Design History and Theory (ADHT), alongside related MA programs in design studies* and the history of decorative arts and design. ADHT programs reflect the expertise of its faculty in areas such as art and design methodology and philosophy, design criticism, cultural anthropology, sustainability research, and spatial, visual, and material culture studies. All three programs benefit from the extensive resources of Parsons, a leader in design education for more than 100 years, as well as those of The New School, a progressive urban university. *Awaiting review by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
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2011 Thesis Exhibition at The Kitchen
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Photography: Martin Seck (cover; interior)
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MFA FINE ARTS
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School of Art, Media, and Technology
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MFA FINE ARTS
Neha Majithia Patansheela—The Goddess of Make-up Poster II
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MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
Guided by the belief that artists perform an essential role in society, the Master of Fine Arts 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.
Students interact with visiting artists of varied practices and cultural orientations. Recent visitors include Shirin Neshat, Paul Pfeiffer, Tehching Hsieh, Kara Walker, Fred Wilson, Mark Dion, and Ann Hamilton. Prominent curators guide students preparing for their thesis exhibitions. Parsons’ industry and alumni connections yield abundant opportunities for collaboration and exhibition. Students have recently presented work at the Pulse Art Fair, The Kitchen, and the Sydney College of the Arts at the University of Sydney and have held residencies at Skowhegan Institute and Jentel.
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MFA Fine Arts encompasses modes of study and practice ranging from rigorous formal and aesthetic investigations to social and political engagement. The two-year, full-time curriculum includes 30 studio, 12 academic, 6 professional practice, and 12 elective credits. Students work independently in their own studios and participate in weekly critiques with an internationally acclaimed faculty of art professionals. Academic classes expose students to contemporary discourse on art and develop their critical abilities.
Rehan Bashir Scapegoat
MFA Fine Arts is housed in Parsons’ School of Art, Media, and Technology (AMT), alongside the Communication Design, Design and Technology, Illustration, and Photography programs. Shared faculty and collaborative projects allow students to explore the intersections between art, technology, design, and social critique. Students can also draw on the extensive resources of The New School, a progressive urban university with a tradition of civic engagement and renowned graduate programs in the social sciences, media studies, and urban studies.
For more about faculty, courses, and requirements, visit
www.newschool.edu/parsons-mfafa.
R. Atalay Harrison CCTV—The Pants Tower/I Can’t Believe They Let Him Build That
MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
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Jean ElysĂŠe Puiforcat Tea set, c. 1928 Silver, walnut. Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution. Museum purchase from General Acquisitions Endowment Fund, 1982-21-1-3.
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Photography: Dennis Cowley (interior, top right); Bob Handelman (interior, left); Dave King (cover)
Parsons Learning Communities The New School Parsons: Parts of an Urban Network Parsons: Engaged with the World
MA HISTORY OF DECORATIVE ARTS AND DESIGN
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School of Art and Design History and Theory
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MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
MA HISTORY OF DECORATIVE ARTS AND DESIGN The Master of Arts in History of Decorative Arts and Design program educates students in stylistic, historical, and theoretical aspects of the decorative arts and design from the Renaissance to the present. Now in its 30th year, the program is well respected in the academic and museum worlds of decorative arts and design.
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The Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum houses a collection of more than 250,000 objects and a world-class library.
The MA in History of Decorative Arts and Design program is housed within the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, the only museum in the United States devoted exclusively to historical and contemporary design. Students work directly with the museum’s collection and its curators, educators, designers, and researchers. The curriculum offers study of furniture, interiors, ceramics, glass, metalwork, textiles, and works in other media and hands-on experience in curatorial practices. Objects are examined from both art-historical and aesthetic perspectives.
www.newschool.edu/parsons-mahistory.
Recent graduates work in a variety of curatorial, media, and research fields: Associate Curator Metropolitan Museum of Art
The 48 required credits can be completed in two to three years of full-time study or four years of part-time study. Through an internship program, students explore professional paths in museums, auction houses, galleries, and other settings. Students are considered for masters curatorial fellowships at the Cooper-Hewitt, which offer partial tuition remission, and have the rare opportunity to apply for paid assignments teaching recitation sections of undergraduate lecture classes.
Marketing Communications Project Manager BrainLab
The program is offered in Parsons’ School of Art and Design History and Theory (ADHT), alongside related MA programs in fashion studies and design studies.* ADHT programs reflect the expertise of its faculty in areas such as art and design methodology and philosophy, design criticism, cultural anthropology, sustainability research, and material culture studies. They benefit from the extensive resources of Parsons, a leader in design education for more than 100 years, as well as those of The New School, a progressive urban university.
Curator of Modern and Contemporary Decorative Arts and Design Museum of Fine Arts in Houston
*MA Design Studies is awaiting review by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
For more about faculty, courses, and requirements, visit
Program Alumni
Creative Director Beijing Design Week Journalist New York Times Interim Associate Dean New York School of Interior Design Interior Designer HOK Associates Art Consultant Peter Marino Architects
Design Director Archive Edition Textiles Director of Exhibitions Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts Furniture and Couture Specialist House Sales Department at Christie’s Assistant Curator Victoria & Albert Museum Assistant Curator Museum of Modern Art
Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
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Gregory Diedrich, Carlos Fernandez-Dieppa, Anne Mette Krolmark, Catherine Murphy The Corridor
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MFA INTERIOR DESIGN
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School of Constructed Environments
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The 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.
Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
Gregory Diedrich The Interior is Urban Design: BIKE THE INTERIOR
Today’s interior designers face unprecedented challenges. Integrating sustainable design strategies with new developments in technology and materials, the two-year, full-time professional MFA in Interior Design* program prepares a new generation of designers to address the social changes and demographic shifts shaping clients’ needs today. A faculty of distinguished practicing professionals work with students to imagine new possibilities for the design of inhabitable space. The program hosts “AfterTaste,” an annual international conference dedicated to expanding the conceptual boundaries of interior design. “AfterTaste” creates dialogue between scholars and practitioners in emerging areas of research and in related fields including art, architecture, film, science, psychology, philosophy, medicine, and music. The program has a studio-centered, researchoriented focus and a curriculum that challenges students to analyze the relationship between human behavior, comfort, and perception and the built interior. Course topics include investigation of materials and their environmental impact, fabrication and manufacturing processes, building systems and operational energy consumption, drawing and digital representation, and history and theory of interior design. Students are encouraged to supplement core classes with electives offered throughout Parsons and at other New School divisions in fields such as design and technology, anthropology, psychology, and environmental and urban studies.
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For more about faculty, courses, and requirements, visit
www.newschool.edu/parsons-mfaid.
Using New York City as an urban laboratory, the curriculum draws on Parsons’ long-standing connections to interior design and architecture firms, manufacturers, galleries, and museums. During the second year, students develop a capstone project that culminates in a thesis project, written thesis book, and exhibition. Graduates are positioned to transform the
profession as practitioners and educators by working in interior design and architecture studios, developing new design practices, and collaborating with nonprofit, government, and learning institutions. The program is offered by Parsons’ School of Constructed Environments (SCE), along with closely related programs in architecture, lighting design, and product design. SCE students share research and fabrication facilities, work side by side in an open design studio, and collaborate on projects, uniting historically separate design disciplines to build a collegial learning community and support crossdisciplinary innovation. *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.
MFA Lighting Design and Interior Design Double Major The School of Constructed Environments offers students wishing to combine studies in interior design and lighting design a unique double major. In the MFA Lighting Design and Interior Design double major, a three-year, 102-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 Design—and follow the application prompts for the double major.
Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
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Antonia Pe贸n-Veiga
Parsons Learning Communities The New School Parsons: Parts of an Urban Network Parsons: Engaged with the World
MFA LIGHTING DESIGN
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School of Constructed Environments
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MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
Lighting has been an important part of design education at Parsons since the 1970s, when the school launched the first graduate program in architectural lighting design. Today the Master of Fine Arts in Lighting Design program’s focus on aesthetics, physiological and psychological factors, and sustainable practices makes it the only graduate lighting program to emphasize both design and civic responsibility.
Parsons’ MFA Lighting Design program examines the relationships between theory, technical application, energy conservation, and social and environmental aspects of electric and natural light. The two-year, full-time curriculum is composed of 25 studio credits, 30 credits of seminars (on cultural, historical, and perceptual aspects of light), and 9 electives. The core of the curriculum is the studio experience, in which students learn to envision form and space in light. Design projects integrate research, case study and technical analysis, precedent study, conceptual design development, and consideration of ethics and energy management strategies. An urban landscape and center for environmental design, New York City offers students of lighting design abundant opportunities for learning. Lighting design is relevant to zoning and building regulations, traffic and pedestrian safety, neighborhood integration, and numerous other matters affecting the city. Here students have access to industry-related activities including trade shows, conferences, professional internships, and extracurricular activities with leading global practitioners, publishers, and manufacturers.
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For more about faculty, courses, and requirements, visit
www.newschool.edu/parsons-mfald.
The Lighting Design program is part of Parsons’ School of Constructed Environments (SCE), along with closely related programs in architecture, interior design, and product design. In the open environment of the SCE design studio, students work collaboratively on complex problems ranging from single interior environments to comprehensive architectural volumes, outdoor public space, and urban planning. This interdisciplinary background prepares graduates for careers as architectural lighting designers; specialists in private practice or at large architecture, engineering, or interior design firms; theatrical or exhibition lighting specialists; or research experts in equipment design or manufacturing enterprises.
The School of Constructed Environments also offers two multidisciplinary tracks, described below, that enable students to develop an in-depth technical and aesthetic understanding of the relationship between light, architecture, and interior design.
MFA Lighting Design/Master of Architecture Dual Degree Those who wish to pursue studies in lighting design and architecture can apply to the dual-degree program, a four-year, 142-credit-hour curriculum that combines the NAAB-accredited Master of Architecture and MFA Lighting Design. Interested students should apply directly to this dual-degree program; they will automatically be considered for admission to the individual Master of Architecture and MFA Lighting Design programs as well.
MFA Lighting Design and Interior Design Double Major The School of Constructed Environments offers students wishing to combine studies in lighting design and interior design a unique double major. In the MFA Lighting Design and Interior Design double major, a three-year, 102-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—Lighting Design or Interior Design—and follow the application prompts for the double major.
Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
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Yan Deng Untitled (Problem series)
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MFA PHOTOGRAPHY
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School of Art, Media, and Technology
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The 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.
MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
Aubrey Hays Half a Gale
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Haley Samuelson Untitled (Lovers series)
For more about faculty, courses, and requirements, visit
www.newschool.edu/parsons-mfaphoto.
The flexible 26-month, 64-credit MFA Photography curriculum enables students to undertake local internships and apprenticeships and participate in international projects. The program begins with an eight-week summer session in residence at Parsons, the first of three, in which students attend lectures by and meet with visiting artists, curators, and critics. Recent visitors include Luc Sante, Eva Respini, Lorna Simpson, Charlotte Cotton, Tehching Hsieh, Matthew Buckingham, Louise Lawler, Lawrence Weiner, Jill Magid, and Jamel Shabazz. In the fall and spring semesters, students engage in faculty-supervised independent study and fulfill course requirements on campus or online. The school’s long-standing ties to the photography and art communities offer students access to New York City partners for internships, exhibitions, research, and representation. Rigorous critiques and regular meetings with faculty and professional artists help students situate their work 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 graduate thesis exhibitions and publications extend students’ reach into art communities. Graduates go on to publish, exhibit internationally, and work in related positions. The MFA in Photography program is part of Parsons’ School of Art, Media, and Technology (AMT), which is also home to the Communication Design, Fine Arts, Design and Technology, and Illustration programs. Photography students work together and with colleagues from other programs at Parsons and other divisions of The New School.
moluptat hilluptas Itas eiunt eum qui saecabo eturitassume officidus
Niv Rozenberg Untitled (Automonuments series)
MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
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Launching 2012
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Urban designers take into consideration the complex networks of communities, services, resources, and needs in urban centers such as this one in Nepal.
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Photography: Aseem Inam (interior); Josephine Q. Vu (cover)
Parsons Learning Communities The New School Parsons: Parts of an Urban Network Parsons: Engaged with the World
MA THEORIES OF URBAN PRACTICE
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School of Design Strategies
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MA THEORIES OF URBAN PRACTICE* The 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.
MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
Students will conduct research and develop design strategies through critical engagement with contemporary urban issues. They can take part in project-based studios in related programs, including Parsons’ MS in Design and Urban Ecologies* and MFA in Transdisciplinary Design, as well as other New School graduate programs. The program will be housed in Parsons’ School of Design Strategies, an educational environment that fosters innovative 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.
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The program, launching in 2012,* reframes the study of urbanism and urban design as transformative practices that draw on an expanding body of knowledge, research, and action. This 36-credit research-driven 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.
*Awaiting review by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
Local residents study an urban plan at a public workshop in Whittier, California, that enabled participants to explore the political, economic, and social dimensions of urban planning and community organizing.
To learn more about faculty, course descriptions, and requirements, visit
www.newschool.edu/parsons-matup.
Designing and building cities often involve a combination of technology-intensive and laborintensive processes. In this example, from Jaipur, India, workers construct bamboo scaffolding.
Today urban designers often involve local communities in the process of urban transformation, including the creation of public art. Shown here is graffiti art by a youth group in Detroit.
Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
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Photography: Jamer Hunt (interior); Martin Seck (cover)
Parsons Learning Communities The New School Parsons: Parts of an Urban Network Parsons: Engaged with the World
MFA TRANSDISCIPLINARY DESIGN
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School of Design Strategies
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MFA TRANSDISCIPLINARY DESIGN
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Emphasizing 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.
MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
The MFA in Transdisciplinary Design (TransDesign) program was created for designers interested in developing ideas, tools, and working methods to address the complex challenges of a global culture. Students work in cross-disciplinary teams, learn from industry leaders, and emerge with a portfolio that reflects the use of design processes to transform social relations and contemporary life. Graduates can go on to work in traditional design consultancies or apply their skills to the public realm in new ways, such as restructuring services like health care and public education, initiating microbusinesses, and developing projects for nongovernmental organizations. The MFA Transdisciplinary Design program engages with graduate work at other New School divisions and with other Parsons programs, particularly the new MS in Design and Urban Ecologies* and the new MA in Theories of Urban Practice.* All three programs are part of Parsons’ School of Design Strategies (SDS), which employs innovative approaches to design and business education in the context of cities, services, and ecosystems.
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*Awaiting review by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
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This two-year, 60-credit program focuses on project-based work in four flexible and overlapping research pathways: Systems explores ways to integrate ecological, economic, technological, and social systems to achieve common ends. Sustainability considers how to build public infrastructure for sustainable practices. The Social investigates the use of design to envision new modalities of social interaction and community. Urban seeks ways to reshape everyday practices within highly networked urban environments.
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MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
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TRANSDISCIPLINARY DESIGN (MFA)
ABOUT PARSONS / At Parsons, a number of interconnected learning communities help you develop as a designer, artist, and citizen. Each undergraduate, associate, and graduate degree program at Parsons is housed in one of five schools. This structure offers options for both focused instruction and interdisciplinary study.
DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT (BBA )
ARCHITECTURE / LIGHTING DESIGN DUAL DEGREE (MARCH / MFA)
SCHOOL OF DESIGN STRATEGIES
FASHION DESIGN (AAS)
LIGHTING DESIGN (MFA)
SCHOOL OF CONSTRUCTED ENVIRONMENTS
FASHION DESIGN (BFA) URBAN DESIGN (BS)
THEORIES OF URBAN PRACTICE (MA)ยน
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES (BA OR BS)
INTERIOR DESIGN (BFA) INTERIOR DESIGN (AAS)
INTERIOR DESIGN (MFA)
PRODUCT DESIGN (BFA) HISTORY OF DECORATIVE ARTS AND DESIGN (MA)
DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY (BFA)
SCHOOL OF FASHION
DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY (MFA)
FASHION MARKETING (AAS)
COMMUNICATION DESIGN (BFA)
ILLUSTRATION (BFA) FASHION DESIGN AND SOCIETY (MFA)
SCHOOL OF ART AND DESIGN HISTORY AND THEORY
GRAPHIC DESIGN (AAS)
SCHOOL OF ART, MEDIA, AND TECHNOLOGY
DESIGN STUDIES (MA) 1 FASHION STUDIES (MA)
www.newschool.edu/parsons-continuing-studies
FINE ARTS (MFA)
www.newschool.edu/parsons-precollege
Photography: Martin Seck
ARCHITECTURE (MARCH )
DESIGN AND URBAN ECOLOGIES (MS)ยน
INTEGRATED DESIGN (BFA )
PRE-COLLEGE AND CONTINUING STUDIES / Parsons also offers open enrollment courses for nondegree students of all ages, in which you can build a portfolio or take art and design courses for credit or on a noncredit basis. Classes for high school students are held on Saturday mornings and over the summer. 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.
www.newschool.edu/parsons-summer
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN (BFA)
PHOTOGRAPHY (MFA)
PHOTOGRAPHY (BFA)
FINE ARTS (BFA )
ยน Awaiting review by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
* You can combine a BFA from Parsons with a BA from Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts for a five-year dual-degree BA/BFA.
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*
EUGENE LANG COLLEGE THE NEW SCHOOL FOR LIBERAL ARTS
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1896
PARSONS THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DESIGN
DIVISIONS OF THE NEW SCHOOL
MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
MANNES COLLEGE THE NEW SCHOOL FOR MUSIC
A HISTORY OF EMBRACING CHANGE / Since 1896, Parsons has taught generations of designers, artists, intellectuals, and leaders in business and civic life, leading art and design education and developing innovative programs that open new academic and career paths for students worldwide.
THE NEW SCHOOL FOR JAZZ AND CONTEMPORARY MUSIC
THE NEW SCHOOL FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT 1904
THE NEW SCHOOL FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DRAMA
1919
1933
1934
DIVISIONS OF THE NEW SCHOOL / The New School holds a respected place among forward-thinking American universities, attracting adventurous, creative, civic-minded scholars. A Parsons education combines the creative focus of an independent art and design school with the resources of The New School, a recognized liberal arts university. Both institutions have long been advocates of progressive thought and action, taking on urgent challenges facing society and preparing students to work in new and existing fields. Students complement their design education with courses in anthropology, public policy, business, media studies, the performing arts, and other disciplines, developing the capacity to work collaboratively across a range of projects and settings. The New School is made up of seven divisions that offer undergraduate, associate, and graduate degrees and certificates in a number of disciplines.
William Merritt Chase founds the Chase School of Art, the progressive institution that later becomes Parsons. Arts educator Frank Alvah Parsons joins the school and launches the nation’s first study programs in fashion design, interior design, and advertising and graphic design. Parsons becomes the school’s director in 1910. Prominent scholars Charles Beard, John Dewey, James Harvey Robinson, and Thorstein Veblen establish The New School for Social Research as a nontraditional learning center for adults. The New School for Social Research becomes home to the University in Exile, a refuge for scholars fleeing Nazi persecution. The University in Exile joins The New School for Social Research as the Graduate Faculty of Political and Social Science.
1941
The Chase School is renamed after its longtime director, Frank Alvah Parsons.
1970
2008
2009– 2012
Parsons joins The New School, expanding its offerings in the humanities and social sciences and the academic resources available to its faculty and students. Parsons reorganizes its degree programs into five thematic schools to foster community and facilitate collaborative interdisciplinary learning. Parsons expands its degree offerings, launching new BA, BS, MA, MFA, and MS programs (see infographic at left).
REFERENCE FOLDER Cover Graduate Programs and Admission Requirements Admission Deadline Parsons at a Glance Career Services, Tuition & Financial Aid
PARSONS: PART OF AN URBAN NETWORK / New York City is a world capital of art, culture, commerce, and intellectual inquiry and an essential part of a Parsons education. Students take advantage of the city’s professional network through internships and industry partnerships that open up numerous possibilities for professional success. They also benefit from a faculty made up of some of the most accomplished designers, artists, critics, and scholars in the world. Here are a few of the organizations with which Parsons has partnered recently.
Parsons’ Design Workshop: Splash House, a design/build project developed with the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation
JPMorgan Chase Community Development Competition for The Fortune Society’s new building
MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
Dining by Design project to create interiors for Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA) fundraisers
The Kitchen, an alternative arts and performance space and host of Parsons fine arts thesis exhibitions
Trayless Tuesdays initiative to reduce lunchroom waste in New York City public schools
PARSONS COMMUNITY Parsons Learning Communities The New School Parsons: Parts of an Urban Network Parsons: Engaged with the World
ADMISSION TIMELINE Graduate Admission and Financial Aid Timeline
Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, a partner in Parsons’ MA History in Decorative Arts and Design program and a resource for other design studies programs
Project by Parsons, Milano, and Stevens Institute to develop replicable, energy-efficient housing for the Solar Decathlon competition of the U.S. Department of Energy
NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, Partnership for Parks, and Hester Street Collaborative project to design public spaces Oyster Gardens NYC class project exploring environmental sustainability
LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton Inc.’s Artisan Project, documenting artisanal industries in New York
REFERENCE FOLDER Cover Graduate Programs and Admission Requirements Admission Deadline Parsons at a Glance Career Services, Tuition & Financial Aid
PARSONS: ENGAGED WITH THE WORLD / Parsons embraces global perspectives, offering intensive workshops and courses that allow students to work directly with communities worldwide, sharing skills and knowledge. In keeping with the university’s commitment to civic engagement, external partnerships connect students with private companies, nonprofits, and government agencies that support a spectrum of activities. Engaging community stakeholders as co-designers, students have created new facilities for service organizations and designed new methods for exchanging information.
FLORENCE, ITALY MFA Lighting Design collaboration with Targetti Foundation to develop lighting plans for the historic city center
MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
PARSONS COMMUNITY Parsons Learning Communities The New School Parsons: Parts of an Urban Network Parsons: Engaged with the World
ADMISSION TIMELINE Graduate Admission and Financial Aid Timeline
BEIJING, CHINA Exquisite Corpse, an interdisciplinary collaboration of Parsons, Tsinghua University, and Sydney College of the Arts to explore cities through a variety of creative disciplines
ROMANIA CROATIA
ST. LOUIS, SENEGAL School of Art, Media, and Technology’s Early Warning, Early Action project for the Red Cross
GUATEMALA Parsons, Milano, and the graduate program in International Affairs collaboration with Ajkem’a Loy’a, an artisan collective
JINGA, UGANDA School of Constructed Environments and the graduate program in International Affairs collaboration with Slum Women’s Initiative for Development (SWID) to develop housing
NAIROBI, KENYA
BANGKOK, THAILAND Parsons and The New School for Social Research collaboration with Chulalongkorn University on an urban design project to devise a transportation network using waterways
ZAMBIA NAMIBIA
OPEN SOCIETY Parsons collaborations with the Open Society Institute’s Public Health Programs
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
GRADUATE ADMISSION & FINANCIAL AID TIMELINE
REFERENCE FOLDER Cover Graduate Programs and Admission Requirements Admission Deadline Parsons at a Glance Career Services, Tuition & Financial Aid
MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
PARSONS COMMUNITY Parsons Learning Communities The New School Parsons: Parts of an Urban Network Parsons: Engaged with the World
ADMISSION TIMELINE Graduate Admission and Financial Aid Timeline
Jeanna Hamilton MFA Design and Technology
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 www.newschool.edu/studentservices/financialaid.
Photography: Martin Seck (cover; interior)
ADMISSION TIMELINE / Most 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.
REFERENCE FOLDER Cover Graduate Programs and Admission Requirements Admission Deadline Parsons at a Glance Career Services, Tuition & Financial Aid
MAJORS AT PARSONS Architecture Design Studies Design and Technology Design and Urban Ecologies Fashion Design and Society Fashion Studies Fine Arts History of Decorative Arts and Design Interior Design Lighting Design Photography Theories of Urban Practice Transdisciplinary Design
PARSONS COMMUNITY Parsons Learning Communities The New School Parsons: Parts of an Urban Network Parsons: Engaged with the World
ADMISSION TIMELINE Graduate Admission and Financial Aid Timeline
CONTACT THE OFFICE OF STUDENT FINANCIAL SERVICES Office of Student Financial Services 79 Fifth Avenue, 5th floor New York, NY 10003
FALL / September through December
SPRING / January through May
SUMMER / June through August
–Review application 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
– Apply by January 10 (priority scholarship deadline; for application status, visit) www.newschool.edu/alvin/appstatus.htm. –Submit FAFSA online by March 1.³ – Check for correspondence from admission and faculty. Admission decision letters are mailed beginning in mid-March. – Meet faculty and alumni at events for admitted students. –Submit tuition deposit. –Apply for international student visa if necessary.
–Explore housing options. –Register for classes. –Attend orientation.
¹See website for locations. ²International transcripts require additional time for English language translation. ³Applies only to students who meet federal eligibility requirements.
212.229.8930 sfs@newschool.edu
SCHOLARSHIPS AND FINANCIAL AID / All graduate students who apply by the priority scholarship deadline 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 the fall term. The FAFSA can be found online at www.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. Interested students are advised to inquire of program administrators. 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 www.newschool.edu/studentservices/financialaid/scholarships. For up-to-date information on tuition and fees, visit www.newschool.edu/parsons-tuition.