The New School - Graduate Programs - 2023

graduate programs at a glance

Parsons School of Design College of Performing Arts

The New School for Social Research

Schools of Public Engagement

Parsons Paris

• 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio

• 9,500+ degree-seeking students

• 35% international students

• 126 degree and diploma programs

• 58 New School alumni have been named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list since its inception in 2011

• 78% of admitted graduate students are awarded merit-based institutional financial aid 1

MADE FOR THIS MOMENT

A century ago, a few great minds reimagined higher education. Their mission was to challenge convention and champion the worldchanging power of lifelong learning and creative scholarship. The New School was the result. Today our diverse international community carries forward this legacy by addressing urgent challenges—from climate change to social inequity—while reimagining the future.

Here journalists collaborate with designers, architects with social researchers, and musicians with activists to create new solutions and career paths that are rewarding and authentic. They conduct focused research in centers and labs devoted to advancing progressive approaches to fields including capitalism studies, social entrepreneurship, urban development, migration, and environmentally sustainable practice.

At our university, based in the heart of New York City, you learn from scholars and practitioners who lead in their fields, working with the people and organizations who are transforming the world today.

• At The New School, you’ll discover a community cultivating the New in scholarly research, art, design, and performance.

Graduate Programs

The New School offers renowned graduate, professional degree, and certificate programs. Our offerings include programs in art and design at Parsons School of Design and Parsons Paris; social sciences and liberal studies at The New School for Social Research; music, drama, and arts management at our College of Performing Arts; and public and environmental policy, sustainability management, media, communications, creative writing, and international affairs at the Schools of Public Engagement.

Many of our graduate courses are held in the evening to accommodate busy schedules, and some graduate degrees can be completed partly or fully online. In the New School tradition of combining in-class learning and applied work, these programs enable graduate students to connect with industry leaders and launch academic and professional careers in established and emerging fields.

PARSONS SCHOOL OF DESIGN

Architecture MArch

Architecture/Lighting Design

MArch/MFA dual degree

Communication Design MPS

Data Visualization MS

Design and Technology MFA

Design and Urban Ecologies MS

Fashion Design and Society MFA

Fashion Management MPS 1

Fashion Studies MA

Fine Arts MFA

History of Design and Curatorial Studies MA

Industrial Design MFA

Interior Design MFA

Interior Design/Lighting Design MFA2

Lighting Design MFA

Photography MFA3

Strategic Design and Management MS4

Strategic Design for Global Leadership MS 3

Textiles MFA

Transdisciplinary Design MFA

PARSONS PARIS

Fashion Design and the Arts MFA

Fashion Studies MA

THE NEW SCHOOL FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH

Anthropology MA, PhD

Creative Publishing and Critical Journalism MA

Economics MA, MS, PhD

Gender and Sexuality Studies

graduate certificate 5

Global Political Economy and Finance MA

Historical Studies MA

Liberal Studies MA

Philosophy MA,6 PhD

Politics MA, PhD

Psychology

General Psychology MA7

Clinical Psychology PhD

Cognitive, Social, and Developmental Psychology PhD

Sociology MA, PhD

COLLEGE OF PERFORMING ARTS

Arts Management and Entrepreneurship MA

Performer-Composer MM

School of Drama

Contemporary Theatre and Performance MFA

Mannes School of Music8

Collaborative Piano MM, PDPL9

Concentrations in Vocal and in Instrumental Composition MM, PDPL

Guitar MM, PDPL

Instrumental Performance MM, PDPL

Concentrations in Brass; Percussion; Strings; and Winds

Orchestral Conducting MM, PDPL

Piano MM, PDPL Theory MM, PDPL Voice MM, PDPL

SCHOOLS OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment

Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management MS

Concentrations in Management and in Policy

Public and Urban Policy MS, PhD

Sustainability Strategies

graduate certificate 5

School of Media Studies

Documentary Media Studies

graduate certificate 5

Media Management MS, graduate certificate 4, 5

Media Studies MA 4

Creative Writing Program

Creative Writing MFA

Concentrations in Fiction; Nonfiction; Poetry; and Writing for Children and Young Adults

Julien J. Studley Graduate

Programs in International Affairs

International Affairs MA, MS

MA concentrations in Cities and Social Justice; Conflict and Security; Development; Governance and Rights; and Media and Culture

Graduate Minors

Master’s and doctoral students at The New School have the opportunity to engage in cross-disciplinary study and university-wide collaboration through our growing array of graduate minors. These structured pathways of study immerse you in disciplines outside of your primary field, expose you to alternative modes of research and practice, and broaden your skills and career options.

newschool.edu/graduate-minors

The New SchOOl’s graduate minors currently include:

Anthropology and Design

Capitalism Studies

Civic Service Design

Creative Community Development

Design and Urban Justice

Design Studies

Global Mental Health

Global Urban Futures

Historical Studies 10

Impact Entrepreneurship

Language Studies

Managing for Social Justice

Methods and Concepts of Political Economy

Migration Studies

Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

Transmedia and Digital Storytelling

1 Students can complete the program on campus or online.

2 Double major.

3 Program starts in the summer.

4 Students can complete the program on campus, online, or through a combination of both options.

5 The graduate certificate is an Advanced Certificate program open to students who have completed an undergraduate degree.

6 Optional MA concentration in Psychoanalytic Studies.

7 Optional MA concentration in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Counseling.

8 The Professional Studies Diploma (PDPL) is an Advanced Certificate program open to students who have completed an undergraduate degree.

9 Collaborative Piano PDPL is in Voice only.

10 Available only to PhD students at The New School for Social Research.

Our International Community

• 116 countries and territories represented on campus

• #1 most international university in the United States1

The New School is a truly global university, welcoming students and faculty from many countries to our campuses in NYC and Paris. This diversity makes The New School an ideal place to engage in cross-cultural academic collaboration and prepare to succeed in a globalized professional landscape. We offer a host of services to help international students adjust to life in our thriving academic and artistic community. newschool.edu/isss

1 U.S. News & World Report, 2021.

Centers, Institutes & Labs

The New School produces groundbreaking research, creative practice, and scholarship that has global and social impact. In labs, centers, facilities, and research institutes across campus, students combine academic rigor and intellectual freedom, generating knowledge and work that challenges traditional approaches to problem solving. Listed below are interdisciplinary centers active on our campus.

Art, Design & Theory

Art and Politics Lab1

Curatorial Design Research Lab

Designed Realities Lab Development through Empowerment, Entrepreneurship, and Design (DEED) Lab

ELab

Fashioning Theory Lab1

Parsons DESIS (Design for Social Innovation and Sustainability) Lab

PETLab (Prototyping, Evaluation, Teaching, and Learning)

Sheila C. Johnson Design Center

Vera List Center for Art and Politics

Environment & Sustainability

Healthy Materials Lab

Tishman Environment and Design Center

International Affairs & Global Perspectives

India China Institute

Observatory on Latin America (OLA)

Transregional Center for Democratic Studies (TCDS)

Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility

Performing Arts

The Stone at The New School

Philosophy & Intellectual Culture

Husserl Archives

Institute for Philosophy and the New Humanities

Sándor Ferenczi Center

Politics, Policy & Society

Center for Public Scholarship

Digital Equity Lab

Heilbroner Center for Capitalism Studies

Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy

Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis (SCEPA)

Social Research

Center for Attachment Research

Center for Research with Infants and Toddlers

Collaboratory

Gender and Sexualities Studies Institute (GSSI)

Graduate Institute for Design, Ethnography, and Social Thought (GIDEST)

Institute for Critical Social Inquiry

Safran Center for Psychological Studies

Urban & Community Development

Center for New York City Affairs

Housing Justice Lab

Urban Systems Lab

A Word from Our Students

• Madeleine Janz, MA Creative Publishing and Critical Journalism ’22, The New School for Social Research

“I picked The New School mainly for the community’s commitment to social justice and human rights–based ethics. This progressive ethos has inspired every project, story, and job I’ve undertaken here. A classroom where everyone’s shared humanity and diverse backgrounds are honored and applied to the work has allowed me to dream big with my projects and feel like I’m making an impact.”

• Jakub Klaban, Master of Architecture ’23, Parsons School of Design

“Not only has my exposure to a wide variety of approaches helped me understand my strengths as a designer, but it has enabled me to put them to a test in real-life practice. At my current internship, I get to build on my knowledge as a visual designer, helping my employer with development and representation of architectural projects and sculptures.”

• Daniel Bosco, MFA Fashion Design and the Arts ’23, Parsons Paris

“The courses are open and push you in ways that you’d never expect. You will question who you are as a designer and in the process come out with new perspectives that you couldn't have imagined before.”

• Maia Sumanaweera, MM Voice ’23, College of Performing Arts

“The faculty have been my favorite part of attending this school. Almost all of my teachers are also current professional performers. By sharing their professional experiences, my teachers have helped prepare me for the realities of a present-day career in opera and pushed me to be an even more ethical, creative, and forward-thinking performer than the previous generation.”

• Radhika Malhan, MS Media Management ’23, Schools of Public Engagement

“New School faculty have equipped me with the technical and managerial tools to become a better producer. I can now take on and deliver projects of higher caliber and responsibility. The regular and meaningful feedback on my course projects has helped inform my strategic approach to media management.”

• Allison McNeill, MA Sociology ’23, The New School for Social Research

“The New School has challenged me to think of every social issue as an interdisciplinary project. No social issue stands as an island. This has completely changed the way in which I do research and think about the world.”

• Keighton Li, MFA Design and Technology ’23, Parsons School of Design

“I have been tackling accessibility in extended reality technologies. I’ve been fortunate to collaborate closely with the disabled community as an able-bodied designer to prototype accessible metaverse content. I’ve been challenged not only to learn emerging technologies but also to see accessibility as not just for those with a disability, because accessibility design is ultimately better design for everyone.”

• Robert Fazio, MFA Creative Writing ’22, Schools of Public Engagement

“Being here has been great for my writing because it’s given me access to people I wouldn’t have met elsewhere. After class every Thursday, my entire cohort goes to a bar nearby to keep the discussion going. I’ve spent a lot of late nights there with other writers exchanging ideas and talking about our work and things we’ve read.”

Real-World Impact

New School graduate students do more than conduct theoretical research. They engage in groundbreaking scholarship, creative practice, and projects that let them make an impact on the world during their studies. Here are just a few recent examples of ways students are applying their knowledge and creativity.

• Collaborating to Make Global Change

The Schools of Public Engagement enable students to effect positive change in the world through community engagement and client-based projects, creative collaborations, and entrepreneurial ventures. For example, the United Nations Summer Study (UNSS) program allows students to work for social justice at a global level. It provides students from diverse areas of study with an in-depth understanding of UN systems and prepares them for a variety of international careers. Last year, graduate students Dalton Bouchles, Standhope Williams, and Maria Villarreal De La Garza came together in the UNSS program to write a paper called Building Back Together and Greener. This paper was presented by the Stimson Center and helped shape climate change policy at the UN.

• Addressing Disaster Challenges Through Creativity

Designing a better world for all is at the heart of everything students do at Parsons. Students learn design theory and apply it in the world, whether creating furniture, apparel or, in the case of Earshot, a subscription-based nonprofit that aids people affected by natural disasters. Earshot was developed by six MS Strategic Design and Management students, who started by asking how disaster victims could receive the immediate relief they needed most, from specific supplies to vital information. Earshot, which won the 2020 Rotman Design Challenge, is a bottom-up organization that uses machine learning to convert information from disaster victims into actionable insights that facilitate the delivery of urgently needed aid.

• Developing Knowledge to Build Better Systems

The New School for Social Research views research as a form of engagement with the world—a way of developing knowledge that facilitates change. For instance, real-world impact played a central role in the recent Athlete Mental Health & Wellbeing Symposium, organized by graduate students Chloe Sherrill (PhD Clinical Psychology) and Nicole Ross (MA Psychology). Ross was member of the U.S. fencing team at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where athlete mental health was a prominent issue. Her research is built around the intersection of elite athletic performance and athlete mental health and well-being. In addition to participating in the symposium, Ross has begun applying her research and expertise in her role as an athlete representative on the U.S. Olympics and Paralympics Committee mental health task force.

• Advocating Through Artistry

Students at the College of Performing Arts do more than just hone their skills—they learn to apply them as a tool for social change. An example is Jenny Huang, an MM Piano student who has also become an entrepreneur and advocate with the help of a curriculum that enables artists to engage onstage and off. In addition to studying with GRAMMY-nominated pianist Eteri Andjaparidze, Huang has taken courses such as Artist as Activist and Marketing for the Arts. She is a co-founder of Concerts for Good, an organization that helps nonprofits fundraise through music, and the lead of the Asian Leaders Circle Cultural Club at the media conglomerate Omnicom Group.

NYC Campus

The New School and its urban settings offer an unparalleled college experience. The location of our NYC campus in downtown Manhattan means that your education unfolds in a historic center of theater, art, music, and thought, challenging you to imagine yourself anew. You’ll form bonds in departmental events, university organizations, and campus activities, with endless resources at your fingertips and a community to last a lifetime.

• One university, seven colleges, and two campuses—one in NYC and another in Paris.

Housing

The university offers graduate housing—most master’s and PhD students live in the Kerrey and 20th Street residences—although many graduate students choose to live off campus. Our residence halls offer a safe, supportive environment, and residence hall staff organize many social, educational, and cultural activities. For more information, visit newschool.edu/housing.

Financial Aid

The New School is committed to providing access to education. We fund institutional merit-based scholarships, fellowships, grants, and stipends through a comprehensive financial aid program. All admitted students are considered for merit aid on the basis of academic and creative ability. Some master's and doctoral degree programs in certain disciplines also offer students special fellowships and teaching assistantships. You can speak with an admission counselor or program director to learn what is available.

We also participate in need-based federal loan and work study programs. U.S. citizens and eligible noncitizens can apply for need-based federal financial assistance by filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form at fafsa.ed.gov, using the New School’s code of 002780.

newschool.edu/financial-aid

A Future Full of Possibilities

New School graduate students go on to work with some of the most innovative and influential institutions around the world. Many take groundbreaking entrepreneurial paths. They shape commerce and culture through social-impact design solutions, start sustainable business ventures around the world, work to transform governments, and change the cultural landscape by launching brands that become household names.

The New School also sends an impressive number of graduates on to prestigious doctoral programs at institutions such as Columbia, the University of Chicago, Harvard, Central St. Martins, the University of Texas at Austin, Yale, Vanderbilt, Stanford, and the University of Toronto.

• A Diverse Group of Changemakers

Our interdisciplinary pedagogy and progressive academic approach prepare our students to make change across all industries. Graduates are employed in the private, nonprofit, and government sectors and take entrepreneurial paths as self-employed and freelance professionals in a range of fields.

Below are the top industries in which Class of 2020 graduates were employed: 1

Alumni Careers

New School alumni, and even current students, thrive in rewarding careers in an array of leading industries and institutions. Below is a selection of recent employers.

Art & Design

Acne Studios

Adidas

AIGA

Alexander McQueen

Art Institute of Chicago

BMW

Calvin Klein

CFDA

Design Within Reach

Gensler

Indianapolis Museum of Art

LVMH Ventures

Madewell

Marvel Entertainment

New York Times

Nike

Prada

Proenza Schouler

Refinery29

SHoP Architects

Studio Ashby

Under Armour

Arts & Culture

Jazz at Lincoln Center

Jewish Museum

Madison Square Garden

Metropolitan Opera

Parkwood Entertainment

Sotheby’s

Communications, Advertising & Strategy

BBDO

Huge

IDEO

Pentagram

Media

Bravo

China Central Television

Condé Nast

Epic Records

ESPN Fast Company

HBO

NBC Universal

NPR Publicis Univision

VICE Vogue

ZOOM Media

Public Sector & Nonprofits

American Red Cross

Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project

Human Rights Watch

International Rescue Committee

Mexico City Human Rights Commission

NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.

New York City Council

The Trevor Project

United Nations

U.S. Department of State

Washington Center for Equitable Growth

Women in Need

Sustainability & Environmentalism

CarbonBetter

Conservation Land Trust

Natural Resources Defense Council

Urban Green Council

Technology & Innovation

AIG

Amazon Apple Chobani

Google Huawei

IBM Instagram

Makerbot

Samsung

Soulcycle

Uber

Whole Foods

Admission

The New School seeks students who want to defy academic orthodoxy, take intellectual risks, and do research and work that promotes social change. Each program has its own criteria for admission. Below is a list of general application requirements:

• An online application and fee

• Academic transcripts

• Letters of recommendation

• A CV or résumé

• A Statement of Purpose or Artist Statement

• Creative work/portfolio (required for some programs)

• Academic writing sample (required for some programs)

• A TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, Duolingo, or Cambridge score (required for non-native English speakers)

newschool.edu/admission

For complete information, visit the college websites or contact the Office of Admission.

Application Deadlines

Parsons School of Design

Fall: January 5

Parsons Paris

Fall: January 15

The New School for Social Research

Fall: December 15 (PhD programs); January 7 (MA, MS, and certificate programs)

Spring: October 15

Mannes School of Music

Fall: December 1

Spring: October 15

School of Drama

Fall: January 7

College of Performing Arts

Fall: January 15

Schools of Public Engagement

Fall: January 15

Spring:1 November 1

1The MFA Creative Writing program does not accept spring applications.

SchOOl Admission Email Addresses

Parsons School of Design thinkparsonsgrad@newschool.edu

The New School for Social Research socialresearchadmit@newschool.edu

College of Performing Arts performingarts@newschool.edu

Schools of Public Engagement nsadmissions@newschool.edu

Parsons Paris thinkparsonsparis@newschool.edu

The Admission Committee reviews applications only when all required materials have been submitted. Applications submitted after the deadline are considered if space is available in the program.

For important information including accreditation, student rights, campus safety statistics, and tuition and fees, visit newschool.edu/your-right-to-know

Published 2023 by The New School. The New School is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Institution.

Photo Credits: Ryan Blum-Kryzstal, Moran Dankner, James Ewing, Ben Ferrari, Michelle Gevint, Emil Hernon, Alexandra Lederman, MacKenna Lewis, Matthew Mathews, Siobhan Mullan, Fionn O'Toole, Jacob Arthur Pritchard, Sarah Rocco, Martin Seck, Matthew Septimus, Michael Kirby Smith, Matthew Sussman, Phillip Van Nostrand