2015 Parsons Graduate Catalog

PARsons school of design Graduate Programs

graduate programs 2

OVERVIEW

12

M.ARCH Architecture

14

MS Data visualization

16

MFA DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

18

MS DESIGN AND URBAN ECOLOGIES

20

MA DESIGN STUDIES

22

MFA FASHION DESIGN AND SOCIETY

24

MA FASHION STUDIES

26

MFA FINE ARTS

28

MA HISTORY OF DESIGN AND CURATORIAL STUDIES

30

MFA INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

32

MFA INTERIOR DESIGN

34

MFA LIGHTING DESIGN

36

MFA PHOTOGRAPHY

38

MS STRATEGIC DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT

40

MA THEORIES OF URBAN PRACTICE

42

MFA TRANSDISCIPLINARY DESIGN

44

Student services

46

Tuition, Scholarships, and Financial Aid

48

Admission

Discover a university dedicated to unleashing your creativity.

Parsons School of Design, recently ranked the country’s top art and design school,* has offered students innovative approaches to education since its founding in 1896.

Today we’re the only American art and design school within a comprehensive university—The New School— which also houses a rigorous liberal arts college and a progressive performing arts school. Here you can master established art and design fields or advance emerging ones and study across all university disciplines.

Guided by Parsons’ faculty, graduate students draw on the university’s extensive resources to challenge convention and innovate, improving people’s lives directly and preparing for an evolving world.

ABOUT PARSONS

P

arsons gives students the tools needed to achieve professional success and prepares them to think beyond current paradigms. They arrive here with diverse interests, perspectives, and backgrounds; they graduate prepared to creatively and critically address the complexities of life in the 21st century.

A Legacy of Progressive Innovation Parsons has pioneered art and design education since its beginnings, championing new movements and teaching methods that have shaped generations of artists, designers, scholars, entrepreneurs, and community leaders. Programs at Parsons are grouped into the following five schools: • School of Art and Design History and Theory (ADHT) • School of Art, Media, and Technology (AMT) • School of Constructed Environments (SCE) • School of Design Strategies (SDS) • School of Fashion (SOF) This organizational structure supports Parsons’ educational mission, and its interdisciplinary approach builds community among students and faculty in related disciplines.

A Distinguished Faculty, a Collaborative Approach Parsons’ faculty of leading design practitioners, artists, critics, historians, writers, and scholars reflects the spectrum of art and design disciplines. Instructors collaborate with students to develop technologies and refine research methodologies, creating work that is relevant to contemporary social, cultural, and economic systems. By combining art and design studio curricula with instruction in liberal arts and business, Parsons faculty members prepare students to lead in a range of fields and to excel in their creative practice.

To learn more about the faculty, visit newschool.edu/parsons-faculty.

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ABOUT PARSONS

Second-year students in the MFA Fashion Design and Society program present their work publicly each year, attracting industry and press attention.

ABOUT PARSONS

A community for learning Parsons, like The New School as a whole, is a community made up of people representing a wide range of identities, backgrounds, and academic and professional practices. Parsons students come from all 50 states and 109 countries, making the university one of the most geographically diverse in the country. At Parsons, collaboration with individuals of varied perspectives and backgrounds enriches the overall educational experience and prepares students to communicate and build relationships within the increasingly global workplace.

An urban focus Cities are models of sustainable living because of the efficient resource use and forms of community life that are possible in densely populated areas. New York City is an ideal setting in which to study the ecologies of urban environments. The city also offers opportunities to explore emerging design fields, such as the design of services. Parsons instructors are part of the city, too; most are working professionals who practice the disciplines they teach.

DIVERSITY AND PARSONS Parsons is committed to achieving greater diversity, with a community that reflects a broad range of experiences, identities, cultures, and beliefs.

Cultivating a learning environment in which all can thrive requires respect and an understanding of academia’s vast spectrum of social, political, and economic contexts. Diversity enables tomorrow’s designers to devise innovative, thoughtful solutions to social inequities and injustices. This effort emphasizes contributions from historically underrepresented people within higher education.

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The University at a Glance (Fall 2014)

10,131 Total enrollment at The New School

3,489 Total graduate enrollment at

5

The New School

880 Total graduate enrollment at Parsons

5,085 Total enrollment at Parsons

40 Percentage of international students at Parsons

Average class size

11:1 Student-to-faculty ratio at Parsons

ABOUT PARSONS

15

ACADEMICS

W

ith a renowned comprehensive curriculum, Parsons offers students many opportunities to collaborate across academic disciplines within a diverse intellectual community. The university’s extensive libraries, archives, studio spaces, and other resources enrich research and projects, while public symposia and events connect the university to real-world practices.

Faculty and students form a diverse body of scholars critically addressing contemporary issues in their fields, moving beyond current frameworks using advanced practical and theoretical knowledge.

Because Parsons is part of a large research university, students have access to courses in a range of subjects. Visit the university course catalog to see the variety of topics available to you as part of your curriculum: courses.newschool.edu.

degrees of difference In addition to its graduate degree offerings, Parsons offers a variety of associate’s degrees (AAS) intended for mature students hoping to make a career change or add career-enhancing skills to their résumés. If you have a bachelor’s degree in an unrelated field and lack the formal training or professional experience needed to be competitive for entry into a graduate degree program at Parsons, explore our AAS offerings in Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Interior Design, and Fashion Marketing.

Continuing studies Parsons also offers open enrollment courses in which nondegree students of all ages can build portfolios or take art and design courses for credit or on a noncredit basis. Intensive courses for undergraduate and graduate credit are offered each summer on the New York campus and in Parsons programs abroad. Some courses are offered online. newschool.edu/parsons-continuing-studies newschool.edu/parsons-summer

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Study Options at Parsons Paris The New School’s Parsons Paris campus offers courses, programs, and study abroad opportunities, enabling students to benefit from our pioneering approach to learning in an intimate setting in a European capital. Our exclusive partnerships with the city’s premier art and design and social science organizations, such as Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Institut d’études politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), and ENSCI–Les ateliers (École nationale supérieure de création

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industrielle), give students unique learning experiences. Parsons Paris offers the following graduate programs: • Design and Technology (MFA) • Fashion Studies (MA) • History of Design and Curatorial Studies (MA) • Strategic Design and Management (MS, Global Executive)* To explore the graduate degree programs currently offered at Parsons Paris, visit newschool.edu/parsons-paris. *The Global Executive Master’s in Strategic Design and Management—an 18-month program conducted primarily online and with week- and weekend-long intensives in Paris, New York City, and Shanghai— launches in summer 2016. Students can complete study while working full-time. Please contact us at global@newschool.edu for enrollment restrictions that may apply to your geographical area.

academics

Students in Parsons’ graduate urban programs recently collaborated with peers at KU Leuven, a Belgian partner university, to devise design-led responses to global urbanization, migration, and climate change as part of an internationally funded research project, which they presented publicly.

ACADEMICS

Facilities Access to state-of-the-art and traditional tools at the Making Center facilitates students’ creative growth. Available are 3D printers; laser cutters; CNC routers; high-speed plotters; printmaking equipment; woodworking, metalworking, and sewing tools; and digital imaging, audio, and production gear.

Art and photo studios, fabrication shops, a lighting simulation lab, a video “green room,” computer stations, and our new Innovation Lab offer additional resources. The University Center provides ample space for collaboration; meeting rooms, quiet-study areas, and practice rooms throughout campus offer work space as well.

University libraries and resources available through the online Research Library Consortium of South Manhattan support student research. Students can also draw on the Kellen Design Archives, which conserves Parsons-related primary-source materials.

The University Center, our sustainably built campus anchor, encourages interdisciplinary work through its open design and ample co-working areas.

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academics

Courses and campus facilities help you stay current with the tools of your chosen practice—such as 3D printers like the one shown here.

GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES

P

arsons graduate students come from around the world.

Over the past few years, we have received applications from every state in the United States and 109 countries.

Once here, they participate in projects with a global focus, show work abroad, and take courses overseas, developing their critical and creative abilities and gaining valuable experience.

Learn more: newschool.edu/parsons/global-learning

TOP: Lucia Cuba, MFA Fashion Design and

Society ’12, drew on her experience in design and activism for her thesis project.

She designed Artículo 6, a line of garments and “actions”—installations, performances, objects, photos, and videos—intended to raise awareness of the involuntary sterilizations of Peruvian women that took place in the 1990s and their present-day legal battle.

BOTTOM: Designer and alumna Donna Karan partnered with faculty and students on an initiative in Haiti, working with local designer Paula Coles on the DOT (Design, Organization and Training) Center, a new vocational education hub for Haitian artisans. Students helped design the space, explore products to develop, research local practices, and lead making workshops.

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TOP: Designers at Parsons’ PETLab

gaming incubator and residents of St. Louis, Senegal, created a game to develop climate-related disaster-preparedness systems for the Red Cross/Red Crescent.

Versions of the game have been tested in Namibia, Kenya, Indonesia, and the Philippines, and the project was presented at the UN Climate Change Conference.

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MIDDLE: Parsons and Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts students explored the relationship between the arts and urbanism in Phnom Penh and New York at the Season of Cambodia Festival. Students curated a related multimedia exhibition documenting the role of arts in civic life.

GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES

BOTTOM: Students from Parsons’ School of Constructed Environments and graduate students in the university’s International Affairs program traveled to Jinga, Uganda, to collaborate with Slum Women’s Initiative for Development (SWID) on a project to develop housing.

ARCHITECTURE (M.ARCH) School of Constructed environments

T

he Master of Architecture (MArch) program is a three-year NAAB-accredited professional degree for students holding a pre-professional undergraduate degree in architecture or a fouryear non-architecture degree. New York City provides students with a comprehensive context in which to develop design-build experience and explore architecture’s formal and sociopolitical dimensions. Students work with the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, the NYC Housing Authority, and studios addressing environmental challenges presented by sea level rise and storm surge.

The studio course sequence

The MArch curriculum focuses

challenges students to address

on contemporary issues directly

demands imposed by use, site,

affecting the field, ranging from new

context, structure, and construction.

representational techniques to

Interdisciplinary electives in history,

sustainable built and natural

theory, and technology highlight

systems. It prepares students to

architecture’s pivotal role in shap-

enter the professional architecture

ing culture. Students can choose

community and shape the built

electives offered in other programs

environment and the field.

throughout The New School.

Courses draw on Parsons’ network of municipal and institutional partners, local practitioners, and commercial clients, providing students with internship, design competition, and research funding opportunities.

Students in the Design Workshop design and construct— from schematics to punch list—a project for a nonprofit client.

Established in 1996, the workshop embodies the progressive values of Parsons and The New School.

It unites theoretical and hands-on learning and trains students to develop practices to improve the social and physical environment.

Past projects include a sustainable laundromat and information center for Hurricane Katrina survivors, a rooftop garden with educational and recreational facilities for Bronx youth, and a pool pavilion for an NYC community.

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The MArch is a program within

Parsons’ School of Constructed Environments (SCE), alongside related degrees in interior, lighting, and product/industrial design. In the SCE studio, members of the diverse student body collaborate on complex design problems, from interiors to comprehensive architectural volumes, public spaces, and urban design.

Graduates have gone on to open their own practices and work in prominent firms, including Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Rogers Marvel Architects, LevenBetts, Bernheimer Architecture, Gensler, Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis, Matter

MFA Lighting Design/ M.Arch Dual Degree Those who wish to pursue studies in lighting design and architecture can apply to the dual-degree program, a four-year, 120-credit-hour curriculum that combines the NAAB-accredited Master of Architecture and the MFA in Lighting Design. Interested students should apply directly to the dual-degree program; they will automatically be considered for admission to the individual Master of Architecture and MFA Lighting Design programs as well.

Hawkinson, and Young Projects.

Engineering; Urban Planning; Landscape Design; Interior Design

TOP: Students in the Design

Workshop created new lockers and changing room pavilions for the Sunset Park Recreation Center and Pool in Brooklyn.

BOTTOM: Jordana Maisie Goot

For more about faculty, courses, and requirements, visit newschool.edu/parsons-march.

and Moochi Liu, Project for spring 2013 Housing Studio

Architecture (M.ARCH)

Architecture Practice, Smith-Miller

Career paths include—Architecture;

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DATA VISUALIZATION (MS) School of art, media, and technology

P

arsons’ Master of Science in Data Visualization is a multidisciplinary program in which students develop skills bringing together visual design, computer science, and statistical analysis.

Today, the presentation of data is

their insights and expose students

integral in the shaping of opinion,

to new possibilities in data visual-

policy, and decision making in an

ization and related career paths.

increasingly global society. Giving students a competitive edge as

Career paths include—Data

they enter the field, the MS program

Analysis; Digital Design; Advertising

responds to the increased demand

And Branding; Journalism; Business

for experts to turn data into insight.

Consulting And Analytics Strategy;

Housed within Parsons’ School

Management; Strategic Planning;

of Art, Media, and Technology, MS

Entrepreneurship; Social Enterprise;

Data Visualization’s 30-credit cur-

Public Policy; Trend Forecasting;

riculum can be completed in one or

Business Intelligence.

two years. The program integrates theory and studio practice, so stu-

For more about faculty, courses,

dents acquire the creative, quanti-

and requirements, visit

tative, and coding tools needed to

newschool.edu/parsons-msdv.

analyze and depict data, gaining a holistic understanding of context, audience, and objectives.

With the MS in Data Visualization, students obtain the diverse skill set needed to succeed in a range of data interpretation– related careers. Students graduate with portfolios demonstrating their ability to create databases and Web-based software tools that reflect an understanding of data analysis and information visualization for varied applications.

The program’s setting in New York City, a technological hub and pioneer of open-source culture, offers invaluable industry access.

Students intern with industry leaders and external partners from the government, nonprofit, and commercial sectors. Faculty invite guest lecturers and critics to share The new school parsons

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TOP: Daniel Sauter, interactive

MIDDLE: Graduates leave prepared

to create online tools that express in visual form insights derived from data.

BOTTOM: Daniel Sauter and Mark

Hereld, The Emergence Project

data visualization (ms)

program developed for the Burnham Centennial Pavilion, designed by UNStudio. Sauter, a professor in MS Data Visualization, created a program that dynamically translates visitor traffic data into changing light patterns in the pavilion.

DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY (MFA) School of Art, Media, and technology

D

esigners today face two fundamental challenges: the expanding influence of design within society and the increasing role of technology within design. The Master of Fine Arts in Design and Technology program provides a lively environment in which to address these challenges.

The full-residency, two-year,

Samsung, and the Whitney Museum

60-credit MFA in Design and

of American Art. Students collabo-

Technology (MFA DT) curriculum is

rate with peers from other schools

studio based, but critical thinking

and colleges of The New School, a

and study of the design process are

progressive urban university empha-

central to the program. Areas of

sizing civic engagement.

practice include interaction design,

MFA DT resides in the School

physical computing, game design,

of Art, Media, and Technology at

new media art, digital fabrication,

Parsons, alongside programs in

data visualization, and critical

communication design, fine arts, photography, and illustration.

Students supplement core courses with electives offered throughout Parsons and other schools and colleges of The New School.

Career paths include—Mobile and Application Design; Web, UI, and UX Design; New Media Art; Game Design; Motion Graphics; 2D and 3D Animation; Digital Filmmaking For more about faculty, courses, and requirements, visit newschool.edu/parsons-mfadt.

design. Candidates build ideas through prototyping, synthesizing research and practice.

Graduates embark on careers in creative, academic, commercial, and educational fields that engage with the growing influence of technology. In Collaboration Studio courses, students work with industry firms and nonprofits on real-world projects. Past partners include Apple, Eyebeam, gameLab, Human Rights Watch, Mozilla, NASA, the Red Cross, The new school parsons

program alumni: Recent graduates include Open Standards Developer R/GA Founder Fridge network, Google+ Design Analyst Frog Design Inc. Creative Technologist Google Creative Lab Interaction Designer IBM Design Creative Technologist New York Times R&D Lab

TOP: Data Cafe, a multidisciplinary project installed at

Parsons Festival 2015, invited visitors to consider alternatives to the present窶電ay data-driven economy.

OPPOSITE LEFT: Manuel Rueda Iragorri, SCALE System.

SCALE (Self Constructing Auxiliary Living Environment), an automated disaster response system, consists of flat-pack housing modules and a robot to assemble them.

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OPPOSITE BOTTOM: Ramsey Nasser, Zajal. Zajal is a

programming language for artists and hackers.

BELOW: Dong Yoon Park, Typography Insight. This app brings traditional typography teaching methods to tablets.

Senior UX Design Lead Microsoft Bing

Mobile Interaction Designer Nokia Research Center Beijing Creative Manager Interbrand Interaction Designer HUGE Game Designer Institute of Play Founder and Game Designer Large Animal Games Installation Category Finalist Adobe Design Achievement Awards

design & technology (mfa)

Interaction Designer Disney Interactive

DESIGN & URBAN ECOLOGIES (MS) School of design strategies

T

he Master of Science in Design and Urban Ecologies program at Parsons radically reframes the study of and design approaches to cities. Through activism, research, and fieldwork, students gain a broad understanding of the complex forces that influence urban growth and development. Using world cities like New York as a laboratory and working in transdisciplinary teams, they design processes for urban transformation.

The first graduate program of its

Affairs, Management, and Urban

kind in the United States, the two-

Policy; and in other schools and

year, 60-credit Master of Science

colleges of The New School.

in Design and Urban Ecologies explores the urban complex and

Career paths include—Urban

its interconnections with political,

Design; Urban and Regional

social, economic, and environmental

Planning; Public and Urban Policy;

systems. Bringing together the

Leadership of Nonprofit and Civic

academic strengths of Parsons and

Organizations; Community

other schools and colleges of The

Planning and Organizing;

New School, this studio-based

Government Administration;

program trains graduates to become

Municipal/Regional Development;

agents of change, working with the

Social, Civic, and Environmental

communities and institutions that

Enterprises; Urban Research and

shape urban ecosystems.

Consulting; Urban Curatorship;

Guided by internationally recognized urbanists, designers, and

Academia; Doctoral Studies in Urbanism and related fields.

activists, students confront urgent problems facing cities and develop

For more about faculty, courses,

new research methodologies, design

and requirements, visit

frameworks, and critical practices.

newschool.edu/parsons-msdue.

The program is aimed at urban planners, design professionals, social scientists, community leaders, and managers of nonprofit and government organizations motivated to critically address issues of contemporary urbanization.

Students collaborate with colleagues in the research-based MA in Theories of Urban Practice program; in Parsons’ School of Constructed Environments and School of Art, Media, and Technology; in The New School for Social Research; in the Milano School of International The new school parsons

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MIDDLE: Studio design skills offer new

tools with which to guide sustainable and collaborative urban development.

BOTTOM: Anne Duquennois and Ron Morrison, Connecting Corners: Towards a Collaborative Food Ecology. The Connecting Corners website was created to maximize existing food and organizational resources and foster community integration in a NYC neighborhood.

DESIGN & URBAN Ecologies (MS)

TOP: Sabrina Dorsainvil and Luisa Munera, Urban Atlas Project. Munera’s project employs various documentary, storytelling, and performative methods to record Harlem residents’ ideas about community development, connect citizens with shared goals, and facilitate direct action aimed at social change.

DESIGN STUDIES (MA)

School of Art and design history and theory

T

he MA in Design Studies program draws on the unique range of graduate disciplines available throughout Parsons and the rest of The New School, an academic laboratory at the intersection of design and scholarly research. In the program, students examine design’s complex interactions with society, technology, and contemporary culture, exploring its capacity to transform sociopolitical relations and investigating how design processes can effect social change.

The 42-credit research-driven

history offer guidance for dealing

program critically addresses

humanely with one another and

historical, philosophical, theoretical, and social issues—politics, gender, power relations—related to design practices and products.

Students work with pioneering design thinkers, emerging with the

the world we have made • Design enabling practitioners to project and critically assess scenarios of the future • Design writing and criticism for academic and general audiences

concepts and skills they need to become informed activists, writers,

Career paths—Graduates can

researchers, scholars, and consultants.

work in design-led entrepreneurial

MA Design Studies investi-

creative industries, applying their

gates how design affects human

knowledge of design and social

experience and considers design as

innovation to assist in research to

a fundamentally cross-disciplinary

support new product development,

endeavor. Students are encouraged

lead new approaches to curating

to take courses in the full range

and criticism, and help guide the

of graduate programs at Parsons

work of media and consulting

(including design history, curato-

firms, think tanks, technology

rial studies, fashion studies, urban

start-ups, and nonprofits such

studies, and media studies), and at

as NGOs and foundations.

The New School for Social Research

The program also provides a

(including anthropology, history,

foundation for those who want

economics, philosophy, politics,

to pursue doctoral studies in

psychology, and sociology).

related disciplines.

Aimed at both designers and nondesigners, MA Design Studies

For more about faculty, courses,

(which can be completed full-time

and requirements, visit

or part-time) offers four overlap-

newschool.edu/parsons-mads.

ping, flexible project-based research pathways: • Design through the integration of ecological, economic, technological, and social systems • Design as a phenomenon whose analysis, insights, and The new school parsons

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TOP: Students publicly share their perspectives and research on design’s multifaceted role in contemporary society, preparing for careers in fields ranging from academia to media to social innovation entrepreneurship.

design studies (MA)

BOTTOM: Plot(s), the MA Design Studies program’s student-run journal, presents the community’s research and gives students opportunities to develop their design criticism writing abilities.

FASHION DESIGN & SOCIETY (MFA) School of Fashion

T

he MFA Fashion Design and Society at Parsons School of Design is the first graduate program of its kind in the United States, with a unique interdisciplinary and international approach to fashion. Each year, a small group of students join this academy for advanced studies in fashion design and train to become innovative and progressive world-class designers. Initiated by Parsons alumna Donna Karan, the program has received support from major names in fashion such as Diane von Furstenberg, Swarovski, Uniqlo, and Kering.

The two-year, 60-credit program

the New York Times, WWD, Vogue

combines intensive studio-based

(US, UK), Style.com, Elle, Marie

projects with research and, in the

Claire (US), SO-EN (Japan), and

tradition of social inquiry at The

many others.

New School, helps students develop

Part of Parsons’ renowned

an understanding of the global

School of Fashion, the MFA program

critical, ecological, and business

offers students opportunities to

contexts of their

connect with the international

work. Supplemental

community and industry part-

classes in filmmak-

ners and take part in high-profile

ing, presentation, and

collaborations. Students have won

photography broaden

or are finalists at fashion events

students’ visual

such as the International Fashion

design vocabulary

Showcase in London; International

and communication

Talent Support (sponsored by

skills, preparing them

Diesel); H&M Awards; New York

for collaborative pro-

Fashion Week; and the LVMH Prize.

fessional workplaces.

Graduates have gone on to design

At the end of

for firms including Alexander

their second year,

Wang, NIKE, Kanye West for

students present a

Adidas, St. John, Burberry, Donna

graduation collection. This pres-

Karan, Calvin Klein, Coach, GAP,

tigious exhibition attracts press,

Reed Krakoff, Ralph Lauren,

buyers, and other industry insiders

Narciso Rodriguez, and Opening

and is sponsored by individuals

Ceremony. Some have launched

and major fashion companies. In

businesses, selling to stores like

addition, students show their work

Dover Street Market.

on the runway in September during New York Fashion Week. At this

Career paths include—Fashion

event, students distribute a publica-

Design; Archiving; Curating;

tion documenting their collections,

Research; Teaching

which is sponsored by Kering and other firms and is seen around the

For more about faculty, courses,

world. Student work is regularly

and requirements, visit

featured in media outlets including

newschool.edu/parsons-mfafds.

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ABOVE: Andrea Jiapei Li, I AM WHAT (I AM),

from a runway show presented during New York Fashion Week at MADE Fashion, Milk Studios, in New York City BOTTOM: Pengji Cai, Garment Crash collection OPPOSITE: Katherine Mavridis, Rather, it

seeks a kind of suggestiveness; in holes, in emptiness

FASHION design & society (MFA)

TOP: Jia Hua, A Lot

FASHION STUDIES (MA) School of art and design history and theory

I

n the groundbreaking interdisciplinary Master of Arts in Fashion Studies program, students develop a critical understanding of fashion and its complex intersections with identities, histories, and cultures in the contemporary world.

MA Fashion Studies investigates the

opportunities to publish work and

material and visual dimensions of

collaborate with MA Fashion Studies

fashion as dress, image, and bodily

peers. Students complete intern-

practice and as a major cultural

ships at fashion companies, maga-

industry that positions the individ-

zines, and museums, including Elle,

ual within society and the world.

V Magazine, The Fashion Institute of

Students in the 42-credit program

Technology, Diane von Furstenberg,

are challenged to explore

Comme des Garçons, Ralph Lauren,

the interdisciplinary

Halston, and Hermès.

theories and methodol-

Students have the opportunity

ogies that have shaped

to spend a second-year semester

fashion studies and to

at Parsons Paris, where

contribute to its advance-

they have unprecedented

ment. Core and elective

access to some of the

courses open up broad

most prominent fashion

perspectives on fashion

and textiles collections

and its connections

in France through the

with design, production,

Musée des Arts Décoratifs,

consumption, imagi-

the Musée Galleria, and

nation, representation,

the Yves Saint Laurent

embodiment, and identity.

Foundation (see page 7

Informed by perspectives

for more information).

from a variety of disci-

Depending on their

plines, courses examine material

research interests, MA

from anthropology, sociology,

Fashion Studies students

art history, gender studies, visual

may wish to supplement

studies, film and media studies, and

their studies with the

material culture studies.

Graduate Certificate in

The program draws on New

Gender and Sexuality

York City’s museums, exhibitions,

Studies (GSS), designed

and public events and also calls for

to promote intellectual

students to observe streets, neigh-

collaboration on issues of

borhoods, and retail environments

gender and sexuality in a

critical to the fashion system. The

variety of disciplines.

program sponsors public events,

MA Fashion Studies

panels, and symposia such as

graduates have gone on to pursue

“Fashion Criticism” and “Fashion

PhD degrees at top universities

Curation.” Student-led projects,

throughout the world; others work

like the journal BIAS, offer students

in top fashion media companies

The new school parsons

and publishing houses including Rizzoli Publishing, Vogue, W, Nylon, I-D, and InStyle. Other graduates work as archivists, consultants, researchers, merchandisers, buyers, and public relations professionals in fashion houses and corporations such as Alexander Wang, Gucci, J.Crew, and Louis Vuitton.

Career paths include—Fashion Archiving; Museum Administration;

TOP: Students in the Materiality of Fashion class examine a 1960s Yves St. Laurent colorblock dress from Parsons’ growing collection of garments available for hands-on study.

BOTTOM: Students document fashions

ranging from couture to streetwear for cultural analyses that they present on a variety of platforms.

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OPPOSITE: BIAS is the annual

student-run publication of the program. Other issue themes have included Fashion + Surveillance and Fashion + Healing.

Gallery Management; Media and Consulting; Criticism; Journalism; Academia For more about faculty, courses, newschool.edu/parsons-mafs.

Fashion studies (MA)

and requirements, visit

FINE ARTS (MFA)

School of art, media, and technology

G

uided by the belief that artists perform an essential role in society, the MFA in Fine Arts program provides a dynamic, challenging environment in which students develop diverse studio-based practices and pursue interdisciplinary scholarship.

Students come from many backgrounds and cultures and work in media including painting, drawing, sculpture, video, performance, digital media, installation, and photography.

MFA Fine Arts encompasses modes

include Shirin Neshat, Paul Pfeiffer,

of study and practice ranging from

Tehching Hsieh, Kara Walker,

rigorous formal and aesthetic

Fred Wilson, Mark Dion, and Ann

investigations to social and political

Hamilton. Prominent curators guide

engagement. The two-year, full-

students preparing for their thesis

time curriculum includes 27 studio,

exhibitions. Parsons’ industry and

12 academic, 6 professional prac-

alumni connections yield abundant

tice, and 15 elective credits. Students

opportunities for collaboration and

work independently in

exhibition. Students have recently

their own studios and

presented work at the Pulse Art Fair,

participate in weekly

The Kitchen, and Sydney College

critiques with an interna-

of the Arts at the University of

tionally acclaimed faculty

Sydney and have held residencies at

of art professionals. The

Skowhegan Institute and Jentel.

program curriculum

MFA Fine Arts is housed in

centers on one-on-one

Parsons’ School of Art, Media, and

studio visits, group cri-

Technology (AMT), alongside the

tiques, critical theory sem-

Communication Design, Design

inars, personalized classes,

and Technology, Illustration, and

and writing and research

Photography programs. Shared

for studio practice, as

faculty and collaborative projects

well as professional

allow students to explore the inter-

practices seminars. The

sections between art, technology,

Transdisciplinary Seminar

design, and social critique. Students

reaches into the larger

can also draw on the extensive

New School community

resources of The New School, a

and focuses on a range of

progressive urban university with a

topics such as art and feminism,

tradition of civic engagement and

art and science, and art and

renowned graduate programs in the

poetry. Academic classes expose

social sciences, media studies, and

students to global contemporary

urban studies.

discourse on art and develop their critical abilities.

Students interact with visiting

Career paths include—Fine Art; Arts Administration; Curation;

artists of varied practices and

Museum Management; Art

cultural orientations. Recent visitors

Criticism; Teaching

The new school parsons

27

TOP: Bing Han, Void #2. Oil

on canvas, 44 x 60 in.

MIDDLE: John Furer, Sequence of Tenses III and IV. Spray paint on acrylic sheet, poplar, plywood, MDF, veneer

For more about faculty, courses, and requirements, visit newschool.edu/parsons-mfafa.

OPPOSITE: Jess English, The Original Skin #3. Aircraft-grade aluminum, fluorescent light, cleco fasteners, steel, plastic putty (approx. 74.4” x 60’)

fine Arts (MFA)

BOTTOM: Thesis Exhibition Installation, The Kitchen, 2015

HISTORY OF DESIGN & CURATORIAL STUD School of Art and design history and theory

T

his prestigious two-year master’s degree program, offered by Parsons in conjunction with Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, brings an object-focused and practice-based approach to the study of European and American decorative arts and design from the Renaissance to the present. Housed for more than 30 years at Cooper Hewitt—the only U.S. museum devoted exclusively to historical and contemporary design—the program enables students to work directly with the museum’s collections and its curators, conservators, educators, and designers.

The MA History of Design and

In addition, MA students can apply

Curatorial Studies curriculum offers

for paid teaching assistantships.

practical and theoretical instruc-

Parsons’ School of Art and

tion in researching and displaying

Design History and Theory (ADHT)

interiors and design objects such

programs reflect the faculty’s

as furniture, ceramics, metalwork,

expertise in areas including art

textiles, and works in other media.

and design methodology

New courses in curatorial studies

and philosophy, design

and courses exploring the history of

criticism, cultural anthro-

design in social and cultural context

pology, sustainability, and

reflect the program’s broadened

material culture and are

scope and relevance. Students com-

designed to provide stu-

plete the 42 required credits in two

dents with opportunities to

years of full-time study or three to

take related courses within

four years of part-time study.

ADHT. Students can access

In the renovated Cooper

courses and collabora-

Hewitt, graduate students have

tive projects taking place

opportunities to curate exhibitions,

throughout Parsons and

create programming for the public,

The New School, which

and produce interpretive materials,

open up new topics and

which provide essential hands-on

areas of investigation in

experience in museum and

curatorial practice and

curatorial practices. Access to the

historical research. Students

Smithsonian’s Design Library, New

graduate prepared to join

School library holdings, and the

alumni who work in some

library consortium enriches object-

of the world’s most presti-

based research. For-credit intern-

gious nonprofit, commer-

ships enable students to explore

cial, cultural, and academic

professions in museums, auction

institutions.

houses, and galleries and on new online platforms. A limited number

Career paths include—

of master’s curatorial fellowships at

Curatorial and leadership

Cooper Hewitt, which provide par-

positions in museums and

tial tuition remission, are available.

historic houses; specialist

The new school parsons

DIES (MA)

Alumni Career Paths and management positions in auction houses; academia; con-

Graduates hold curatorial posts in museums and collections worldwide and specialist positions in auction houses and galleries. They serve in a range of capacities related to interpreting, promoting, and educating the public about art and design.

sulting for private and corporate collections; e-commerce; criticism and journalism; media For more about faculty, courses, and requirements, visit newschool.edu/parsons-mahistory.

Specialist positions in auction houses, galleries, and online platforms • Sotheby’s • Paddle.com • Christie’s • Doyle • Phillips • One Kings Lane Fellowships • Cranbrook Art Museum

• Winterthur Museum • Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum • Metropolitan Museum of Art Editorial positions (print and online) • Metropolis • New York Times • Martha Stewart Living • The Magazine Antiques Positions in interior design industries • Peter Marino Architects • HOK Associates • Archive Edition Textiles Academic positions • New York School of Interior Design • Parsons • National Institute of Design (India) • Fashion Institute of Technology • School of the Art Institute of Chicago

TOP: The program is housed in the newly renovated

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Shown here are students researching in the National Design Library, North Reading Room.

BOTTOM: Cooper Hewitt’s collection of more than 250,000 objects and its world-class library offer Parsons students unique opportunities for curating and interpreting design objects—and reaching new audiences.

29 history of design & curatorial studies (MA)

Curatorial positions in museums • Museum of Modern Art • Victoria & Albert Museum • Indianapolis Art Museum • Museum of Arts and Design • Metropolitan Museum of Art • Museum of Fine Arts, Houston • Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum • Wolfsonian Museum • M+ Museum (Hong Kong)

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN (MFA) School of constructed environments

P

arsons’ Master of Fine Arts in Industrial Design program offers an innovative two-year, 60-credit, full-time graduate curriculum that prepares students to negotiate the seemingly contradictory forces at play in the growing product design industry. Students explore the way goods can be produced in both localized contexts (a “making in place” approach, which relies on regionalized needs and constraints) and globalized contexts (employing design principles focusing on universal needs).

In the MFA Industrial Design pro-

environment, and promoting the

gram, students combine advanced

quality of life.

making skills and critical inquiry to

Students develop their

design for production at all scales,

knowledge and skills at the uni-

from low volume to high volume,

versity’s state-of-the-art product

employing methods ranging from

prototyping and testing facilities.

desktop manufacturing to systems

In their second semester, MFA

involving global supply chains.

students explore limited-run making in New York City, and in the third semester they can investigate large-scale global production through virtual collaborations or study abroad at sites including Parsons Paris.

An innovation-focused university with programs in the social sciences, business and management, media studies, and the performing arts, The New School offers complementary courses that enrich design practice. Local industry events and collaborations with commercial

MFA Industrial Design’s curric-

and nonprofit partners deepen

ulum balances competing interests

connections to the field. A

such as economical production and

specialized thesis project offers

sustainability, consumerism, social

opportunities to develop designs

and environmental improvement,

that advance—or challenge—

and global and local production,

industrial design theory and practice.

investigating ways to integrate and

New York City boasts

reconcile these forces as a whole.

the country’s largest number of

The faculty of design practitioners

creative-sector jobs and attracts

aims to develop a community of

top design talent. The MFA

designers committed to improv-

Industrial Design program attracts

ing industry, protecting the

motivated, reflective students with

The new school parsons

TOP: Miriam Josi and Stella Lee Prowse, Nomad. Nomad is a locally manufactured planter made from recycled sailcloth and designed with New Yorkers’ small apartments in mind. The designers hope their product will encourage people to grow their own herbs and become aware of food sources.

LEFT: Parsons students and an in-house strategist at Poltrona Frau—a luxury furniture producer and frequent collaboration partner—explore the materials proposed for a competition project.

31

OPPOSITE: The design of

prepared to design innovative

also accepts candidates from other

products and lead the industries

design professions and disciplines

that produce them as well.

such as engineering, management, anthropology, and psychology.

Career paths include—Industrial

Students graduate equipped with

Design; Product Development;

the ability to integrate the many

Manufacturing; Furniture Design;

considerations involved in product

Humanitarian and Service Design;

design and to lead as socially aware

Toy Design; Design Management;

makers, strategists, and industry

Architectural Building Systems

specialists. Graduates emerge

For more about faculty, courses, and requirements, visit newschool.edu/parsons/ mfa-industrial-design.

industrial design (mfa)

experience in product design but

Spiraloop, a vegetable masher created by program director Rama Chorpash, engages the production processes of a local Brooklyn spring manufacturer.

The product embodies the kinds of decisions contemporary designers can make to influence systems involving employment, production and sustainability, and distribution, thereby advancing the field along responsible paths.

INTERIOR DESIGN (MFA) School of constructed environments

T

he Master of Fine Arts in Interior Design program at Parsons is uniquely positioned to lead the discourse and practice of interior design in the 21st century. Inaugurated in 2009 at Parsons, the school where formal interior design education began, this graduate program builds on 100 years of leadership in the field. Design as a social practice is the program’s guiding philosophy. Students explore design as a force for change, a means of environmental stewardship, and a tool for shaping experiences.

Integrating sustainable design strat-

consumption, drawing and digital

egies with new developments in

representation, and the history and

technology and materials, the two-

theory of interior design. Students

year, full-time professional MFA in

supplement core classes with

Interior Design* program prepares

electives offered throughout Parsons

a new generation of designers to

and in other New School divisions in

address social changes and demo-

fields such as design and technol-

graphic shifts shaping

ogy, anthropology, psychology, and

clients’ needs today. A

environmental and urban studies.

faculty of distinguished

Using New York City as an

practicing professionals

urban laboratory, the curriculum

work with students to

draws on Parsons’ long-standing

imagine new possi-

connections to interior design and

bilities for the design

architecture firms, manufacturers,

of habitable space.

galleries, and museums. During the

The program hosts

second year, students develop a

“AfterTaste,” an annual

capstone project that culminates

international conference

in a thesis project, written thesis

dedicated to expanding

book, and exhibition. Graduates

the conceptual boundaries between

are positioned to transform the

interior design and related fields

field as practitioners and educators

including art, architecture, film,

by working in interior design and

science, psychology, philosophy,

architecture studios, developing new

medicine, and music.

design practices, and collaborating

A 60-credit, studio-centered, research-oriented curriculum challenges students to analyze the

with nonprofit, government, and educational institutions.

The program is offered by

relationship between human

Parsons’ School of Constructed

behavior, comfort, and perception

Environments (SCE), which also

and the built interior. Courses

houses related programs in archi-

investigate materials and their envi-

tecture, lighting design, and product

ronmental impact, fabrication and

design. SCE students share research

manufacturing processes, building

and fabrication facilities and work

systems and operational energy

together in an open design studio

The new school parsons

MFA Lighting Design and Interior Design Double Major The School of Constructed Environments offers students wishing to combine studies collaborating on projects, uniting historically separate design disciplines to support crossdisciplinary innovation.

Career paths include—Interior Design; Industrial Design; Sustainable Design; Consulting; Teaching

in interior design and lighting design a unique double major.

In the MFA Lighting Design and Interior Design double major, a three-year, 90-credit-hour curriculum, students develop an in-depth technical and aesthetic understanding of the relationship between light and interior design.

Interested students should apply directly to their primary program of interest—Interior Design or Lighting

33

Design—and follow the application prompts for the double major.

TOP: Students created the environment shown here for the evening dinner of the “AfterTaste 2015: Inside Imagination” symposium.

BOTTOM: Paolo Agostinelli, Food for the City.

This project proposes alternatives to current food systems; shown here is a space in which urbanites connect through rituals of dining.

riors: Private workspheres in the open-plan environment

For more about faculty, courses, and requirements, visit newschool.edu/parsons/mfainterior-design. *Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, this program fulfills the education requirement that qualifies graduates to sit for the National Council of Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) professional licensing exam.

interior design (mfa)

OPPOSITE: Gosia Rodek, Pockets of the Inte-

LIGHTING DESIGN (MFA) School of constructed environments

T

he Master of Fine Arts in Lighting Design program at Parsons, the first of its kind in the world, has trained leaders in this rapidly evolving field for more than 30 years. With a solid foundation in the intellectual, aesthetic, and technical dimensions of light, Parsons’ interdisciplinary curriculum focuses on human experience, sustainability, and the social impact of lighting design.

Students explore the relationships

The Lighting Design pro-

between theory, technical applica-

gram is part of Parsons’ School of

tion, energy conservation, and social

Constructed Environments (SCE),

and environmental aspects of

along with closely related programs

electric and natural light. The two-

in architecture, interior design, and

year, full-time course of study is

product design. In the open envi-

composed of 24 studio credits, 30

ronment of the SCE design studio,

credits of seminars (on cultural,

students work collaboratively on

historical, and perceptual aspects

complex problems ranging from

of light), and 6 electives. The

single interior

unique curriculum is anchored in

environments to

an integrated studio experience in

comprehensive

which students interact with peers

architectural

in architecture, interior design, and

volumes, outdoor

product design disciplines. Projects

public space, and

integrate research, conceptual

urban planning.

design development, innovative

The School

representational techniques, techni-

of Constructed

cal analysis, and full-scale study to

Environments

uncover the experiential and social

also offers

implications of illumination.

two multidisciplinary programs,

The birthplace of architectural

described on page 35, that enable

lighting design, New York City offers

students to develop an in-depth

students abundant opportunities for

technical and aesthetic understanding

learning and career advancement.

of the relationship between light,

Students also benefit from access

architecture, and interior design.

to important built projects, industry-related activities, trade

Career paths include—

shows, conferences, and the uni-

Architectural and Interior Lighting

versity’s network for professional

Design; Theatrical Lighting;

internships and postgraduate

Exhibition Lighting; Equipment

placement. Lighting design is

Design and Manufacturing

relevant to zoning and building regulations, traffic and pedestrian

For more about faculty, courses,

safety, neighborhood integration,

and requirements, visit

and numerous other matters

newschool.edu/parsons-mfald.

affecting the city.

The new school parsons

MFA Lighting Design/Master of Architecture Dual Degree TOP: James Clotfelter, Silvia Mazzarri, Jordana Maisie, Atrium electric lighting visualization OPPOSITE: Access to the

Lighting Lab—a resource unique to this Parsons program—lets students take varying lighting conditions into account in their designs.

BOTTOM: Sirada

Kuevibulvanich and Junkyeong Park, Light, Vision, and Representation

Those who wish to pursue studies in lighting design and architecture can apply to the dual-degree program, a four-year, 120-credit-hour curriculum that combines the NAAB-accredited

MFA Lighting Design and Interior Design Double Major

Master of Architecture and

The School of Constructed

MFA Lighting Design. Interested

Environments offers students

students should apply directly to

wishing to combine studies

this dual-degree program; they

in lighting design and interior

will automatically be considered

design a unique double major.

for admission to the individual

In the MFA Lighting Design and

Master of Architecture and MFA

Interior Design double major,

Lighting Design programs as well.

a three-year, 90-credit-hour

35

curriculum, students develop an in-depth technical and aesthetic understanding of the relationship between light and interior design.

Interested students should apply directly to their primary program of interest—Lighting Design or Interior Design—and follow double major.

lighting design (mfa)

the application prompts for the

PHOTOGRAPHY (MFA)

School of art, media, and technology

T

he MFA Photography program prepares students to become practicing artists and scholars who redefine the creative role of photography within contemporary culture. The program challenges students to move beyond current paradigms, anticipating and setting trends rather than following them.

The flexible 26-month, 60-credit

graduate thesis exhibitions and

MFA Photography curriculum

publications extend students’ reach

enables students to undertake local

into art communities. Graduates go

internships and apprenticeships

on to publish, exhibit internation-

and participate in international

ally, and work in related positions.

projects. The program begins with

The MFA in Photography

an eight-week summer session

program is part of Parsons’ School

in residence at Parsons, the first

of Art, Media, and Technology

of three, in which students attend

(AMT), which is also home to the

lectures by and meet with visiting

Communication Design, Fine Arts,

artists, curators, and critics. Recent

Design and Technology,

visitors include Elinor Carucci, Lisa

and Illustration programs.

Oppenheim, Eva Respini, Anna

Photography students work

Ostoya, Charlotte Cotton, Tehching

together and access the

Hsieh, Matthew Buckingham, Louise

many academic resources

Lawler, Jason Fulford, Penelope

of The New School,

Umbrico, Jill Magid, Dread Scott,

including all of Parsons’

and Artie Vierkant. In the fall and

programs, for their research.

spring semesters, students engage in faculty-supervised independent

Career paths include—

study and fulfill course requirements

Commercial Photography;

on campus or online.

Editorial Photography;

The school’s long-standing

Fashion Photography;

ties to the photography and art

Documentary Production;

communities offer students access

Fine Art

to New York City partners for internships, exhibitions, research, and

For more about faculty,

representation. Rigorous critiques

courses, and requirements,

and regular meetings with

visit newschool.edu/

faculty and professional artists

parsons/mfa-

help students situate their work

photography.

within broader historical, theoretical, and visual culture contexts.

Program-sponsored conferences, such as the recent “Photographic Universe,” bring together practitioners and critics to explore contemporary issues in the field. Annual The new school parsons

37

ABOVE: Charlie Rubin, Red Rock

Painted Truck Purple Tree BOTTOM: Lara Atallah, The

Abandoned Dinner Party (Coffee Time)

photography (mfa)

TOP: Craig Callison, Desktop_003, 2014, Pigment Print

STRATEGIC DESIGN & MANAGEMENT (MS) School of design strategies

T

he Master of Science in Strategic Design and Management program brings together a diverse group aspiring to initiate and lead change in emerging fields: business professionals wishing to complement their business skills with design capabilities, design practitioners seeking to acquire expertise in business and leadership, and entrepreneurs looking to develop transformative business propositions for an evolving global economy. Led by a world-class faculty, the program is academically rigorous and industry focused.

Students can complete the MS entirely on campus or online, or study both on campus and online.

The MS in Strategic Design and

in projects structured like real-world

Management responds to the major

industry consulting jobs.

restructuring of economies world-

With evening classes and

wide. The program incorporates

online instruction, this flexible grad-

design thinking, service design, and

uate program is well suited to early-

sustainability frameworks. Strategic

to mid-career professionals seeking

Design and Management gradu-

to complement their design and

ate students focus on the evolving

business expertise with professional

global economy and are exposed to

application. The program connects

sophisticated real-world perspec-

students to the broader intellectual

tives on operations, sustainability,

community of Parsons and other

management, leadership, intrapre-

schools and colleges of The New

neurship, entrepreneurship, and

School. Housed in the School of

design innovation and research. A

Design Strategies at Parsons, the

36-credit program, Strategic Design

program is part of a leading urban

and Management divides into two

university known for its courses

sections, each with its own distinct

on design thinking, organizational

pedagogy: academic courses and

management, nonprofit manage-

integrative studios, both offered on

ment, sustainability management,

campus and online. Coursework

leadership, and entrepreneurship.

incorporates cutting-edge analyses of the new economy, which help

Career paths include—Business;

students develop new business

Sustainability Management;

models and organizational designs

Innovation; Social Innovation;

for the creative industries. These

Entrepreneurship; Strategic and

classes provide hands-on experi-

Service Design

ence in designing, managing, and improving design-intensive and

For more about faculty, courses,

creative firms—and help students

and requirements, visit

develop their capacity to inspire and

newschool.edu/parsons-mssdm.

lead creative teams. In the studios, students apply their course learning The new school parsons

)

Curriculum FIRST YEAR / FALL Strategic Design and Management in New Economies Sustainable Business Models Managing Creative Projects and Teams FIRST YEAR / SPRING Design Innovation and Leadership Integrative Studio 1 SECOND YEAR / FALL Regulatory and Ethical Contexts Independent Project: Internship/ Action Research SECOND YEAR / SPRING New Design Firms Integrative Studio 2

39

Certificate Option Part of the MS curriculum is Certificate in Business of Design. In this innovative program, students complete six design management, leadership, and innovation courses to qualify for the certificate. The program is aimed at professionals interested in managing in creative fields, innovation-focused companies, and firms that routinely TOP: Students share their research at a public

event held at Brooklyn’s Industry City venue.

BOTTOM: Students in the recent Designing

Thoughts workshop, led by trend analyst and program visiting fellow Zuzanna Skalska, learned about new economies, their effects on society and commerce, and the value of global awareness. They were then asked to imagine future business challenges and develop creative responses to them.

employ design.

To learn more, visit newschool.edu/ parsons-businessdesign.

strategic design & management (ms)

available as an 18-credit Graduate

THEORIES OF URBAN PRACTICE (MA) School of design strategies

T

he Master of Arts in Theories of Urban Practice program offers an innovative path for students interested in acquiring a critical understanding of the design of urban environments and the transdisciplinary knowledge required to transform cities.

The program reframes the study of urbanism and urban design as transformative practices that draw on an expanding body of knowledge, research, and action.

This 30-credit research-driven MA degree program is for students who wish to pursue advanced studies in urbanism or careers as urban researchers, designers, teachers, design critics, policy advisors, and leaders of nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and private design and development firms.

Students conduct research and develop design strategies through critical engagement with contem-

Career paths include—Urban

porary urban issues. They can take

Design; City Planning; Government

part in project-based studios in

Administration; Nonprofit

related programs, including Parsons’

Management; Collaborative

MS in Design and Urban Ecologies

Urbanism; Teaching; Research;

and MFA in Transdisciplinary

Social Enterprise

Design, as well as other New School graduate programs. The program

To learn more about faculty,

is housed in Parsons’ School of

course descriptions, and

Design Strategies, an educational

requirements, visit

environment that fosters innovative

newschool.edu/parsons-matup.

thinking about and experimentation with the design of cities, services, and ecosystems. Parsons is part of The New School, a pioneering university located in the heart of New York City that offers some of the nation’s most respected programs in design, social sciences, liberal arts, performing arts, and management and policy.

The new school parsons

TOP: MA Theories of Urban Practice

program students Renae Diggs (left) and Joy Alise Davis (center) interview residents near Diversity Plaza in Jackson Heights, Queens, for their research.

41

OPPOSITE: Today urban designers often

BOTTOM: A student sketches an infographic depicting the development of Cairo’s Al-Azhar Park, a complex 20th-century project to design an urban public space incorporating local needs, resources, and vernacular landscaping and architecture on a 500-year-old landfill site. .

theories of urban practice (ma)

involve local stakeholders in the process of urban transformation, including the creation of public policy. Here, students meet with community members to gauge interest in a recycling initiative.

TRANSDISCIPLINARY DESIGN (MFA) School of design strategies

E

mphasizing collaborative design-led research, Parsons’ Master of Fine Arts in Transdisciplinary Design program serves as an academic laboratory in New York City for graduate students seeking to define the next phase of design practice globally.

The MFA in Transdisciplinary Design program was created for designers interested in developing ideas, tools, and working methods

• Sustainability considers how to build public infrastructure for sustainable practices.

• The Social investigates the

to address the complex challenges

use of design to envision new

of a global culture. Students work

modalities of social interaction

in cross-disciplinary teams, learn from industry leaders, and emerge

and community.

• Urban seeks ways to reshape

with a portfolio that reflects the use

everyday practices within highly

of design processes to transform

networked urban environments.

social relations and contemporary life. Graduates go on to work in

Career paths include—Service

traditional design consultancies or

Design; Design Consulting;

apply their skills in new ways, such

Academia; Business Development;

as restructuring services like health

International Development;

care and public education, initiating

Entrepreneurship; In-house

microbusinesses, and developing

Design Leads within Government

projects for nongovernmental

Organizations and other Industries

organizations.

The MFA in Transdisciplinary

For more about faculty, courses,

Design program is housed in

and requirements, visit

Parsons’ School of Design Strategies

newschool.edu/parsons-mfatrans.

(SDS), alongside graduate programs in Design and Urban Ecologies, Strategic Design and Management, and Theories of Urban Practice.

In its programs and projects, SDS employs innovative approaches to design and business education in the context of cities, services, and ecosystems.

This two-year, 60-credit program focuses on project-based work connected to four flexible and overlapping research pathways: • Systems explores ways to integrate ecological, economic, technological, and social systems to achieve common ends.

The new school parsons

TOP: Howard Chambers

and Bland Hoke, Softwalks.

Softwalks is a set of easy-toinstall components that uses construction scaffolding to support seating, plantings, and lighting, fostering social interaction in a greener urban landscape. Softwalks won Fast Company magazine’s Innovation by Design Award (Student Category).

MIDDLE: Doremy Diatta,

BOTTOM: Amplify The Bronx, the latest in a series of social innovation projects led by Parsons students and faculty, engaged local residents and staff of Soundview Park in a community engagement co-designing activity. Students learned about challenges facing park users and administrators, heard residents’ perceptions of the park, and tested concepts aimed at increasing local stewardship and use of the park.

43

transdisciplinary design (mfa)

Material Communications. For her thesis, Diatta developed objects for parents of children with disruptive behavioral disorders to use at home to practice techniques learned in therapy. With support from Parsons, Diatta recently presented her thesis at the 2015 Design Indaba conference in Cape Town, South Africa.

STUDENT SERVICES

Housing The university offers graduate housing, but most graduate students choose to live off campus. To learn more about housing options on and off campus, visit newschool.edu/student-housing.

Career Services Internships and collaborations with external partners connect students with New York City’s professional communities and institutions and enrich their educational experience. Through these projects students develop valuable skills in collaboration.

The New School Center for Student Success assists students by developing industry contacts and professional opportunities. To help students find work, the office offers a range of services, including • One-on-one counseling on job strategies • Résumé, portfolio, and interview preparation • On-campus job and internship fairs • Access to an online job database with more than 30,000 registered employers • Alumni career panels, workshops, and special events • A resource blog To learn more and read alumni profiles, visit newschool.edu/css.

The new school parsons

45

student services

TUITION, SCHOLARSHIPS, AND FINANCIA

A

graduate education is an investment in your future.

Students need to take action to be as well prepared as possible for the financial commitment. The New School Office of Student Financial Services can help students budget and find support resources, including aid. For information on the cost of attendance and financial services, visit newschool.edu/sfs.

Financial Aid and Scholarships All graduate students who apply by the priority scholarship deadline of January 1* are considered for New School merit-based scholarships; no additional application is required. In addition, U.S. citizens or legal residents should file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) between January 1 and March 1 if they are applying for either the summer or fall term. The FAFSA can be found online at fafsa.ed.gov (the New School/Parsons code is 002780).

Some graduate programs offer paying research assistant and teaching assistant positions that support research and develop students’ skills while defraying the costs of attendance.

Students should also research non–New School scholarships and grants that can be applied to graduate study.

For a list of additional scholarship opportunities, visit newschool.edu/scholarships-and-grants.

Tuition and cost of attendance For up-to-date information on tuition and fees, visit newschool.edu/tuition-and-fees. *Applications received after January 1 may be considered if space is available in the program.

The new school parsons

AL AID

47

Office of Student Financial Services 72 Fifth Avenue, 2nd floor New York, NY 10003 212.229.8930 sfs@newschool.edu

tuition, scholarships, and Financial aid

Contact the Office of Student Financial Services

ADMISSION

M

ost students who are considering graduate study begin the application process in the fall before their intended term of entry. The following timetable outlines a schedule of the necessary steps.

Fall

Spring

SUMMER

SEPTEMBER–DECEMBER

JANUARY–MAY

JUNE–AUGUST

• Review application

• Apply for the fall term

• Explore housing options.

requirements.

• Attend an admission event or portfolio review.¹ • Research non–New School scholarships.

• Register for the TOEFL or GRE if needed.

• Contact those who are writing recommendations.

• Request college transcripts.²

by January 1 (priority scholarship deadline).

• Check your application status online at

• MFA Photography students begin class in early June.

• Register for classes.

newschool.edu/

• MFA Design and

admissionhub.

Technology students

• Submit FAFSA online by March 1.³

attend Bootcamp in late July.

• Check for correspondence from admission and

• Attend orientation.

• Classes begin in late

faculty.

August.

• Check for admission decision letter, sent out in mid-March or later.

• Meet faculty and alumni at events for admitted

¹See website for locations.

students.

² International transcripts require additional time for English

• Submit tuition deposit.

• Apply for international

language translation. ³Applies only to students who meet federal eligibility requirements.

student visa if necessary.

ACCREDITATION Parsons and The New School are fully accredited by the Com-

tions with U.S. regional accreditation, recognizes three types of

mission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association

degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture,

of Colleges and Schools. The New School, a privately supported

and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted

institution, is chartered as a university by the Regents of the

an eight-year, three-year, or two-year term of accreditation,

State of New York. Parsons is also an accredited institutional

depending on the extent of its conformance with established

member of the National Association of Schools of Art and

educational standards.

Design (NASAD) and a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD).

In the United States, most registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. The National Architectural Accrediting

Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs may require a pre-professional undergraduate degree in architecture for admission. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.

Parsons School of Design offers the following NAAB-accredited

Board (NAAB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit

degree program: Master of Architecture (pre-professional degree +

professional degree programs in architecture offered by institu-

90 credits). Next accreditation visit for this program: 2016.

The new school parsons

Learn More About Parsons and Visit the Campus There are a number of ways to connect with us: campus visits, open houses, portfolio days, and other admission events in New York City and around the world. If you are unable to travel, email an admission counselor.

GRADUATE STUDENT TOURS Tours are recommended for prospective, applied, and admitted students; they are intended not to provide answers to questions about academics or admission but rather to offer an overview of The New School’s facilities. Schedule a tour: newschool.edu/ parsons/grad-events. (Tours are not held on national holidays or when the university is closed.)

A highlight of the tour is the University Center—the new hub of campus life, designed to facilitate collaboration within the New School community. To learn more, visit newschool.edu/university-center.

SPEAK WITH A PROGRAM DIRECTOR AND OBSERVE A CLASS Speak to a program director to learn more about programs. Visit the program landing webpage to find the name of the director, and select the name to obtain an email address. Or find contact information using the New School online directory, at newschool.edu/directory.

Some program directors welcome class visits.

INFORMATION SESSIONS, WEBINARS, AND GRADUATE PORTFOLIO DAYS Prospective students should attend an information session to learn about Parsons, The New School, and Parsons’ graduate programs. Admission counselors

Contact the Office of Admission

explain the admission and financial aid process and

Parsons School of Design

give portfolio feedback before students apply. For more

Office of Graduate Admission 72 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10011 212.229.5150 thinkparsonsgrad@newschool.edu To apply, visit newschool.edu/parsons/apply.

answer questions. Webinars are also offered throughout the year. On Graduate Portfolio Days, faculty members information, including upcoming session dates, visit newschool.edu/parsons/grad-events.

SPEAK WITH AN ADMISSION COUNSELOR If you have not yet submitted an application to Parsons or were recently admitted and have questions, request an appointment with an admission counselor by emailing thinkparsonsgrad@newschool.edu.

A few facts that

The new school

set us apart

at A GLANCE

#1 FOR SMALL CLASSES: Among national

• Founded in 1919.

universities, The New School had the highest proportion of classes with fewer than 20 students.

• Located in the heart of NYC in Greenwich Village, with a branch campus in Paris.

2014, U.S. News & World Report

• Houses five schools and colleges.

#1 ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL: Parsons School

• Offers 130 degree and diploma programs

of Design was named the Best College for Art and Design in the United States.

2015, Quacquarelli Symonds 2015 World University Rankings #1 MOST INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY: We have a higher percentage of international students than any other U.S. university.

2014, U.S. News & World Report #1 FOR SUSTAINABLE BUILDING: The American Institute of Architects named the New School University Center one of the greenest buildings in the United States—and it’s the largest LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certified urban university building.

and majors and more than 50 minors.

• Has more than 10,000 degree-seeking students.

• Students come from all 50 states and 118 foreign countries.

• The New School offers a range of graduate programs. See details at newschool.edu/academics.

Membership and Accreditation The New School is a member of the Association of American Colleges and Universities and is accredited by the New York State Board of Regents and by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

*By Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings, a London-based global provider of specialist higher education and career information. Ranking based on feedback from both academic peers and employers.

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

For important information regarding your rights as a student, visit newschool.edu/your-right-to-know.

Published 2015 by The New School. Produced by Marketing & Communication, The New School.

Photography: James Ewing, Andrew Gam, Conway Liao, Jessica Miller, courtesy of Daniel Sauter, Adam Schwartz, Martin Seck, Matthew Septimus, Albert Vecerka, Phillip Van Nostrand

graduate Programs

SCHOOL OF DRAMA Acting MFA Directing MFA Playwriting MFA

PARSONS School

THE NEW

of Design

SCHooL FOR

Architecture MArch

SOCIAL RESEARCH

Architecture/Lighting Design

Anthropology MA/PhD

MArch/MFA

AFFAIRS, MANAGE-

Creative Publishing and Critical

Business of Design Graduate

Journalism MA

MENT, AND URBAN

Certificate

Economics MA/MS/PhD

Data Visualization MS

Global Political Economy and

Design and Technology MFA

Finance MA

Design and Urban Ecologies MS

Gender and Sexuality Studies

Design Studies MA

Graduate Certificate

Fashion Design and Society MFA

Historical Studies MA

Fashion Studies MA

Liberal Studies MA

Fine Arts MFA

Philosophy MA/PhD

History of Design and Curatorial

Politics MA/PhD

Studies MA

Psychology MA/PhD

Industrial Design MFA

General Psychology MA

Graduate Certificate

Interior Design MFA

Clinical Psychology PhD

Public and Urban Policy PhD

Lighting Design MFA

Cognitive, Social, and

Sustainability Strategies

Photography MFA

Developmental Psychology PhD

Graduate Certificate

Strategic Design and Management MS

Harm Reduction Certificate Sociology MA/PhD

MILANO SCHooL OF INTERNATIONAL

POLICY Environmental Policy and Sustain ability Management MS Julien J. Studley Graduate Program in International Affairs MA/MS Leadership and Change Graduate Certificate Nonprofit Management MS Organizational Change Management MS Organization Development

Urban Policy Analysis and Management MS

Theories of Urban Practice MA Transdisciplinary Design MFA

college of performing arts

Parsons

Arts Management MA

Paris

Launching fall 2017

CREATIVE WRITING PROGRAM Creative Writing MFA

Design and Technology MFA Fashion Studies MA

MANNES SCHooL

MATESOL

Global Executive Master’s

OF MUSIC

Teaching English to Speakers of

in Strategic Design and

Classical Guitar MM/PSD

Other Languages (TESOL) MA

Management MS History of Design and Curatorial Studies MA

Collaborative Piano MM/PSD Composition MM/PSD

SCHooL OF MEDIA

Harpsichord MM/PSD

STUDIES

Orchestral Conducting MM/PSD Orchestral Instruments MM/PSD

Media Studies MA Media Management MS/Graduate

Piano MM/PSD

Certificate

Theory MM/PSD

Documentary Media Studies

Voice MM/PSD

Graduate Certificate