Parsons The New School for Design (International Students) - Overview
Historic, Highly Selective Art and Design College Located in the Heart of New York
Founded in 1896 by famous American painter William Merritt Chase, Parsons The New School for Design is a leading center for teaching and research in the fields of art, design, and new media. The program provides students with extensive studio practice, an awareness of important concepts in contemporary art, and an understanding of the role of art in today's global society.
Parsons's students and faculty members use New York City, one of the world's cultural and artistic capitals, as an urban design laboratory. The city's world-famous museums include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, and the Museum of Modern Art. Representatives of New York's local galleries and private studios, e-commerce, technology start-ups, and design houses are members of Parsons's faculty.
A Wide Variety of Undergraduate Degrees in a Collaborative Environment
Parsons is divided into 5 schools: the School of Art and Design History and Theory, which offers a combined Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Art and Design Studies; the School of Art, Media, and Technology, which offers Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in Communication Design, Design and Technology, Fine Arts, Illustration, and Photography; the School of Constructed Environments, which offers Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in Architectural Design, Interior Design, and Product Design; the School of Design Strategies, which offers a Bachelor of Business Administration in Design and Management, a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies, a Bachelor of Science in Urban Design, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Integrated Design; and the School of Fashion, which offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion Design.
An International Campus Environment
Parsons is part of The New School, a leading university in New York City that was founded in 1919. Total student enrollment is 10,500, which includes 2,000 students from 100 foreign countries, including Korea, Japan, Canada, Taiwan, India, Turkey, Germany, Israel, the United Kingdom, Mexico, China, and Brazil. Parsons itself hosts over 1,000 international students, who constitute almost one third of its degree students.
Diverse Faculty Members and Visiting Artists from a Wide Spectrum of Backgrounds
Parsons's faculty includes more than 1,000 full- and part-time design, art, and business professionals, many of whom are key players in the art and design community. In addition, visiting artists frequently come to Parsons to share their work and critique student projects. Exhibitions at the Parsons Galleries are curated by national and international artists and designers.
Professional Internships
Parsons recognizes that student internships can provide valuable work experience and professional contacts. Therefore, many of Parsons's undergraduate departments either require professional internships or grant credit for internships.
Students have interned with companies such as Marc Jacobs, Polo-Ralph Lauren, HBO, MTV, the "New York Times," "Rolling Stone Magazine," Marvel Comics, and the Museum of Modern Art.
Real-World Collaboration with Corporations and Non-Profits
Juniors and seniors from Parsons's design disciplines have the opportunity to participate in real-world collaborations with corporations and nonprofits through student projects sponsored by these organizations.
Students from different disciplines work together -- as they need to do in their future work environment -- and they are supervised by both faculty members and project managers.
Projects are carried out in many areas, including product research and design, game design, motion design and animation, user experience design, fashion, architecture and interior design, technology and applications development, marketing and business strategy, and sustainable design.
Graduate Success
A recent survey reported that 90 percent of new Parsons graduates surveyed found employment related to their field of study within 6 months of graduating.
Renowned Parsons alumni include fashion designer Donna Karan; artists Edward Hopper, Jasper Johns, and Norman Rockwell; fashion illustrator Steven Meisel; and filmmaker Joel Schumacher.
International Student Services
The New School addresses the needs of its large international student population through its International Student Services (ISS) department, which provides immigration advice and cultural support in many ways.
The international student mentor program provides international or American student mentors to answer any questions new students have during their first semester at Parsons.
The Conversation Partners Program allows students, faculty, and staff to improve their language and communication skills in a relaxed, non-academic setting whereas the International Club, currently with about 200 members, creates a social network for international students and interested US students.
In addition, ISS provides helpful workshops for its international community in areas such as taxes, employment regulations, and other practical topics.
English as a Second Language Programs
Parsons students who are non-native English speakers are required to take ESL courses, which include traditional ESL classes, a class on American cultural language, and classes on critical reading and writing. A summer pre-enrollment program offers ESL classes to students who have been conditionally accepted into Parsons. The average ESL class size has 15 students.