The New School - Program in Fashion Design and Society - Overview
MFA in Fashion Design and Society at Parsons The New School for Design
Parsons The New School for Design is one of the most prestigious and selective art and design schools in the world. Based in New York, but active around the world, Parsons is known as a global design center responsible for creating the first recognized academic programs in graphic design, interior design, and fashion design.
Parsons offers more than 20 undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs encompassing 34 areas of study. This includes the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Fashion Design and Society, the first program of its kind in the United States.
Parsons is part of The New School, a progressive university in New York City that offers some of the nation's most respected degree, certificate, and continuing education programs in art and design, liberal arts, management and policy, and the performing arts. From its Greenwich Village campus, The New School strives to create world citizens who will bring actual, positive change to the world upon graduation.
A Pioneer in Fashion Design Education
The MFA in Fashion Design and Society program was initiated with the support of Parsons alumna Donna Karan. The MFA is an innovative program that bridges the gap between education and industry in both an interdisciplinary and international scope. Graduate students receive the unique opportunity to make both professional and conceptual contributions to the field of fashion design.
Comprehensive Interdisciplinary Research
Students in the fashion design and society MFA program explore the design, production, and distribution cycles, as well as critical, social, and ecological dimensions of fashion while completing intensive, fashion industry-supported projects. These studio-based projects are combined with comprehensive research in multiple areas, such as media studies, sustainability, management, globalism, and social sciences.
The program emphasizes the importance of new technologies in fabrics and construction to ensure that graduates become leaders in the field of fashion design. Likewise, the program prepares graduates for the collaborative environment of the workforce by offering supplementary courses in photography, filmmaking, and presentation. These courses help to expand the visual design language and communication skills of the graduates.
A Unique Curriculum
During their four semesters in the MFA in Fashion Design and Society program, graduate students participate in a wide variety of courses that help them develop their individual and personal voice in the fashion industry.
Each year begins with an intensive week-long orientation that prepares the students for the class work and individual projects on which they will focus. Some of the most notable courses the students will take include Design Studio II, where the students are matched with industry partners who are noted for their use of cutting-edge technology in their fields of fashion design.
In the course Fashion Cultures, students begin to understand fashion as a system, culture, and industry linked to globalization by discovering how diverse disciplines influence fashion theory and practice.
Students present their final portfolio and collection in the class Thesis Presentation and Portfolio, which is held in tandem with the course Design Thesis Studio. In these classes, students utilize the research they completed in previous course work in order to demonstrate how their capabilities as innovators and designers have improved.
A Faculty Comprised of Working Professionals
The faculty at Parsons The New School for Design is composed of working professionals who provide students with an engaging, boundary-breaking, yet still practical education. The more than 150 full-time and 1,000 part-time faculty members at Parsons are pulled from New York's art and design communities.
Access to Parson Facilities and the Resources of NYC
Parsons, situated in the heart of Manhattan, provides students with the opportunity to live and work in one of the world's most diverse cities. Students have access to extensive studio facilities and professionally staffed print, fabrication, and model shops.
Rapid prototyping, metalworking, woodworking, jewelry, and photography and imaging labs are just a few of the facilities found on campus. Parsons provides ample resources for all students, including computer labs, design libraries, galleries, and exhibition facilities.
Financial Aid Opportunities
Applicants to The New School who wish to be considered for financial aid can apply for the Dean's Scholarship. Qualified students may also receive financial aid for the Parsons MFA programs via scholarships, grants, private loans, and federal financial aid through FAFSA. On-Campus Student Employment (OCSE) and Federal Work Study (FWS) are also available for qualifying students.
A Fully-Accredited Institution
A privately-supported institution, The New School is chartered as a university by the Regents of the State of New York. The New School and Parsons are accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Parsons is also an accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD). Parsons' degrees are recognized by other accredited colleges and universities throughout the United States.