Global networks and technological innovations are transforming the world. To adapt to these changes, designers need to be responsive, agile, versatile, and knowledgeable problem solvers. The Parsons BFA in Integrated Design is an inquiry based and student driven program, providing students with the knowledge and the skills to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Participants in the program are social, cultural, and ecological innovators who are passionate about economic and environmental equity.
The program's Core Studio courses and its Labs are framed thematically, as four areas of study (AoS)—sustainability, service design, fashion, and the urban—to focus students' interests and provide a solid creative and intellectual foundation. A broad range of program electives broaden students' knowledge, enabling them to make connections between ideas, trends, and disciplines.
Integrated Design is a very flexible program that offers students unlimited opportunities to take courses in any of the programs within the School, as well as across Parsons and the University. In their first year of study, intended majors participate in the Parsons-wide Foundation program. Throughout their studies, students enroll in Art and Design History and Theory courses as well as related studio classes, acquiring essential research, writing, and critical reasoning skills while developing conceptual foundations for creative inquiry. The program's curriculum offers students maximum flexibility in selecting studio credits, and its elective courses are open to all New School students.
The Integrated Design program prepares students to enter a variety of design careers or pursue advanced design study. Many graduates combine design with entrepreneurship by starting innovative design businesses.
