Admission Requirements

Fashion Studies (MA) Application Instructions

Deadline

The Admission Committee will make a decision on your application only after all the required materials have been received.

Applicants who wish to be considered for the Dean's Scholarship should submit a complete application packet by January 10. After January 10, applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

Required materials

You may download these instructions.

Parsons graduate programs use a self-managed application process. Submit your application online and mail any supplemental application materials, preferably in a single packet, to the Office of Admission. The Materials Cover Sheet which can also be downloaded from the Supplemental Forms section of the online application, should accompany all mailed application materials.

 Applicants must submit the following items to the Office of Admissions:

1. Application Form: Complete the online application.
2. Application Fee: Pay the $50 nonrefundable application fee. A credit card is required to submit the online application.
3. Official Transcripts: Submit a sealed original copy of your official college transcripts with your application packet. If that is not possible, instruct the institution to send transcripts directly to the Office of Admission. Photocopies are not acceptable.
   
   International Transcripts: All applicants with international transcripts must submit an original transcript from each institution attended outside the United States along with a certified English-language translation. Applicants who wish to transfer academic credits earned at non-U.S. institutions must also have their transcript(s) evaluated by World Education Services (WES), our preferred provider, or by another member of the National Association of Credit Evaluation Services (NACES). A course-by-course evaluation report must be prepared for each transcript. Please start the evaluation process as early as possible, including the submission of all required documents to WES (or another provider), in order to ensure the timely completion of the evaluation report. In addition, an admission counselor may require a transcript evaluation by WES or an NACES-approved evaluator if it is deemed a necessary part of the admission decision process, even when applicants do not want transfer credits applied to a program of interest. Instruct the provider to send the report to
   
   Parsons Graduate Programs
   Office of Admission
   72 Fifth Avenue
   New York, NY 10011
   
   If applying online for transcript evaluation, search for “New School Parsons" when requesting our institution.
   
   If your provider is unable to send the evaluation report directly to the Office of Admission, please obtain a copy and forward it yourself to Parsons along with a Materials Cover Sheet.
4. Résumé: Provide a brief resume (CV) listing your education, relevant work experience, travel, etc., including dates and positions held, must be submitted online.
5. Two Personal Statements:  Please submit a two-part essay, as part of a single Word document. Your submission should not exceed five pages total.

   Part One: Autobiographical Statement (250-500 word limit). In a short autobiographical statement, tell us about yourself. You can write about your education, your family, your talents, or your passions, about significant places or events in your life, particular intellectual influences, people you have met, or work you’ve done that has shaped the person you have become. In addition, use this portion of the essay to explain any strengths or weaknesses you may have. Examples: low GPA, lack of experience, significant interruption in work or studies, or any other information you wish to share. Your writing should be informative and reflective of your own voice.

   Part Two: Academic Statement of Interests (500-750 word limit). Please describe the academic and intellectual interests, progress, and achievements that have contributed to your decision to apply for post-graduate study in fashion studies. You should include a thoughtful description of your tentative plan of study or area of inquiry in the field of fashion studies as you now envision it, the kind of research questions you intend to pursue, and what you hope or expect to do after you’ve completed the degree. In addition, include a self-assessment of your work as a scholar, pointing out strengths and weaknesses. If you have not been enrolled as a student in the past five years, please address anticipated opportunities and challenges in pursuing the MA degree, and future career expectations upon completion of the program.
6. Recommendations: Submit two letters of recommendation from faculty members with whom you have studied or from people with whom you have worked professionally. Your references may submit their recommendations online, or you may forward sealed original copies with your application packet. At least one letter should address your research and writing abilities.
7. TOEFL: If English is not your native language, you must provide a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score. The minimum score required for acceptance to the program is 580 for the paper-based, 237 for the computer-based, or 92 for the Internet-based exam.
   
   Students required to take the TOEFL can obtain further information from the Educational Testing Service.
   

Interview

Finalists for admission will be invited for a personal interview (could be conducted by telephone). An offer of a place in the MA program depends on a successful interview.