Admission Requirements

Transdisciplinary Design (MFA) 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 a Dean’s Scholarship must submit a complete application packet by January 10. Applications received after January 10 will be considered on a rolling basis.

Required materials

You may download these instructions.

Parsons graduate programs use a self-managed application process: You apply online; you then 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 Admission:

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 Transcript: Submit a sealed original copy of your official college transcript along with your application packet. If that is not possible, instruct the institution to send the transcript 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 to 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 résumé (CV) listing relevant work experience, travel, exhibitions, etc., including dates and positions held. This must be submitted online.
5. Statement of Interest and Intentions: This essay must be submitted online. Outline your reasons for applying to the Transdisciplinary Design graduate program, discussing what your research interests would likely be in graduate school and why you feel that your background prepares you for this kind of study.
6. Recommendations: Two letters of recommendation from faculty members or people with whom you have worked professionally. References may submit the recommendations online, or applicants may forward sealed original copies with their application packets.
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 examination.
   
   Students required to take the TOEFL can obtain further information from the Educational Testing Service.
8. Portfolio:  Submit a printed portfolio of approximately 20 items that you believe best represent your design work and process. These may include design drawings, scenarios, research outcomes, photography, video clips, websites, blog URLs, essays, or other media. Where appropriate, include descriptions of the projects, explanations of your role (if the project involved a team), and/or a thoughtful description of the context of the project. You must submit a printed portfolio. (If you have dynamic media or other time-based work, you may include a supplementary CD, DVD, or URL link. Analog slides are not acceptable.)
   
   Mail your portfolio to the Office of Admission accompanied by a Materials Cover Sheet (also available in the Supplemental Forms section of the online application).

Interview

In some cases, the Admission Committee may contact you to arrange an in-person or telephone interview. This will be determined after review of your complete application packet.