Design Studies (Graduate Minor)

Overview

The Design Studies graduate minor is offered through Parsons School of Design.

The graduate minor in Design Studies enables students to familiarize themselves with the theories, scope, and methodologies of design studies. The minor is designed to complement a variety of master's and doctoral programs in the liberal arts, social research, and other design disciplines.

Design Studies addresses the complex relationship of design to society and investigates the social, political, and ethical facets of design from a future-oriented perspective. The courses offered as part of this minor draw on both analytical and propositional modes of inquiry, allowing students to acquire a critical understanding of design. Grounded in a material culture approach and recognizing design as an agent of social change, students investigate notions such as the emergent, memory, and the politics of infrastructure.

Curriculum

This graduate minor requires successful completion of 9 credits. The required core course for this minor is Discourses in Design. In addition to completing the core course, students must select two electives from the chart below.

Course availability may vary from semester to semester. Some courses may be in development and offered at a later time. Students seeking to pursue alternative coursework to fulfill the minor should consult with their advisors.

Subject Area Course Options Requirements
Core course PGDS 5005 Discourses in Design
PGHT 5770 Decolonizing Design		 3 credits
Electives

See a list of suggested electives that fulfill these requirements.

 6 credits

Learning Outcomes

A student who has completed this graduate minor should be able to demonstrate:

  • An understanding of the major theoretical frameworks that have shaped and continue to shape the field of design studies
  • The ability to competently articulate various design disciplines and practices, from object oriented to system based to community driven, that inform current design studies
  • The ability to competently articulate an understanding of the relationship between design and sociocultural issues such as gender, race, ethics, and politics

Faculty

David Brody, Professor of Design Studies
Caroline Dionne, Assistant Professor, History and Theory of Design Practice
Jilly Traganou, Professor of Architecture and Urbanism

Eligibility

The Design Studies graduate minor is available to graduate degree students across The New School. 

Students can retroactively apply successfully completed courses toward a minor upon declaring or applying. 

After a student successfully completes a minor's requirements, the minor will appear on the student's academic transcript at graduation.

For questions about this minor, please contact Jilly Traganou, Professor of Architecture and Urbanism, at traganog@newschool.edu or Allan Doyle, Professor of Art and Design History, at doylea@newschool.edu.

Take the Next Step

Contact your Student Success advisor to discuss how a minor will fit with your degree requirements.

Declare or change a minor on my.newschool.edu in the Academics tab. Note that some minors require an application.

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