Students may continue to declare this minor through the end of Spring 2026. This minor will no longer be available to be declared beginning Fall 2026. All declared students will be fully supported to complete their minor.
The Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies graduate minor is offered through Parsons School of Design.
Rooted in millennia of practice and wisdom traditions, the contemporary integration of mindfulness and contemplative engagement is emerging as an interdisciplinary academic area with potential applications in a variety of fields. This graduate minor gives students an opportunity to explore the fundamentals of mindfulness and contemplative engagement as a means of developing self-awareness, self-regulation, resilience, and constructive mental models and of understanding how they can be applied in students' personal lives and professional practice.
This minor combines a first-person approach, involving knowledge acquisition through personal practice and rigorous critical reflection; a second-person approach, consisting of interpersonal interaction and exploration of questions of mutual concern; and a third-person approach, involving empirical research. Students learn about the modalities of mindfulness and contemplative practice, including traditional insight meditation, somatic and kinesthetic practices, music, focused thought, writing, creative expression, yoga, and dance. Students are introduced to the art and science of mindfulness and contemplative practice, examine historical roots and contemporary applications, develop and deepen their personal practice, and gain a nuanced understanding of how mindfulness practice can be applied in their fields
This graduate minor requires successful completion of 9 credits. Students generally select one course from each of the subject areas in 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 in other subject areas to fulfill the minor should consult with their advisor.
Fall 2022 courses are listed below.
A student who has completed this graduate minor should be able to:
Latha Poonamallee, Chair of Management
The Mindfulness and Contemplative 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 Latha Poonamallee at poonamallee@newschool.edu.
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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