History of Design and Curatorial Studies (MA), History of Design and Curatorial Studies (MA)
What our students, alumni, and faculty are doing in NYC and worldwide
thinkparsonsgrad@newschool.edu
212.229.5150 (U.S. only)
Program Contact
David Brody, Program Director
This prestigious master’s degree program, which Parsons offers in conjunction with Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, brings an object-focused, practice-based approach to the study of curatorial practice and decorative arts and design dating from the Renaissance to the present. Housed for more than 30 years at Cooper Hewitt — the only museum in the United States devoted exclusively to historical and contemporary design — the program enables you to work directly with the museum’s collections, curators, conservators, and educators.
The rigorous curriculum features new courses on curatorial studies and the history of design in social and cultural context, reflecting the program’s broad scope and relevance. Electives allow you to draw on the resources of additional Parsons programs
and the other colleges of The New School, including renowned graduate programs in historical studies, philosophy, and media studies.
Graduates of the program work in some of the world’s most prestigious nonprofit, commercial, cultural, and academic institutions. Alumni hold specialist and management positions in auction houses, museums, and historic houses; enter fields such as criticism and journalism, consulting and e-commerce, and post-secondary teaching; and pursue advanced study.
Discover what our students, alumni, and faculty are doing in NYC and worldwide.
Research is integral to the Parsons learning experience, and students and faculty work together to challenge existing paradigms and advance emerging scholarship and practice. Explore the thematic research laboratories housed at Parsons and throughout The New School.
Connect to the organizations, businesses, and entrepreneurs driving global creativity and commerce. In classes, internships, and extracurricular projects, you gain marketable problem-solving skills in sectors ranging from government and nonprofits to tech and creative industries.
New York City’s thriving creative industry and cultural institutions are part of your Parsons education. Our Career Services Office is enmeshed in the art and design industries and can help you advance your career with industry-oriented internships.
Funds are earmarked for graduate travel, research, and work to support your study. Opportunities include paid teaching assistantships, research fellowships and assistantships (including ones offered throughout The New School), ample student employment, and other grants available to U.S. domestic and international students alike.
Enjoy access to extensive resources including New School libraries, computer labs, archives, and studios, along with Parsons’ state-of-the-art Making Center, facilities offering a broad array of tools to support your creative and academic growth.
History of Design and Curatorial Studies MA students have access to a limited number of master’s curatorial fellowships at Cooper Hewitt, which provide partial tuition remission, as well as tuition support from the Lee B. Anderson Memorial Foundation, whose mission is to support programs that advance the understanding of and appreciation for the decorative arts. In addition, MA students can apply for paid teaching assistantships.
The New School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
