Curriculum

The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree is awarded for completion of 120 credits as designated by the program. A maximum of 60 credits may be transferred from another institution. Students must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA and fulfill all requirements in a timely manner.

Your BFA begins with Parsons’ first-year curriculum, which serves as the first-year course of study for all undergraduate programs at Parsons. The first year immerses you in an exploration of art and design concepts, skills, and critical practices, training students to become flexible thinkers, proficient makers, and lifelong learners. 

Starting in your second year, the holistic design-led fashion curriculum encompasses concept and research through 2D, 3D, and 4D processes. Core courses emphasize self-discovery, and the curriculum includes instruction in visual communication strategies and material research and employs a systems thinking approach to fashion. Your senior-year thesis is self-proposed and provides you with the opportunity to express your design philosophy in one of many formats, including a collection of garments or fashion products, material research, a written exploration of fashion-related social and cultural contexts, a documentary film, or a fashion presentation.

Throughout your studies, art and design history and theory courses develop essential research, writing, and critical reasoning skills as well as the conceptual foundations for creative inquiry.

Parsons’ position within a major university—The New School—informs our interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and practice. University electives broaden your skills and perspectives with a wide range of liberal arts courses in the humanities, the social sciences, media studies, and business.

To view degree requirements from prior years, visit the Academic Catalogs archive. For a complete listing of courses and course descriptions, visit the university course catalog.