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Program Contacts
Catherine Telford Keogh,
Director
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, you acquire a range of art making skills through Core Studio courses focused on 2D, 3D and 4D inflections. Through readings, discussions, and critiques you develop an in-depth understanding of artistic theories and concepts in the Core Seminars.
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.
| FIRST YEAR | F | S |
|---|---|---|
| PUFY 1000 Integrative Studio 1 | 3 | - |
| PUFY 1010 Integrative Seminar 1 | 3 | - |
| PUFY 1100 Sustainable Systems | 3 | - |
| PUFY 1020 Space/Materiality | 3 | - |
| PUFY 1030 Drawing/Imaging | 3 | - |
| PUFY 1040 Time | - | 3 |
| PUFY 1001 Integrative Studio 2 | - | 3 |
| PUFY 1011 Integrative Seminar 2 | - | 3 |
| PLHT 1000 Objects as History | - | 3 |
| Students should explore their elective options with their advisors to create a coherent study plan. | - | 3 |
| Subtotal | 15 | 15 |
| SOPHOMORE YEAR | F | S |
|---|---|---|
| PLAH 2600 History of Modern & Contemporary Art: Lecture | 0 | - |
| PLAH 2601 History of Modern & Contemporary Art: Recitation | 3 | - |
| PUFA 2200 Core Seminar 1: Approaches to Making | 3 | - |
| PUFA 22xx Core Studio 1: 2D [3D, 4D]* | 3 | - |
| PUFA 22xx Core Studio 1: 2D [3D, 4D]* | 3 | - |
| Students should explore their elective options with their advisors to create a coherent study plan. | 3 | 3 |
| PLVS 2500 Intro to Visual Culture: Lecture | - | 0 |
| PLVS 2501 Intro to Visual Culture: Recitation | - | 3 |
| PUFA 2210 Core Seminar 2: Topics in Maing | - | 3 |
| PUFA 32xx Topics: 2D [3D, 4D]** | - | 3 |
| Students should explore their elective options with their advisors to create a coherent study plan. | - | 3 |
| Subtotal | 15 | 15 |
| JUNIOR YEAR | F | S |
|---|---|---|
| PUFA 3200 Core Seminar 3: Site & Context | 3 | - |
| PUFA 32xx Topics: 2D [3D, 4D]** | 3 | - |
| Students should explore their elective options with their advisors to create a coherent study plan. | 3 | - |
| Students should explore their elective options with their advisors to create a coherent study plan. | 3 | 3 |
| Students should explore their elective options with their advisors to create a coherent study plan. | 3 | 6 |
| PUFA 3210 Core Seminar 4: System & Network | - | 3 |
| PUFA 35xx Advanced Projects: 2D [3D, 4D]** | - | 3 |
| Subtotal | 15 | 15 |
| SENIOR YEAR | F | S |
|---|---|---|
| PUFA 4200 Core Seminar 5: Artist & Studio | 3 | - |
| PUFA 4300 Senior Thesis 1 | 3 | - |
| PLVS 3500 Advanced Research Seminar: Visual Culture | 3 | - |
| Students should explore their elective options with their advisors to create a coherent study plan. | 3 | 3 |
| Students should explore their elective options with their advisors to create a coherent study plan. | 3 | 3 |
| PUFA 4033 Visiting Artist Lecture Series | 0 | 0 |
| PUFA 4310 Senior Thesis 2 | - | 3 |
| PUFA 4210 Core Seminar 6: Professional Practice | - | 3 |
| PUFA 4032 Thesis Writing | - | 3 |
| Subtotal | 15 | 15 |
Objects as History and Sustainable Systems can be taken in either sequence, one in the fall semester and one in the spring.
The three first-year studio courses—Drawing/Imaging, Space/Materiality, and Time—can be taken in any sequence, two in the fall semester and one in the spring.
*Select two of three.
**Select one of three.
BA/BFA students completing a BFA in Fine Arts: Please speak to your advisor to see how your course requirements are spread across your five years at The New School.
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.