thinkparsonsgrad@newschool.edu
212.229.5150 (U.S. only)
Program Contacts
Mariana Vidal, Director
The MFA Fashion Design and Society is one of the first graduate programs of its kind in the United States. This two-year, studio-based program at Parsons brings together a small, highly selective cohort of designers from around the world. Students work in a collaborative studio environment, engaging in critical research, experimentation, and innovation. The program’s strong industry partnerships and professional engagement help prepare graduates to contribute significantly to contemporary fashion practice and discourse.
Work in a shared studio and your own individual workspace, developing an independent fashion design practice in an intensive environment designed for exploration and making.
Develop a distinctive design identity through studio projects that guide you to explore materials and concepts, critical research, and personal authorship within contemporary fashion.
As a student in the MFA Fashion Design and Society program, your design identity and existing skill sets and design approaches take center stage through one-on-one mentorship. The curriculum challenges your perceptions and convictions with the aim of
educating you as a well-rounded, independent designer in the field of fashion.
Career opportunities already begin to arise during your final semester of the program, with in-house visits from headhunters, recruitment agencies, and company design teams. Graduates pursue diverse careers, including fashion design, art direction, curating, researching, and teaching. Alumni have taken positions in the industry at Thom Browne, Alexander Wang, Burberry, Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs, Nike, Theory,, Tory Burch, Proenza Schouler, and Uniqlo, to name a few.
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.
Full-time or part-time program (two years, 60 credits); best suited to students who have previous college experience in an unrelated field and want to change careers.
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.
