The Master of Fine Arts in Interior Design program at Parsons is uniquely positioned to lead the discourse and practice of interior design in the 21st century. Inaugurated in 2009 at Parsons, the school where formal interior design education began, this graduate program builds on more than 100 years of leadership in the field. Design as a social practice is the program’s guiding philosophy. Students explore design as a force for change, a means of environmental stewardship, and a tool for shaping experiences.
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New Possibilities for Design
Integrating sustainable design strategies with new developments in technology and materials, the two-year, full-time professional MFA in Interior Design program prepares a new generation of designers to address social changes and demographic shifts shaping clients’ needs today. A faculty of distinguished practicing professionals work with students to imagine new possibilities for the design of habitable space. The program hosts “AfterTaste,” an international conference dedicated to exploring the connections between interior design and fields including art, architecture, film, science, psychology, philosophy, medicine, and music.
Designed for Change
The 60-credit studio-based and research-oriented curriculum challenges students to analyze the relationship between human behavior and perception of the interior. Courses investigate materials and their environmental impact, fabrication and manufacturing processes, building systems and operational energy consumption, drawing and digital representation, and the history and theory of interior design. During the second year, students develop a thesis project, written thesis book, and exhibition. This program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.
The Urban Laboratory
Using New York City as an urban laboratory, the curriculum draws on Parsons’ long-standing connections to design firms, manufacturers, galleries, and museums. Students supplement core classes with electives offered throughout Parsons and the rest of The New School in fields such as design and technology, anthropology, psychology, and environmental and urban studies.
Space for Collaboration
The program is situated in Parsons’ School of Constructed Environments (SCE), home to related programs in architecture, lighting design, and product/industrial design. SCE students share research and fabrication facilities and work collaboratively on projects in an open design studio, uniting historically separate design disciplines to support cross-disciplinary innovation.
Double Major with MFA Lighting Design
The School of Constructed Environments offers students wishing to combine interior design and lighting design a unique double major. The MFA Lighting Design and Interior Design is a three-year, 90-credit-hour curriculum allowing students to develop an in-depth technical, aesthetic, and experiential understanding of the relationship between light and interior space. Interested students should apply directly to their primary program of interest — Interior Design or Lighting Design — and follow the application prompts for the double major.
Future Opportunities
Graduates are positioned to transform the field as practitioners and educators by working in interior design and architecture studios and in the fields of industrial design and sustainable design; developing new design practices; and collaborating with nonprofit, government, and educational institutions.