• Interior Design MFA

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    Michele Gorman, Program Director

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  • The MFA 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.

    Program Highlights

    • Future-Facing Approaches

      Integrate sustainable design strategies with new technology and materials to address social changes and demographic shifts shaping clients’ needs today.

    • New Design Directions

      Imagine new possibilities for the design of habitable space under the guidance of a faculty of distinguished practicing professionals.

    • NYC Learning Laboratory

      Use New York City as an urban laboratory and draw on Parsons’ long-standing connections to design firms, manufacturers, galleries, and museums.

    • Creative Collaboration

      Share fabrication and studio spaces with related graduate programs in students from the Architecture, Lighting Design, and Industrial Design programs, fostering interdisciplinary work.

    • Double Major Option

      Develop a technical, aesthetic, and experiential understanding of light and interior space with a three-year Interior Design/Lighting Design double major.

    • Degree Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
    • Format Full-time, on campus
    • Credits 60
    • Duration 2 years

  • Curriculum

    The studio-based and research-oriented curriculum challenges you to analyze the relationship between human behavior and perception of the interior. This program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.

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  • Career Paths

    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.

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    Explore Our Community

    Discover what our students, alumni, and faculty are doing in NYC and worldwide.

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  • Student Work

    See Our Work

  • Parsons faculty represent a broad range of expertise and are acknowledged as leading practitioners and scholars in their fields.

  • Beyond the Classroom

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      Research Labs

      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.

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      Industry Engagement

      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.

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      Internships

      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. 

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      Funded Opportunities

      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.

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      Making & Academic Resources

      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.

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    Undergraduates

    To apply to any of our undergraduate programs (except the Bachelor's Program for Adults and Transfer Students and Parsons Associate of Applied Science programs) complete and submit the Common App online.

    Undergraduate Adult Learners

    To apply to any of our Bachelor's Program for Adults and Transfer Students and Parsons Associate of Applied Science programs, complete and submit the New School Online Application.

    Graduates

    To apply to any of our Master's, Doctoral, Professional Studies Diploma, and Graduate Certificate programs, complete and submit the New School Online Application.