Transdisciplinary Design MFA

Program Highlights

• Transdisciplinary Social Praxis

  Build a practice in which thinking and action are closely integrated. Here the Latin root trans, meaning “across and beyond,” defines an exploratory praxis capable of enabling change—not merely critique.

• Transformation-Focused Work

  Participate in the collaborative production of social knowledge through equity-, justice-, and sustainability-focused action. Develop partnerships that foster solidarity, decentralize authorship, challenge privilege, and reform social and power relations.

• Dynamic Professional Paths

  Prepare to work in emerging areas of artistic- and design-based research, policy, and strategy, contributing to the transformation of healthcare, education, political rights, economic development, sustainable transition, and other fields.

• Multi-Directional Learning

  Learn with community activists, creative practitioners, industry and government leaders, scholars, and other leaders, gaining practical experience and creating alliances through which to develop new project approaches—ones that challenge outmoded intrusive, exploitative, and rigid client relationships. 

• Opportunities for Research, Teaching, Action

  Participate in initiatives of The New School’s Consortium for Transdisciplinarity (aligned with Parsons DESIS Lab) and the Graduate Institute for Design, Ethnography, and Social Thought (based at The New School for Social Research).
  
  

• Applicant Profile

  We welcome students from all areas of academic or professional experience, including the humanities and social sciences, fine arts and design, film, creative writing and journalism, management, and public policy.