the new school launches executive education platform to increase access to parsons' distinct design-led educational experiences

New York, June 1, 2022 —Today, The New School’s Continuing and Professional Education announces the launch of Parsons Executive Education, a new platform offering design-led executive education programs for mid and senior-level executives, business owners, and entrepreneurs in the U.S. and globally. Through an innovative range of open-enrollment courses, degrees and certificates, and custom executive education programs, Parsons Executive Education offers a transformative learning experience that will equip leaders with the skills to expand their creativity, challenge conventional thinking, and develop bold and sustainable solutions in response to a rapidly changing world.

The new Executive Education offerings draw from Parsons School of Design, one of the world’s leading art and design schools, and its industry-leading expertise in curricular innovation, collaborative methods, and pioneering uses of technology and experimentation to provide cutting-edge interdisciplinary experiences for individuals and customizable programs for organizations. While other executive programs focus on “return on investment,” Parsons Executive Education leads with “Return on Design,” which leverages design to improve performance, increase resilience, create new dynamic customer experiences and maximize growth. Through this focus, executives will cultivate design as a method and mindset to be used as a catalyst for strategy, a driver for transformation, and a solution to complexity.

“For more than 100 years, The New School has stood at the vanguard of American education as an innovator of new approaches to learning,” said New School President Dwight A. McBride. “Design is central to creating a framework for addressing today’s challenges and pioneering solutions for the complexities of the 21st century. Parsons Executive Education represents a further commitment to these values by empowering executives with the skills and tools to unlock their creativity and navigate the future.”

Programs will be offered through a combination of in-person, online, and hybrid classes with multiple tracks: short-term, open enrollment courses for individuals; customizable programs for organizations; and degree and certificate programs for mid-to-senior level executives. Learners will develop their knowledge and skills in the areas of Fashion and Innovation; Communications and Storytelling; Design Methods and Creativity; Leadership and Organizational Transformation; Data and Insights; and Diversity and Inclusion. The global component launches with a partnership between Parsons and ESSEC Business School, one of the top-ranked European business schools, that will provide senior executives and entrepreneurs from each university with a transformational program that addresses the contemporary issues impacting the luxury market and empowers professionals to foster a culture of change in the industry.

"The idea that design can change the world is central to our mission, and it is a business tool and a competency that promotes a holistic view," said Mariana Amatullo, Vice President for Global Executive Education and Online Strategic Initiatives. "We're excited to work with executives interested in learning new frameworks for examining problems and developing solutions, and embedding the concept of design at an organizational level where it can be implemented as a lever of change."

“Our goal is to provide dynamic educational experiences for executive learners and customizable programs for organizations that respond to changing professional development needs, including the increasing demand for specialized non-degree programs,” said Anne Adriance, The New School’s Senior Vice President for Marketing and Business Development. “Through our Continuing and Professional Education platform, we provide a  rich environment for industry leaders and entrepreneurs to engage in high-impact learning that will help them develop their professional interests and advance in their careers.”