Parsons School of Design, USA

Overview

History, Affiliations & Rankings

Parsons School of Design was established by well-renowned impressionist William Merritt Chase in 1896. It was quite a revolutionary movement at that time as a group of liberals broke away from the Art Students League of New York and decided to work more liberal concepts and start a school that gave them the liberty to express in nonconformist ways. The school adopted the name Parsons in 1941 after its director  Frank Alvah Parsons. In 1970, Parsons joined The New School which in turn was established to set up an education system that had an open curriculum, minimal hierarchy, and promoted free discussion of controversial ideas. It is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Times Higher Education ranks the institution at 801–1000th in its World University Rankings 2020 and at 343rd in the US Rankings 2020. The school ranks at 3rd position in the QS WUR by Subject Ranking 2020.

Infrastructure, Campus & Courses

Parsons offers more than 30 degree programs and programs for young beginners, adults, and professionals through its five campuses; The School of Art, Design History and Theory, The School of Art, Media, and Technology, The School of Constructed Environments, The School of Design Strategies and The School of Fashion. Besides study abroad options, projects with partners across various countries, and classes that promote creative and entrepreneurial activity in an international framework, Parsons also has a campus in Paris which was reestablished in 2013. Prominent courses include art and design history, theory, and criticism.

Accomplishments & Alumni

Parsons is accredited by NAAB, NASAD and is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design. Parsons considers research an essential part of the learning experience, with students and faculty working together to challenge existing norms and facilitate emerging scholarship and practice. Some of the research laboratories are DESIS Lab, E-Lab, Healthy Materials Lab, India China Institute (ICI), etc. Prominent alumni include Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang, Donna Karan, Tom Ford, and Anna Sui to name a few.

Student Diversity & Visiting Companies

Parsons School of Design is predominantly female. The institution has 75% women and 25% men at the undergraduate level. International students make up about a third of the student body and make it one of the friendliest design schools. Career-wise, Parsons has internship and integral part of its curriculum and in a single year Parsons students interned with more than 1000 organizations. Prominent organizations where the students are employed include Ralph Lauren, Google, Nike, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., L'Oréal, Amazon, Apple, and Coach.

COVID-19 Response

Given the current situation across the globe, the Parsons School of Design has announced various regulations and guidelines for conducting classes this fall. For Fall 2020 at the School, the students will be accessing classes completely remotely, with selective in-person classes, when required. The Parsons School of Design has outlined guidelines for students, staff and faculty who wish to use the campus facilities such as On-campus housing or classrooms.

• Students will be participating in primarily online classes with in-person classes selected for a few classes or portions. Social distancing protocols will be strictly followed in these circumstances.
• Residential facilities will be available to students but the capacity has been greatly reduced to meet the new social distancing norms. Double and Triple rooms will now be available as single rooms.
• Face-masks will be necessary for all students and faculty when they are on-campus.