• Curriculum

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    Jessica Walker, Director
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  • The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree is awarded for completion of 120 credits as designated by the program. A maximum of 60 credits may be transferred from another institution. Students must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA and fulfill all requirements in a timely manner.

    Your BFA begins with Parsons’ first-year curriculum, which serves as the first-year course of study for all undergraduate programs at Parsons. The first year immerses you in an exploration of art and design concepts, skills, and critical practices, training students to become flexible thinkers, proficient makers, and lifelong learners. 

    Starting in your second year, you immerse yourself in design studios and seminars on illustration. Throughout your studies, art and design history and theory courses develop essential research, writing, and critical reasoning skills as well as the conceptual foundations for creative inquiry.  

    Parsons’ position within a major university — The New School — informs our interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and practice. University electives broaden your skills and perspectives with a wide range of liberal arts courses in the humanities, the social sciences, media studies, and business.

    To view degree requirements from prior years, visit the Academic Catalogs archive. For a complete listing of courses and course descriptions, visit the university course catalog.

  • FIRST YEAR F S
    PUFY 1000 Integrative Studio 1 3 -
    PUFY 1010 Integrative Seminar 1 3 -
    PUFY 1100 Sustainable Systems 3 -
    PUFY 1020 Space/Materiality 3 -
    PUFY 1030 Drawing/Imaging 3 -
    PUFY 1040 Time - 3
    PUFY 1001 Integrative Studio 2 - 3
    PUFY 1011 Integrative Seminar 2 - 3
    PLHT 1000 Objects as History - 3
    - 3
    Subtotal 15 15
    SOPHOMORE YEAR F S
    PUIL 2115 Core Studio 2D 3 -
    PUIL 2135 Core Seminar 2D 3 -
    PUIL 2070 Language & Letterform 3 -
    PLAH 2600 History of Modern & Contemporary Art: Lecture 0 -
    PLAH 2601 History of Modern & Contemporary Art: Recitation 3 -
    3 3
    PLVS 2500 Intro to Visual Culture: Lecture - 0
    PLVS 2501 Intro to Visual Culture: Recitation - 3
    PUIL 2116 Core Studio 4D - 3
    PUIL 2136 Core Seminar 4D - 3
    - 3
    Subtotal 15 15
    JUNIOR YEAR F S
    PUIL 3115 Core Studio 3D 3 -
    PUIL 3135 Core Seminar 3D 3 -
    3 -
    3 3
    3 3
    PLxx 3500 Advanced Research Seminar - 3
    PUIL 3300 Topics Studio - 6
    Subtotal 15 15
    SENIOR YEAR F S
    PUIL 4115 Thesis 1 6 -
    3 3
    6 3
    PUIL 4116 Thesis 2 - 6
    PUIL 4021 Professional Practices - 3
    Subtotal 15 15
    Total Credits
    120

    Objects as History and Sustainable Systems can be taken in either sequence, one in the fall semester and one in the spring.

    The three first-year studio courses—Drawing/Imaging, Space/Materiality, and Time—can be taken in any sequence, two in the fall semester and one in the spring.

    BA/BFA students completing a BFA in Illustration: Please speak to your advisor to see how your course requirements are spread across your five years at The New School.

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Submit your application

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.

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