MFA in Transdisciplinary Design

Parsons School of Design is accepting admission applications for the MFA in Transdisciplinary Design for fall 2024. Application priority deadline: March 1 (applications will be accepted until the program has been filled) 

Develop a critical praxis through radical discourse, strategic proposition and aesthetic exploration. The Transdisciplinary Design MFA program at Parsons School of Design at The New School in NYC is an advanced learning community for transdisciplinary research and action. The curriculum and pedagogy in this two-year, 60-credit, STEM-designated program redefine design beyond merely functional, strategic, craft, solutionist, and reductively professionalized roles. As we see it, Transdisciplinary Research and Design engages exploratory forms of the social and political sciences, leveraging participatory and experimental design- and artistic-based research. These approaches are agnostic to medium and practice formats and can contribute to myriad career profiles including art, design and social practices; research; consulting practices; organizing; activism; change strategies; and other efforts for transformation toward a more just, equitable and sustainable society and for greater planetary health.

The program, without parallel in the United States, provides a distinctive learning experience that seamlessly combines practical and theoretical discourses. It focuses on nurturing gestures to confront complex social issues, encouraging both collective and shared leadership, and advancing reflective practices that refine individual perspectives and skills, all aimed at collaborative endeavors for collective liberation. Together, students, faculty, and partners collaborate to enhance and broaden their skills in crafting image-oriented narratives, strategic propositions, aesthetic explorations, and more. These competencies are further strengthened by other ways of knowing and being, achieved through active engagement with situated and traditional knowledges, the land, the self, and one another.

Recent studio experiences are outlined at CollectiveFabulation.com.

The program is accredited as a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Master’s program in the United States, offering our graduates the opportunity for a 36-month Optional Practical Training (OPT) visa extension. This extension is a gateway to unparalleled practical experience and professional growth after graduation, significantly enhancing career prospects in the US

Request information: Learn more by joining our mailing list here.

Submit your admission application: Admissions applications are open for the fall 2024 semester, with studies beginning in August 2024. The priority application deadline is March 1. No prior art or design experience is required, and applicants are accepted from a variety of backgrounds. Portfolio submissions are considered through a very expanded lens. 

Parsons is ranked the number one design school in NYC and features outstanding programs, a distinguished faculty of mentors, and an ideal campus location in the art and culture capital of the world, NYC.