Parsons The New School for Design has announced three new graduate programs: a Master of Arts in Theories of Urban Practice, a Master of Science in Design and Urban Ecologies, and a Master of Arts in Design Studies. The programs represent a wider initiative at Parsons, one of the world’s leading schools of art and design, to offer graduate programs that define the next phase of global design, which also include a Master of Fine Arts in Transdisciplinary Design; a Master of Fine Arts in Fashion Design and Society; a Master of Fine Arts in Interior Design; and a Master of Arts in Fashion Studies. The three newest programs are slated to launch in Fall 2012.*
An information session for all Parsons Graduate Programs will be held on October 4 from 6-7:30 p.m. Register today.
MS in Design and Urban Ecologies
The first graduate program of its kind in the United States, the Master of Science in Design and Urban Ecologies is a studio-based graduate program that trains students to become agents of change, working with the communities and institutions that shape cities. The program is aimed at urbanists, design and planning professionals, social scientists, community leaders, and managers of nonprofit and government organizations that wish to critically address issues of contemporary urbanization. The program is directed by Miguel Robles-Duran, a practicing urbanist and urban theory educator, co-editor/author of the book Urban Asymmetries: Studies and Projects on Neoliberal Urbanization, and co-founder of Cohabitation Strategies, an international foundation/cooperative focused on the design of interventions and strategies in conditions of urban decline, inequality and segregation.
MA in Theories of Urban Practice
The Master of Arts in Theories of Urban Practice radically reframes the study of urbanism and urban design as transformative practices that draw on an expanding body of knowledge, research, and action. The basic premise is that specific types of critical knowledge and creative thinking can transform cities in fundamental ways. This research-driven program is designed for students who wish to pursue advanced studies in urbanism or careers as urban researchers, designers, teachers, design critics, policy advisors, and leaders of nonprofit organizations, public agencies, private design and development firms, and innovative collaborative practices. The program is directed by Aseem Inam, an award-winning designer, urbanist, and author of the book Planning for the Unplanned: Recovering from Crises in Megacities, a comparative analysis of successful city rebuilding in Los Angeles, Mexico City and New York.
MA in Design Studies
The Master of Arts in Design Studies will shape a new generation of thinkers to critically address historical, philosophical, and social issues related to design practices, products, and discourses. It is based in the School of Art and Design History and Theory (ADHT) at Parsons, alongside related Master of Arts programs in Fashion Studies and the History of Decorative Arts and Design, and students are encouraged to take courses throughout all three programs. The program is directed by David Brody, an expert in material culture, visual culture and design studies, and co-editor (with Hazel Clark) of Design Studies: A Reader.
Parsons The New School for Design is one of the leading institutions for art and design education in the world. Based in New York but active around the world, the school offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the full spectrum of design disciplines. Critical thinking and collaboration are at the heart of a Parsons education. Parsons graduates are leaders in their respective fields, with a shared commitment to creatively and critically addressing the complexities of life in the 21st century.
*Under review by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
