The School of Art and Design History and Theory

Undergrad Experience
- - First Year
    - Students entering Parsons share a common first-year experience. The same course sequence constitutes the first year of every BFA and BBA program, providing a foundational experience that familiarizes students with the tools, methods, and skills of art and design. First-year courses prepare students for life as skilled and socially aware artists and designers. Classes focusing on broadly relevant design concepts, tools, and methods—including studios exploring 2D and 3D processes, drawing, and digital design as well as liberal arts seminars—bring together students who are passionate about all kinds of art and design and who will one day forge new paths in an array of disciplines.
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Design Studies MA
- Drawing on the breadth and depth of expertise in design theory and practice at Parsons, this new Master of Arts program offers students the opportunity to explore design as both a field of scholarly research and an agent of social change.
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Fashion Studies MA
- Launched in fall 2010, this Master of Arts program allows students to engage in the evolving field of fashion studies. Using an interdisciplinary approach, students explore fashion as object, image, text, practice, theory, and concept and develop a critical understanding of fashion and its complex global intersections with identities, histories, and cultures in the contemporary world.
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History of Design and Curatorial Studies MA
- Offered jointly with the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, the History of Design and Curatorial Studies program leads to a Master of Arts degree. Graduates go on to careers as historians, curators, and scholars in museums, universities, historic houses, auction houses, and galleries.
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About ADHT

Designing in Dark Times: an Arendtian Lexicon

To celebrate the release of Designing in Dark Times: an Arendtian Lexicon, we are organizing a series of dialogues to further explore what “dark times”...

Working in Fashion / Studies: MAFS Alumni and Career Panel

Working in Fashion / Studies MA Fashion Studies Alumni & Career Panel In recognition of the launch of our MA Fashion Studies program...

The New Literary Review and Theory of Fashion present: Francesca Granata, Experimental Fashion

Credit: Garment designed by Nina Veresova for her “-ology” collection (2017). Photographer: Nadezhda Belova The Russian edition of Prof. Francesca Granata’s book Experimental Fashion: Performance Art,...

Legacy with Sebastian Grant - November 19th, 2020

Scholarship in the history of jewelry making in the 20th Century has often focused on a very narrow discourse based on primarily white European and...

Francesca Granata on the Grotesque Body in Fashion

Fashion Studies Professor Francesca Granata was interviewed about her book Experimental Fashion and the concept of the grotesque body in fashion for Thrive Global. Read the full...

Parsons Highlight Archives: Fashion Studies MA Highlights

Fashioning Indie: Popular Fashion, Music and Gender – A New Book by Rachel Lifter

By Danielle | Published: November 4, 2019

Fashioning Indie: Popular Fashion, Music and Gender a new book by Rachel Lifter, assistant professor of Fashion Studies at Parsons was just published by Bloomsbury and is currently available…

Fashion: Now & Then

By Danielle | Published: October 30, 2019

Friday November 1 and Saturday November 2, LIM will host the Fashion: Now and Then conference. Current MAFS student, Noel Yeong-An Liao (MAFS ’20), and several MAFS alum will be presenting. FASHION: NOW & THEN…

Fashion and Materiality: Cultural Practices in Global Context Released Oct. 17th

By Danielle | Published: October 16, 2019

Fashion and Materiality: Cultural Practices in Global Context, a new book co-edited by Heike Jenss, associate professor of Fashion Studies at Parsons and Viola Hofmann, lecturer at TU Dortmund…

ADHT Dean, Rhonda Garelick, Joins Bard Graduate Center for BGC Late: Jazz & Conversation in the Gallery

By Danielle | Published: October 8, 2019

BGC LATE: JAZZ & CONVERSATION IN THE GALLERY: WOMEN DESIGNERS: CHANEL, LANVIN, BOUÉ SŒURS AND JEANNE PAQUIN Bard Graduate Center Gallery 18 West 86th Street…

MAFS Faculty, Hazel Clark, Joins Columbia’s Panel for Kilomet109: Women, Modernity, & Sustainable Fashion in Contemporary Vietnam

By Danielle | Published: October 8, 2019

Thao experimenting with natural dyes in her studio, photo, Julie Vola via kilomet109.com KILOMET109: WOMEN, MODERNITY, & SUSTAINABLE FASHION IN CONTEMPORARY VIETNAM Columbia University Weatherhead East…

MAFS Faculty, Christina Moon, on Forever 21 Bankruptcy Case

By Danielle | Published: October 8, 2019

Image via WashingtonPost.com Christina Moon, Assistant Professor of Fashion Studies in the School of Art and Design History and Theory here at Parsons School of Design, was…

Playing The Auditorium – Kabir Carter

By Danielle | Published: September 25, 2019

Playing The Auditorium Kabir Carter October 2, 2019, 5:00 PM to 6:15 PM The Auditorium (Alvin Johnson/J.M. Kaplan Hall) The New School, 66 West 12th…

2019 ADHT Graduate Student Symposium

By Danielle | Published: May 3, 2019

At Parsons, we celebrate curiosity and critical thinking. Every path taken broadens our perspectives. Welcome to The 2019 Parsons Festival ADHT Graduate Symposium Nexus: An…

Fighting for Visibility in Fashion from the Lecture Hall

By Danielle | Published: December 3, 2018

(Photo attributed to Sarah Rocco for The New School) For too long, fashion has been living in its own post-racial bubble. When countless models of…

Fashion Installation: Body, Performance, Scene, Show, and Air

By Danielle | Published: November 7, 2018

Fashion Installation: Body, Performance, Scene, Show, and Air Wednesday, November 14th 6pm U L105 63 5th Avenue Drawing on the soon-to-be published book, Fashion Installation:…

Call For Submissions: BIAS, Journal of Fashion Studies

By Danielle | Published: November 6, 2018

BIAS, The Journal of Fashion Studies Parsons The New School for Design Call for Submissions: “Fashion & Time” Parsons’ BIAS, The Journal of Fashion Studies…

“Embodying Heaven.” A Conversation with Jessica Glasscock on Curating the Space Between Fashion & Faith

By Danielle | Published: October 26, 2018

“Embodying Heaven.” A Conversation with Jessica Glasscock on Curating the Space Between Fashion & Faith Written by Emilia Jane Boulton & Diana Yichu Cao Like…

The School of Art and Design History and Theory

About ADHT

The School of Art and Design History and Theory offers courses to students in all schools at Parsons. Its curriculum helps student develop the intellectual rigor necessary to become the next generation of art and design leaders.

Insights

The School of Art and Design History and Theory

Designing in Dark Times: an Arendtian Lexicon

Working in Fashion / Studies: MAFS Alumni and Career Panel

The New Literary Review and Theory of Fashion present: Francesca Granata, Experimental Fashion

Legacy with Sebastian Grant - November 19th, 2020

Francesca Granata on the Grotesque Body in Fashion

Parsons Highlight Archives: Fashion Studies MA Highlights

Fashioning Indie: Popular Fashion, Music and Gender – A New Book by Rachel Lifter

Fashion: Now & Then

Fashion and Materiality: Cultural Practices in Global Context Released Oct. 17th

ADHT Dean, Rhonda Garelick, Joins Bard Graduate Center for BGC Late: Jazz & Conversation in the Gallery

MAFS Faculty, Hazel Clark, Joins Columbia’s Panel for Kilomet109: Women, Modernity, & Sustainable Fashion in Contemporary Vietnam

MAFS Faculty, Christina Moon, on Forever 21 Bankruptcy Case

Playing The Auditorium – Kabir Carter

2019 ADHT Graduate Student Symposium

Fighting for Visibility in Fashion from the Lecture Hall

Fashion Installation: Body, Performance, Scene, Show, and Air

Call For Submissions: BIAS, Journal of Fashion Studies

“Embodying Heaven.” A Conversation with Jessica Glasscock on Curating the Space Between Fashion & Faith

The School of Art and Design History and Theory

About ADHT

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