This program allows you to experience Paris from an insider’s perspective by exploring the history of European art and design firsthand in the many museums and design studios throughout Paris. The program is open to all students who wish to deepen their art and design knowledge and develop their skills in a rigorous academic environment.
University contact information form (U.S. applicants only)
Open to undergraduates, graduates, and adult learners
Ages: 19+ or 18 with 1 year of college
Non-native English speakers must provide TOEFL scores of 79 or above or IELTS scores of 6.5 or above to show proof of English proficiency
Entry requirements for US and EU passport holders: a valid passport
Entry requirements for all other international students: consult the French Consulate in your home country
Students who are currently enrolled at The New School will not be required to submit a letter of recommendation, official transcript or university contact information form
Program Details
What You’ll Study
TOTAL CREDITS - 3-6 semester credits per session (up to 12 total)
This program allows you to experience Paris from an insider’s perspective by exploring the history of European art and design firsthand in the many museums and design studios throughout Paris. The program is open to all students who wish to deepen their art and design knowledge and develop their skills in a rigorous academic environment.
ADDITIONAL PROGRAM INFORMATION
Meals are not included. Students will be provided with information about affordable local options for meals near the Parsons building upon arrival in Paris.
Students are met at the Charles de Gaulle airport by on-site staff on the program start date. Students receive detailed flight instructions upon their acceptance into the program and should wait to purchase a flight until receiving more information post-acceptance.
PRE-COLLEGE PROGRAM
Parsons Paris also offers summer opportunities for pre-college students ages (16-18). For more information on this program, click here.
TRANSCRIPTS
Transcripts for Parsons students are issued by the Registrar’s Office and carry the signature and seal of The New School. A transcript is confirmation of a student’s permanent record at the university. API will send one transcript per student to the address the student indicates on the Transcript Release Form. Students who need additional copies of their transcript may submit an official request to The New School Registrar’s Office.
Parsons Paris, founded in 1921, is accredited by NASAD (National Association of the Schools of Art and Design) and by MSCHE (Middle States Commission on Higher Education), and is recognized by the French Ministry of Education as a Private Establishment of Higher Education (Etablissement d’Enseignement Supérieur Privé).
Courses
COURSE OFFERINGS
COURSE INFORMATION
Summer 1 (3-6 semester credits)
Students will take approximately 3-6 hours of class per day. Seminar Courses are held in the morning from approximately 9am-12pm OR in the afternoon from approximately 1pm-4pm. Studio Courses are full-day. Students who choose a course that is only held in the morning or in the afternoon can choose to add a second course (schedule permitting) for a total of 6 credits. These courses have no pre-requisites.
Summer 2 (3-6 semester credits)
Summer 2 is open to college and pre-college students, as well as adult learners. Some courses are restricted to college students or adult participants, whereas other courses are open to all students.
Students will take approximately 3-6 hours of class per day. Seminar Courses are held in the morning from approximately 9am-12pm OR in the afternoon from approximately 1pm-4pm. Studio Courses are full-day. Students who choose a course that is only held in the morning or in the afternoon can choose to add a second course (schedule permitting) for a total of 6 credits. These courses have no pre-requisites.
ADDITIONAL COURSE INFORMATION
Students provide their own art supplies. The supply list will be sent by the faculty to the students about 2 weeks before the program begins. We usually estimate the cost to be $400 for most studio classes.
CREDIT INFORMATION
Parsons Paris is the European campus of The New School, an innovative university based in New York City. Building on the curriculum of Parsons School of Design, a globally acclaimed art and design school established in 1921, Parsons Paris students are part of a modern atelier where interdisciplinary learning and small classes prepare them for careers in fashion, management, digital innovation, and curatorial practice. The Registrar’s Office at Parsons (NY) issues credit according to the American system, whereby most courses are worth 3 U.S. credits each.
The Business of Fashion - Afternoon Seminar Course
This course is an immersive introduction to fashion industries and their management strategies. Students will explore the relationships between innovation, design, production and marketing. The course also provides an overview of the Parisian high-end fashion market and its key actors, from designers to retailers. Through the visits to Paris luxury stores and showrooms, students will gain an overall understanding of today’s fashion business.
Fashion Design Process - All Day Studio Course
This course introduces students to various approaches and techniques involved in the design process for fashion products. Students are encouraged to experiment as they research and find inspiration for a fashion collection and devise innovative 2D and 3D production methods for their fashion pieces. Working on projects individually and in groups, students develop fashion concepts for which they draw on the unique resources of Paris and explore how fabrication methods and color affect collections. Students are also introduced to branding and merchandising basics used to identify and create work for targeted markets and consumers.
Paris Photo - All Day Studio Course
This is a hands-on course using the city of Paris as a laboratory for digital photographic experimentation. Course field trips to various Parisian neighborhoods provide points of departure for individual urban exploration. Morning sessions are designed to provide historical and practical learning with afternoons dedicated to on-site photo shoots. Technical exercises on natural and artificial lighting, efficient use of lenses and camera settings, editing and production support documentary and fine art photography. Visits to photo exhibitions and collective presentations cover composition, stylistic approaches, and narrative.This course is recommended for students with some photography experience. Students must have a DSLR digital camera.
Strategic Brand Design - Morning Seminar Course
This three-week course exposes students to the enormous variety of ways that design functions in business contexts and helps them understand the roles designers play in today’s industries. Seminars are based on readings, lectures, and class discussions focusing on brand strategy and brand innovation. Students will explore Strategic Brand Design, investigating how brands help businesses face global challenges. Brand development and design thinking have evolved away from traditional service to becoming an integral part of a corporate strategy where brands “Disrupt / Simplify / Engage / Humanize” their way to the company’s success. Students will examine a number of case studies to focus on the implication of branding and packaging for today’s society. Students will be given insights to corporate organizations and develop new ‘brands’ and reinvent forms of ‘packaging’ that constitute strategic design communication.
Fashion Communication - Half-Day Course
The course provides an in-depth understanding of the contemporary communication issues in high-end fashion. It investigates the key aspects of corporate communication in a fashion organization, from public relations and events management to advertising strategies and the use of digital platforms. The course also aims at exploring the current and future trends and challenges in fashion and luxury communication.
The Business of Fashion - Afternoon Seminar Course
This course is an immersive introduction to fashion industries and their management strategies. Students will explore the relationships between innovation, design, production and marketing. The course also provides an overview of the Parisian high-end fashion market and its key actors, from designers to retailers. Through the visits to Paris luxury stores and showrooms, students will gain an overall understanding of today’s fashion business.
Fashion Design Process - All Day Studio Course
This course introduces students to various approaches and techniques involved in the design process for fashion products. Students are encouraged to experiment as they research and find inspiration for a fashion collection and devise innovative 2D and 3D production methods for their fashion pieces. Working on projects individually and in groups, students develop fashion concepts for which they draw on the unique resources of Paris and explore how fabrication methods and color affect collections. Students are also introduced to branding and merchandising basics used to identify and create work for targeted markets and consumers.
Explorations in Drawing - All Day Studio Course
This is an intensive drawing course in Paris. The goal is to develop eye, hand and mind coordination, plus an understanding and enjoyment of methods and materials. Students will learn to observe the world in a new way and communicate their impressions of it by drawing. Drawing is taught as an essential language for all forms of design and visual arts. The first week concentrates on the use of lines. The second week focuses on value, composition, and perspective. The third week will explore methods of drawing from the imagination or process-oriented drawing. There will be short lessons, discussions on classical and contemporary artists, still life drawing, figure drawing and composition exercises in the studio. Numerous visits to museums, exhibitions and public places around Paris will support the learning process and allow students to work outside the studio. Guest artists will visit the classroom to present their work and lead workshops. There will be daily critiques and exchange of ideas where students will be encouraged to talk about their work and the work of their fellow students. Discussion and reviews are a lively part of the course and all are required to participate. Outside of class time, ‘home work’ assignments will be collecting observations and drawings in a sketchbook on a daily basis. Students of all levels are welcome and the course will be helpful and challenging to all regardless of previous experience or skill level.
Introduction to Design and Management - All Day Studio Course
Students learn to approach management as a strategic process that combines design innovation and business knowledge. In collaborative projects, they develop problem-solving skills and familiarity with design strategies through the application of research methods, prototyping, and quantitative analysis. Emphasis is placed on understanding a European setting and perspective and the way entrepreneurs, business innovators, and designers operate at the intersection of design and management. Students engage in design thinking and business strategy exercises, applying these approaches in a broad range of enterprises and real-world business contexts.
Fashion Photography: History and Practice - All Day Studio Course
This course aims at crossing theoretical and practical approaches to let students acquire basic knowledge in understanding fashion images and in creating them.
Students will learn how to analyze fashion photography using interdisciplinary tools, from history to sociology and semiotics. In parallel, students will experiment practical photography techniques at a professional level in order to be able to produce a fashion shoot, from the preliminary research to the final realization in collaboration with a model. Workshops, field trips, and exhibitions are also proposed during the course.
The course will explore photographic methods that enable students to see and interpret the meaning of style. Paris is the historical capital of Haute Couture and luxury fashion, but students will also appreciate it as a city of fashion subcultures in which appearances can express social and political claims.
Fashion Illustration - All Day Studio Course
This is an intense fashion illustration course where students will explore Paris fashion in relation to local places, fashion history, and today's people in the city, through drawing as an investigative and representation tool. Exploring daily life in Paris, students will be encouraged to grasp and translate field observation and information through a variety of sketching and drawing techniques in various formats. The course will investigate the Parisian fashion landscape and explore fundamental basic techniques focusing on the body, movement and fashion, themes that will be further explored and developed through experimental model drawing sessions, fashion research and illustration, as well as pattern and color workshops. Students will finally be able to design and draw a small experimental 2D capsule collection. This course reaches out to students of all levels regardless of previous experience or skill level.
Paris Photo - All Day Studio Course
This is a hands-on course using the city of Paris as a laboratory for digital photographic experimentation. Course field trips to various Parisian neighborhoods provide points of departure for individual urban exploration. Morning sessions are designed to provide historical and practical learning with afternoons dedicated to on-site photo shoots. Technical exercises on natural and artificial lighting, efficient use of lenses and camera settings, editing and production support documentary and fine art photography. Visits to photo exhibitions and collective presentations cover composition, stylistic approaches, and narrative.This course is recommended for students with some photography experience. Students must have a DSLR digital camera.
Strategic Brand Design - Morning Seminar Course
This three-week course exposes students to the enormous variety of ways that design functions in business contexts and helps them understand the roles designers play in today’s industries. Seminars are based on readings, lectures, and class discussions focusing on brand strategy and brand innovation. Students will explore Strategic Brand Design, investigating how brands help businesses face global challenges. Brand development and design thinking have evolved away from traditional service to becoming an integral part of a corporate strategy where brands “Disrupt / Simplify / Engage / Humanize” their way to the company’s success. Students will examine a number of case studies to focus on the implication of branding and packaging for today’s society. Students will be given insights to corporate organizations and develop new ‘brands’ and reinvent forms of ‘packaging’ that constitute strategic design communication.
Paris: Capital of Fashion - Half-Day Course
Fashion is everywhere in Paris. This course proposes to connect the dots between a long tradition and current trends that are placing Paris as the fashion capital. From Paul Poiret to Jacquemus, from Ballets Russes to the spectacle of fashion shows, from 19th century department stores to today’s concept stores, this course will explore the history of a design practice and culture in the context of the French capital: Les Années Folles and Chanel, Christian Dior’s New Look after the World War II, the “youthquake” of the 1960s, and finally from the 1980s onwards, the invasion and recontextualisation of punk, deconstruction, grunge, minimalism. The class will also explore wider questions such as the dialogue between fashion and the visual arts, bringing students to explore the relation of fashion with contemporary and modern art, performance and architecture. Through lectures, readings, class-discussions and field-trips to fashion museums, exhibitions and landmarks, students will gain an understanding of how and why Paris has become the city of fashion.
Fashion Design Process - All Day Studio Course
This course introduces students to various approaches and techniques involved in the design process for fashion products. Students are encouraged to experiment as they research and find inspiration for a fashion collection and devise innovative 2D and 3D production methods for their fashion pieces. Working on projects individually and in groups, students develop fashion concepts for which they draw on the unique resources of Paris and explore how fabrication methods and color affect collections. Students are also introduced to branding and merchandising basics used to identify and create work for targeted markets and consumers.
Explorations in Drawing - All Day Studio Course
This is an intensive drawing course in Paris. The goal is to develop eye, hand and mind coordination, plus an understanding and enjoyment of methods and materials. Students will learn to observe the world in a new way and communicate their impressions of it by drawing. Drawing is taught as an essential language for all forms of design and visual arts. The first week concentrates on the use of lines. The second week focuses on value, composition, and perspective. The third week will explore methods of drawing from the imagination or process-oriented drawing. There will be short lessons, discussions on classical and contemporary artists, still life drawing, figure drawing and composition exercises in the studio. Numerous visits to museums, exhibitions and public places around Paris will support the learning process and allow students to work outside the studio. Guest artists will visit the classroom to present their work and lead workshops. There will be daily critiques and exchange of ideas where students will be encouraged to talk about their work and the work of their fellow students. Discussion and reviews are a lively part of the course and all are required to participate. Outside of class time, ‘home work’ assignments will be collecting observations and drawings in a sketchbook on a daily basis. Students of all levels are welcome and the course will be helpful and challenging to all regardless of previous experience or skill level.
Introduction to Design and Management - All Day Studio Course
Students learn to approach management as a strategic process that combines design innovation and business knowledge. In collaborative projects, they develop problem-solving skills and familiarity with design strategies through the application of research methods, prototyping, and quantitative analysis. Emphasis is placed on understanding a European setting and perspective and the way entrepreneurs, business innovators, and designers operate at the intersection of design and management. Students engage in design thinking and business strategy exercises, applying these approaches in a broad range of enterprises and real-world business contexts.
Fashion Photography: History and Practice - All Day Studio Course
This course aims at crossing theoretical and practical approaches to let students acquire basic knowledge in understanding fashion images and in creating them.
Students will learn how to analyze fashion photography using interdisciplinary tools, from history to sociology and semiotics. In parallel, students will experiment practical photography techniques at a professional level in order to be able to produce a fashion shoot, from the preliminary research to the final realization in collaboration with a model. Workshops, field trips, and exhibitions are also proposed during the course.
The course will explore photographic methods that enable students to see and interpret the meaning of style. Paris is the historical capital of Haute Couture and luxury fashion, but students will also appreciate it as a city of fashion subcultures in which appearances can express social and political claims.
Fashion Illustration - All Day Studio Course
This is an intense fashion illustration course where students will explore Paris fashion in relation to local places, fashion history, and today's people in the city, through drawing as an investigative and representation tool. Exploring daily life in Paris, students will be encouraged to grasp and translate field observation and information through a variety of sketching and drawing techniques in various formats. The course will investigate the Parisian fashion landscape and explore fundamental basic techniques focusing on the body, movement and fashion, themes that will be further explored and developed through experimental model drawing sessions, fashion research and illustration, as well as pattern and color workshops. Students will finally be able to design and draw a small experimental 2D capsule collection. This course reaches out to students of all levels regardless of previous experience or skill level.
Fashion Communication - Half-Day Course
The course provides an in-depth understanding of the contemporary communication issues in high-end fashion. It investigates the key aspects of corporate communication in a fashion organization, from public relations and events management to advertising strategies and the use of digital platforms. The course also aims at exploring the current and future trends and challenges in fashion and luxury communication.
Paris: Capital of Fashion - Half-Day Course
Fashion is everywhere in Paris. This course proposes to connect the dots between a long tradition and current trends that are placing Paris as the fashion capital. From Paul Poiret to Jacquemus, from Ballets Russes to the spectacle of fashion shows, from 19th century department stores to today’s concept stores, this course will explore the history of a design practice and culture in the context of the French capital: Les Années Folles and Chanel, Christian Dior’s New Look after the World War II, the “youthquake” of the 1960s, and finally from the 1980s onwards, the invasion and recontextualisation of punk, deconstruction, grunge, minimalism. The class will also explore wider questions such as the dialogue between fashion and the visual arts, bringing students to explore the relation of fashion with contemporary and modern art, performance and architecture. Through lectures, readings, class-discussions and field-trips to fashion museums, exhibitions and landmarks, students will gain an understanding of how and why Paris has become the city of fashion.
Highlights
Classes taught in English
World-renowned art and design school
Top U.S. and international accreditations (including NASAD and Middle States)
Transcript from U.S. accredited institution (The New School)
Intimate class size
Best-in-class education in creative disciplines, including art, design, business of design, and fashion
Courses taught by leading industry professionals from the world’s two fashion capitals – New York and Paris
Metro pass included
Faculty
Kelsey Patton
Kelsey Patton will be your Program Coordinator and prepare you to go abroad!
Yune will be one of your Resident Directors at Parsons Paris and will be a resource for you on campus!
Rose Tierny
Rose will be one of your Resident Directors for Parsons Paris and is a resource for you while you are living abroad with us in France!
Allison Brown
Allison Brown will be one of your Resident Directors at Parsons Paris and a resource for you while you are in France!
Excursions
API students participate in several excursions per session designed to help familiarize them with areas of their host city, country, and surrounding region. The following is a listing of all excursions for API Paris programs. All excursions are subject to change.
Cultural Events and Day Trips
During the program, students have the opportunity to broaden their classroom education through several organized cultural events and day trips, which are included in the price of the program. Entrance fees and transportation to and from the locations are included. Although locations are subject to change depending on availability, weather and other factors, students are provided with an itinerary for their program day trips and cultural events prior to departure.
Possible cultural events in Paris include:
Picnics and tastings (French pastries, cheeses, crepes)
Local tours (Quartier Latin, Versailles, Hidden Marais, Pere Lachaise)
Visits to museums (Musee de la Mode, Louvre)
Visits to famous landmarks (Notre-Dame, Eiffel Tower, Montmartre)
Visits to local markets, the ballet, and/or the theater!
Day trips and cultural events are subject to change.
Cultural Events and Day Trips
During the program, students have the opportunity to broaden their classroom education through several organized cultural events and day trips, which are included in the price of the program. Entrance fees and transportation to and from the locations are included. Although locations are subject to change depending on availability, weather and other factors, students are provided with an itinerary for their program day trips and cultural events prior to departure.
Possible cultural events in Paris include:
Picnics and tastings (French pastries, cheeses, crepes)
Local tours (Quartier Latin, Versailles, Hidden Marais, Pere Lachaise)
Visits to museums (Musee de la Mode, Louvre)
Visits to famous landmarks (Notre-Dame, Eiffel Tower, Montmartre)
Visits to local markets, the ballet, and/or the theater!
Day trips and cultural events are subject to change.
Cultural Events and Day Trips
During the program, students have the opportunity to broaden their classroom education through several organized cultural events and day trips, which are included in the price of the program. Entrance fees and transportation to and from the locations are included. Although locations are subject to change depending on availability, weather and other factors, students are provided with an itinerary for their program day trips and cultural events prior to departure.
Possible cultural events in Paris include:
Picnics and tastings (French pastries, cheeses, crepes)
Local tours (Quartier Latin, Versailles, Hidden Marais, Pere Lachaise)
Visits to museums (Musee de la Mode, Louvre)
Visits to famous landmarks (Notre-Dame, Eiffel Tower, Montmartre)
Visits to local markets, the ballet, and/or the theater!
Day trips and cultural events are subject to change.
Housing
Students have the option of living in shared apartments that are located throughout Paris. Most are designed to house 4 students in double-occupancy bedrooms, though some may be larger. Meals are not provided, however, apartments are equipped with kitchen appliances, linens, and towels. Students can choose to opt out of program housing for a deduction from the program cost.
Dates & Fees
The prices below are for one course per session. Prices for additional courses per session are as follows:
