History of Decorative Arts and Design

History of Decorative Arts and Design (MA) Application Instructions

Deadlines

The Admission Committee will make a decision on your application only when all the required materials have been received.

Applicants who wish to be considered for a Dean's Scholarship must submit the complete application packet by January 10. Applications received after January 10 may still be considered for next fall term admission on a case by case basis only.

Spring term admission: Students interested in Spring term admission should contact the Office of Graduate Admissions to inquire about space availability. Spring admission is not possible every year due to the limited number of places available.

Required materials

You can download these instructions.

Parsons graduate programs use a self-managed application process: You submit your application online and then mail any supplemental application materials, preferably in a single packet, to the Office of Admission. A Materials Cover Sheet, which can also be downloaded from the Supplemental Forms section of the online application, must accompany all mailed materials.

Submit the following items to the Office of Admission:

1. Application form: Complete the online application.
2. Application Fee: Pay the $50 nonrefundable application fee. A credit card is required to submit the online application.
3. Official Transcripts: Submit a sealed original copy of your official college transcripts with your application packet. If that is not possible, instruct the institution to mail your transcript directly to the Office of Admission. Photocopies are not acceptable.
   
   International transcripts: All applicants with transcripts from international institutions must submit an original transcript from each institution attended outside the United States. Additionally, a certified English language translation must be provided for all official international transcripts that are not written in English. Applicants who wish to transfer academic credits earned at non-U.S. institutions must have their transcript(s) evaluated by World Education Services (WES), our preferred provider, or by another member of the National Association of Credit Evaluation Services (NACES). A course-by-course evaluation report must be prepared for each transcript. Please start the evaluation process as early as possible, including the submission of all required documents to WES (or another provider), in order to ensure the timely completion of the evaluation report. Note: an admission counselor may require a transcript evaluation by WES or another NACES-approved evaluator even if the applicant does not plan to transfer credits to Parsons. Instruct the evaluation provider to send the report to
   Parsons The New School for Design
   Office of Admission
   Graduate Programs
   72 Fifth Avenue
   New York, NY 10011
   
   If you applying for transcript evaluation online, search for "New School Parsons."
   
   If your provider is unable to send the evaluation report directly to the Office of Admission, you must obtain a copy and forward it yourself to Parsons along with a Materials Cover Sheet.
4. Résumé: Submit a brief résumé/vitae summarizing your academic qualifications, relevant work experience, volunteer/community work, travel, exhibitions, public speaking, or any other relevant experiences as they may relate to your field of study, including dates and positions held. Please also note any special language or computer skills that you have. The résumé must be submitted online with the application.
5. Statement of Interest and Intentions: Essay must be submitted online. Your essay should not exceed 5 pages total.

Part One: Autobiographical Statement (250-500 word limit). In a short autobiographical statement, tell us about yourself. You can write about your education, your family, your talents and passions, about significant places or events in your life, particular intellectual influences, people you have met, work you've done that has shaped the person you have become, or about significant places or events in your life, especially as it relates to your field of study. In addition, use this portion of the essay to explain any strengths or weaknesses that may be relevant to your application (examples: low GPA, extensive experience in the field or the opposite, significant interruption in work or studies, or any other information you want to share). Your essay should be informative and reflective of your own voice.

Part Two: Academic Statement of Interest (500-750 word limit). Please describe the academic and intellectual interests, profess, and achievements that have contributed to your decision to apply for graduate study in this field. You should include a thoughtful description of your tentative plan of study or area of inquiry in the field as you now envision it, the kind of research questions you intend to pursue, your professional goals, and how this graduate program will help you realize those goals. In addition, include a self-assessment of your work as a scholar, pointing out strengths and weaknesses. If you have not been enrolled as a student in the past five years, please address your anticipated opportunities and challenges in pursuing the degree and your career expectations following completion of the program.

6. Recommendations: Provide two letters of recommendation from faculty members with whom you have studied or from people with whom you have worked professionally. Your references may submit their recommendations online, or you may forward sealed original letters with your application packet.

7. GRE (optional): Although not required, if you took the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and general tests (Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical Writing), scores may be submitted to support your application. GRE scores should be sent electronically (ETS code 2638).

8. TOEFL or IELTS: If English is not your native language, submit results of the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing Sytem). The minimum TOEFL score required for acceptance to this program is 92 for the Internet-based exam, 580 on the paper-based, 237 on the computer-based. A minimum IELTS score required for acceptance to this program is 7.0.

Students required to take the TOEFL can obtain more information from Educational Testing Service. Additional information for the IELTS can be found on their website www.ielts.org.

9. Interview: Interviews are encouraged for students who live near New York. Students who live further away are encouraged to request a phone interview.

10. Suggested Courses: A minimum of two courses in art history or equivalent experience are encouraged.