School

Parsons Paris

A leader in art and design education since its founding in 1896, Parsons has cultivated outstanding artists, designers, scholars, businesspeople, and community leaders for more than a century. Parsons has had a presence in Paris since 1921.

Students enrolled at Parsons Paris develop creative and critical thinking skills and apply them to challenges including environmental and economic sustainability and social concerns. Parsons' network of interconnected design laboratories enables students to explore global phenomena at a number of sites and scales of engagement in on-campus research and initiatives with international partners that focus on urban life in Paris, New York, and elsewhere.

Located in one of the most vibrant creative economies in the world, the program takes full advantage of Paris, offering extraordinary educational, cultural, and professional opportunities for the growing number of students who seek a range of experience in art, design, media, technology, and culture. Parsons Paris is in the process of developing partnership agreements with a number of cultural institutions and schools to promote and share its philosophy and foster the development of design thinking and process. By maintaining a long-term presence in this energetic and creative city, Parsons Paris aspires to make an important contribution to and benefit from the interaction with the dynamic Parisian art and design community.

The Parsons Paris curriculum provides students with the tools to master a single discipline while helping them develop skills relevant to a range of fields. The practical knowledge Parsons students acquire and the methods of collaboration and inquiry they learn can be applied in a variety of contexts. The curricula offer opportunities for cross-disciplinary study and foster connections between the classroom and the urban environment. As in Parsons New York, in Paris the approach to learning reflects a tradition of challenging convention, anticipating trends, and improving the world—a tradition embodied by Parsons alumni, who create art and design that matters.

Head of Fashion

Burak Cakmak is the Dean of the School of Fashion at Parsons Paris.

The bulk of Cakmak's background is in sustainability and social responsibility. He joins Parsons from the Swarovski Group in London, where he served as the company’s first vice president of corporate responsibility. Previous jobs include acting general manager of MADE-BY Benelux in the Netherlands, where he handled fashion sustainability practices for brands such as H&M, Tommy Hillfiger, Acne, Primark, Ted Baker and G Star. He also worked at luxury conglomerate Kering as the company's first director of corporate sustainability. His career in sustainability and fashion began at Gap, where he served as senior manager of social responsibility for eight years.

Courses Overview: Undergraduate and Postgraduate

Bachelor of Fine Arts - Fashion Design
Bachelor of Fine Arts - Art, Media, and Technology
Masters of Fine Arts - Fashion Studies
Masters of Fine Arts - History of Design and Curational Studies

Campus

Parsons Paris is located in a newly renovated historic building at 45 rue Saint-Roch, a short walk from the Louvre, the Palais Garnier, Gaîté Lyrique media arts center, and Notre Dame cathedral. Classes are held here and at locations throughout the city. Course projects and collaborations will bring students into contact with the city's signature creative agencies, exhibitions, and industry-related events, such as the influential Maison & Objet design trade show and Paris Fashion Week.

Tuition and Scolarship Information

The New School provides a comprehensive program of financial aid services including significant institutional scholarship support based on merit and need. All applicants who file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) are considered for Parsons institutional scholarships. For more information on tuition and scholarships please click here.

Life in Paris

Parsons Paris is located in the heart of the City of Light, on the Right Bank, in the bustling first arrondissement. Students can easily walk to the Louvre, the beautiful Jardin du Palais Royal, or the historic Comedie Française or take a stroll along the Seine River to the Île de la Cité to visit Notre Dame. Students have many cafés, coffee shops, and restaurants nearby to choose from and are never far from a bus or metro stop.