Parsons MFA Photography: 26-Month Program with Global Focus
The New School's Parsons School of Design offers a 26-month MFA in Photography, established 22 years ago in response to the digital age. This program broadens the concept of photography to include video, installation, AI, and computational methods. It consists of a self-directed curriculum with three mandatory Graduate Seminars and five electives. The faculty includes notable names such as Arthur Ou, Simone Douglas, Jim Ramer, and Shabtai Pinchevsky. Each cohort admits 16–17 students, with about 50% coming from international backgrounds, representing countries like Argentina, Canada, China, and more. Facilities feature a renovated darkroom, digital labs, and various shooting studios. The program is involved in global projects, including exhibitions in China for 18 years and Jaipur Arts Week in 2026. Tuition is around $115,000 for seven terms, with merit scholarships available. Second-year students may also apply for Teaching Assistant roles. Alumni often become artists, commercial photographers, educators, curators, or gallerists.
Key facts
- Program duration is 26 months with active summer residencies.
- Founded 22 years ago in response to the digital revolution.
- Admits 16–17 students per cohort with 50% international representation.
- Tuition approximately $115,000 over seven terms.
- Merit scholarships range from 35% to 75% of tuition.
- Facilities include a renovated black-and-white darkroom and digital C-print processor.
- Equipment includes Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, Hasselblad, Mamiya, and Phase One systems.
- Program participates in international projects, including China for 18 years and Jaipur Arts Week 2026.
Entities
Artists
- Arthur Ou
- Simone Douglas
- Jim Ramer
- Shabtai Pinchevsky
- Laura Parnes
- Leigh Ledare
- Sarah Palmer
- MarieVic
- Furen Dia
- Milagros de la Torre
- William Lamson
- Marco Scozzaro
- Keren Moscovitch
- Jeff Weber
- Sam Barzilay
- Tania Quintanilla
Institutions
- Parsons School of Design
- The New School
- Aperture Lecture Series
- Vera List Lecture Series
- Photoville
- Jaipur Arts Week
- SPE (Society for Photographic Education)
- Lenscratch
Locations
- New York City
- United States
- China
- Beijing
- Shanghai
- India
- Jaipur
- New Zealand
- Australia
- Germany
- Netherlands
- Argentina
- Canada
- Colombia
- Mexico
- Pakistan
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Turkey
- Venezuela