Undergraduate Electives | Parsons School of Design

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Undergraduate Electives

Undergraduate Electives

You can customize your studies by taking elective courses offered throughout the university on a range of topics you select. Electives enable you to pursue your passions and goals, expand your skills, or focus on subjects closely related to your major. When considering options, allow yourself time to explore—you may discover interests that broaden your opportunities.
At Parsons, electives are organized into two categories: program electives and liberal arts electives.
Program electives are hands-on art and design classes and strategic design and business courses. Liberal arts electives are humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and mathematics courses that build your critical thinking, writing, analytical, and science and math skills. Both kinds are found in the University Course Catalog. Details of program and liberal arts electives follow.
Program Electives
Electives Offered by Your Program’s School at Parsons
Program electives offered by the Parsons school where your major is housed offer the most direct support. A BFA Photography student would find the elective course Photo Processes, available at their home school—Art, Media, and Technology—directly applicable to their program studies. The elective course Digital Patternmaking, offered by the School of Fashion, would support the studies of a BFA Fashion Design student.
Electives Offered by Other Parsons Schools
Electives offered by schools other than your home school let you branch out and explore. For example, a Product Design student might take a painting elective offered by the School of Art, Media, and Technology to build their hand-making skills. The Brand Strategy course, offered by the School of Design Strategies, could help a student in the Illustration program explore launching a business.
Liberal Arts Electives
Liberal arts electives are offered throughout The New School—the university home of Parsons School of Design—so you have access to electives in a range of topics including math, journalism, languages, psychology, and anthropology. If you're more interested in visual and material culture, you can take electives offered by Parsons’ School of Art and Design History and Theory. Liberal arts electives can help you develop the skills and flexibility needed to thrive in design and the ever-changing work world.
- Planning Electives
  
  Your first step is to map out your electives. Your program's curriculum chart shows that you have a program elective and a liberal arts elective almost every semester. Review the curriculum chart for your program or major below.
- Undergraduate Curriculum Charts
  
  Your program’s curriculum chart—the recommended four-year path of study—is linked below. Note that during your studies, you can take program and liberal arts electives. You can keep track of your completed and remaining course requirements and electives with DegreeWorks.
  
  School of Art and Design History and Theory
  Design History and Practice (BFA)
  
  School of Art, Media, and Technology
  Communication Design (BFA)
  Design and Technology (BFA)
  Fine Arts (BFA)
  Illustration (BFA)
  Photography (BFA)
  Communication Design (AAS)
  
  School of Constructed Environments
  Architectural Design (BFA)
  Interior Design (BFA)
  Product Design (BFA)
  Interior Design (AAS)
  
  School of Design Strategies
  Integrated Design (BFA)
  Strategic Design and Management (BBA)
  
  School of Fashion
  Fashion Design (BFA)
  Fashion Design (AAS)
  Fashion Marketing and Communication (AAS)
Choosing Your Electives
Start your search by identifying topics that interest you in the program elective and liberal arts elective categories. You can use topics as search terms in the search field at the top of the University Course Catalog page.
The catalog labels art, design, and strategic or business design program electives offered at Parsons with subject codes (four letters that precede course titles) that identify the Parsons school offering the class. Knowing how to interpret the subject codes can help you scan for courses that interest you, fit into your schedule, and align with your level of familiarity with a subject. Your advisor can help you find courses that best support your educational goals.
Below is a key to program elective subject codes and related course topics.
Program Elective Subject Codes and Topics
- PSAM - School of Art, Media, and Technology
  
  Topics
  Communication design
  Data visualization
  Design and technology
  Fine art
  Illustration
  Photography
  Printmaking
- PSCE - School of Constructed Environments
  
  Topics
  Architectural Design
  Interior Design
  Lighting Design
  Product Design
  Socially Just and Environmentally Regenerative Design
- PSDS - School of Design Strategies
  
  Topics
  Integrated Design
  Transdisciplinary Design
  Strategic Design and Management
  Urban Ecologies
- PSOF - School of Fashion
  
  Topics
  Fashion Design
  Textile Design
  Fashion Management
  Fashion Communications and Marketing
- PUFY - First Year Curriculum
  
  All the topics listed above, taught at the introductory level.
You can fulfill your liberal arts elective requirements with courses offered throughout the university. Below are tips for researching classes and a key to subject codes of liberal arts electives offered at Parsons.
Liberal Arts Elective Subject Codes and Topics
Enter search terms for subjects that interest you on the University Course Catalog page. You can also scan for Parsons classes using the subject codes shown below. Look for the “Liberal Arts Elective” or “Non-Liberal Arts” tag found at the upper right-hand corner of the course pages or filter for “Liberal Arts” in the course catalog.
Parsons Liberal Arts Elective Codes and Topics

PLAH: History of Art and Design
PLDS: Design Studies
PLFS: Fashion Studies
PLHT: History of Visual and Material Culture
PLSD: Spatial Design Studies
PLVS: Visual Studies
Electives and Course Levels
As you browse electives, you'll notice that each class has a number. The numbers are the course level and reflect how advanced the course material is. Higher course levels are more advanced. The guide shown below can help you choose among your options.
1000-level courses (such as PSAM 1001) are introductory-level courses, designed to acquaint you with the basics. They are particularly suitable for first-year students and anyone looking to acquire a new skill.
2000- to 3000-level courses (such as PLAH 3000) are intermediate-level classes, designed for second- or third-year students.
4000-level courses (such as PSDS 4001) are more advanced classes that cover specialized topics in depth. These courses are best suited to seniors and students who already have a solid foundation in the subject.
Keep an eye out for any restrictions or prerequisites listed in the course descriptions, as some classes are open only to students of designated year levels or those who have completed specific courses.
Advising Support
Advisors can help you select electives throughout your academic journey at Parsons. Make an appointment with your advisor through Starfish. Schedule regular appointments with your advisor so you can stay on track with program requirements and electives and meet your learning objectives.
Electives and Minors
Electives enable you to pursue interests outside of your major, and you can focus on these subjects in even greater depth by pursuing a minor. Minors are sets of courses that develop skills in broadly applicable fields such as writing, psychology, immersive storytelling, coding, urban studies, and fashion communications. Most classes for minors fulfill elective requirements. By complementing what you learn in your major, minors help you become a well-rounded, adaptable graduate and tailor your own career path. Visit the undergraduate minors page to learn more about minors.
FAQ
- Can I take electives in my first year?
  
  Yes! An elective is built into the second-semester schedule of your first year. Most First-Year students take program elective courses that begin with the code PUFY, which are designed for First-Year students and cover subjects at the introductory level. Other introductory courses are offered across the university. Some First-Year students with transfer credits can take more than one elective—program and/or liberal arts—during their first year.
- What happens if an elective I want is full when I register?
  
  Add yourself to the waitlist if the course has one. If a seat becomes available, you will receive an email notification and have 24 hours to register. Check your New School email daily so that you do not miss an opportunity to register and claim a spot in he class. Read more about registering and signing up for a waitlist on our Registration page.
- What happens if an elective I want is still full when classes start?
  
  You can keep checking to see if a seat opens up during the first week. Students sometimes change their schedules at the last minute, making seats available. Many electives are offered each semester or year. Even if you don’t get your first-choice elective at first, you may find a spot in a future semester. Remember that the more credits you have completed, the earlier your registration start time will be.
- What is the difference between program electives, liberal arts electives, and ULECs?
  
  For Parsons undergraduate students, program electives focus on hands-on making or business; liberal arts electives focus on the humanities, math and science, and the social sciences; and ULECs (courses whose titles are preceded by the subject code “ULEC”) are liberal arts requirements. You can learn more about these definitions and how to find these courses in the sections above.
- Can I take an elective at another college in The New School?
  
  Absolutely! Be sure to read the course description in the course catalog to see how the course will apply toward your degree. Read more above about finding liberal arts electives and taking hands-on art and design making or business courses to fulfill program requirements.
- Certain classes always seem full semester after semester. Why can’t I ever get into Ceramics or Non-ferrous Metals?
  
  Courses that require particular spaces or facilities often fill up quickly. A few electives have seats set aside for students in specific majors (like a ceramics course for Product Design majors). Your registration start time corresponds to the number of credits you have completed; as you progress toward graduation, you will be assigned an earlier registration start time, increasing your opportunities to register for particular classes.
- How can I request access to an elective that is described as open “by permission of the program”?
  
  Find the Course Permission Request form in the Academics tab in my.newschool. Fill out the form once it becomes available (after the registration period begins), and explain in detail the reason for your request. Register for alternative courses while you await a response. You should receive a response before the start of the semester.

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