Skip to main content

Parsons School of Design MFA Industrial Design program theses

 Record Group
Identifier: PC-02-04-09

Abstract

This record group consists of print theses created by students in Parsons School of Design's MFA program in Industrial Design, situated within the School of Constructed Environments.

Dates

  • 2017-2023

Creator

Extent

3.3 Cubic Feet (3 boxes and 1 oversized folder)

Language of Materials

English

Scope and Contents

This record group contains theses in print format submitted by students of the Parsons School of Design MFA Industrial Design program between 2017 and 2023. Researchers are advised that this collection does not contain theses from 2020-2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no classes were held in person on The New School campus, which may account for the absence of analog theses from those years.

The collection inventory should not be considered a definitive list of all program graduates for a particular year as the New School Archives may not have received all theses submitted by students in a particular year. For confirmation of graduation from the MFA Industrial Design program, it is necessary to verify with the university's Office of the Registrar.

Conditions Governing Access

In accordance with The New School Archives Confidentiality and Restrictions Policy (2021 revision), student work donated to The New School Archives without the student creator's knowledge or consent may only be accessed onsite in the Archives reading room by appointment. Upon receipt of request by student creator, The New School Archives staff will remove the work from the collection for return to the creator or destroy the work, and delete records of the work from published collection guides. Please contact archivist@newschool.edu for more information.

Conditions Governing Use

In accordance with The New School's Intellectual Property Rights Policy, copyright is held by each thesis' respective author. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the user.

Historical note

The Industrial Design department was first mentioned in the New York School of Fine and Applied Art course catalog from 1913. Also referred to as the Department of Industrial Arts, it originally housed a diverse range of courses in the applied arts including costume design, furniture design, textiles, and architecture. A degree program in Industrial Design was first offered in 1919, focusing on providing a general education in the decorative arts, as a less-specialized alternative to other courses offered by the department. This was phased out in favor of more specialized departments and courses in 1924, although the school continued to offer courses in industrial design as part of the Department of Teacher Training–a program to train students who planned to become supervisors and instructors in the field of art. Between 1942 and 1945 Industrial Design was part of the Advertising program, what would later become the Communication Design department at Parsons.

The program was revived in 1964, with a focus on designing commercial products, only to again be phased out in 1969 and largely replaced by programs such as clay, metal and textile design, product design, and design and technology, although Industrial Design remained a concentration within the Environmental Design program. Industrial Design was again revived as an Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program in 2016, housed within the School of Constructed Environments where it remains as of 2024, as the graduate equivalent of the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Product Design.

Sources:

“Industrial Design MFA.” Parsons School of Design website. The New School. Accessed June 25, 2024. https://www.newschool.edu/parsons/mfa-industrial-design-curriculum/

New York School of Fine and Applied Art (1913). The New York School of Fine and Applied Art 1913-1914 [course catalog]. Parsons School of Design Course Catalog Collection, https://digital.archives.newschool.edu/index.php/Detail/objects/PC050101_pg1913ye

New York School of Fine and Applied Art (1919). Yearly Catalogue of the New York School of Fine and Applied Art 1919-1920 [course catalog]. Parsons School of Design Course Catalog Collection, https://digital.archives.newschool.edu/index.php/Detail/objects/PC050101_pg1919ye

New York School of Fine and Applied Art (1923). Yearly Catalogue of the New York School of Fine and Applied Art 1923-1924 [course catalog]. Parsons School of Design Course Catalog Collection, https://digital.archives.newschool.edu/index.php/Detail/objects/PC050101_pg1923ye

Parsons School of Design (1942). Parsons School of Design 1942-1943 [course catalog]. Parsons School of Design Course Catalog Collection, https://digital.archives.newschool.edu/index.php/Detail/objects/PC050101_pg1942ye

Parsons School of Design (1964). Parsons School of Design 1964-1965 [course catalog]. Parsons School of Design Course Catalog Collection, https://digital.archives.newschool.edu/index.php/Detail/objects/PC050101_pg1964ye

Parsons School of Design (1970). Parsons School of Design 1970-1971 [course catalog]. Parsons School of Design Course Catalog Collection, https://digital.archives.newschool.edu/index.php/Detail/objects/PC050101_pg1970ye

Parsons School of Design (2016). Parsons School of Design 2016-2017 [course catalog]. Parsons School of Design Course Catalog Collection, https://digital.archives.newschool.edu/index.php/Detail/objects/PC050101_Parsons_all_2016ye_fi

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by year of submission and within each year in alphabetical order by the author's last name.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Theses in print format were transferred from the Parsons School of Constructed Environments offices by Yvette Chaparro, 2024.

Accruals

Further accruals are not expected. As of 2024, The New School Archives has not received theses from the Industrial Design department.

Related Materials

Researchers interested in the Parsons School of Design Industrial Design program should consult the following collections held by The New School Archives & Special Collections: Parsons School of Design course catalog collection (PC.05.01.01), Parsons School of Design academic departments, programs and schools collection (PC.02.01.01), Parsons School of Design academic programs collection (PC.02.01.02), and Parsons School of Design Office of the President records (PC.01.01.02).

Processing Information

Author and advisor names, titles, and dates have been copied directly as they appear on the title pages. Researchers are cautioned that dates may not accurately reflect the year of graduation, and should not be used as definitive proof of completion of graduation requirements.

Title
Guide to the Parsons School of Design MFA Industrial Design program theses
Status
Completed
Author
New School Archives and Special Collections staff
Date
April 10, 2025
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin