Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration

In the BFA Illustration program at Parsons, you learn to translate ideas into images in media including picture books, graphic novels, hand lettering, editorial and advertising illustrations, toy designs, animations, and surface and display design. You develop your visual storytelling skills through representational drawing and painting coupled with production of text, three-dimensional objects, and animation. Through your course of study, you cultivate your vision, authorial voice, creative problem-solving abilities, and curiosity.
Apply your learning in projects and internships with partners including Nickelodeon, Toon Books, the New York Times, Moleskine, Barnes & Noble, and Brooklyn Industries.
Access NYC organizations such as American Illustration and the Society of Illustrators, which facilitate connections with acclaimed art directors, illustrators, and publishing professionals.
Unleash your imagination and individual expression while creating work for reproduction and distribution across a variety of media and formats.
Your BFA begins with Parsons first-year curriculum, which serves as the academic foundation for all undergraduate programs at Parsons. From your second year on, you dive into courses in your major field of study. Art and design history and theory courses develop your research, writing, and critical reasoning skills, and university electives broaden your perspectives.

Complete the Required Essay
Essay 1
What social issue or construct would you choose to affect change through your study or work at The New School? (200-400 words)
Essay 2
What specific aspects of The New School's academic programs or community drew you to apply? Please pay particular attention to the college and program that you have applied to in your essay. (200-400 words)
Submit Your Portfolio and/or Parsons Challenge
We require applicants to submit their Common Application before uploading their portfolio and/or Parsons Challenge.
In order to review your application, we will need to receive all required materials. You must submit your portfolio and Parsons Challenge through your Admission Hub after submission of the Common Application. After submission of your Common Application, you will receive an email with instructions for accessing your Admission Hub. The portfolio and/or Parsons Challenge must be submitted within seven days of the application deadline or within seven days of submission of the Common Application (if the application was submitted after our posted deadline). You must use the same email address that you used to complete your Common Application when you create your portfolio. For guidance on submitting and uploading these pieces, review our instructional video.
Submit Letters of Recommendation
First Year Applicants
Applicants applying directly from high school must submit one counselor recommendation and one recommendation from a teacher. The Common Application School Report is also required.
Submit Official Transcripts
All applicants must provide official high school and/or college transcripts from all institutions attended. Undergraduate applicants who have attended multiple high schools can submit only the graduating school's official transcript as long as all prior coursework is listed on that transcript.
International Baccalaureate (IB): Students can pursue either the IB Diploma Program (DP) or IB Career-related Program (CP). Applicants who are taking individual IB courses as a supplement to a national curriculum are permitted to pursue individual IB courses rather than the DP or CP.

Minimum required scores are:
TOEFL iBT- 92
IELTS - 7