Continuing students wishing to earn transfer credits through study outside of The New School must obtain approval before registering at the visiting institution. Consortium and partner institutions or programs of study with which The New School has a formal agreement may be exempt from parts of this policy. Students should consult with their advisors and review the Transfer Credit Policy before registering for courses outside of The New School.
Students generally apply to a major either during the admission process or upon entering their second year of study at Parsons. If you are a first-year or continuing student changing your major, you must complete all the prerequisites for the program you are transferring into.
Incoming students who wish to change majors before enrollment must discuss the change with Admission. Eligibility, status, and transfer credit will be reevaluated for the new major.
First-year students who wish to declare a major for the first time or change their declared major should:
1. Learn about their major options by connecting with Program Leadership and Advising. First Year Advising hosts a variety of programs designed to help students explore different majors during the academic year, culminating in a series of events in February.
2. Submit a major change application by March 1 for the following fall term for priority consideration. The application consists of a form, a brief statement of intent (maximum of 250 words), and a link to the student’s Learning Portfolio. Students who submit by the priority deadline will be notified of their status by April 1.
Requests will be reviewed on a rolling basis after the deadline, though students are strongly encouraged to apply by the priority deadline for the greatest possibility of accommodation. Students for whom the change is not approved will be placed on a wait list. While every attempt is made to accommodate timely declarations, faculty, space, and safety considerations may limit the size of some programs. For such programs, a competitive review will be undertaken.
Upper-class students who wish to change their declared major should:
1. Speak with their current advisor and the advisor of the program to which they would like to apply, to ensure they are fully informed about the implications of the change.
2. Submit a major change application by the priority deadline: March 1 for the following fall term and October 1 for the following spring term. The application consists of a form, a brief statement of intent (maximum of 250 words), and a link to the student’s Learning Portfolio. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis after the deadline, and students should expect a reply within a month.
Students should not assume that the credits earned or approved for transfer in one program will be applicable to another. Because many programs have structured and professionally oriented curricula, program course offerings and requirements may not overlap. Moreover, it is not always possible to change programs in the middle of the year. Therefore, a change in program may require summer study and/or additional time in school. For this reason, students should also consult Financial Aid and International Student and Scholar Services, as appropriate for their circumstances.
If you wish to complete your degree at a campus other than the one at which you're currently studying, such as Parsons Paris, you must complete the appropriate campus change application below. You must be majoring in a discipline offered by the campus to which you wish to transfer, and you must be in good academic standing (2.0 GPA or higher for undergraduate students, 3.0 or higher for graduate students). Change of campus requests are approved on a case-by-case basis, provided space is available. Students wishing to study at another campus for one or two semesters should refer to the
Study Abroad Policies.
Undergraduate Students
Undergraduate Campus Change Policy and Procedures (PDF)
Graduate Students
Graduate Campus Change Policy and Procedures (PDF)
Your degree requirements for graduation are based on your catalog year. Your catalog year is determined on the basis of the year you entered Parsons as well as the degree program you entered as an incoming student:
- BFA, BBA, and BS students who entered Parsons as freshmen should refer to the catalog that corresponds with their academic year of entry.
- BFA, BBA, and BS students who entered as sophomore transfers should refer to the catalog one academic year before their academic year of entry.
- BFA, BBA, and BS students who entered as junior transfer students should refer to the catalog two academic years before their academic year of entry.
- AAS students, regardless of transfer credit, and all MFA, MA, and MS students should refer to the catalog that corresponds with their academic year of entry.
Current Parsons students can also find the degree requirements corresponding to their catalog years in DegreeWorks.