Visiting Students

Each semester, Parsons Paris admits a small number of visiting students from other colleges and universities around the world to our study abroad program. This program, which offers an opportunity to spend a semester or year exploring art, design, and fashion in Paris, is designed for recent bachelor’s graduates and undergraduate students who have completed at least one year of college.

Visiting students can take selected courses from our bachelor’s and master's degree programs. Students should check with their home institutions regarding eligibility to transfer Parsons Paris credits.

Note: Students from the New York campus of Parsons and The New School who want to spend a semester or a year at Parsons Paris can learn more on the Parsons New York website. Students from other universities who want to permanently transfer to Parsons Paris should contact our Admission office.

Visiting Program

Visiting students can spend a semester or year attending courses alongside Parsons Paris BFA and BBA degree students. Visiting students come from a range of academic backgrounds and have varying interests in design, art, business, and entrepreneurship. 

Explore the Parsons Paris visiting student course catalog for an idea of the courses offered at Parsons Paris. Please use this catalog as a basis for selecting a minimum of eight courses of interest when completing the online visiting application, keeping in mind that course offerings and availability are subject to change. Students must either meet the prerequisites for each course or select courses that do not have any prerequisites. Additionally, students interested in pursuing studio art courses at Parsons Paris must submit a portfolio in their visiting application. Details of the portfolio can be found in the “Undergraduate Visiting and Non-degree Student Application Requirements” section below. Admission also does not guarantee enrollment in courses of interest. Admitted students will work with a Parsons Paris academic advisor on their course schedule after they confirm enrollment.  

Visit our tuition and fees page to find the current cost of one semester of study at Parsons Paris, for up to 18 credits at the bachelor's level. Contact us at [email protected] for information about graduate opportunities.

French Language Instruction

Parsons Paris offers several levels of intensive French language instruction. Visiting students have the option to enroll in one of these three-credit French courses each semester.

Undergraduate Visiting Student Application Deadlines

Fall semester (late August to mid-December): April 26 priority deadline

Spring semester (late January to mid-May): October 15 priority deadline 

Non-EU citizens applying to Parsons Paris must complete their application within ten days after the priority deadline, because of French visa processing timelines. We accept applications from EU citizens after the priority deadline on a rolling basis as long as space is available.

Undergraduate Visiting and Non-degree Student Application Requirements

Submit your visiting student application.
In the application, you will be prompted to upload the following:

• Statement of Purpose (500–750 words, to be uploaded to the online application form) addressing the prompt: Please outline your reasons for applying to The New School as a visiting student. You should include a thoughtful description of your background, tentative plan of study or area of inquiry in the field as you now envision it, your professional goals, and an explanation of how the New School curriculum will help you realize those goals. Additionally, include the ways you will contribute to the subject matter of the program. 
• Unofficial transcripts from all secondary and postsecondary institutions attended, to be uploaded to the online application form. The typical admitted visiting or non-degree student has earned As and Bs at their prior school or university.
• Parsons (all majors except Strategic Design and Management) and Parsons Paris (only students who are interested in taking studio-based courses and who have listed studio-based courses on their applications): a portfolio consisting of 8 to 12 pieces of work, which may include drawings, paintings, photographs, digital media, or design. Submit your portfolio as a single PDF through the application form. (Parsons Paris applicants who are not interested in taking studio-based courses do not need to submit a portfolio.)
• Parsons and Parsons Paris: An interview can be scheduled by the Office of Admission after submission of the application.
• A TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, Duolingo, or Cambridge English score, required for all international applicants and for students whose native language is not English.* Please see the chart below for minimum score requirements. The New School does not require TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, Duolingo, or Cambridge English scores for applicants who have:
  • Attended a secondary school where English is the primary language of instruction for a minimum of four years
  • Successfully completed two full semesters of non-ESL college-level expository writing
  • Earned a four-year degree from a U.S. college or university or from a university where English is the primary language of instruction (minimum of three years’ attendance)

*Upon review of your application, the Office of Admission may require that you submit an English proficiency test score to allow for further evaluation of your candidacy.

Minimum Score Requirements for Parsons Paris