Transfer Students

Transfer applicants to the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) programs are considered on the basis of a comprehensive review of all aspects of the application, including the portfolio, essays, and previous academic work. The total number of credits accrued at previous institutions alone does not determine a student’s level of placement.

Fall

Students who have completed fewer than 12 semester credits of transferable studio or business courses will be considered for first year and should follow the portfolio guidelines for that level.

Spring

First-year midyear transfer students must have a minimum of 12 transferable semester credits, at least 9 semester credits of which must be applicable studio credits for the BFA and at least 6 semester credits of which must be applicable for the BBA. Students who do not meet this threshold will be required to complete summer study in order to advance to their intended major.

Sophomore-level consideration: Transfer students with a strong portfolio coupled with a minimum of 15 semester credits in studio art coursework and 9 semester credits in liberal arts coursework can begin the sophomore track (minimum of 24 semester credits). Coursework should preferably be equivalent to the First Year at Parsons.

Junior-level consideration: Transfer students with a strong portfolio coupled with a minimum of 34 applicable program credits comparable to the first- and second-year curricula of the intended major can be considered for entry to the junior track (minimum of 60 semester credits). Applicants must have completed comparable coursework in order to be considered for junior entry. Curriculum information can be found by selecting the program of interest on our Academics page. Since the level of placement at Parsons rarely depends on the total number of liberal arts credits that the student has previously earned, these courses are evaluated and transferred on a course-by-course basis. Most programs do not allow for spring entry by transfer students. Spring entry depends on the number and kind of credits that the student has completed. Course descriptions, syllabi, and examples of the work may be requested to inform a final review by the program director. Please refer to the curriculum page as a guide.

Junior transfers to the Fashion Design program are not permitted.

Sophomore-level consideration: Transfer students with a strong application coupled with a minimum of 15 semester credits in studio art or business coursework and 9 semester credits of liberal arts coursework can begin the sophomore track (minimum of 24 credits). Coursework should preferably be equivalent to the First Year at Parsons. Students who seek sophomore status are encouraged to take liberal arts courses equivalent to our First Year Program, including Studio Art Coursework, Environmental Science (Sustainable Systems), Macroeconomics and Microeconomics, a Quantitative Reasoning course, English Composition I, and English Composition II.

Junior-level consideration: Transfer students seeking junior entry should refer to the curriculum page of the Strategic Design and Management program. Applicants interested in junior entry should have coursework comparable to our freshman and sophomore class. Junior entry requires a minimum of 60 semester transferable credits, including 34 semester studio art/business semester credits and 26 semester liberal arts credits. 

A maximum of 30 semester credits can be considered for transfer towards credits in the AAS Fashion Design, Fashion Marketing and Communication and Communication Design programs. A maximum of 31 semester credits can be considered for transfer towards credits in the AAS Interior Design program. 

Students with a conferred bachelor’s degree can potentially transfer between 12 and 15 credits of liberal arts credits, based on their prior coursework and their Parsons program. They will transfer another 6 credits of Critical Reading and Writing if English was the language of instruction at their degree-granting accredited institution. Additional credits may be applied to liberal arts requirements and program electives, up to the credit limits, provided prior courses are relevant to the student’s course of study at Parsons.  For students who did not earn a prior bachelor’s degree, the Office of the Registrar will provide a thorough review and transfer on a course-by-course basis as applicable to the program.

In order for credits to be considered for transfer, applicants must submit official transcripts for all prior college study. Schools not listed on the application will not be considered for transfer credit. A Preliminary Transfer Credit Evaluation (PTCE) will be provided to all admitted transfer applicants. This document is prepared by the Office of the Registrar to evaluate prior coursework and qualifying exams in order to determine if and how they may be transferred toward degree requirements at Parsons. For a comprehensive list of transfer credit policies, please refer to the Transfer Credits webpage.  Questions regarding the PTCE can be directed to [email protected].  

Time to Complete Degree

The time required to complete the degree will vary based upon whether the student pursues part-time or full-time study; either of which are permitted in AAS programs. In general, students transferring up to 15 credits should expect at least four semesters of full-time study, and students transferring between 15 and 30 credits should expect at least three semesters of full study (longer if attending part-time). Enrolled students will be able to view their transfer credits through their DegreeWorks account.