France Paris Parsons Classroom Teacher

We invite you to study abroad with API in France at the world-renowned Parsons Paris! This exciting program offers you the opportunity to enroll in high-caliber courses conducted in English at one of the world's premier art and design schools, learning from leaders in the field and industry experts.

Enhance your resume and your portfolio, earn valuable academic credit, experience life in the majestic "City of Light," and explore all this beautiful country has to offer!

What's Included?

Highlights

Pre Departure Services

Advising

APIConnect Platform

Orientation Materials and Resources

Access to International Phone Plans

API Alumni Network

Social Networking

Scholarships

On Site Services

Airport Reception

API Center

On-Site Orientation

Excursions

Resident Director

Tuition

Medical and Life Insurance

Social and Cultural Activities

Welcome and Farewell Group Meals

Volunteer Opportunities

Monthly Transit Pass

Housing (including meals and laundry with some options)

Language and Culture Tools

Re-Entry Services

Re-Entry Materials and Support

Post-Program Evaluation

Transcript

Alumni Network and API Ambassador Program

View all opportunities and amenities

Application Requirements

  • Minimum 3.0 G.P.A.
  • Open to sophomores, juniors, seniors, and adults with bachelor’s degrees
  • Must be 19+ or 18 with 1 year of college
  • Non-native English speakers must provide TOEFL scores of 92 or above or IELTS scores of 7.0 or above to show proof of English proficiency
  • Completed API application
  • Statement of purpose
  • Official transcript
  • Students who wish to take fashion design courses must submit a portfolio
  • Entry requirements for US and EU passport holders: a valid passport and student visa
  • Entry requirements for all other international students: consult the French Consulate in your home country
Session Program Dates Program Cost Application Deadline Extended Application Deadline Payment Deadline
Fall Aug 21, 2023 - Dec 17, 2023 $29,900 May 1, 2023 No Extension Jun 1, 2023
Academic Year Aug 21, 2023 - May 18, 2024 $58,900 May 1, 2023 No Extension Jun 1, 2023
Spring Jan, 2024 - May, 2024 $29,900 Oct 10, 2023 No Extension Nov 9, 2023

API students participate in excursions designed to help familiarize them with the culture and surrounding areas of their host city and country. The following is a listing of potential excursions for API Paris programs. API may need to modify the excursions offered in a given term due to travel restrictions or health and safety concerns.

  • Loire Valley

    Visiting the Loire Valley palaces is like visiting 16th century Renaissance France when fortified medieval fortresses were transformed into delicate castles inspired by Italian architecture. Such is the case of le Château d’Amboise where Leonardo da Vinci was buried.

    The Château de Chenonceau is an exceptional site not only because of its original design, the richness of its collections, its furniture and its decorations, but also because of its destiny, since it was loved, administrated and protected by women.

    Depending on the program, the students may also enjoy a traditional boat ride on the Loire river or he splendor of Chambord’s castle and its exceptional architectural creation that draws its inspiration from the French tradition as much as from the new ideas of the Italian Renaissance.

  • Normandie

    Students will travel to Mount Saint Michel, one the most visited sites in France, and walk in the quicksand of the bay. The group will then explore Saint Malo city, a haunt of pirates for hundreds of years, the “Cité Corsaire” that has always done things its own way. The old town is still surrounded by granite walls, while the tidal islands next to the city continue to be fortified by 17th century bastions.

  • Alsace / Allemagne

    The Alsace region is located in the Rhine plaine in the north eastern part of France. It is bordered by Germany and Switzerland. Over the centuries Alsace has been back and of forth under the control of France and Germany; a rich bicultural heritage is therefore strongly anchored in this welcoming region. The architecture of the villages and the cities, the gardening works, the religious plurality and the daily use of language dialect make you feel like being in a different country when you are definitely in France!

    Gastronomy is not a legend in this area! You will be puzzled by the variety of local culinary traditions : baeckeoffe, sauerkraut, flammekueche, kugelhopf, bretzel, bredele, just to mention a few of them. They are a real pleasure for the palate!

    A stop on the other side of the Rhine will be a nice opportunity to discover a part of the Schwarzwald region in Germany giving this three days excursion an international dimension.

  • Lyon

    France’s second largest city, Lyon is located on the Rhone and Soâne Rivers with many sites to see, including the Gallo-Roman Museum, two excavated Roman theaters, and the 19th century Basilique Notre-Dame de Fouvière. In Lyon, visitors can take a unique journey through time and across cultures through traipsing down its narrow streets, crossing its “traboules“ (narrow secret passages). Lyon's Parc de la Tête d’Or showcases botanical gardens, a small zoo, lakes for sailing, running trails, and many areas for relaxing.

  • Normandy - Honfleur & Etretat

    Honfleur is so utterly enchanting, it's hard to remember that it was built essentially for commerce. Its harbor sits in a great location, tucked away on the southern side of the Seine’s estuary. During the Hundred Years War, the French king had this strategic spot fortified, but that didn’t stop the English from taking over for several decades.

    The little town of Etretat is located in the Pays de Caux, on a section of the coast of Normandy called “La Côte d’Albâtre”, and is renowned for its impressive white cliffs, featuring arches, a large rock needle-like structure and tunnels (which Impressionists painted so memorably).

  • Toulouse

    Welcome to Toulouse, capital of Occitania! Toulouse is a city of colors, with its pink brick facades, its emblematic flower, the violet, the blue of the pastel... Located in the heart of the South-West, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, the "Pink City" joyfully combines heritage and the art of living. Yesterday, capital of the Visigoths, today aeronautical and space capital, Toulouse invites you to discover its two thousand years of history and has many surprises in store for you!

  • Alsace / Allemagne

    The Alsace region is located in the Rhine plaine in the north eastern part of France. It is bordered by Germany and Switzerland. Over the centuries Alsace has been back and of forth under the control of France and Germany; a rich bicultural heritage is therefore strongly anchored in this welcoming region. The architecture of the villages and the cities, the gardening works, the religious plurality and the daily use of language dialect make you feel like being in a different country when you are definitely in France!

    Gastronomy is not a legend in this area! You will be puzzled by the variety of local culinary traditions : baeckeoffe, sauerkraut, flammekueche, kugelhopf, bretzel, bredele, just to mention a few of them. They are a real pleasure for the palate!

    A stop on the other side of the Rhine will be a nice opportunity to discover a part of the Schwarzwald region in Germany giving this three days excursion an international dimension.

  • Loire Valley

    Visiting the Loire Valley palaces is like visiting 16th century Renaissance France when fortified medieval fortresses were transformed into delicate castles inspired by Italian architecture. Such is the case of le Château d’Amboise where Leonardo da Vinci was buried.

    The Château de Chenonceau is an exceptional site not only because of its original design, the richness of its collections, its furniture and its decorations, but also because of its destiny, since it was loved, administrated and protected by women.

    Depending on the program, the students may also enjoy a traditional boat ride on the Loire river or he splendor of Chambord’s castle and its exceptional architectural creation that draws its inspiration from the French tradition as much as from the new ideas of the Italian Renaissance.

  • Normandie

    Students will travel to Mount Saint Michel, one the most visited sites in France, and walk in the quicksand of the bay. The group will then explore Saint Malo city, a haunt of pirates for hundreds of years, the “Cité Corsaire” that has always done things its own way. The old town is still surrounded by granite walls, while the tidal islands next to the city continue to be fortified by 17th century bastions.

  • Lyon

    France’s second largest city, Lyon is located on the Rhone and Soâne Rivers with many sites to see, including the Gallo-Roman Museum, two excavated Roman theaters, and the 19th century Basilique Notre-Dame de Fouvière. In Lyon, visitors can take a unique journey through time and across cultures through traipsing down its narrow streets, crossing its “traboules“ (narrow secret passages). Lyon's Parc de la Tête d’Or showcases botanical gardens, a small zoo, lakes for sailing, running trails, and many areas for relaxing.

  • Normandy - Honfleur & Etretat

    Honfleur is so utterly enchanting, it's hard to remember that it was built essentially for commerce. Its harbor sits in a great location, tucked away on the southern side of the Seine’s estuary. During the Hundred Years War, the French king had this strategic spot fortified, but that didn’t stop the English from taking over for several decades.

    The little town of Etretat is located in the Pays de Caux, on a section of the coast of Normandy called “La Côte d’Albâtre”, and is renowned for its impressive white cliffs, featuring arches, a large rock needle-like structure and tunnels (which Impressionists painted so memorably).

  • Toulouse

    Welcome to Toulouse, capital of Occitania! Toulouse is a city of colors, with its pink brick facades, its emblematic flower, the violet, the blue of the pastel... Located in the heart of the South-West, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, the "Pink City" joyfully combines heritage and the art of living. Yesterday, capital of the Visigoths, today aeronautical and space capital, Toulouse invites you to discover its two thousand years of history and has many surprises in store for you!

What You’ll Study

TOTAL CREDITS - 12-16 credits per semester

A leader in art and design education since its founding in 1896, Parsons has cultivated outstanding artists, designers, scholars, businesspeople, and community leaders for more than a century. Parsons has had a presence in Paris since 1921.

Students enrolled at Parsons Paris develop creative and critical thinking skills and apply them to challenges including environmental and economic sustainability and social concerns. Parsons’ network of interconnected design laboratories enables students to explore global phenomena at a number of sites and scales of engagement in on-campus research and initiatives with international partners that focus on urban life in Paris, New York, and elsewhere.

Located in one of the most vibrant creative economies in the world, the program takes full advantage of Paris, offering extraordinary educational, cultural, and professional opportunities for the growing number of students who seek a range of experience in art, design, media, technology, and culture.

Students majoring in the arts, fashion, or design will choose courses from within the Art and Design program.

ADDITIONAL PROGRAM INFORMATION

Students are met at the Charles de Gaulle airport by on-site staff on the program start date. Students receive detailed flight instructions upon their acceptance into the program and should wait to purchase a flight until receiving more information post-acceptance.

TRANSCRIPTS

Transcripts for Parsons students are issued by the Registrar’s Office and carry the signature and seal of The New School. A transcript is confirmation of a student’s permanent record at the university. API will send one transcript per student to the address the student indicates on the Transcript Release Form. Students who need additional copies of their transcript may submit an official request to The New School Registrar’s Office.

Parsons Paris is a registered branch campus of The New School and is accredited by MSCHE—Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE, 3624 Market Street, 2nd Floor West, Philadelphia, PA 19104; 216.284.5000), a federally recognized body, since 1960. Parsons Paris is recognized by the French Ministry of Higher Education as an Établissement d'enseignement supérieur privé.

  • Caroline headshot

    Caroline Mobley

    Caroline Mobley will be your Program Coordinator and will help prepare you for your API program.

    (she / her / hers)

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    Laetitia Daluz

    Laetitia will be your Resident Director at Parsons Paris and a resource for you while you are in France!

    (she/her/hers)

  • Screen Shot 2022 01 07 at 12 25 06 PM

    Genell Metzler

    Genell will be your Career and Internship Coordinator at Parsons Paris and a resource for you while you are in France!

    (she/her/hers)

  • Screen Shot 2022 01 07 at 12 22 58 PM

    Geoffrey Thoma

    Geoff will be one of your Student Life Coordinators at Parsons Paris and a resource for you while you are in France!

    (he/him/his)

  • Screen Shot 2022 10 04 at 10 14 19 AM

    Anthea Hill

    Anthea is a Career and Internship Coordinator at Parsons Paris and a resource for you while you are in France!

    (she/her/hers)

Click Here to Find Classes

COURSE OFFERINGS

COURSE INFORMATION

Parsons Paris is the European campus of The New School, an innovative university based in New York City. Building on the curriculum of Parsons School of Design, a globally acclaimed art and design school established in 1921, Parsons Paris students are part of a modern atelier where interdisciplinary learning and small classes prepare them for careers in fashion, management, digital innovation, and curatorial practice.

Students choose to enroll in classes from one of the preset track offerings. Students are advised to obtain course pre-approval for at least 8-10 courses. Students should be flexible in their course choices.

CREDIT INFORMATION

The Registrar’s Office at Parsons (NY) issues credit according to the American system, whereby most courses are worth 3 U.S. semester credits each.

Courses at Parsons Paris (Semester Art and Design)

For the most up-to-date course availability on this program, explore our Class Finder. Sort courses by term, area of study, and more!

Click here to find courses, syllabi, and more!

Courses at Parsons Paris (Semester Art and Design)

For the most up-to-date course availability on this program, explore our Class Finder. Sort courses by term, area of study, and more!

Click here to find courses, syllabi, and more!

Courses at Parsons Paris (Semester Art and Design)

For the most up-to-date course availability on this program, explore our Class Finder. Sort courses by term, area of study, and more!

Click here to find courses, syllabi, and more!

Highlights
  • Classes in English (with French language and culture courses available)
  • World-renowned art and design school
  • Top U.S. and international accreditation (Middle States)
  • Transcript from U.S. accredited institution (Parsons Paris – The New School)
  • Intimate class size
  • Best-in-class education in creative disciplines, including art, design, business design, and fashion
  • Courses taught by leading industry professionals from the world’s two fashion capitals – New York and Paris

We can’t wait to welcome you to Paris! We know you’re excited to get out and start exploring, but at the end of long days, you’ll want a cozy place to study, socialize, rest, and relax.

Check out all available housing options in Paris by clicking here!

API’s housing options have been curated with you in mind. We offer housing that has been Visited & Verified™ by API, with a focus on student comfort, safety, and location.