AAS in Fashion Marketing and Communication The New School

Parsons School of Design in New York City – recently named the Best School for Art and Design in the US and ranked 2nd in the world – has offered innovative approaches to design education since its founding in 1896. Today, Parsons is the only major American art and design school within a comprehensive university: The New School. At Parsons you can master establish established creative practices and spark new ones while studying across all university disciplines.

Fashion is a global, cultural, and economic force. Guiding it are creative and business professionals who share a passion for beautiful, sustainable, and relevant design. They work in areas such as merchandising, product development, production, editorial communications, trend forecasting, and public relations and in marketing-related positions. The AAS program in Fashion Marketing and Communication is an intensive, flexible program in which you can explore fashion careers and focus on your interests. Taught by working professionals, the curriculum reflects the industry’s evolving trends and demands.

Explore the AAS Fashion Marketing and Communication community to see what students, faculty, and alumni are doing in NYC and around the world at parsons.edu/aasfashionmarketing. This program is part of Parsons' School of Fashion.

An Intensive, Flexible Education

AAS Fashion Marketing and Communication at Parsons is an intensive, flexible program centering on the fundamentals of communication strategy. You explore the relationship between brand, product, and audience and the role of marketing and communication practices within wider fashion systems. You learn about trend, visual, and consumer research and gain skills in interpreting data to extract insights. You identify and distill social, cultural, and economic trends and attitudes and influence discourse on topics such as gender, race, consumption, and well-being.

Paths into Many Fashion Fields

As a Fashion Marketing and Communication student, you employ an integrated approach to research, design, strategy, and creative thinking. You collaborate with Fashion Design students on competitions and on projects with external partners like Louis Vuitton, HUGO BOSS, Under Armour, ISKO, Byredo, and CARE, researching concepts and strategies involved in bringing innovative solutions, products, and systems to the global stage. Electives on socially and environmentally responsible manufacturing and global practice and courses shared with the AAS Fashion Design program prepare you to think creatively and conscientiously about present-day concerns of the fashion world. Students in this program also benefit from the resources, student networks, and faculty expertise of a university-wide community engaged in management and entrepreneurship.

A Lab Series Exposing You to the Industry

A core part of the AAS Fashion Marketing and Communication curriculum is the School of Fashion Lab Series, which includes weekly lectures by internationally prominent figures in the fashion industry. Presentations focus on current practices in relationship to larger trends in design, marketing, media, technology, and sustainability. The discussion of concepts and issues that emerges from the weekly lectures supports you in applying current industry practice and insights in your own work and allows you to reflect on and shape your professional aspirations.

Curriculum

The curriculum focuses on the way users interface with brands. Students learn the fundamentals of communication strategy and how to develop a written, visual, and digital narrative. Electives allow you to specialize in an area of fashion communication, and courses shared with the AAS Fashion Design program prepare you to think creatively and conscientiously about the current status of the fashion industry. Internships develop your skills and network, making you a competitive member of the fashion workforce. You can complete your degree in two to four semesters of full-time study, depending on the number of transfer credits you bring to your AAS program.

Applicant Profile

The Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree program is most suitable for mature students with some college experience who are clear about their interests in the field of design and prepared for rapid immersion in a professional course of study. The typical student has a bachelor's or an advanced degree and work experience in a field other than design. Admission to the program is based on the prospective student’s maturity, desire to pursue further education, previous accomplishments, and potential for growth. Applicants must have graduated from high school at least two years before to be eligible to apply.

The Associate in Applied Science degree is awarded for completion of 60 credits of coursework. Students may transfer undergraduate credits from other programs or institutions. For more information, please contact the Admission Office. Students must maintain a 2.0 cumulative grade point average and fulfill all program requirements in a timely manner.

Alumni Work in Fashion in the Following Positions and Firms

Public Relations Coordinator, Thomas Pink–LVMH
Account Executive, Givenchy
Global Marketing Manager, Ralph Lauren
Brand Presentation Coordinator, Tommy Hilfiger
Online Merchandiser, Saks Fifth Avenue
Associate Production Manager, POLO–Ralph Lauren
Fashion Editor, U magazine
Digital Account Executive, Syndicate Media Group
Wholesale Assistant, Elie Tahari
Public Relations Assistant, Roger Vivier
Assistant Buyer, Marc by Marc Jacobs
Handbag Production Coordinator, Michael Kors
Brand Assistant, BHLDN–Urban Outfitters
Associate Planner, Macy’s Inc.
Production Coordinator, Theory
Senior Assistant Buyer, Couture, Bergdorf Goodman
E-commerce Manager, Nicole Miller
Account Executive, Alexander Wang