Parsons vs. Tisch (Interactive Design)

[aokunseinde]

I was just accepted to the graduate Parsons Design & Technology program and the Tisch Interactive Telecommunications Program. I am interested in studying interactive design, but having difficulty deciding where to go. I have been given about 50% off tuition for both programs.

1) Not sure which program or school is considered more reputable. I think people consider Tisch to be more reputable, but I know Parsons is a good school too.

2) The Parsons program is an MFA which means more study in theory, the Tisch program is an MPS which I think means more practical study.

3) The Tisch program has smaller number of students, and smaller facilities, the Parsons program is a larger class.

4) When completed with the program I feel the Parsons will yield more job opportunities because it's more design oriented. But the Tisch program is well known.

So... there we have it. Any advice? Has anyone attended my options? If so, how was it? When done w/ the program how was the job search.

Thanks

[jimster]

Hi, I went to the admitted student day at Parson's yesterday and talked to several professors and students. They all agreed that MFA DT and ITP are very similar, but the curriculum at MFA DT is more structured: a well balance of thesis studios, academic electives(research and writing intensive), support electives(technical support), and collaboration labs. At ITP, you can pretty much take whatever classes you want to fulfill the 60 credits requirements (except the few requirements at first year and the 4-credit thesis project). Thats what ITP is MPS, not a MFA degree. Also, MFA DT offers a 3-week intensive bootcamp to teach you technical skills before the first semester begins.

 

1) ITP is more recognizable because the program has a long history (it started at the 70s). On the other hand, Parson's a world renowned Art and Design school.

 

2) MFA is considered as the terminal degree in fine art / design. With a MFA degree, you are qualified to teach at most US universities.

 

3) Actually it is the other way around - ITP holds more students than MFA DT. Both program occupied a whole floor.

 

4) I think people at the tech/new media field will recognize both programs. For job opportunities, it really depends on your projects, your skill set and your network. You probably can find both ITP alumni and MFA DT alumni working at same company like Frog and Google.

 

The bottom line is both programs are great and they are not rivals to each other. If you want a MFA degree and a more structured curriculum, go to Parson's. If you want a more fixable curriculum, go to ITP.

Edited April 15, 2013 by jimster

[IWasaTeenApe]

I'm a MFA-DT alumni. I pretty much agree that they're not rivals. If anything, if you're a Parsons kid, you might have some of the same teachers from ITP. The Dean of the Program, Katherine Moriwaki is an ITP alumni. Then there's Zachary Lieberman (who created Open Frameworks), from ITP as well, who taught for a long time at MFADT and still remains in contact through the school listserv. With that said, I think there's too much of an ITP influence on the program as it is, because there's lots of physical computing in the curriculum. The program expects too many people to be a jack of all trades instead of encouraging collaborations between students.  

 

As for what the person said above, they are both very self driven, so I don't agree that the program has a structure. If anything, many of the students that come in through the program agree that the registration makes it very hard to know for sure what you're picking. If you are worried about being able to register for the classes you want, that's something you'd have to keep in mind, as classes fill up very quickly, though I imagine this is a problem in ITP as well.

 

So if you are looking more for an Interactive Design experience, you're better off coming to Parsons, but I would advise you to be careful about who you register for and to always contact your professors so that you get a better understanding of their background. Some classes advertise themselves as something they are not and you also have teachers who don't necessarily have an eye for design leading a class, so you might not get the kind of focus and attention you're looking for because they don't appreciate your work. The Parsons program is much more design driven, but my experience has been that it's also kind of a mixed bag: DT is trying too hard to cater to everyone and because there's so many people coming in from different backgrounds, you see that reflected in the curriculum as well. There's a lot offered here in terms of exhibit and installation design (usually this is in preparation for the thesis), architecture, performance, and conceptual arts. 

Edited March 9, 2014 by IWasaTeenApe

[IWasaTeenApe]

Also I want to warn everyone: If you go through Bootcamp, none of the teachers that you have in the program will be teaching you during Bootcamp, but they will be looking at your projects towards the end of Bootcamp when you're presenting your work (This is to give you a taste of what's to come in the program, as you'll have to present your thesis project in front of the school as well). A big misconception that people have when they sign up for Bootcamp is that you'll be taught by the same teachers in the program, but that's only slightly true, because the guys being recruited for Bootcamp are mostly students who are interested in being TAs or are completing a teaching program (I know this because when I was attending, they would send out notices for anyone interested during the Spring Semester). If you do it, they will put you into a group according to color (Group Red, Group Green, Group Blue, etc) and it's usually from 9-5, every day. The program right now is also hiring lots of alumni as part-time faculty. If I were you, I would avoid any classes taught by anyone who is a recent graduate. Try to sign up for classes with teachers who have been apart of the program for more than 5 years. These guys tend to be the best teachers in the program. 

Edited March 9, 2014 by IWasaTeenApe

[EliZhang]

I was just accepted to the graduate Parsons Design & Technology program and the Tisch Interactive Telecommunications Program. I am interested in studying interactive design, but having difficulty deciding where to go. I have been given about 50% off tuition for both programs.

1) Not sure which program or school is considered more reputable. I think people consider Tisch to be more reputable, but I know Parsons is a good school too.

2) The Parsons program is an MFA which means more study in theory, the Tisch program is an MPS which I think means more practical study.

3) The Tisch program has smaller number of students, and smaller facilities, the Parsons program is a larger class.

4) When completed with the program I feel the Parsons will yield more job opportunities because it's more design oriented. But the Tisch program is well known.

So... there we have it. Any advice? Has anyone attended my options? If so, how was it? When done w/ the program how was the job search.

Thanks

Hi, aukunseide. I think we are concerned with similar stuff, only thAt I d worry more about the career outcome since ir don't have any design or CS bkg. the itp program has about 100-140 students per year and they have a lotting system for class registration when too many students swarm in to the same one.

[EliZhang]

@jimster

Quote: 4) I think people at the tech/new media field will recognize both programs. For job opportunities, it really depends on your projects, your skill set and your network. You probably can find both ITP alumni and MFA DT alumni working at same company like Frog and Google.

Do you know what kinda job they do in companies like frog and google? My worry is that I don't have a design bkg and I'm in TV industry, which I don't wanna do any more. And IT industry is really attracting me, I worry if itp can allow enough space for me to catch up the skills necessary to enter that sector.

[Ahmed]

2) MFA is considered as the terminal degree in fine art / design. With a MFA degree, you are qualified to teach at most US universities.

 

Actually, the PhD in Design is becoming more and more of a requirement to teach and do research in academia around the world. It's more common in Australia and the UK, but it is fast becoming a requirement in the US too. Very few US schools offer the PhD though...a few that come to mind are CMU, IIT, Harvard, and NC State.

Edited April 20, 2014 by Ahmed

[IWasaTeenApe]

 

2) MFA is considered as the terminal degree in fine art / design. With a MFA degree, you are qualified to teach at most US universities.

 

Actually, the PhD in Design is becoming more and more of a requirement to teach and do research in academia around the world. It's more common in Australia and the UK, but it is fast becoming a requirement in the US too. Very few US schools offer the PhD though...a few that come to mind are CMU, IIT, Harvard, and NC State.

 

This is so true. Thank you for saying this. I knew many people interested in gaining doctorates in design. If this is something that interests you guys, you should all be looking at Harvard. Harvard has one of the few Design phd programs in the country that's pretty well respected. 

 

Hi, aukunseide. I think we are concerned with similar stuff, only thAt I d worry more about the career outcome since ir don't have any design or CS bkg. the itp program has about 100-140 students per year and they have a lotting system for class registration when too many students swarm in to the same one.

 

If you don't have a direct background in Design or Code (or Computer Science), Bootcamp is kind of vital for you. Because once you're in the program, there's going to be a few offerings here and there that can help you get your leg up in design. Overall, most teachers will expect you to come in with a knowledge of your field. But at the same time, Bootcamp is not going to be the solution for all your problems. Most of the design teachers I had took the biggest interest in the strongest design students. Same with the teachers who teach code. 

 

In any event, my impression was always that the people who did the best in the program were the "talent": those who either came in with the appropriate skill set (They had direct experience and the faculty usually treated them as star pupils in class) or those who found a way to showcase their best skills through class projects. Sometimes it was one in the same. It was usually not the people who were trying in vain to learn new skills and improvise once thesis time came around, because when they did, it was always obvious. It's a shame that this is the way it was, but it's not surprising: on one hand, every big name school is going to encourage those who are already naturally skilled. On another, it's the function of every school to teach it's students. With some classes in DT, this is a possibility, but it largely depends on who you have. It's not the agenda of every teacher to go over basic fundamental principals.  

 

Maybe it's obvious I was one of the few that didn't sip the kool-aid there, but I tell you this so that you don't go in with any false illusions and see it for what it is and what it's not. And what it's definitely not is a vocational program. 

 

ETA: The program does (or did) have a couple workshops that once again, students taught on the weekends. These were called dorkShops and they were usually focused on subjects that interested students the most that wasn't offered in the curriculum (3D Printing, InDesign, etc) If you're interested in learning more, You'd have to ask if they still offer these and what they offered the classes in. 

Edited August 2, 2014 by IWasaTeenApe