Parsons Partners with Online Learning Platforms to Bring World-Class Design Education to Lifelong Learners Everywhere
New Partnerships with 42courses, FutureLearn, Yellowbrick, and Coursera Will Provide On-Demand Access to Classes from Nation’s #1 Design School
Parsons School of Design, named the best art and design school in the United States for the fourth year in a row, adds two more online learning platforms to its partnership roster to bring world-class design education to lifelong learners everywhere with 42courses and FutureLearn. The additions complement an already established partnership with Coursera and Yellowbrick.
“As students increasingly prioritize on-demand and lifelong learning, Parsons is mobilizing the transformative potential of design education to create positive change,” said Debbie Gibb, Senior Managing Director at N Ventures, a strategic arm of The New School. “We’re excited that these partnerships will allow learners who are passionate about design to benefit from Parsons’ innovative, multidisciplinary model of education and support their professional development, regardless of location.”
The two new partnerships join Parsons’ existing relationship with the online platform Coursera and Yellowbrick, further extending the university’s commitment to reshaping how design education is delivered. Demand for online and flexible learning opportunities remains strong even as institutions return to in-person education, with recent research showing that a majority of surveyed students (73%) would like to continue taking some fully online courses.
Partnership with 42courses Focuses on Making Design Accessible
Parsons, the first-ever university to partner with 42courses, will be offering students a number of courses in design and sustainability. The first course made in collaboration with Parsons covers User Experience (UX) design and will equip learners with the necessary skills, methods and practical tools to create unforgettable digital experiences.
“At 42courses we believe great e-learning should be highly enjoyable as well as practical and accessible. Great design and user experience is at the heart of that, so we’re thrilled to be working with Parsons to help make their incredible design courses more accessible around the world.” said Chris Rawlinson, Founder of 42courses. “We’ve been blown away by the interest in the Parsons UX design course, and getting to work with the USA’s top design school is a dream come true.”
Parsons’ Partnership with FutureLearn Offers Classes in Sustainable Fashion Design
Parsons’ partnership with FutureLearn will first explore fashion’s impact on environmental and social justice, giving students the opportunity to examine how design choices can affect global fashion.
Ian McIlwain, Director of Development & Partnerships at FutureLearn, said, “At FutureLearn we’re committed to transforming access to education, and we are delighted to build on this shared mission with Parsons School of Design. In partnership with their world-class experts in the arts, fashion and design, we look forward to developing a broader portfolio of quality online learning experiences.”
Curriculums for the 42courses, FutureLearn, Coursera, and Yellowbrick learning platforms are designed and led by Parsons School of Design’s preeminent faculty. The offerings extend access to The New School’s unique educational model, opening up the creative disciplines to learners and professionals far beyond the university’s walls.
Find out how Parsons School of Design is building strategic partnerships to deliver the power of meaningful higher education to new learning communities. Please visit: https://www.newschool.edu/n-ventures/.
42courses
At 42courses, we believe e-learning should be as fun as playing your favourite game. We’re a company of fun loving, curious, creative souls who partner with the world’s best brands and industry experts to make enjoyable, practical courses on topics essential for your success in tomorrow’s world. Subjects include certified courses on wellbeing, creativity, behavioural science, design, problem-solving, and more.
FutureLearn
Here at FutureLearn, our purpose is to transform access to education. We do that by partnering with over a quarter of the world’s top universities to support millions of learners across the globe to develop skills and achieve their personal and professional goals. We’re a leading social learning platform founded in December 2012 by The Open University and are now jointly owned by The Open University in the UK and The SEEK Group. We use design, technology and partnerships to create enjoyable, credible and flexible short online courses and microcredentials, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. In addition to top universities, we also partner with leading organisations such as Accenture, the British Council, CIPD, Raspberry Pi and Health Education England (HEE), as well as being involved in government-backed initiatives to address skills gaps such as The Institute of Coding and the National Centre for Computing Education.
Parsons School of Design at The New School is one of the top three institutions for art and design education in the world. Based in New York but active around the world, the school offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the full spectrum of art and design disciplines, as well as online courses, degree and certificate programs. Critical thinking and collaboration are at the heart of a Parsons education. Parsons graduates are leaders in their respective fields, with a shared commitment to creatively and critically addressing the complexities of life in the 21st century.
