These programs include:[3] Students make full use of the setting in Paris and Europe by connecting with local creative practitioners, cultural and civic organizations and events such as Musée des Arts Décoratifs, the Maison et Objet design trade show, and Paris Fashion Week.

The school features a teaching faculty of French and European design educators as well as visiting professors from around the world.

[4] Students are able to supplement their studies through online classes or by spending up to two years at the main Parsons campus in New York City.

[6] The following year, the school made its home on the oldest planned square in Paris, the Place des Vosges.

After closing before the onset of World War II in 1939, Parsons restarted its activities in Paris in 1948 offering a summer course combining travel and study.