Parsons Paris Online Courses give high school students a flexible way to explore the fashion industry before college. The program comes from Parsons Paris, which pairs the Parsons School of Design approach with the fashion resources of Paris. It offers four online fashion courses for high school students, covering the business, design, branding, and sustainability sides of the field. Students ages 13 and up learn through pre-recorded video lectures from Parsons Paris faculty and industry experts. In addition, each student works with a Parsons mentor who offers guidance and feedback throughout the course.

How the Program Works:

Because the Parsons pre-college online program is fully asynchronous, there are no live classes or required log-in times. As a result, students can fit coursework around school, sports, and other commitments. Each course takes about 30 hours. Sessions run year-round in 1-, 2-, or 4-week formats, depending on the course and the time of year.

Every course ends with an individual final project that students can later add to a portfolio, resume, or college application. Students who complete at least 70 percent of their assignments and submit a final project earn a Certificate of Completion from Parsons Paris. Note that these are non-credit enrichment courses.

Applying to this fashion pre-college program is straightforward. Students submit basic information and a brief personal statement. No transcripts or recommendation letters are required, and decisions typically arrive within about a week. Tuition is $1,895 per course, and need-based scholarships are available. Students may also enroll in more than one course.

For a closer look at each course, the instructors, and the final projects, see our full guide to the Parsons Paris online fashion courses.

Below are the courses currently offered through Parsons Paris Online Courses:

Parsons Paris Online Courses Offered:

Inside the Business of Fashion and Luxury

This course looks past the runway at how the fashion industry actually operates. Students study the brand identities of houses like Chanel, Dior, and Yves Saint Laurent and learn what sets luxury brands apart. They also examine how trends emerge and spread through forecasters and influencers. Additional units cover the world’s fashion capitals and Fashion Week, the push for brands to adopt sustainable practices, and the many careers in fashion beyond design. The course even includes a virtual visit to a Louis Vuitton workshop. For the final project, students choose from challenges such as pitching a brand ambassador or opening a sustainability-focused concept store.

Inside Fashion Design: Becoming a Designer for the 21st Century

Students follow the same process professional designers use to move from an initial concept to a finished collection. First, they learn research methods for identifying an audience and market. From there, the course covers drawing and collage techniques, mood boards, and fabric selection. Students also build construction skills like pattern cutting, draping, and assembly, with an introduction to the Paris atelier approach. Along the way, they watch Paris designer Eros Antoniadis take a garment from idea to final reveal. The final project asks students to write a personal style manifesto, produce a short behind-the-scenes video, and illustrate a ten-piece signature collection.

Build Your Own Fashion Brand

Designed for students with both creative and entrepreneurial interests, this course walks through what it takes to launch a fashion label. Students define a brand vision and target customer and learn the essential components of a business plan. Next, they apply the four P’s of marketing and plan a social media campaign. Later units address the fashion calendar, production and delivery, inventory, and financing. Finally, the course ends with a recorded, investor-style presentation of each student’s business plan, built around an elevator pitch for the brand.

Sustainability: The Future of Fashion

This course examines how the fashion industry is responding to environmental challenges. Students explore product life cycles, eco-friendly design and materials, and the effects of fast fashion. They also study greenwashing in fashion media and advertising, along with milestones like the Paris Agreement. In one hands-on exercise, students repair a garment themselves. The course closes with a final project in which students present their own vision for a sustainable fashion future. Students can choose the format, such as an illustrated essay, manifesto, or business model.