Home > Graduate Catalog 2014-15 > Graduate Programs > School of Arts and Sciences > Interior Design

Interior Design

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The M. Wilhelmina Boldt Interior Design Program offers two tracks leading to a Master of Arts in interior design. The post-professional degree (track one) is for those with an undergraduate degree in interior design or architecture. The first professional degree (track two) is for those with a baccalaureate degree not in interior design or architecture. Applicants must complete a series of undergraduate foundation courses and admission requirements before final admission to the track two program.

The graduate program abides by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) guidelines and standards with specific objectives:

to cultivate intellectual growth, independent learning, and competency in design practice, education, and research;
to develop proficiency in a specific aspect of the profession of interior design;
to advance the knowledge, skills, and techniques necessary for the competent practice of interior design;
to create a framework of inquiry and analysis to increase the body of knowledge in the field; and
to create design solutions that meet specific client and end-user needs.

Upon successful completion of both interior design graduate programs, students will be able to

proficiently use quantitative and qualitative programming skills of project goals and objectives in written and graphic evaluative and assessment tools;
efficiently formulate qualitative schematic design skills to develop solutions incorporating human factors, ADA and universal requirements, and environmental elements and responses;
efficiently formulate quantitative design development skills to develop solutions incorporating building and life safety codes; furniture, fixture, and equipment (FF & E) requirements; and the built environment; and
evaluate theories, hypotheses, and/or design problems and effectively derive conclusions and solutions through qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Completion Requirement: Requirements for the program must be completed within five years of initial registration unless extenuating circumstances exist and an extension is authorized by the dean of the School of Arts and Sciences.

Nondegree Admission: Under certain circumstances, a student may be admitted on a nondegree basis with permission of the director of the interior design graduate programs. Nondegree students are limited to no more than two courses, up to 8 credits.

Program Requirement: Students are required to have their own laptop computers once they are admitted to the graduate program.

Residency Requirement: Students pursuing the post-professional degree (track one) are expected to complete a minimum of 24 credits at Marymount University, including ID 620, ID 684, ID 685, ID 698, and ID 699. Students pursuing the first professional degree (track two) are expected to complete a minimum of 33 credits at Marymount University, including ID 581, ID 620, ID 684, ID 685, ID 698, and ID 699.

Thesis or Design Research Project: Students in each program will complete a thesis or a design research project. These projects, which incorporate original empirical research and analysis, are completed in a two-course sequence. Students must present their work in a final oral examination before the interior design faculty.

Transfer Credits: A maximum of 6 semester credits of transfer graduate credit may be applied toward the degree, if approved by the dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and the registrar.

The Post-Professional Degree (Track One)

The Post-Professional Degree Program's mission is to educate practitioners to develop a greater capacity to engage in interior design practice, education, and research; to become more proficient in a specific area of the interior design practice; and to actively engage in evidence-based interior design to increase the body of knowledge in the field.

Students in the program must complete 36 graduate credits, including 6 credits of thesis or an evidence-based design project.

Admission Requirements: Admission to the program is competitive. Completed applications must be received by the following priority deadlines:

March 2	summer semester
June 15	fall semester
October 1	spring semester

Students may attend on a full- or part-time basis. In addition to universitywide requirements for graduate admission, applicants who have or will have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university prior to enrollment in the post-professional graduate degree program must provide the following items to be considered for admission:

proof of a professional degree in interior design, or its equivalent, in the form of an official transcript of all postsecondary coursework
two letters of recommendation from educators or employers who can attest to the applicant’s potential for graduate work
if applicable, evidence of passing the examination of the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) (see Note on Test Scores)
a letter from the applicant, including a statement of personal goals, objectives, motivations, and intended area of concentration
a portfolio of student or professional design work demonstrating creative ability and professional competence (presented during the interview)
an interview with an official representative of the School of Arts and Sciences

Students with an interior design or architecture degree must demonstrate completion of an equivalent series of prerequisites that assures an understanding of a common body of knowledge within the field. If a departmental review of a student’s previous coursework reveals deficiencies in the common body of knowledge, the student may be required to complete additional undergraduate and/or graduate course(s).

International Students: Nonnative speakers of English should review International Applicants or TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE Academic test score requirements. Students who hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited postsecondary institution where the language of instruction is English are exempt from this requirement.

Degree Requirements – The Post-Professional Degree

36 credits

ID 620 Research and Development in Interior Design

ID 626 Graduate Seminar

ID 684 Master Studio I

ID 685 Master Studio II

ID 698 Thesis or Design Research Project I

ID 699 Thesis or Design Research Project II

Eighteen (18) credits from the following: ID 512 Furniture Design Seminar; ID 513 Advanced Architectural Graphics; ID 515 Field Study and Advanced Rendering; ID 522 Environmental Behavior Seminar; ID 523 Methodology, Theory, and Criticism Seminar; ID 524 Design Methods Seminar; ID 525 Health Care Design Seminar; ID 535 Illumination and Acoustical Design Seminar; ID 536 Technology for Interior Design Seminar; ID 552 American Interiors Seminar; ID 553 Modern Design and Architecture Seminar; ID 554 Historic Preservation Seminar; ID 555 Historic Interiors Seminar; ID 556 Historic Research, Documentation, and Design Seminar; ID 558 Interior Design Study Tour; ID 582 Advanced Design Studio III; ID 590 Practicum; ID 595 Graduate Directed Research. A maximum of 6 credits may be chosen from other areas of the graduate curricula, including business administration, education, human resources, and humanities. Approval must be received from the student’s advisor prior to registration.

The First Professional Degree (Track Two)

The First Professional Degree Program's mission is to educate professional interior designers to work effectively within contemporary constraints in a changing society and profession and to formulate design concepts for a better human environment.

Students in this program must successfully complete or transfer 27 credits in undergraduate foundation courses. Following a portfolio review, an additional 51 graduate credits will be completed.

The First Professional Degree Program is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) guidelines and standards with specific objectives:

to cultivate intellectual growth, independent learning, and competency in design practice, education, and research
to develop proficiency in a specific aspect of the profession of interior design
to advance the knowledge, skills, and techniques necessary for the competent practice of interior design
to create a framework of inquiry and analysis to increase the body of knowledge in the field
to create design solutions that meet specific client and end-user needs

Admission Requirements: Admission to the program is competitive. Completed applications must be received by the following priority deadlines:

March 2	summer semester
June 15	fall semester
October 1	spring semester

Students may attend on a full- or part-time basis. In addition to universitywide requirements for graduate admission, applicants must have or expect to earn a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university before enrollment in the first professional graduate degree program.

To meet requirements of the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA), the applicant’s transcript must show a minimum of 30 credits of liberal arts and sciences coursework in such disciplines as English composition, literature, foreign language, history, sociology, mathematics, biology, philosophy, humanities, psychology, and economics. Coursework in professional disciplines, such as business, cannot be included in this total. Applicants with fewer than 30 credits in the required coursework will be expected to make up the deficit before the portfolio review.

In addition, applicants to this program must provide the following items to be considered:

two letters of recommendation from educators or employers who can attest to the applicant’s potential for graduate work
a letter from the applicant, including a statement of personal goals, objectives, motivations, and intended area of concentration
satisfactory undergraduate GPA

Students admitted to the first professional master’s program will not be permitted to switch to the undergraduate B.A. program after they have passed portfolio review.

International Students: Nonnative speakers of English should review International Applicants for TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE Academic test score requirements. Students who hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited postsecondary institution where the language of instruction is English are exempt from this requirement.

Degree Requirements – The First Professional Degree

Undergraduate Foundation Courses

27 credits

FA 201 History of Art I, FA 202 History of Art II, or FA 300-level art history course

FA 481 Accelerated Design

ID 122 Sketching and Rendering for Ideas

ID 223 Presentation Drawings

ID 231 Textiles and Finish Materials

ID 313 Computer-aided Drafting and Design

ID 426 Current Issues in Interior Design

ID 485 Accelerated Architectural Graphics

ID 487 Accelerated Interior Design Studio

See the Undergraduate Catalog for course descriptions of foundation courses. Students are subject to graduate student academic policies and procedures as stated in this catalog while taking the undergraduate foundation courses.

While completing the interior design foundation courses a student may enroll in up to three graduate (500-level) ID lecture courses with permission of the advisor/instructor. No graduate studio courses (500-level) can be taken before completion of the portfolio review.

To maintain progress toward degree completion, students must submit work from the foundation courses for a portfolio review. Reviews take place in November, April, and August. In addition to the review, students will be evaluated according to the following additional admission requirements:

minimum GPA of 3.0 on foundation courses
statement of goals, objectives, and proposed concentration
recommendations by interior design faculty

All admission requirements must be completed before portfolio reviews.

Graduate Courses

51 credits

ID 513 Advanced Architectural Graphics

ID 532 Construction and Environmental Systems

ID 533 Illumination Systems

ID 534 Professional Practice

ID 550 History of Architecture and Interiors I

ID 551 History of Architecture and Interiors II

ID 580 Advanced Design Studio I

ID 581 Advanced Design Studio II

ID 620 Research and Development in Interior Design

ID 626 Graduate Seminar

ID 684 Master Studio I

ID 685 Master Studio II

ID 698-699 Thesis or Design Research Project I and II

Twelve (12) credits from the following: ID 512 Furniture Design Seminar; ID 515 Field Study and Advanced Rendering; ID 522 Environmental Behavior Seminar; ID 523 Methodology, Theory, and Criticism Seminar; ID 524 Design Methods Seminar; ID 525 Health Care Design Seminar; ID 535 Illumination and Acoustical Design Seminar; ID 536 Technology for Interior Design Seminar; ID 552 American Interiors Seminar; ID 553 Modern Design and Architecture Seminar; ID 554 Historic Preservation Seminar; ID 555 Historic Interiors Seminar; ID 556 Historic Research, Documentation, and Design Seminar; ID 558 Interior Design Study Tour; ID 582 Advanced Design Studio III; ID 590 Practicum; ID 595 Graduate Directed Research