Home > Graduate Catalog 2016-17 > 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 track is for those with an undergraduate degree in interior design or architecture. The first professional track is for those with a baccalaureate degree not in interior design or architecture.

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

Upon successful completion of the interior design program, students will be able to

apply all aspects of the design process to identify and explore design problems and generate creative solutions that enhance the human experience in interior environments;
apply color principles and theories with regard to the functional, behavioral, aesthetic, and/or cultural needs of users of interior environments and in aspects of visual communication;
demonstrate knowledge of the impact of building systems and interior construction on design solutions; and
apply laws, codes, standards, and guidelines that affect the design of interior spaces.

Completion Requirement: Requirements for the post-professional 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. Requirements for the first professional program must be completed within seven 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 program. Nondegree students are limited to no more than two courses, up to 6 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 track are expected to complete a minimum of 25 of the 34 required credits at Marymount University, including ID 607, ID 608, ID 600, ID 697, ID 698 and ID 699. Students pursuing the first professional track are expected to complete a minimum of 36 credits of the 66 required credits at Marymount University, including ID 500, ID 605, ID 606, ID 607, ID 698, and ID 699.

Thesis or Design Research Project: Students in each track will complete a research thesis or an evidence-based design project. Students must present their work in a final critique or oral examination before the interior design faculty. Final projects or studies are presented in the May Interior Design Student Show.

Thesis IP grade: A student who does not complete the required work in ID 698 or ID 699 and is not eligible for an Incomplete may be given a grade of IP (in-progress). The next semester the student must register for a continuation course of the course in which the IP was received. If the necessary work is not completed in two semesters, the IP becomes an F. Students may register for a continuation course up to two (2) times.

Transfer Credits: A maximum of 6 semester credits of transfer graduate credit after matriculation at Marymount may be applied toward the degree, if approved by the graduate program director, the dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, and the registrar. Students may transfer credits for the leveling courses into the first professional program before matriculation. A departmental admissions committee reviews a portfolio of student work to determine placement. The department website has further information about portfolio requirements and submission.

The Post-Professional Degree Track

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 track must complete 34 graduate credits, including 9 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:

April 15	summer semester
July 15	fall semester
November 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 track 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, including hand drawing, sketching, and design process

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 and/or portfolio reveals deficiencies in the common body of knowledge, the student may be required to complete additional undergraduate and/or graduate course(s). Alternatively, students with degrees in interior design or architecture who want a CIDA accredited degree may choose the first professional MA program and transfer credits into it. However, a minimum of 36 credits must be completed at Marymount University, and a portfolio of work is required for placement. The department website has information on portfolio requirements and submission.

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 Track

34 credits

ID 600 Research Methods in Interior Design

ID 626 Graduate Seminar

ID 607 Graduate Practice Studio III

ID 608 Graduate Practice Studio IV

ID 697 Thesis or Design Research Project Proposal

ID 698 Thesis or Design Research Project I

ID 699 Thesis or Design Research Project 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 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

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.

The first professional degree track is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) guidelines and standards with these 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:

April 15	summer semester
July 15	fall semester
November 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 within the first year of matriculation.

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
undergraduate GPA of a 2.75 or better

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 Track

Undergraduate Leveling or Prerequisite Courses

18 credits

FA 201 History of Art: Ancient to Medieval, FA 202 History of Art: Renaissance to Modern, or FA 300-level art history course*

FA 104 Color Theory*

ID 121 Freehand Drafting

ID 122 Sketching and Rendering for Ideas

ID 223 Presentation Drawings

ID 231 Textiles and Finish Materials

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

*Students must either take or transfer credit for these two courses during their first two semesters at Marymount. Credit may be transferred from courses in a previous degree or from another college or university.

Graduate Courses

48 Credits

ID 500 Current Issues and Research Methods

ID 501 Graduate Studio I

ID 502 Graduate Studio II

ID 532 Construction and Environmental Systems

ID 533 Illumination Systems

ID 534 Professional Practice

ID 545 Graduate Construction Documents

ID 550 History of Architecture and Interiors I

ID 551 History of Architecture and Interiors II

ID 605 Graduate Practice Studio I

ID 606 Graduate Practice Studio II

ID 607 Graduate Practice Studio III

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

Six (6) 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 590 Practicum; ID 595 Graduate Directed Research