Interior Design (M.A.)

The M. Wilhelmina Boldt Interior Design Program offers two tracks leading to a Master of Arts in Interior Design. Track One is a post-professional degree for those with an undergraduate degree in Interior Design or a closely related field. Track Two, a first-professional degree, is for those with a baccalaureate degree not in Interior Design or a closely related field. Applicants must complete a series of undergraduate prerequisites and admission requirements before final admission to this program.

The 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 graduate program builds on a Foundation for Interior Design Education Research (FIDER)-accredited undergraduate program with specific objectives:

to nurture intellectual growth and an increased capacity to engage in design practice, education, and research;
to develop proficiency in a specific aspect of the profession of interior design;
to further strengthen the knowledge, skills, and techniques necessary to the competent practice of interior design; and
to develop and conduct research that will increase the body of knowledge in the field.

Track One: Post-Professional Degree Admission Requirements

Admission to the program is made on a full- or part-time basis. Applicants who have or will have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university prior to enrollment in the graduate program must provide the following items to be considered for admission:

a completed application with the nonrefundable application fee of $35;
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;
acceptable test scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) with analytical writing, or evidence of passing the examination of the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB);
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 interview);
an interview with an official representative of the School of Arts and Sciences.
Any related 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 undergraduate prerequisite course(s).

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. Students are expected to complete the Interior Design core requirements at Marymount University.

Requirements for the Master of Arts in Interior Design 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.

International Students
In addition to meeting all admission requirements of the graduate program, all degree and nondegree applicants for whom English is a second language are required to have a minimum score of 600 on the paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Students who hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited postsecondary institution where the language of instruction is English are exempt from this requirement.

Track One: Post-Professional Degree Requirements

A total of 36 graduate credit hours is required for the Master of Arts in Interior Design degree.

ID Core Requirements
A total of 18 credits as follows:
ID 507-508 Advanced Design Studio I & II
ID 520 Research and Development in Interior Design
ID 526 Current Issues in Interior Design
ID 598-599 Thesis or Design Research Project I & II

ID Electives
Select 18 credits from the following 3-credit classes:
ID 509 Advanced Design Studio III
ID 512 Furniture and Display Design
ID 513 Computer-aided Drafting and Design
ID 522 Environmental Behavior
ID 523 Methodology, Theory, Criticism
ID 524 Design Methods
ID 525 Health Care Design
ID 535 Illumination and Acoustical Design
ID 536 Technology for Interior Design
ID 552 American Interiors
ID 553 Modern Design and Architecture
ID 554 Historic Preservation
ID 555 Historic Interiors
ID 556 Historic Research, Documentation, and Design
ID 590 Practicum
ID 595 Directed Research

Additional courses are available in other areas of the graduate curricula, including Business Administration, Human Resources, Humanities, and Psychology. Approval must be received prior to registration.

Students are required to have their own laptop computers.

The Prospectus

Before beginning a thesis or design research project, students must complete the Application for Development of Written Thesis or Design Proposal, which names the project's outside advisor or thesis committee. It includes the Prospectus. The Prospectus describes the research topic or design project, its objectives and significance, important related literature, the research design, and design process. The application and Prospectus must be submitted at least one semester before registering for the final ID 599 credits. Students typically register for one credit of ID 599 to write the Prospectus.

The Thesis or Design Research Project
All candidates are required to complete a written thesis or design research project. A student is eligible to propose a thesis or design problem upon successful completion of the core course requirements. For the thesis, a final oral examination will be conducted by the assigned thesis committee. For the design project, students must exhibit their work in a public forum.

Track Two: First-Professional Degree Admission Requirements

Admission to the program is competitive. Students may attend on a full- or part-time basis. Applicants who have or will have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university before enrollment in the Track Two graduate program must provide the following items to be considered:

a completed application with the nonrefundable application fee of $35;
official transcripts showing all postsecondary coursework and proof of undergraduate degree completion; and
two letters of recommendation from educators or employers who can attest to the applicant's potential for graduate work.
acceptable test scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

Track Two: First-Professional Degree Requirements

A total of 51 graduate credit hours is required for the First-Professional Master of Arts in Interior Design degree. Students must also complete or transfer 21 undergraduate credits in ID Foundation Courses.

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.

Track Two: ID Foundation Courses
Students must successfully complete or transfer the following courses:
FA 481 Design
ID 426 Current Issues in Interior Design
ID 485 Accelerated Architectural Graphics
ID 487 Accelerated Interior Design Studio
ID 214 Architectural Graphics III
ID 231 Textiles and Finish Materials

While completing the Interior Design Foundation Courses a student may enroll in up to three graduate (500-level) ID courses with permission of the advisor/instructor.

To maintain progress toward degree completion, students must submit work from the ID Foundation Courses for a portfolio review. Reviews take place in March and July. In addition to the review, students will be evaluated according to the following additional admission requirements:

3.0 or better GPA on Foundation Courses;
statement of goals, objectives, and proposed concentration; and
recommendations by Interior Design faculty.

All admission requirements must be completed before portfolio reviews.

Students who are not admitted to the Track Two program may complete the Bachelor of Arts degree in Interior Design.

ID Core Requirements
A total of 39 credits as follows:
ID 503-504 Interior Design III & IV
ID 507-508 Advanced Design Studio I & II
ID 513 Computer-Aided Drafting and Design
ID 532 Building Technology
ID 533 Lighting Design
ID 534 Business Procedures
ID 550-551 History of Interiors I & II
ID 520 Research and Development in Interior Design
ID 598-599 Thesis or Design Research Project I & II

ID Electives
Select 12 credits from the following 3-credit courses:
ID 512 Furniture and Display Design
ID 522 Environmental Behavior
ID 523 Methodology, Theory, Criticism
ID 524 Design Methods
ID 525 Health Care Design
ID 535 Illumination and Acoustical Design
ID 536 Technology for Interior Design
ID 549 Advanced Design Studio III
ID 552 American Interiors
ID 553 Modern Design and Architecture
ID 554 Historic Preservation
ID 555 Historic Interiors
ID 556 Historic Research, Documentation, and Design
ID 590 Practicum
ID 595 Directed Research

The Prospectus
Before beginning a thesis or design research project, students must complete the Application for Development of Written Thesis or Design Proposal, which names the project's outside advisor or thesis committee. It includes the Prospectus. The Prospectus describes the research topic or design project, its objectives and significance, important related literature, the research design, and design process. The application and Prospectus must be submitted at least one semester before registering for the final ID 598 credits.

Thesis or Design Research Project
All candidates for the Master of Arts degree must complete a written thesis or design research project. A student is eligible to propose a thesis or design problem upon successful completion of the core course requirements. For the thesis, a final oral examination will be conducted by the assigned thesis committee. For the design project, students must exhibit their work in a public forum. All students must be registered the semester they complete ID 599 requirements.