Interior Design (B.A.)
Interior Design (Accelerated B.A. Program)
Interior Design (M.A.)
The M. Wilhelmina Boldt Interior Design program prepares students in the undergraduate major for practice as entry-level interior designers by promoting a strong theoretical and practical knowledge in design, space planning, and programming for both residential and commercial interior spaces. Graduates may pursue careers with interior design firms, architectural firms, corporate facilities, and government agencies. The program is accredited by the Foundation for Interior Design Education Research (FIDER).
Internships are available during the junior and senior years with nationally recognized architectural and design firms, furniture and interior retailers, contract designers, and other organizations utilizing design consultants. The program offers exhibitions of student and professional work, field trips, and the resources of the Washington, DC, design community.
Interior Design majors are encouraged to join the student chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).
A Professional Advisory Board reviews the curriculum, recommends improvements, and identifies career possibilities. Professional members from the metropolitan area provide expertise and direction to students. Its members are: Kazuko Bach, ASID, IDEC, Interior Designer, Kazuko Sawaji Interiors; Robert Cox, HOK; Candice Kling, IES, IALD, Lighting Designer, C. M. Kling & Associates, Inc.; Andrew Monje Jr., ASID, IDEC, Educator (retired), Marymount University; Mary Petrino; Janet Rankin, Lehman-Smith + McLeish; Thea Scott-Fundling, Marymount faculty liaison; Linda Sorrento, ASID, IIDA; and Jessica Taylor, Gensler.
Nondegree Admission: Only interior design practitioners and students from other accredited colleges or universities may take courses on a nondegree basis. Enrollment is limited to two courses.
Program Requirement: Each student entering the junior-level Interior Design curriculum is required to have a laptop computer. State-of-the-art electronic studios allow students to access the Internet and software on Marymount's server.
Residency Requirement: Transfer students must complete a minimum of 18 Interior Design credits at Marymount, plus an internship. These credits must include ID 405 Interior Design V and ID 406 Interior Design VI.
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Admission Requirements: Students who have a baccalaureate degree in a field other than Interior Design may enroll in the Accelerated Undergraduate Program and pursue a B.A. in Interior Design. Students must meet all undergraduate admissions requirements.
Students in the accelerated B.A. program may seek admission to the Track Two Master of Arts in Interior Design program only if they have completed no more than the program's six Foundation Courses.
Students admitted to the Track Two master's program will not be permitted to switch to the accelerated B.A. program after they have passed portfolio review.
Residency Requirement: Students may transfer credits from an accredited school, but must complete a minimum of 36 credits at Marymount.
Degree Requirements
60 credits
Foundation Courses
Core Courses
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 the Track Two program.
The Interior Design 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:
Program Requirement: Students are required to have their own laptop computers.
Residency Requirement: Students are expected to complete the Interior Design core requirements at Marymount University.
Thesis or Design Research Project: Students in each program will complete a Thesis or Design Research Project. Before beginning either, 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. 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.
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.
Track One: Post-Professional Degree
Admission Requirements: Applicants are considered for fall semester enrollment only. Applications must be received by April 1. 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:
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).
International Students: See the Test of English as a Foreign Language requirements. Students who hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited postsecondary institution where the language of instruction is English are exempt from this requirement.
Nondegree Admission: Only interior design practitioners and students from other accredited colleges or universities may take courses on a nondegree basis. Enrollment is limited to two courses.
Degree Requirements
36 Credits
18 credits from the following: 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 in this program must successfully complete or transfer 21 credits in undergraduate Foundation Courses. Following a portfolio review, an additional 51 credits in Core Courses will be completed.
Admission Requirements: Admission to the program is competitive. Applicants are considered for fall semester enrollment only. The application deadline is April 1. 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:
Students admitted to the Track Two master's program will not be permitted to switch to the accelerated B.A. program after they have passed portfolio review.
Students in the accelerated B.A. program may seek admission to the Track Two master's program only if they have completed no more than the program's six Foundation Courses.
International Students: Universitywide requirements for graduate admission, for the Test of English as a Foreign Language requirements. Students who hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited postsecondary institution where the language of instruction is English are exempt from this requirement.
Nondegree Admission: Only interior design practitioners and students from other accredited colleges or universities may take courses on a nondegree basis. Enrollment is limited to two courses.
Degree Requirements
Foundation Courses
21 credits
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 December and April. In addition to the review, students will be evaluated according to the following additional admission requirements:
All admission requirements must be completed before portfolio reviews.
Core Courses
51 credits