INTERIOR DESIGN

Interior Design (M.A.)

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 a closely related field. The First Professional degree (Track Two) is for those with a baccalaureate degree not in Interior Design or a closely related field. 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.

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: 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: Students are required to have their own laptop computers once they are admitted to the graduate program.
Residency Requirement: Students are expected to complete the Interior Design core requirements specific to their track at Marymount University.

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 and others.

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)

Admission Requirements: Admission to the program is competitive. Completed applications must be received a minimum of 60 days prior to the start of classes to be considered for the forthcoming 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;
satisfactory 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) (see note under admissions);
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); and
an interview with an official representative of the School of Arts and Sciences.

Students with a 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 requirement. 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

Master of Arts Core Courses
18 credits

ID 684-685 Master Studio I & II
ID 620 Research and Development in Interior Design
ID 626 Graduate Seminar
ID 698-699 Thesis or Design Research Project I & II

Master of Arts Elective Courses
18 credits

Students will choose from the following: ID 512 Furniture Design Seminar; ID 513 Computer-aided Drafting and Design; 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 prior to registration.

The First Professional Degree (Track Two)

The Interior Design 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 24 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).

Admission Requirements: Admission to the program is competitive. Completed applications must be received a minimum of 60 days prior to the start of classes to be considered for the forthcoming 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 before enrollment in the First Professional graduate degree 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; and
satisfactory test scores on the Graduate Record Examination (see note under admissions).

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.

Degree Requirements

Pre-Master’s Interior Design Foundation Courses
24 credits

FA 481 Accelerated Design
FA 201 History of Art I, FA 202 History of Art II, or FA 300-level Art History course
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

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 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:

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.

Master of Arts Developmental Courses
24 credits

ID 580-581 Interior Design Studio I & II
ID 513 Computer-Aided Drafting and Design
ID 532 Construction and Environmental Systems
ID 533 Illumination Systems
ID 534 Professional Practice
ID 550-551 History of Architecture and Interiors I & II

Master of Arts Core Courses
15 credits

ID 620 Research and Development in Interior Design
ID 684-685 Master Studio I & II
ID 698-699 Thesis or Design Research Project I & II

Master of Arts Elective Courses
12 credits

Students will choose 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; ID 626 Graduate Seminar.