Master of Science in Interior Architecture and Design
About the Program
Master of Science: 63.0 quarter credits
The MS program in Interior Architecture + Design design is a First Professional MS degree program. The goal of the program is to prepare students with diverse undergraduate backgrounds to enter the field of interior design, encompassing public, commercial, and institutional spaces; offices; and residences. Program faculty includes architects, art historians, interior designers, visual and fine artists. The department also draws on practicing professionals as adjunct professors for specialized coursework and for critique of student work.
Student Background
The diversity of students in the program demonstrates its appeal and international reputation. Students enter the interior design program from diverse backgrounds, including liberal arts, fine arts, architecture, business, and science. Many candidates making a career change to interior design do so several years after receiving their baccalaureate degrees and after gaining experience in their original professions. Entering students are committed to intensive exploration of design in general and interior design specifically.
Professional Opportunities
Alumni are principals of their own interior design firms, project managers in major design and architectural firms, facilities managers, and design coordinators. About one-third of the students obtain entry-level employment before graduation from the program; within five years, many hold managerial positions.
Professional exposure occurs in exchanges with practitioners through professional jurying of all major student projects. Students are also encouraged to become members of local, national, and international interior design professional organizations.
For more information, visit Drexel's Graduate Studies in Interior Architecture + Design web page.
Admission Requirements
Admission criteria for the graduate program consist of the requirements of the University for graduate admission plus satisfaction of basic interior design undergraduate coursework. These prerequisites include courses in design, drawing, and art history.
| Prerequisite Undergraduate Coursework | ||
| VSST 104 | Accelerated Design I * | 2.0 |
| VSST 105 | Accelerated Design II * | 2.0 |
| VSST 106 | Accelerated Design III * | 2.0 |
| VSST 110 | Introductory Drawing | 3.0 |
| INTR 231 | Structure | 4.0 |
| INTR 232 | Interior Studio I | 4.0 |
| INTR 220 | Visualization II: Orthographic | 3.0 |
| INTR 241 | Visualization III: Digital | 3.0 |
| INTR 200 | History of Modern Architecture and Interiors | 3.0 |
| INTR 305 [WI] | Visual Culture: Furniture | 3.0 |
| or INTR 300 | Visual Culture: Interiors | |
| ARTH 103 | History of Art- Early to Late Modern | 3.0 |
| * | Or VSST 101, VSST 102, VSST 103 (Design I, II, III; 12.0 credits). |
The program begins in the summer term with three terms of prerequisite coursework that prepares candidates for the graduate coursework. A portfolio review or evaluation by the Associate Director of the Interior Architecture & Design program determines what prerequisites have been satisfied. Contact the Graduate Studies in Interior Architecture + Design for specific information about prerequisites or to make an appointment for review and evaluation.
Degree Requirements
The full-time graduate coursework combines seven terms of faculty-directed coursework in interior design, including a student-initiated thesis.
The 63.0 credits that make up the graduate requirement include a visual studies sequence as well as elective coursework in the following areas: interior design seminars on specific topics; advanced studies in art, art history, and interior design; and independent studies. This allows individual flexibility in curriculum design.
| Required Courses | ||
| Studios | ||
| INTR 722 | Graduate Studio A | 4.0 |
| INTR 723 | Studio A Seminar | 2.0 |
| INTR 732 | Graduate Studio B | 4.0 |
| INTR 733 | Studio B Seminar | 2.0 |
| INTR 742 | Graduate Studio C | 4.0 |
| INTR 743 | Studio C Seminar | 2.0 |
| INTR 752 | Graduate Studio D | 4.0 |
| INTR 753 | Studio D Seminar | 2.0 |
| INTR 762 | Graduate Studio E | 4.0 |
| INTR 763 | Studio E Seminar | 2.0 |
| Visual Studies | ||
| VSST 501 | Contemporary Art Issues | 3.0 |
| VSST 502 | Space/Time I | 3.0 |
| VSST 503 | Space/Time II | 3.0 |
| IAD Seminars | ||
| Electives | 12.0 | |
| Thesis | ||
| INTR 894 | Thesis Programming | 3.0 |
| INTR 895 | Thesis Seminar I | 1.5 |
| INTR 896 | Thesis Seminar II | 1.5 |
| INTR 897 | Thesis - Development | 3.0 |
| INTR 898 | Thesis - Documentation | 3.0 |
| Comprehensive Exam | ||
| INTR 899 | Comp Exam for Interior Design * | 0.0 |
| Graduate Review * | ||
| Total Credits | 63.0 | |
| * | INTR 899 consists of two components: a series of sketch problems and design competitions that must be completed during the two + graduate years and a faculty review of a portfolio presentation of a body of student-selected work. |
Facilities
Facilities include interior design studios, an interior design resource library, a professionally operated woodshop, painting/sculpture studios, and computer laboratories. The Leonard Pearlstein Gallery provides exhibition facilities for students and faculty work as well as the work of area artists and professionals.
Philadelphia, one of the nation's major design centers, gives interior design students the vitality of the contemporary arts at local galleries; easy access to many museums, libraries, renowned buildings, and access to the resources of The Marketplace, as well as design centers located in New York City and Washington, D.C.
Courses
INTR 722 Graduate Studio A 4.0 Credits
Investigates the manipulation of the spatial volume within the context of a small-scale environment. Covers diagramming, parti and design concept for complex spatial requirements with elements such as partitions, heating/ventilating and cooling, lighting and plumbing. Graphic communication through digital and multimedia. Professionally juried.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: INTR 232 [Min Grade: C]
INTR 723 Studio A Seminar 2.0 Credits
Focused study in environmental systems and the impact they have on the interior environment. Focused study in digital communication and its use in the discipline of interior design.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: INTR 232 [Min Grade: C]
INTR 732 Graduate Studio B 4.0 Credits
Focuses on design of a small-scale interior with emphasis on programmatic requirements leading to a synthesized and identifiable environment. Studies concept and design development; programming; space planning; selection of furniture, finishes and equipment; lighting systems; architectural details; code compliance and presentation. Professionally juried.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: INTR 722 [Min Grade: C]
INTR 733 Studio B Seminar 2.0 Credits
Focused study in lighting systems and the impact they have on the interior environment. Focused study in color and materials and the appropriateness to the project specific interior.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: INTR 722 [Min Grade: C]
INTR 742 Graduate Studio C 4.0 Credits
Focuses on a given environment with necessary architectural changes that meets the residential space requirements of particular clients. Nurtures recognition of and respect for the quality of interior architecture, volume and its ornament. Develops original approaches to furniture planning, lighting, interior elaboration, furniture, color and finish selection. Professionally juried.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: INTR 732 [Min Grade: C]
INTR 743 Studio C Seminar 2.0 Credits
Focused study in interior architectural detailing and the impact it has on the design of the interior environment. Focused study and documentation of furniture, finishes and ornament in the residential environment.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: INTR 732 [Min Grade: C]
INTR 752 Graduate Studio D 4.0 Credits
Analyzes and develops corporate design using programs, adjacency diagrams and office systems to design the work environment. Emphasizes creating a design concept based on client identity and expressing that concept through interior planning and appropriate selection of furniture, materials and finishes consistent with contract interiors. Requires building codes analysis, sustainability issues and a set of construction documents. Professionally juried.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: INTR 742 [Min Grade: C]
INTR 753 Studio D Seminar 2.0 Credits
Focused study and analysis of user needs as it relates to the design decision process and the impact that has on the interior environment. Focused study of building codes and the construction documentation of the commercial interior environment.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: INTR 742 [Min Grade: C]
INTR 762 Graduate Studio E 4.0 Credits
Focuses and addresses current trends in the field of interior design. Studio contexts will be varied and will provide for investigative study on subjects of specific environmental concern to students and faculty. Programming, codes, professional ethics and presentation methods will be incorporated. Professionally juried.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: INTR 752 [Min Grade: C]
INTR 763 Studio E Seminar 2.0 Credits
Focused study and analysis of user needs as it relates to programming and the importance that it has on the success of the interior environment. Focused study of building codes, professional ethics and development of multimedia presentation methods.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: INTR 752 [Min Grade: C]
INTR 799 Special Topics in Interior Design 3.0 Credits
Provides current, in-depth study in the field of interior design, interdisciplinary studies, and other related areas. May be repeated for credit if topics vary.
Repeat Status: Can be repeated multiple times for credit
INTR 860 Advanced Independent Study in Interior Design 1.0-3.0 Credit
Provides advanced individual study in interior design in a specialized area. May be repeated for credit. Department permission required.
Repeat Status: Can be repeated multiple times for credit
INTR 864 Material Investigations 3.0 Credits
This course provides for investigative study of materials that shape the interior environment. Exploration of materials through application, research, codes and hands-on presentation are addressed.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is INTR.
INTR 865 Lighting Seminar 3.0 Credits
Develops and deals with many dimensions of light that must be understood if natural and artificial lighting are to be incorporated in the interior design of a building. Provides a series of investigations that allow the student to predict visual effects, meet minimum sight requirements, and ensure visual comfort. Offers a practical guide for achieving brightness patterns as well as required quantities of light, and discusses the characteristics of light sources in terms of their relationship to room size and shape, materials, and structural features. Requires a final presentation. Professionally juried.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
INTR 868 Presentation Seminar 3.0 Credits
Provides an opportunity for independent and investigative study in various aspects of the presentation of ideas. Encourages experimentation with fine arts media, drafting media, and digital media, with an emphasis on professionalism and craft. Professionally juried.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
INTR 869 Business Practice Seminar in Interior Design 3.0 Credits
Examines business and management issues associated with the organization and operation of a design firm. Provides an understanding of the history and organization of the interior design profession; business methods, practices, and procedures; legal and ethical obligations; and relationships with clients, related professions, and the trades.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
INTR 870 Environmental Topics in Design 3.0 Credits
Provides an opportunity for investigative study on subjects of specific environmental concern to students and faculty. May be repeated for credit if topics vary.
Repeat Status: Can be repeated multiple times for credit
INTR 894 Thesis Programming 3.0 Credits
Focuses on the process of defining an appropriate thesis topic, writing a succinct proposal, research methodologies and the development of a research plan.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
INTR 895 Thesis Seminar I 1.5 Credit
Small group discussion and critique sessions with faculty advisors and thesis students. Focusing on research, data collection, programming and building and site selection.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
INTR 896 Thesis Seminar II 1.5 Credit
Continuation of Thesis Seminar I in which there is a small group discussion and critique sessions with faculty advisors and thesis students. Focusing on design development, documentation and presentation.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: INTR 897 [Min Grade: C]
INTR 897 Thesis - Development 3.0 Credits
Provides faculty guidance to enable students to identify and investigate an aspect of interior design. May include establishment of philosophical base, data collection, study of comparable or similar programs and spaces, writing of a design program, building selection and measurement, and preliminary design development. Includes professionally juried presentation.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: INTR 894 [Min Grade: C]
INTR 898 Thesis - Documentation 3.0 Credits
Allows development and refinement of design responses to the program of INTR 897 through in-depth analysis of the design problem. Involves evaluation of work on the basis of the understanding of the design process, the execution of the concept and the extent of development, and the emergence of a design character appropriate both to the student as a designer and to the resolution of the specific problem. Includes professionally juried final presentation.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: INTR 897 [Min Grade: C]
INTR 899 Comp Exam for Interior Design 0.0 Credits
Required of candidates for the M.S. degree.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
