Interior Architecture & Design

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN MAJOR

The Interior Architecture + Design program prepares students for professional-level entrance into the design field. Students will learn contemporary design techniques, have access to state-of-the art design technology, build a personal portfolio, and gain workplace experience through internships

Students will pursue a well-rounded interior architecture and design degree that integrates technical know-how and artistic vision, develops your creative potential.

Accredited by the Council for Interior Architecture and Design Accreditation (CIDA), CVPA’s Interior Architecture + Design program is the only public option in New England. The Interior Architecture + Design program prepares students for eventual licensure as a designer. Students will be eligible to complete the three-part National Council for Interior Design Qualifications (NCIDQ) exam and receive national certification.

Interior architects work for a wide range of clients. They work in hospitality, healthcare, commercial, corporate, residential, retail and institutional design. Many interior architecture and design professionals work in niches such as environmental design, historic preservation, furniture design, ergonomics, and health and safety.

Many graduates of the Interior Architecture + Design program go on to graduate school, to pursue a Master of Interior Design, Master of Architecture, Master of Sustainability Design, MBA, or other advanced degrees. For the Bachelor of Science (BS) in Art + Design - Interior Architecture + Design, students must complete a total of 120 credit hours. This includes 63 credits for the major, 12 Art Foundation, 6 Art History, 6 specialized IAD History, 27 credits for College and University Study requirements, and 6 open elective credits. IAD 400 internship can be substituted with an approved elective if the student desires.

The program emphasizes applied skills that one can take directly into the workplace. The project-based curriculum covers exposure to the diversity of the field, including residential, office, retail, and hospitality. One will gain mastery over the technical side of interior architecture and design, while developing your creativity via numerous interior design projects.

All full-time faculty are NCIDQ certified and have years of industry experience. IA+D faculty are a diverse group representing many facets of the field, including architects, engineers, and both residential and commercial designers.

https://www.umassd.edu/programs/interior-architecture-design

Foundations Program

Required of All Majors (except Art History and Music)

The Foundations Program is a rigorous program designed to promote creativity, to develop technical and conceptual skills, and to provide an essential awareness of our visual culture. Its drawing, two-dimensional, three-dimensional, and digital courses serves as prerequisites-requisites for all 200 or higher-level courses in Art + Design and Art Education programs. Its art history component, Introduction to the Study of Art, serves as a prerequisite for higher-level Art History Program study that is demanded by each of the studio art departments.

Except where transfer or advance placement examination credits are accepted in lieu of requirements, first-year students may expect to take five courses, totaling 15 credits, in each of their two first-year semesters. The exception being Art Education majors due to of licensure requirements and increased credit load.

The successful completion of the Foundations program is a required of all candidates for a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree from the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Foundations Requirements

Complete 12 Credits

FOU 101 - Visual Arts Seminar Credits: 3
FOU 110 - Foundation:Struct Drawing Credits: 3
FOU 120 - 2D Form and Surface Credits: 3
FOU 130 - 3D Form and Space Credits: 3
Or
FOU 140 - Digital Essentials Credits: 3

IAD Requirements

IAD 101 - Interior Architecture and Design Studio I: An Introduction Credits: 3
IAD 102 - Studio II: Residential Design Credits: 3
IAD 107 - Construction Documents Credits: 3
IAD 201 - Studio III: Sustainable Design Credits: 3
IAD 202 - Studio IV: Lighting Applications Credits: 3
IAD 204 - Building Construction and Codes Credits: 3
IAD 205 - Perspective Drawing & Rendering Credits: 3
IAD 212 - CAD Detailing and Construction Credits: 3
IAD 216 - Textiles, Products & Materials Credits: 3
IAD 218 - Lighting Design Credits: 3
IAD 301 - Studio V: Hospitality Design Credits: 3
IAD 310 - History of Furniture & Interiors Credits: 3
IAD 312 - Advanced CAD Applications Credits: 3
IAD 315 - Furniture Design and Human Factors Credits: 3
IAD 317 - Global Design Credits: 3
IAD 320 - Environmental Building Systems Credits: 3
IAD 400 - Internship Credits: 3
IAD 401 - Interior Architecture and Design Studio VII: Special Topics Credits: 3
IAD 414 - Professional Practice Credits: 3
IAD 440 - Pre-thesis: Programmatic Research Credits: 3
IAD 450 - Thesis Credits: 6
IAD 451 - Portfolio and Development Credits: 3

ARH Required Courses

ARH 102 - Introduction to the History of Art Credits: 3
ARH 200 - Theory & Criticism of Art & Design Credits: 3

Specialized IAD History Courses

IAD 306 - History of Architecture Credits: 3
IAD 310 - History of Furniture & Interiors Credits: 3

University Studies / Distribution

ENL 2XX Literature elective - Credits: 3
MTH Mathematics elective - Credits: 3
Science electives, 3 credits from each area (The Natural World and The Engaged Community) - Credits: 6
The Social World: 3 credits from three areas (Human Questions and Contexts, The Nature of US Society, The Nature of the Global Society) - Credits: 9

ENL 101 - Critical Writing and Reading I Credits: 3
ENL 102 - Critical Writing and Reading II Credits: 3

Electives

Two courses at any level, may include studios - Credits: 6