Master of Science in Interior Architecture

(beginning fall 2011)

Dean, School of Architecture: Vini Nathan, Ph.D., 215.951.2828 (phone), 215.951.2110 (fax), nathanv@philau.edu

Interim Program Director: Vini Nathan, Ph.D.

Campus Location: Main Campus

Website: www.Philau.edu

Degree Program

M.S. in Interior Architecture

Beginning fall 2011, the Master of Science in Interior Architecture will provide students with the knowledge and skills to practice as interior designers in small, medium, and large scale offices, which specialize in all areas of the profession including residential, commercial, corporate, healthcare, hospitality, and education. This degree is intended to be a first professional degree, which will meet the needs of students whose bachelors’ degrees are in allied fields of study, as well as those with non-design bachelor’s degrees. Areas of study will include foundation two-dimensional and three-dimensional design, advanced spatial/interior design, analogue and digital representation techniques, programming, sustainable design, building structures, construction methods and technologies, building systems and lighting, color theory, design detailing, materials, finishes, codes, barrier free design, universal design, professional practice and ethics. A focus of the program will be imparting a holistic approach to the design of interior environments along with a complete knowledge of the building technologies and construction. Additionally, our 15 years of experience in teaching sustainable and ecological design at the undergraduate level and recently at the graduate level will be fully integrated into the curriculum. This understanding of ecological/sustainable design is very marketable in the field with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design(LEED) certifications of interior design professionals in high demand.

Students will be prepared to graduate and work for the largest of corporate firms anywhere in the state, country and abroad. After completing their internships in the field, they will be fully prepared to sit for and pass the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) certification exam, which is recommended throughout the U.S. and Canada. The M.S. in Interior Architecture Program’s placement in the School of Architecture represents our philosophical belief and practical understanding of the cross-disciplinary nature and relationship among interior design, architecture, landscape architecture, sustainable design, and construction management. This is a pedagogical strength of this program and presents a considerable advantage to students. This degree program will provide a balance between a complete knowledge of the discipline and various skill sets needed for practical application, thereby ensuring that a graduate will be successful in principal, management, design or production positions. Our choice of the name Interior Architecture over Interior Design is a further reflection of our philosophy and pedagogy emphasizing the design of the entire interior environment encompassing all parts of the interior volume and acknowledging the continuum between architecture and interiors.

The target audience for this degree program will include two distinct groups: 1) graduates from undergraduate programs in allied design or engineering fields such as architecture, industrial design, architectural engineering, visual arts and design; and 2) graduates from undergraduate programs in unrelated fields such as liberal arts, business and the sciences who are seeking a career change. The proposed program will be a 3-2 program with 69 credits required over three years for students with unrelated bachelor’s degrees and 49-69 credits for those with related bachelor’s degrees.

Conditional Requirements

Before matriculation in the fall semester, a student must have acquired specific skill sets and introductory-level knowledge bases. The director of the M.S. in Interior Architecture Program will review each applicant’s academic and work history to determine readiness for graduate-level study. Students who are judged and evaluated in certain content areas will be admitted into the program for the full three-year sequence, or be required to take only select courses from the Year 1 curriculum, or be permitted to enter starting at Year 2.

Curriculum Scope and Sequence:

The program is designed as a 49-69 credit, 15-21 course curriculum that can be completed in two to three years depending on a student’s background and pending course requirements. Students with undergraduate degrees from allied fields may be able to complete the program in two years (49 credits/15 courses). Those with undergraduate degrees in unrelated fields, such as liberal arts and sciences, may need the full three-year 69-credit /21-course sequence. All courses, except the abroad semester and internship, will be offered in two, 15-week semesters per year. The exceptions are the fall semester of Year 2, which will have a seven-week abroad semester and a seven-week on-campus semester for a total of fourteen weeks; and the internship, which will be in the summer after Year 2. The summer internship will require the student to complete a minimum of 320 hours (8 weeks x 40 hrs/wk.) work experience in an architecture or interior design firm under the supervision of an academic and a professional advisor.

Course Sequence Chart

SEMESTER COURSES

FALL SEMESTER – YEAR 1

(Required for those with unrelated undergraduate degrees) 

SPRING SEMESTER – YEAR 1

(Required for those with unrelated undergraduate degrees)

FALL SEMESTER – YEAR 2

(Required) 7 Weeks Abroad:

1 WEEK BREAK

7 WEEKS ON CAMPUS:

SPRING SEMESTER –YEAR 2

(Required)

SUMMER – YEAR 2

(Required)

FALL SEMESTER– YEAR 3

(Required)

SPRING SEMESTER – YEAR 3

(Required)

Year 2 + Year 3 subtotal (49 credits)

Total credits required for graduation (49-69 credits)