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About the M.F.A. in Interior Design
Attributes of Strong M.F.A. Candidates
Clarification of the M.F.A. Program
Curricular Goals & Objectives

 
Program Structure & Components
Required Qualifications
Contact Information

About the M.F.A. in Interior Design

The M.F.A. in Design with a concentration in Interior Design, ID M.F.A., in the College of Visual Arts and Design at the University of North Texas prepares students not only to meet but to define and re-invent solutions for the fundamental challenges that impact the interior design profession in an increasingly changing world.

The curriculum in the M.F.A. program are designed and taught to help future educators and designers to develop the conceptual, aesthetic, analytical and technical skills necessary to achieve their career goals. The M.F.A. is a terminal degree in this field that qualifies graduate candidates for an academic career. The M.F.A. is a “post-professional” program for individuals primarily interested in a career in teaching at the university level. Accordingly, the M.F.A. program focuses on a pedagogy sequence and research methods while formulating graduate students' research agenda.

At the end of the graduate program, our students should be well prepared to re-enter the profession with a specialized focus, or, if the minor in pedagogy is selected, in the field of interior design education in the university environment with identified areas of design research necessary for growth and tenure at the university level.  As the world evolves from an economic model based on the production of products to one that will require the production of ideas, our graduates will be uniquely positioned to become the kinds of leaders in research, education and project management that our new, globally interdependent economy will demand.

Earning an M.F.A. in Design with a concentration in Interior Design prepares graduate candidates to advance their careers in leadership and management positions in academia and public or private sector organizations. Career opportunities for UNT ID M.F.A. graduates include the following.

  • Interior design educator at the university-level
  • Research and design consultant
  • Interior design specialist in private and public organizations

Attributes of Strong M.F.A. Candidates

Candidates for the M.F.A. program in Design with a concentration in Interior Design must meet the following minimum qualifications.

  • Hold an undergraduate degree in interior design, architecture, or another closely related field.
  • Have two years of professional, full-time experience after receiving a bachelor's degree education as an interior designer.

This graduate program is designed to help people with significant professional experience as interior designers who wish to teach at the university level.

This may be the program for you if you want to improve your abilities to:

  • understand pedagogy for effective teaching
  • identify and develop a concentrated area of study, focusing on a specific topic in interior design and its related fields
  • expand your body of knowledge and contribute to knowledge exchange
  • demonstrate effective writing and presentation skills
  • investigate design solutions through research
  • review literature related to your specialty
  • comprehend appropriate research methodologies
  • analyze and synthesize new information from diverse sources
  • exercise critical thinking to create new ways of understanding
  • understand the potential impact of research on individuals, groups and society
  • build positive relationships between academia and the profession
  • work in a collaborative environment

Clarification of Master of Fine Arts program

Common misconceptions about the Master of Fine Arts program are pervasive so we would like to clarify our M.F.A. program. The M.F.A. program is a terminal degree in fine arts and design and requires a total of 60 credits, which typically takes four years to complete. It differs from other master's programs, such as a M.A. or M.S., which typically require 30 or 36 credits. Admission to the M.F.A. program requires a bachelor's degree in interior design and a minimum of two years of professional experience in the field.
 
As you consider your graduate program options, it's important to think about how they align with your long-term career goals. Our M.F.A. program is designed to prepare experienced interior design professionals to become effective design researchers and educators in higher education. It is a research-intensive, post-professional program. However, if your objective is to attain a NCIDQ certificate and work in the interior design industry, this program may not be the best fit for you.
 

Curricular Goals

The curricular goals of the M.F.A. program are to prepare our graduate students to re-enter the profession with a specialized focus, or, if the minor in pedagogy is selected, in the field of interior design education in the university environment with identified areas of design research necessary for growth and tenure at the university level.
 

Curricular Objectives

The curricular objectives of ID MFA program are to improve our students’ abilities to:
  • understand pedagogy for excellent teaching
  • understand research foundation and methodologies
  • critically review literature relevant to their research topics
  • identify and develop their research agenda
  • investigate self-elected questions by means of research
  • specialize and expand their body of knowledge
  • demonstrate effective writing and presentation skills for knowledge exchange
  • understand global impact of research on individuals, groups and society
  • work in a collaborative environment
The M.F.A. students are expected to develop a research agenda and plan a course of investigation that leads to the discovery of new insights into their chosen area of research. In the course ofWhile studying in the MFA graduate program, students are required to present a comprehensive proposal of their work and proposed final problem to a faculty committee prior to approval to move into the final stage of the degree.
 

Program Structure and Components

With each course counting as three credit hours, each candidate must successfully complete a minimum of 60 semester hours to earn the ID M.F.A. degree. All courses must be numbered 5000-level or higher. The basic program structures are as follows:
 
21–30 hours (7–10 courses) — Major concentration
9–15 hours (3–5 courses) — Minor concentration
9 hours (3 courses) — Art History 
0–9 hours (0–3 courses) — Electives 
6 hours (2 courses) — Research Methods
6 hours Problem in Lieu of Thesis
60 hours  TOTAL
 

Required Qualifications

It is expected that applicants to the ID M.F.A. meet the following qualifications.
  • An undergraduate degree in interior design, architecture, or other closely related field PLUS
  • Two years of professional full-time experience post bachelor’s degree education as an interior designer or architect.

Application Procedures for U.S. Residents vs. Non-U.S. Residents

The process of applying to the ID M.F.A. program differs based on residency: U.S. residents and non-U.S. residents.
 
• Application Procedures for U.S. Residents 
• Application Procedures for Non-U.S. Residents 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Accreditation

The interior design program leading to the B.F.A. in Interior Design is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, www.accredit-id.org, 206 César E. Chávez Ave SW, Suite 350, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503.

The CIDA-accredited program prepares students for entry-level interior design practice, for advanced study, and to apply for membership in professional interior design organizations. The B.F.A. in Interior Design granted by the University of North Texas meets the educational requirement for eligibility to sit for the National Council for Interior Design Qualification Examination (NCIDQ Exam). For more information about NCIDQ Exam eligibility visit: https://www.cidq.org/eligibility-requirements.