Architecture — Interior Design

Our architecture, interior design program was ranked by design professionals at more than 200 U.S. firms who make hiring decisions and performance evaluations as one of the best programs for preparing students for real-world success.

This 36-credit hour program is designed to approach the design of the built environment as user-centered, providing a basis for informed design decisions. Students need to be a graduate of a CIDA undergraduate
program to be considered for the master’s program.

It's understood that the most important design aspect of the built environment is the satisfaction of the user’s physical, psycho social, and spiritual needs and the protection of their health, safety and well-being.

This specialization:

• Provides you with a diverse skill set and career options
• Continues a proud tradition of design excellence and leadership in education and research
• Prepares you for leadership roles in developing theory and applying it to the current interior environments
• Provides research and theory-based problem-solving skills for the increased complexity of interior built environments
• Combines previous education, practical experience and scholarly inquiry into creating new knowledge to advance the discipline

Program & Courses

Offered completely online, you're able to complete coursework at times convenient for you, in addition to having multi-way interaction with the instructor and other students in class.

Even though the classes do not meet at a scheduled time and place, you are expected to progress with class assignments and interact as if you were attending a course on campus.

To fulfill requirements of the program you must:

• Maintain a 3.0 GPA
• Pass the required cumulative examinations
• Pass an oral examination covering your area of preparation and thesis research
• Complete the requirements for the thesis

Core Requirements (9 credits)

IDES 886 Evolving Issues in Interior Design 3 credit hours

• Contemporary and controversial issues. Nuances of the field and practice of interior design and its relationship to the allied design disciplines.

IDES 856 Behavioral and Social Factors in Environmental Design Behavior 3 credit hours

• Survey of theory, methods, research, and findings from the social and behavioral sciences as they relate to architectural design, interior design and regional and community planning. Application of principles to the development of architectural and interiors programs and designs and to the planning process.

IDES 870 Design Problems in the Interior Built Environment 3 credit hours

• Strategies for teaching and learning directly related to studio education.

Discipline/Theory (6 credits to be selected in consultation with advisor.)

The following represents possible course selections:

IDES 858 The Changing Workplace 3 credit hours

• Survey and integration of theory, methods, research and findings from the social, behavioral, and managerial sciences as they relate to the design of work environments. Factors effecting change in the contemporary workplace.

IDES 860 Preservation and Meaning of Historic Interiors 3 credit hours

• Restoration, conservation, renovation, or adaptive reuse of historic interiors. Energy feasibility for the older structure.

IDES 882 Color in the Built Environment 3 credit hours

• Advanced color theories and their application to the Built environment.

IDES 884 Material Culture: the Social Life of Things 3 credit hours

• The theories and practices of material culture. History and interior design--and the broad category of humanity itself--through the lens of material objects.

IDES 883 Domesticity and Power in the Colonial World 3 credit hours

• Re-examines the relationship between architecture, politics, and ethical values by looking at colonial architecture as a world-wide phenomenon. The colonial domestic sphere is viewed as a counterpoint to the public arena.

ARCH 841 Architecture History & Theory II 3 credit hours

• Selected aspects of the history and theory of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century architecture emphasizing the intellectual impact and material expression of cultural change.

ARCH 842 Contemporary Architecture 3 credit hours

• Selected aspects of contemporary architectural theory and design from the mid-twentieth century to the present emphasizing the diversity of current thought and practice.

ARCH 857 Housing Issues in Contemporary Society2 credit hours

• Survey of social, psychological, political and economic research regarding housing in today's global economy. Focuses on how the research can impact the practice of design at the interior and architectural as well as the community and regional planning scale.

ARCH 846 Architecture, Society, and Culture II 3 credit hours

• Theory and criticism in architecture since 1945 as related to contemporary American society and culture, with reference to those paralleled in other humanities disciplines, including arts, linguistics, literary criticism, and philosophy.

ARCH 863 Architectural Preservation,3 credit hours

• Introduction to the principles, processes, and practice of architectural preservation and the conservation of historic districts.

ARCH 897 Digital Environments 3 credit hours

• Research Methods/Analytical Techniques (6 credits to be selected in consultation with advisor)

ARCH/IDES 885 Research Methods in Architecture and Interior Design 3 credit hours

• Research methods employed by the diverse specializations within the disciplines of architecture and interior design. Methods which contribute to a theoretical and informational body of knowledge as well as those contributing directly to design application.

Research Methods 3 (to be selected from existing courses outside the department)

• Quantitative Research Methods
• Qualitative Research Methods
• Historical Research Methods

Campus-wide Electives (3-6 credit hours)

In consultation with their interior design advisor, campus-wide electives can be chosen from graduate courses within the disciplines of psychology, sociology, anthropology, business and history.

Independent Field Research or Graduate Internship (3-6 credit hours)

Thesis (6 credit hours)

• The thesis will be used to gain new insights and to develop theory or to contribute to the body of knowledge that can in turn advance the discipline and practice of interior design.

Total Credits - 36 credit hours

Application for Graduate Admission$50 non-refundable application processing feeOne set of transcripts, uploaded to MyRED (seeupload requirements)If your native language is not English: verification of English proficiencyIf you are not a US citizen and you expect to hold an F or J visa: financial resource information English Language Requirements TOEFL paper-based test score : 550 TOEFL iBT® test: 79 Technological Requirements PC Processor: Core 2 Duo or Equivalent or better Operating System: Windows XP (Home/Professional) or higher Web Conferencing: Web Camera/ Sound Card & Speakers/ Microphone or Headset with Microphone Internet Connection: High-speed DSL or Cable Modem Browser: Windows IE 7.0 or higher/ Firefox 3.0 or higher Anti-Virus: Current & Updated Anti-virus Software : Microsoft Office 2007 or higher Plug-Ins (download) : Java/ Windows Media Player/Acrobat Reader/Flash/Shockwave/Powerpoint Viewer MAC Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo or better Operating System: OS 10 X Snow Leopard Web Conferencing: Web Camera/ Sound Card & Speakers/ Microphone or Headset with Microphone Internet Connection: High-speed DSL or Cable Modem Browser: Windows IE 7.0 or higher/ Firefox 3.0 or higher/ Safari 3.0 or higher Anti-Virus: Current & Updated Anti-virus Software : Microsoft Office 2007 or higher Plug-Ins (download) : Quicktime

Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• ✔️ Flexible study schedule
• ✔️ Experienced teachers
• ✔️ Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

Enroll in the course

The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid provides information on loans and need-based funds.

Accreditation

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, one of six regional accrediting agencies. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has been continuously accredited since 1913. The Office of Academic Affairs is responsible for coordinating University efforts to prepare for the accrediting agency’s periodic site visits and reviews. The university last underwent a comprehensive self-study and site visit during the 2006-07 academic year. The next comprehensive evaluation will be in 2016-17.

UNL’s Statement of Affiliation Status (confirmation of accreditation) can be accessed on the Higher Learning Commission’s website.