Interior Design

Pre-Major

Beginning Fall semester 2010, a student who intends to pursue a degree in Interior Design will be classified as an Interior Design Pre-Major when admitted to the University. In order to achieve major status the student must complete at least 30 hours of college courses (including the following) and:

• Complete ART 1200, 1440, 1450, 1500, 1510 and ADES 1625 with a grade of C or better;
• Completed ADES 2630 and 2640 with a grade of C or better;
• Submit a portfolio and pass the sophomore review during enrollment in ADES 2640;
• Have at least a 2.50 GPA on the required Art courses;
• Have a minimum 2.25 UNT grade point average.

After successfully meeting these requirements a degree plan will be processed converting the student to Interior Design major status.

Overview

Interior designers create the environments in which we live, work and conduct our daily business. They work with residential and non-residential spaces and generally specialize in one or the other. They understand not only the fundamentals of design, but also its technical development in such areas as drafting, computer-aided design, presentation and interior construction. Interior designers also must know lighting and building systems and federal, state and local building codes.

Before beginning a project, the interior designer meets with a client to determine the intended use of a space and to learn about the client?s tastes. Interior designers prepare drawings and specifications for interior construction and work closely with architects and builders. They design lighting and interior details, coordinate colors and select furniture. They also plan additions and renovations.

Many graduates of UNT's interior design program work as designers with established design and architectural firms or own their own businesses. Teaching interior design at the college level may require an advanced degree.

Undergraduate Program

The Interior Design curriculum at the University of North Texas is based on the belief that interior designers have design responsibilities for all spaces built for human occupancy. The curriculum prepares the student for challenges found in accepting and analyzing a problem, assessing existing conditions, researching and synthesizing a solution, visually and orally presenting a solution, and reviewing the process for insights for future improvements, all with the goal of creating interior design solutions for the improvement of the physical environment and the protection of the safety of the inhabitants.

The Interior Design program has been continuously accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (formerly FIDER) beginning in 1977. CIDA provides the foundation for excellence in the interior design profession by setting standards for education and accrediting academic programs that meet those standards. Specific information regarding this accreditation can be found at http://www.accredit-id.org.

Strong enrollments in the Design Department programs have required the implementation of enrollment management programs. In Interior Design there is a two-step portfolio process. The first portfolio review occurs in the spring semester that the student completes the Art Core and Introduction to Interior Design. This group of applicants is reduced to a maximum of 56 students who are then eligible to enroll in the sophomore level interior design courses. In the spring of the sophomore year, through another portfolio review, this group is further reduced to a maximum of 36 students who are considered majors. The submission requirements are amended each year and can be found on this web site beginning in late October.

• Suggested Undergraduate Curriculum *12/9/11 - To Be Revised - Please Request Information Through CVAD Student Services*
• Revised 2012 Entry Review *Updated 12/9/11* Entry Review (PDF)
• Approval Form for Course Substitution and/or Pre-registration Approval Form (PDF).
• 2012 Sophomore Portfolio Review Sophomore Review (PDF).
• 2012 ADES2530 Enrollment Code Application (PDF).

Transfer Students

All Interior Design transfer students are required to submit a portfolio of work and transcripts for evaluation by the Interior Design faculty. Prospective transfer students may schedule a time for advising regarding transcripts and portfolios in the first two weeks of the fall and spring long semesters.. This will give the student sufficient time to prepare for the review(s). Transfer portfolios will not be reviewed at other times during the academic year.

Graduate Students

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics - 3 of 10 interior designers are self-employed. Most interior designers specialize and competition is increasingly keen, especially in the commercial fields such as health care, hospitality and corporate design. There is and will continue to be a need for professionals with specialized expertise that a graduate program can provide. Areas of research focus served by MFA candidates at UNT that can further your career path whether for a new position or new directions in an existing position include: Pedagogy, Sustainability and green design, Advances in materials, Lighting, Color and color theory, Multidisciplinary opportunities, and Presentation techniques including advanced medias.

The UNT Interior Design MFA program curriculum is based on independent study. The student is required to have a concentrated area of study, focusing on a specific topic in interior design and its related fields. The minor field of study must be chosen within the School of Visual Arts. Students, who apply for admission, must have a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree or its equivalent in interior design, and have at least two years of experience in the interiors industry. Interior Design graduate students are expected to have mastered the basics of the Interior Design profession, and be ready to research a specific topic. Applicants with identified deficiencies in professional experience or undergraduate coursework will be required to do additional undergraduate coursework, or leveling, before being accepted into the interior design MFA program. ID MFA graduates 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. This graduate level investigation includes both studio work and scholarly research. In the course of the 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.

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.

• Application Information (US Residents) for the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Design with a concentration in Interior Design (PDF opens in a new window).
• Application Information for Non-US Residents for the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Design with a concentration in Interior Design (PDF opens in a new window).

Faculty & Staff

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