Interior Design

The Master of Fine Arts in Design with a concentration in interior environments: professional entry-level option is for second-degree seekers who have a proven record of academic excellence and are interested in pursuing a career in interior design.

The 60-credit program is an intense and rigorous, highly sequenced program that takes two years and two summers to complete. Full-time enrollment and commitment is required. Students are accepted for the fall semester only. The structure of the professional entry-level track echoes the undergraduate program in content, but you will advance at an accelerated rate. Students enroll each semester in a group of courses that contains interrelated studio, graphics and support classes.

All students entering the program must attend the Introduction to Interior Design Workshop held approximately six weeks before the fall semester begins. The summer workshop introduces students to the elements and principles of interior design practice and initiates the development of skills necessary for successful completion of the first-year sequence. Students must successfully complete the workshop to begin the fall semester courses.

At the end of your first year, you must pass a candidacy review to advance into the second year of the program. If a student does not pass the summer workshop or candidacy review, he/she could be invited to apply to the B.F.A. program. An internship is required during the second summer in the program. All students are required to maintain a 3.0 GPA while in the program.

We are proud of our MFA student successes! Surveying the Class of 2022 (88% response rate), you’ll find:

• Job Placement: 100% of the students who graduated in May 2022 were employed as designers within their first year after graduation.
• Graduation Rates: 88% of the students from the MFA class of 2022 graduated within two years.
• Retention/Attrition: 100% of the students completing the 2020-21 academic year returned for the 2020-22 academic year.
• Acceptance into Graduate Programs: No MFA students applied for another graduate program after their graduation.

For more information about the Master of Fine Arts in Design with a concentration in interior environments: professional entry-level option, please download our booklet (.PDF).

The interior design program leading to the Master of Fine Arts in Design with a concentration in interior environments: professional entry-level option is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, 206 Grandville Avenue, 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 Master of Fine Arts in Design with a concentration in interior environments: professional entry-level option granted by Virginia Commonwealth University 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.