Interior Design, M.S.

Dr. Dana Moody, Program Director
423-425-4459, Dana-Moody@utc.edu

 

The Interior Design MS degree addresses the skills needed for individuals within the building industry interested in career specializations that focus on urban revitalization and the built environment. 

Mission Statement

The UTC Interior Design MS degree program prepares students at a post professional level to gain a design specialization through interdisciplinary inquiry that explore issues confronting the built environment in the context of urban revitalization.

Student Learning Outcome

• Scholarly Research: Student will perform scholarly research in an effort to contribute to the Interior Design Body of Knowledge.
• Effective Communication: Students will be effective communicators, responsible citizens, and lifelong learners through the development of critical thinking, problem solving skills, and ethical and cultural awareness. 
• Community Engagement: Students will work collaboratively with others within the community, demonstrating effective social interaction skills appropriate to the occasion, task, and audience.
• Curriculum Development: Students will demonstrate critical thinking in the development of Interior Design curriculum. Accreditation standards and assessment will be implemented.
• Critical Thinking: Students will think critically, analytically, and reflectively. Students will apply systematic thought; evaluate arguments; identify relevant assumptions or implications; and formulate coherent arguments. Students will use existing knowledge to generate new ideas and demonstrate the ability to solve problems.
• Ethical and Responsible Behavior: Students will work toward the ethical achievement of the profession of Interior Design. Students will transfer learning to daily practice as socially responsible citizens. Accountability for ones decisions and actions will be demonstrated.

Admission

Admission into the UTC Interior Design M.S degree program will be based on a holistic assessment of the following criteria:

1. Applicants must obtain admission to both the UTC Graduate School and the UTC Interior Design Program.
2. Applicants must meet the general UTC Graduate School requirements of graduation from a regionally accredited college or university.
3. Applicants must complete a Graduate School Application. Official transcripts from all schools attended must be submitted directly to the UTC Graduate School.
4. Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design, Architecture, or a related field with a minimum 3.0 undergraduate grade point average (GPA). Degrees in progress will be considered.  Official transcripts are required.
5. Applicant must take and submit an official score report for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
6. Applicant must complete the Interior Design Department application process:

• Upon admission to the UTC Graduate School, the UTC Graduate School will forward all required items to the Department of Interior Design.
• Potential students must submit:
  • A Statements of Interest that identifies goals and research interest, not to exceed 500 words.
  • A portfolio of undergraduate and professional work, if applicable. Print or digital versions are acceptable and should not exceed 25 images/pages. Portfolios must demonstrate competence equivalent to standards outlined by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation.
  • A minimum of three professional and/or academic letters of reference.
• Potential students must complete an in-person or phone interview.

Accelerated Graduate Program

The Accelerated Graduate Program provides qualified undergraduate students majoring in Interior Design or Interior Architecture at UTC with an opportunity to partially fulfill the requirements of the Interior Design MS degree while simultaneously completing the undergraduate degree. Admission to the Accelerated Graduate Program permits the student to begin coursework related to the Interior Design MS degree in the semester following the completion of the junior year. Accepted students can enroll in up to 12 credit hours of graduate coursework. If completed with a grade of B or better, the credit earned applies to the Interior Design MS degree. These graduate level courses do not fulfill requirements towards the BS in Interior Architecture degree.

Admission Qualifications

Students participating in an accelerated degree program must be within 30 hours of completion of their BS degree in Interior Design or Interior Architecture and have both an overall GPA and a major GPA of at least 3.25

Application Procedure

A qualified student may apply to the Interior Design MS GAP during the junior year.  A complete application will consist of:

• Admission to both the UTC Graduate School and the UTC Interior Design Graduate Program.
• An official score report for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
• A completed proposed GAP program-of -study form that describes coursework to be taken during the senior year.
• A Statement of Interest that identifies goals and research interest, not to exceed 500 words.
• A portfolio of undergraduate and professional work, if applicable. Print or digital versions are acceptable and should not exceed 25 images/pages. Portfolios must demonstrate competence equivalent to standards outlined by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation.
• An academic transcript of undergraduate coursework.
• A letter of support from the faculty research advisor who will serve as the thesis advisor.
• Complete an in-person interview.

Required Degree Hours

36 credit hours (including a Thesis/Thesis Project)

Coursework

The Interior Design M.S. degree will be a full-time degree program.  The program’s curriculum is organized into four sections:  Interior Design MS Core, Specialization Electives, Cognate Area, and Thesis/Thesis Project. The core will require students to obtain knowledge in Research and Programming, Theory and Practice, Research Methods, and Statistics, in addition to requiring students to complete a 3 credit hour field practicum.  Students will select 12 hours of departmental electives based on their chosen area of specialization.  They will also select a cognate area outside the Interior Design department for a minimum of 3 credit hours. Finally, students will choose to complete a traditional thesis or thesis design project. 

The Interior Design M.S Retention/Progression Policies

1. Student must follow the guidelines and policies for continuation as outlined in the UTC Graduate Catalog.
2. Students must successfully achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in all Interior Design courses. Students must receive a grade of C (70%) or better in a course that is required for that course to be considered as successfully completed and for that course to qualify as a prerequisite for subsequent courses in the interior design course sequence. 

The Interior Design M.S. Graduation Requirements

In order to be eligible for degree conferral, students must have completed all coursework as specified on the approved Application for Admission to Candidacy form, with no course with a grade below C presented for the degree and with a minimum average of B on each of the following:

• all coursework taken for graduate credit at UTC;
• all coursework transferred to UTC for graduate credit;
• all coursework completed to fulfill the program approved on the Application for Admission to Candidacy.

Professional Project or Thesis Capstone

Students will choose to complete a traditional thesis or a thesis design project. For both options, the student must build a strong rationale using relevant theories, develop a research plan, analyze the data, draw relevant conclusions, and make appropriate recommendations.

Program of Study - Core and Elective Courses