Interior Architecture + Design

Overview

The Master of Science program in Interior Architecture + Design at Drexel is an internationally recognized First Professional MS degree that prepares students of diverse undergraduate backgrounds to become leaders in the field of interior design. Through an integrated studio approach, coursework applies design concepts, technical information and hands-on skills to create a range of public, commercial, residential and institutional spaces. Students learn to transform space to address aesthetic, social, physical and psychological needs. In conjunction with the integrated studio, the program emphasizes independent research culminating in a master's thesis.

For additional information on scholarships, fellowships and admission requirements, visit Graduate Admissions.

Program Philosophy

The MS Interior Architecture + Design program in the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design thrives on the diverse graduate students’ educational and life experiences as they engage in a vigorous learning environment through exploration, self-learning and creativity. The program embraces the study of both the process and products of design within the human environment. The conceptualization and implementation of ideas involves aesthetics, function, ethics, technology and the realities of the marketplace. The program also embraces and validates the visual studies, which provides the foundation of design knowledge as well as the experiences and approaches of the visual arts.

Program Mission

The mission of the MS Interior Architecture + Design program is to prepare students with diverse undergraduate backgrounds to enter the field of interior design as skilled designers, creative thinkers, professional leaders and responsible citizens. We seek to cultivate students who acknowledge their responsibilities to the safety and well being of the public and the stewardship of the environment and who can lead a multifaceted profession in an ever-changing world. The curriculum is structured to teach the fundamentals of interior design, to anticipate and reflect change in a continually evolving profession and to encourage the kind of exploration and experimentation that fosters life long learners who will contribute to the profession and the discipline’s body of knowledge.

Sustainable Philosophy and Practices

The program promotes and emphasizes sustainable practices as the inherent responsibility of designers and architects. Sustainable thinking is considered to be a fundamental responsibility of contemporary design practice. The graduate program exposes students to a diverse array of sustainable approaches and techniques including new and future technologies, material innovations, green building techniques, the worth of sustainable neighborhoods including urban and social sustainability and an understanding of how these relate to the health and well-being of the interior environment and its inhabitants. This knowledge is woven through the curriculum so that students develop a civic responsibility and engagement to the preservation of our built environment through new and innovative approaches to sustainability thinking in design.