Understanding The Field Of Interior Design - Marymount University

A Guide toUnderstanding the Field ofInterior Design1

About this GuideThis guide is designed to give anoverview of the field of interior designas a whole and then outline thespecifics of pursuing the Master ofArts in Interior Design at MarymountUniversity. This guide’s target audienceis prospective graduate studentsconsidering pursuing a career ininterior design. Here at MarymountUniversity, we hope that this guide willgive you a better understanding of thebenefits that come with the completionof an advanced degree programin interior design at Marymountand how pursuing such a degreecan prepare you for professionaladvancement and success.About MarymountUniversityMarymount University is anindependent, coeducational Catholicuniversity located in suburbanNorthern Virginia that was founded in1950 by the Religious of the SacredHeart of Mary (RSHM). A Marymounteducation is grounded in the liberalarts, promotes career preparation,and provides opportunities forpersonal and professional growth.Marymount also prides itself onproviding a graduate educationthat is immediately applicableto the workplace. As a studentcentered learning environment,Marymount is dedicated to theintellectual, ethical, and spiritualdevelopment of each individual.2

About the AuthorThea Scott-Fundling, Director of theInterior Design Graduate Programs,teaches an expansive curriculum ofgraduate and undergraduate courses inthe Master of Arts in Interior Design atMarymount University. Her career spans25 years of professional experience indesign of projects with Brand & AllenArchitects in Houston Texas, HughesGroup Architects in Sterling, VA, andDesign Matters, PC in Reston, VA. Herexpertise extends from strategic planningin office environments, library andlearning environments, high-end retaildesign, residential designs, and museumdesign management in the U.S. Her workincludes projects such as the HerndonLibrary, the University of Maryland FireStation, the Reinsch Library for MarymountUniversity, and the National Museum ofAfrican American History and Culture, D.C.Professor Scott-Fundling examinesthe role of interior design in societyto inform the process of creatingphysical spaces that respect end usersand the natural world. This involvesintegrating research with designpractice, exploring the perception ofinterior design’s “experiential” aspectsemphasized in the user experience,and analyzing how design brings asense of value, inclusiveness, andaccessibility to the built environment.3

What isInterior Design?Interior design is a multi-facetedprofession in which creative andtechnical solutions are applied withina structure to achieve a built interiorenvironment. These solutions arefunctional and enhance the qualityof life and culture of the occupantsand are aesthetically attractive.Designs are created in response toand coordinated with the buildingshell and acknowledge the physicallocation and social context of theproject. Designs must adhere tocode and regulatory requirementsand encourage the principles ofenvironmental sustainability. Theinterior design process followsa systematic and coordinatedmethodology — including research,analysis, and integration of knowledgeinto the creative process — wherebythe needs and resources of the clientare satisfied to produce an interiorspace that fulfills the project goals.Interior design includes a scope ofservices performed by a professionaldesign practitioner, qualified bymeans of education, experience,and examination in order toprotect and enhance the health,life, and welfare of the public.4

It is not enough for a provider of interiordesign services to understand how to createspaces that are aesthetically pleasing. It isat least as vital that they can design publicand private interior spaces that meet currentsafety standards, and that the public feelsconfident in their ability to do that. In today’sincreasingly competitive marketplace,the NCIDQ Certification demonstratesthat you are uniquely qualified througheducation, experience, and examinationto competently practice interior designin all of its facets, including aestheticsand safety standards. More than 30,000people around the world have earnedthe prestigious NCIDQ Certification, themark of a professional interior designer.It’s complicated. It’s dynamic. It’s constantlychanging — interior design is a professionthat works to enhance the human experiencewith good design that changes lives.According to the NCIDQ,“Interior design is theart and science ofunderstanding people’sbehavior to createfunctional spaces within abuilding. Decoration is thefurnishing or adorning of aspace with fashionable orbeautiful things. In short,interior designers maydecorate, but decoratorsdo not design.Interior designers applycreative and technicalsolutions within a structurethat are functional,attractive, and beneficial tothe occupants’ quality oflife and culture.”District Farmsby Kirsten Eyler5

CareerOutlookWhat will the job salaryand career outlook be forinterior designers overthe next five years?Employment of interior designers inthe U.S. is expected to grow about4 percent from 2014-2024. This is abit slower than the average of otheroccupations. However, employmentof interior designers in specializeddesign services such as hospitality,healthcare, and commercial/corporate design are expected togrow 8 percent. 25 percent of firmsof all sizes and specialties intend tohire new employees in the next year.Job seekers should look foremployment opportunities in highincome areas because wealthyindividuals are more likely to remodelor renovate their spaces. And whilethe studio and classroom afford youopportunities to gain theoreticalknowledge and technical skills,an internship/practicum providesvaluable practical experience.Practicums and Internships areavailable with nationally recognizedarchitectural and design firms,furniture and interior retailers, contractdesigners, and other organizationsaround the Washington, D.C. area.50k49k48k47k46k45k20152016The median annual salary forinterior designers in 2015 was 48,840, and in May 2016, themedian annual salary was 49,810.6

Understanding Marymount University’sM.A. in Interior DesignMarymount’s Master of Arts in InteriorDesign program strives to nurtureintellectual growth, independentlearning, and an increased capacity toengage in interior design practice.In the classroom, students will focus ondesign knowledge and skills, as wellas a comprehensive design processwith emphasis on the developmentof programming skills. This includesproficiencies that address client oruser goals and needs, graphic andwritten communication, problemsolving, critical thinking, ethics, andsocial responsibility. Scholarly researchis promoted through application incoursework and independent learningas well as the thesis or design research.The coursework at Marymount willprovide an increased understandingof human needs within the builtenvironment as required for practice oreducation and research. Courseworkalso fosters an interdisciplinaryapproach to design, while supportingindependent and lifelong learning.7

Graduates of the M. Wilhelmina Boldt InteriorDesign program at Marymount will be:Prepared with the techniques and skills necessaryin competent interior design practiceProvided the foundation for the explorationof a specific aspect of the professionAble to understand and conduct scholarly researchto expand the profession’s body of knowledgeQualified to assume leadership roles in the interior design fieldWhat interior design professional organizationsdoes Marymount partner with?Marymount partners with ASID and IIDA, interior design professionalorganizations: Marymount University’s student organization for Interior Designmajors is the Interior Design Alliance (IDA). As a member, you can join eitherAmerican Society of Interior Designers (ASID) or the International InteriorDesign Association (IIDA) or both. The Interior Design Alliance sponsorsand organizes special events, lectures on special topics and industrytrends, portfolio reviews, and trips for students. Membership in studentorganizations is a proven way to meet design professionals and jump-start thenetworking process. ID graduate students are encouraged to join the IDA.click to discover moreclick to discover more8

According to ASID:“Design transforms lives and ASIDserves the full range of the interiordesign profession and practicethrough the Society’s programs,networks, and advocacy. We thriveon the strength of cross-functionaland interdisciplinary relationshipsamong designers of all specialties,including workplace, healthcare, retailand hospitality, education, institutional,and residential. We lead interiordesigners in shared conversationsaround topics that matter: from evidencebased and humancentric design to socialresponsibility, wellbeing, and sustainability.We showcase the impact of design on thehuman experience and the value interiordesigners provide.”According to IIDA:“The International Interior Design Association (IIDA)is a professional networking and educationalassociation of more than 10,000 members in8 specialty Forums, 9 Regions, and more than50 Chapters around the world committedto enhancing the quality of life throughexcellence in interior design and advancinginterior design through knowledge. IIDAmembership provides you a supportnetwork that connects you to peers,clients, and educators while offering youthe opportunity to advance your careerthrough continuing education, industryrecognition, and relevant research.”9

AcademicTracksMarymount Offers Two AcademicTracks in its Interior Design ProgramWhether you are just beginning a career as an interior designer or advancingyour current professional interior design knowledge and skills, MarymountUniversity can fit your needs – offering two tracks in our Interior Design program.First Professional Degree66-credit academic track for those with a baccalaureate degreenot in interior design or architecture. Students are subject tograduate student academic policies and procedures as stated inthis catalog while taking the undergraduate leveling courses.Post-professional Degree34-credit academic track for those with an accreditedundergraduate degree in interior design or architecture.10

How to Apply for Marymount’sInterior Design ProgramsSince there are two degree trackswithin the M.A. offered at Marymount,admissions requirements differ basedon which academic track you choose.First Professional DegreePost-Professional DegreeThe first professional degreeprogram’s mission is to educateprofessional interior designersto work effectively withincontemporary constraints in achanging society and professionand to formulate design conceptsfor a better human environment.The post-professional degreeprogram’s mission is to educatepractitioners to develop a greatercapacity to engage in interior designpractice, education, and research,to become more proficient in aspecific area of the interior designpractice, and to actively engagein research and evidence-basedinterior design to increase thebody of knowledge in the field.Students may attend on afull- or part-time basis.Students may attend on a fullor part-time basis. In addition touniversitywide requirements forgraduate admission, applicants musthave or expect to earn a bachelor’sdegree from an accreditedcollege or university beforeenrollment in the first professionalgraduate degree program.In addition to university-widerequirements for graduate admission,applicants who have or will have abachelor’s degree in interior designor architecture from an accreditedcollege or university prior toenrollment in the post-professionaltrack must provide the following itemsto be considered for admission:11