Architecture, MS (Interior Design)
Master of Science Degree in Architecture with a Specialization in Interior Design

University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Overview
Admissions and Requirements
Courses You’ll Take
Tuition & Fees
Program Overview
The online Architecture, MS (Interior Design) degree prepares individuals for leadership roles in developing theory and applying it to 21st-century interior environments.
Students of the Architecture, MS (Interior Design) program gain skills to:
- Identify, research and creatively solve problems pertaining to the function and quality of the interior environment.
- Perform services relative to interior spaces including programming, design analysis, space planning and aesthetics.
- Prepare all drawings and documents.
Students will gain research and theory-based problem-solving skills needed to address the increased complexity of interior built environments. Combining previous education, practical experience and scholarly inquiry, students will create new knowledge to advance the discipline and meet their career goals. The MS degree is a post-professional degree that provides opportunities for the student to examine current issues in depth.
Students will explore issues that include the integration of design research into:
- Professional practice
- Sustainability
- Health and wellness
- Senior living
- Aging in place
- Learning environments
- Interior design pedagogy
- Material culture
The program is for graduates of an interior design program. The courses are taught by award-winning faculty with real-world experience. Students engaged in the program have a wide variety of opportunities for specialization within interior design. If interested in designing for aging adults, the program offers a dual Interior Design and Gerontology Certificate as part of the required program courses.
Students select courses within areas of interest including:
- Healthcare
- Workplace
- Education environments
- Wellness
- Environmentally-conscious design
Career Outlook: Interior designers create beautiful, functional spaces for homes, offices and factories. Designers work to meet new industry standards, including creating spaces that are environmentally friendly and easily accessible. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for interior designers is projected to increase at a rate of 4%, which is as fast as average. The Bureau also reports that in 2016, about 1 in 5 interior designers were self-employed.
Admissions and Requirements
To be accepted to this program, you must have:
A Bachelor's degree
Undergraduate degree in architecture, interior design, or a closely related field
3 GPA or above on a 4.0 scale
Taken the GRE
Taken the TOEFL or IELTS
(Only required if English is not your native language)
A written personal statement
3 letters of recommendation
Official transcripts from all previous schools
Portfolio of work
NOTE: This program is authorized, exempt, or not subject to state regulatory compliance and may enroll students from all 50 states
To apply to this program:
- Complete and submit the online application for Graduate Studies
- Pay $50 application fees
- Submit separate application to academic department
- Use GAMES for online submission of materials
Courses You’ll Take
Core Courses
Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
---|---|---|
ARCH 835 | Advanced Lighting Design | 3 |
Lec 1, lab 4. Prereq: ARCH 333 or IDES 335 or by permission. Translation of physical measurements of sensory stimuli into architectural-spatial relationships with respect to artificial and natural illumination; advanced lighting theories and techniques through lecture, discussion, simulation, and direct application to spatial design/development. | ||
ARCH 841 | Architecture History & Theory II | 3 |
Lec 3. Prereq: For students in the professional program: formal acceptance into the architecture program by faculty or permission
Selected aspects of the history and theory of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century architecture emphasizing the intellectual
impact and material expression of cultural change. | ||
ARCH 842 | Contemporary Architecture | 3 |
Lec 3. Prereq: For students in the professional program: formal acceptance into the architectural program by faculty or permission. Selected aspects of contemporary architectural theory and design from the mid-twentieth century to the present emphasizing the diversity of current thought and practice. | ||
ARCH 846 | Architecture, Society, and Culture II | 3 |
Prereq: ARCH 542/842 or permission
Theory and criticism in architecture since 1945 as they relate to contemporary American society and culture, with reference to those parallel in other humanities disciplines, including arts, linguistics, literary criticism, and philosophy. | ||
ARCH 857 | Housing Issues in Contemporary Society | 2 |
Prereq: Permission
Survey of social, psychological, political and economic research regarding housing in today’s global economy. Focus on how the research can impact the practice of design at the interior and architectural as well as the community and regional planning scale. | ||
ARCH 863 | Architectural Preservation | 3 |
Lec 3. Introduction to the principles, processes, and practice of architectural preservation and the conservation of historic districts. | ||
ARCH 897 | Digital Environments | 3 |
ARCH/IDES 885 | Design Evaluation and Research | 3 |
Research Methods in Architecture and Interior Design (IDES *885) Research methods employed by the diverse specializations within the disciplines of architecture and interior design. Methods which contribute to a theoretical and informational body of knowledge as well as those contributing directly to design application. | ||
CRPL 800 | Introduction to Planning | 3 |
Lec. Field of community and regional planning is introduced in relation to the history of cities, urbanization, and regionalization. Origins and evolution of American urban and regional planning practice. The planning process as a response to social, political, physical, and economic factors is analyzed. Community comprehensive planning process, plan implementation, and functionalareas of planning. | ||
IDES 847 | African Architecture | 3 |
Survey of the architectural traditions of the African continent, from pre-historic times to the present day. Buildings - famous and typical- theories, and approaches that are appropriate to the specific cultural environments. | ||
IDES 856 | Behavioral and Social Factors in Environmental Design Behavior | 3 |
(Arch 556/856) Prereq: Permission
Survey of theory, methods, research and findings from the social and behavioral sciences as they relate to architectural design, interior design, and regional and community planning. Application of principles to architectural and interiors programs, designs, and the planning process. | ||
IDES 858 | The Changing Workplace | 3 |
Prereq: Permission
Survey of theory, methods, research and findings from the social and behavioral sciences as they relate to architectural design, interior design, and regional and community planning. Application of principles to architectural and interiors programs, designs, and the planning process.
Cross-listed as ARCH 558/858 | ||
IDES 870 | Design Problems in the Interior Built Environment | 3 - 6 |
Design Problems with the Interior Built Environment - As a primary vehicle for design education, studio teaching is a critical component of any design program. This course explores strategies for teaching and learning directly related to studio education. | ||
IDES 881 | Women in Design | 3 |
Prereq: Admission to the BSAS program or permissionIntensive study of particular historical and contemporary contributions by women to the design professions related to the built environment. Evaluation of design work by and about women seen in their aesthetic and intellectual context. Examinations of the roles and values of women in design and their impact on the assumptions and issues currently held by the profession | ||
IDES 882 | Color in the Built Environment | 3 |
Lec 3. Prereq: Admission to the third year in architecture or interior design program; or permission Advanced color theories and their application to the Built environment. | ||
IDES 883 | Domesticity and Power in the Colonial World | 3 |
Lec 3. Prereq: Permission
Colonial architecture as a world-wide phenomenon. Re-examines the relationship between architecture, politics, and ethical values. The colonial domestic sphere are viewed as a counterpoint to the public arena. | ||
IDES 884 | Material Culture: the Social Life of Things | 3 |
Lec 3. Prereq: Permission
Theories and practices of material culture. History and interior design--and indeed the broad category of humanity itself--through the lens of material objects. | ||
IDES 886 | Evolving Issues in Design | 3 |
Contemporary and controversial issues. Nuances of the field and practice of interior design and its relationship to the allied design disciplines. | ||
IDES 891 | Teaching Strategies for Design | 3 |
IDES 891 | Portfolio Design | 3 |
Tuition & Fees
Nebraska Residents
Per Credit Hour
- Tuition
- $452.00
- Fees
- $52.25
- Total
- $504.25
3 Credit Hours
- Tuition
- $1356.00
- Fees
- $156.75
- Total
- $1512.75
Out of State Residents
Per Credit Hour
- Tuition
- $936.00
- Fees
- $52.25
- Total
- $988.25
3 Credit Hours
- Tuition
- $2808.00
- Fees
- $156.75
- Total
- $2964.75
Lindsey Bahe
Associate Professor, Interim Director Interior Design
Lindsey Bahe has taught and developed a range of courses within the Interior Design curriculum. Before her academic career, Bahe practiced as an architectural design professional working on large scale commercial and public buildings, later she continued her practice focusing primarily on residential design. Bahe is deeply committed to the education of future designers of the built environment and her classroom instruction and teaching have been nationally recognized.
Application Deadlines
Rolling admissions. Application review will begin upon receipt of all required application materials.