The Interior Architecture degree combines the fundamental interest in human-environmental relationships of interior design with study of interior products, building forms, and systems. The program centers on the studio as a physical and intellectual place where students transform ideas into two- and three-dimensional form through continual development of models and drawings — an approach to design education typical of schools of design or architecture. Supplied with appropriate facilities, tools, and equipment, students build what they design.
Degree Outcomes
- Employment with design firms specializing in interior design, architecture and engineering, health care, hospitality, retail, fine and graphic art, furniture, institutional and commercial conditions, preservation, film, home furnishings, museums and exhibition, lighting, residential, showroom and more.
- Positions at organizations such as Perkins+Will, Gensler, Zaha Hadid Architects, tvsdesign, CJMW Architecture, Phillips Collection, Natuzzi Americas, and Donghia.
- Graduate study at institutions including University of Cincinnati, Columbia University, Southern California Institute of Architecture, N.C. State University, Virginia Tech, Pratt Institute, and Arizona State University.
The Student Experience
- A holistic, studio-based curriculum with individual workspace for students in a premier facility and hands-on experience with digital design, interior product design, and advanced digital fabrication.
- Collaboration with various populations and user groups through IARc’s Center for Community-Engaged Design.
- Professional experience and service to the community with projects such as housing for homeless veterans and invigorating neighborhoods with public art.
- Opportunities to study abroad at universities in countries around the world, including Italy, China, Finland, Korea, Mexico, England, and Australia.
- Participation in faculty-led programs in Greece, India, Italy, and Spain and annual excursions to art and design centers in cities such as Chicago, New York, Washington, Charlotte, and Atlanta.
- Participation in the IARc Experience, courses that may include a thesis, additional internships or fieldwork, and coursework that establishes a level of expertise in an area such as business, human behavior, or art.
- Development of professional skills through a required internship experience.
- Network opportunities through memberships in professional organizations including the American Society of Interior Designs (ASID) and the International Interior Design Association (IIDA)
Accolades & Accomplishments
- Students earned first place in recent competitions including the Bernice Bienenstock Library Interior Design Competition; IIDA Carolinas Chapter Student Award; IIDA Student Design Charrette; Retail Design Institute International Student Design Competition; International VELUX Award for Students of Architecture in the Americas; and Sherwin-Williams Student Design Competition.
Recent faculty accomplishments include:
- Assistant Professor Amanda Gale named among the 25 Most Admired Educators for 2017-18 by DesignIntelligence.
- Associate Professor Travis Hicks received the Robert L. Sigmon Service-Learning Award.
- Professor Jo Leimenstoll received a $180,000 grant from the N.C. Department of Commerce for the N.C. Main Street Program.
- Professor Stoel Burrowes had two chairs accepted for show in a juried exhibit at The Furniture Society Conference.
- Academic professional Felicia Dean had two chairs accepted for show in the Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech.
- Professor Anna Marshall-Baker received the Arnold P. Friedmann Educator of Distinction Award from the Interior Design Educators Council.
Accreditations & Affiliations
- Council for Interior Design Accreditation
- International Interior Design Association
- American Society of Interior Designers
- USGBC
Additional Requirements
Students apply to the department in addition to the university. Requirements include a creative submission and attendance at an open house (held monthly). The application is online at iarc.uncg.edu.
