Course Descriptions
Master of Arts in Interior Design Graduate Thesis Course Descriptions are listed below. Please Note: For descriptions of Foundation (500-level), Foundational Interior Design (600-level), and Masters of Interior Design Thesis (840-level) please select these links:
Foundation Course Descriptions
Foundational Interior Design Course Descriptions
Master of Arts in Interior Design Thesis Curriculum
Master of Arts in Interior Design Graduate Course Descriptions
ADI 700 Interior Design Internship
With the assistance of the faculty advisor, each student will identify an appropriate internship site with a local design firm. All interns are required to complete 120 hours of work/study within the semester, working a minimum of 8 hours per week under the direction of a qualified Interior Deigner. Interns are expected to contribute to the host firm at a high level of design interaction. All interns will meet bi-weekly with the faculty advisor. The classroom seminars will reinforce new skills, share learning experiences, answer questions or concerns, and provide counseling. A firm site visit, production of firm profile, and participation in a professional organization meeting are required within the seminar.
Prerequisites: Senior status, ADI S202, ADI S303
Normally offered spring and summer semesters; 3 credits.
ADI 713 Advanced 3-Dimensional Color
In this course the student will explore three-dimensional aspects of color theory, including psychology, depth perception, and spatial context. Design elements of light, space, unity, and balance will be covered through lectures, in-class demonstrations, and class exercises. Criteria for color use, including contrast and harmony, will be explored for each application, with emphasis on each student’s area of specialization.
Spring semester, 3 credits. Open to graduate students only.
ADI S772 Construction Documents
This course will explore in more detail the features of AutoCAD software and will focus on the drafting and organizational skills necessary to produce a set of contract drawings on the computer. More advanced two-dimensional and three-dimensional uses of AutoCAD will be applied in a hands-on environment. Students will choose a studio project and complete a set of contract documents for it.
Normally offered each semester; 3 credits.
Prerequisites: ADI S510, ADI S601
ADI 784 Interior Marketing & Contracts
This course will cover the business aspects of interior design, including management, client, and contractor relationships, project management, proposal writing, and market resourcing. In addition, students will be exposed to career planning practices, such as portfolio development, resume preparation, and interviewing techniques. Tours of architectural and interior design firms will also be included.
Normally offered fall and spring semesters; 3 credits.
ADI S810 Advanced Lighting Design Studio
Advanced Lighting Design Studio investigates and applies technical and creative theories about lighting design. The class will look at natural and artificial systems of light and the ways in which they impact the experience of interior space. Specifically, color, lamp source, measurement methods, and control will be addressed. Lighting will be explored as an extension of aesthetic intent.
Normally offered fall and spring semesters; 3 credits. Open to graduate students only.
Prerequisites: ADI 654, ADI S601, ADI S602, ADI S603
ADI S805 Form Study & Model Making
This studio course is dedicated to the study of form in the three dimensions: length, breadth, and depth. Students will explore form at a conceptual level that will translate in future studios as it is applied to the built environment. They will look at the role of scale, light, texture, negative space, and proportion, as well as thematic and structural relationships in the creation of forms.
Normally offered each semester; 3 credits. Open to graduate students only.
Prerequisites: ADI S561
ADI S815 Advanced Human Factors & Universal Design Studio
The physiology and psychology of the client/user is one of the main factors influencing the design of the environment. This studio will present design problems that explore issues of ergonomics and proxemics as they apply to interior design. Universal design, design that creates accessibility, will be the context for the studio design problem(s). Discussions will cover the following: interaction of environment and user’s culture, gender, stage of life cycle, and physical capabilities.
Fall and Spring semesters; 3 credits. Open to graduate students only.
Prerequisites: ADI S602, ADI 642, ADI S603, ADI S604, ADI S605, ADI 652
ADI 820 Advanced Materials & Methods Studio: Detailing & Structures for Interior Designers
The Advanced Materials & Methods Studio provides students with a more sophisticated understanding of structural and constructional issues and their impact upon the design and planning of interior environments. The studio studies the influence of choices of materials upon the methods of construction and detailing, requiring students to identify and resolve construction related issues by putting together a set of detailed construction drawings. Students sketch and analyze the works of prominent designers, and conduct precedent and market research to locate and specify materials, products, and technical information.
Fall and Spring semesters; 3 credits. Open to graduate students only.
Prerequisites: ADI 642, ADI 644, ADI S603, ADI S605, ADI 652
ADI 825 History & Style Studio
Interior design does not exist in a vacuum, but is embodied in the historical agenda of its time. In History & Style Studio, we will explore the catalysts of style and design throughout particular periods of modern design history and will analyze those movements’ influences through readings, discussions, slide lectures, films, and design projects. Projects, dealing with residential, hospitality, and retail environments a well as the purely conceptual, will deal with stylistic and influential issues and solutions will draw on precedents of style for inspiration.
Spring or summer semester; 3 credits. Open to graduate students only.
Prerequisites: ADI 621, ADI 622, ADI S603, ADI S605
ADI S830 Digital Visualization Studio
This course will develop a student’s ability to visually communicate his or her design skills through a digital medium. Students will produce a series of 2-D images, 3-D images, and computer animations to communicate their designs at various stages of the design process. Software used can include Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Architectural Desktop, and SketchUp. This class is lab intensive.
Normally offered fall and spring semester; 3 credits. Open to graduate students only.
Prerequisite: ADI S772
ADI 835 History of Interior Architecture
Much like the history of art, the history of interior design encompasses numerous styles, movements, and individual artistic contributions. It also reflects the influence of international, political, and social developments. A basic understanding of this history is important for the professional designer who often looks to the pat for inspiration. This class will involve a study of historical interiors and styles from several different viewpoints, examining their inherent qualities and contributions in order to better understand what constitutes a sense of place in the interior. Beginning with the Shaker movement and proceeding though the 20th century, the class will look at specific buildings, styles, movements, products, and materials that came to influence and design the interior space.
Fall semester; 3 credits. Open to graduate students only.
Prerequisites: ADI 621, ADI 622
ADI 837 Sustainable Design for Interiors
The design community, along with society as a whole, has become aware that a new, more "biofriendly" approach to interior design must be taken if we are to stop polluting our earth, wasting energy and resources, and jeopardizing our own health and that of other species. Design firms are therefore being looked to for expertise in these areas, and educated designers must be conversant with both the design strategies and building technologies associated with environmentally responsible structures and spaces. This course is designed to acquaint students with the implementation strategies for such design, through a series of lectures, case studies, and projects. Incorporating readings from Thoreau to William McDonough, students will gain an understanding of the historical and practical aspects of green design and its effects on societal norms.
Spring and Summer semesters; 3 credits. Open to graduate students only.
Prerequisites: ADI S602, ADI S603, ADI S604, ADI S605, ADI 642, ADI 652
ADI S900/900 Interior Design Directed Study
Directed study allows students to pursue an in-depth research project in an area of particular interest, directed by a qualified graduate faculty member.
Note: All independent study request forms must be accompanied by a written proposal and must be approved by the individual faculty member, the Interior Design Program Director, and the NESADSU Chairman.
Available each semester; 3 credits.