The Master of Fine Arts degree is for you if you possess an undergraduate degree in interior design or architecture and seek professional career enhancement that includes foundation skills in conducting evidence-based design in interior design practice and application of that knowledge to a project. These abilities are desirable to architecture and interior design firms that are increasingly conducting in-house research to help them create more effective design project solutions and justify these choices to clients. The MFA degree is also supportive for a career in teaching interior design at those college and university institutions that do not require a Ph.D. (see also the Master of Science research track degree that prepares a student for a Ph.D. degree)
The Master of Fine Arts program consists of a minimum of sixty (60) semester credit hours including a minimum of six (6) hours of thesis. In order to maintain close faculty supervision, only a limited number of candidates are accepted into the MFA program and final determination is made by the faculty Graduate Program Committee. The MFA degree is considered a terminal degree credential by many academic institutions. The program of studies provides many options for elective courses. You can apply these to FSU certificate programs in higher education teaching, project management, museum studies, entrepreneurship or other areas. Optional internships are highly recommended. You exit the program with a portfolio of work suitable for career interviews and a foundation skillset in conducting original research for applied practice.
View a sample student video from this program that enhances the student’s portfolio for securing design practice employment by Heather Dodd, now an interior designer with Gresham Smith in Tampa, Florida.
View a sample student video from this program that showcases the student’s master’s level project by Amanda Guerrier, now an interior designer with Steelcase in Tampa..
View what a sample schedule would look like for this program.
View a list of FSU graduates in university teaching and professional practice positions.
Admission to the Masters of Fine Arts program is based on University requirements as defined in the Graduate Degree Requirements section of the FSU Graduate Bulletin as well as those of the Interior Architecture & Design Department.
The Department requires the following items in order to be considered for the program. These are submitted to FSU through your online application.
The deadline for submittal of an application is May 1 of every year for start of study in the fall semester. However, completion of applications by April 5th is encouraged to ensure availability and to enable consideration for graduate assistantships. International students are encouraged to complete their applications by March 1 in order to clear extra requirements for language and residency.
Application Questions? Contact us at admissions@cfa.fsu.edu.