Interior Design (Graduate Program)

For information regarding the UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM, click here.  

Program Overview 

The Master of Interior Design (MID) provides opportunities for students to explore the broad spectrum of interior design research and practices related to the social, cultural, and environmental dimensions of health and well-being, and supports, advanced research across multiple scales and settings, shaping the interior environment and human behavior. The program facilitates a collaborative environment among disciplines for advancing creative and academic scholarship in interior design and conducting applied research to address the impact of contemporary challenges to enrich the future of the lived experience.

This program is intended for designers and practitioners interested in developing their knowledge and expertise related to the study of the interior environment, advanced their professional careers, or pursue an academic career path. Areas of concentration might include, but are not limited to, health environments, cultural identity and place, environmental stewardship, integrated design, spatial design, lighting design, and daylighting.

Administration 

Marsha R. Cuddeback, Director
Marsha R. Cuddeback, Graduate Coordinator
Telephone: 225-578-8422
Fax: 225-578-8457
Website: https://design.lsu.edu/interior-design/

Admission

Applications and supporting materials for all graduate study must be submitted through the online application site for the LSU Graduate School. Official transcripts, official test, scores, and other materials that come from third-party sources must be mailed to: Graduate Student Services, 114 West David, Boyd Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803. These paper documents are stored electronically, and departments have access to all material submitted by and/or on behalf of a student applying to graduate study. The application deadline is February 1 for the School of Interior Design.

Students holding a baccalaureate degree in interior design, interior architecture, architecture, landscape architecture, environmental design are eligible to apply for this program. Applicants from other related disciplines are strongly encouraged to apply; however, they may need to complete Interior Design leveling (foundation) courses before they can be fully admitted into the program. 

Students seeking admission must submit the following

• Statement of intent, up to 500 words, describing how advanced study supports your future goals in a summary of your intended area of concentration.
• Three letters of recommendation.
• A digital portfolio of creative and/or professional work. Digital portfolio should be one PDF file, maximum 30 MB.
• Transcripts from all universities attended or attending, and from which you have received degrees. To be admitted without probation, applicants need to have satisfactory credentials from a bachelor’s degree with a 3.0 minimum GPA. 
• International students whose native language is not English must also submit and acceptable TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE score.
• GRE is optional.

Applicants can upload all application materials to the Graduate School Application portal. If needed, some materials can be mailed to the LSU School of Interior Design, Attn: Graduate Selection Committee, 402 Julian T. White Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803. All inquiries regarding the application process can be sent by email to id@lsu.edu. Graduate assistantships are selectively awarded at the time of admission to the program or later.

Financial Assistance

Financial assistance is available to selected students. To ensure consideration for financial aid, all application material should be submitted in accordance with the deadlines (at time of application for the School of Interior Design) established by the LSU Graduate School.

Research Facilities

School of Interior Design

• The Lighting Lab includes two PC graphics workstations w/Licaso software, VR headsets, a state-of-the-art Betanit Nitter brand Orange Professional Heliodon, fluorescent, halogen, incandescent, and LED lamp kits, the Illuminating Engineering Society, digital lighting, library, ceiling, mounted track, lighting, digital lighting, control, console, and a color and lighting assessment cabinet.
• The Wellness Lab includes mobility assistance devices, GERT age simulation suits, and sensitivity, toolkit/training materials to simulate vision, impairment, hearing loss, and mobility loss

College of Art & Design

• The Fabrication Factory includes large scale, digital fabrication equipment for cutting, shaping, informing, metal, wood, and plastic toward the resolution of creative design problems.
• The Design Shop is a fully functional, state-of-the-art wood shop facility that includes a spray booth, and 2 Universal Laser Systems X-660 laser engraver.
• The VizLab is a resource center for computer-aided design, image, processing, and additional applications in architecture, art, interior design, and landscape architecture. Services include large format, printing, scanning, and visual development, using virtual and augmented reality.
• The C-Lab includes high-performance computers and design software.

Graduate Faculty

(Check current faculty listings by department here)

Andrew Baque (PM): Urban interiority; Multidisciplinary spatial ecosystems; Design justice; Theory, practice, and participatory design.
Marsha Cuddeback (FM): Sustainable design theory and practice; Systems thinking: Ethics and the built environment; Teaching and learning pedagogy; Community design and planning.
Matthew Dunn (FM): Interior and architectural design; Digital fabrication; Advanced programming; Spatial design.
Julie Elliott (PM): Healthcare design; Evidence-based design and research; inclusive design.
Gregory Hurcomb (6A): Interior in architectural design; Representation and visual communication; Design and experimental media; Digital fabrication; Installation; Speculative narratives in future; the Avant-Garde.
Nolanda Jones (6A): Material culture in place identity in the African Diaspora; Spatial justice and social impact; Cultural heritage and preservation.
Philip Tebbutt (FM): Virtual and augmented computer, modeling and visualization; Abstraction and design; Lighting design in daylighting.
Hulli Wang (6A): Workplace environments behaviors and design; Educational environments special populations, Early childhood outdoor spaces.
Jun Zou (FM): Cross-cultural architectural and interior design thinking; Architectural lighting; Cultural preservation; Design analysis and simulations.

Programs

• Interior Design, M.S.I.D.