About the Department of Interior Architecture

The Department of Interior Architecture offers fully accredited professional degree programs in Interior Architecture (BIArch and MIArch—accredited by the Council for Interior Design). We also offer a Masters of Science degree in Interior Architecture.

The Ecological Design Certificate and the Teaching Technology Certificate allow graduate students to earn additional recognition for acquiring specific expertise. Collaborations with other programs within the College of Design provide opportunities to engage in explorations that involve architecture, landscape architecture, planning, historic preservation, product design, history of art and architecture, and art.

The Department of Interior Architecture also offers a minor in interior architecture. The College of Design offers additional undergraduate minors in architecture, landscape architecture, art history, fine and applied arts, or planning, public policy and management. Graduate students may select a concentration of coursework from the school’s other graduate programs as well. Undergraduate interior architecture students often choose minors (and sometimes a double major) offered by other colleges and schools at the UO. The most popular are: business, international studies, music, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, German, French, dance, theater, ethnic studies and environmental studies.

There are numerous study abroad opportunities in Italy, Japan, Germany, Finland, and Denmark. For those wanting real-world building experience, designBridge is an interdisciplinary, student-run group that provides design and design-build services for non-profit community organizations. Cultivating a forum for dialogue and networking opportunities between students and professionals practicing ecological and sustainable design, the student-led Ecological Design Center hosts the HOPES (Holistic Opportunities for Planet Earth Sustainability Conference) each spring.


Mission Statement, Vision, and Program Goals

Interior Architecture Mission Statement

The Interior Architecture Program at the University of Oregon embraces a pluralistic, interdisciplinary, and culturally diverse design education. Our design‐centered curriculum engages undergraduate and graduate students in independent and collaborative learning in a non‐competitive environment. We focus on integrating utility and responsibility with aesthetics, to create healthy, safe, sustainable, and beautiful environments. By linking the creative process with critical thinking, we produce future interior design leaders, able to work in local and global settings.

Vision

We aspire to be a prominent and innovative interior architecture/design program committed to excellence in design‐centered education, research, and service for the community and the profession in regional, national, and international settings. We seek to enrich human and environmental conditions in the built environment via design education, scholarship, collaboration, design thinking, creative inquiry, global and sustainable practices with professional ethics.

Program Goals

We aim to create excellence in design‐centered education, affirming the commitment to an interior architecture/design curriculum which prepares students for professional practice with comprehensive design problem solving skillsets with aesthetics, while strengthening a cross‐disciplinary design education with emphasis on leadership in human‐centered design, collaboration, and spatial justice. We strive to create an environment where students develop a sense of independence and take responsibility for their own creative and professional development. We strive to create critical thinking professionals who see inquiry as the norm.


A Culture of Collaboration

Our programs in interior architecture emphasize collaboration and a noncompetitive but rigorous learning environment. Studio work is evaluated using individualized discussion and written assessments rather than letter grades, and a supportive studio culture is encouraged through facilitated peer teaching and teamwork. The department doesn't dictate a specific design aesthetic or ideology, but encourages intellectual inquiry as the basis for design exploration.
 

Responsible Design

The Department of Interior Architecture is dedicated to recognizing designers’ accountability for their impact on environmental, social, and cultural systems. Studio teaching serves as the primary means of integrating all design issues (e.g., cultural, social and behavioral, environmental, contextual, technological, theoretical, economic, political, and professional), resulting in meaningful design achievements.


Innovation and Leadership

The department is nationally recognized for the achievements of its faculty and students in innovation and environmental sustainability research including the design of buildings, interiors, and communities. Student organizations assume leadership roles in curriculum development, extracurricular programs, and community service. Graduates are broadly educated designers who attain leadership positions in the professions of interior design and allied fields.


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