Jan 28, 2025

2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Interior Architecture, B.S.

Human Sciences
Carrie Pavel, interim program coordinator
615-898-2884
humansciences@mtsu.edu

The Interior Architecture curriculum meets the requirements for Allied membership in the American Society of Interior Designers and Affiliate membership in the International Interior Design Association. Accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, the B.S. degree offers preparation for entry-level positions in residential and contract design firms, sales, design consulting, computer-aided design, and other related design areas. The program includes a major in Interior Architecture and a professional core in Human Sciences, art, and business. Students should work closely with an advisor.

Laptop Computer Requirement and Policy

Electronic technology has had a major impact on the interior design profession. The MTSU Interior Architecture program is committed to the integration of computers throughout the design curriculum.

Computer Purchase Requirements:

Required Hardware: Alienware m16 R2 Gaming Laptop
You can always customize by choosing the next level up, but the link provided is the base model (i.e.- you cannot “customize down.”) Please don’t hesitate to contact us before you purchase. (Make sure that the laptop has at least 32GB of RAM memory and 1TB hard drive under options.)

The above laptop is a requirement for the program and must be purchased no later than the following:

Beginning of freshman spring semester, for students in the new Interior Architecture program
Beginning of sophomore spring semester, for students in the old Interior Design program

Additional Requirements:

Wireless external mouse with at least three buttons
Required Storage: External Hard Drive (250 GB rec.), Cloud Storage, and Laptop Cloud Storage through MTSU.
Microsoft Office Suite/Office 365 - most current version (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) - see link mtsu.edu/itd/student-accounts.php.
Windows - most current version (student purchase)
AutoCAD - confirm version with your IDES 3110 instructor
Revit - confirm version with your IDES 3210 instructor
Sketchup - most current version (cloud-based)
Adobe Creative Suite - most current version (student purchase) Windows - most current version (student purchase)

Admission and Progression

Interior Architecture Professional Course Sequence

Any student formally admitted to the University may pursue the Interior Design curriculum.
Interior Architecture students are expected to seek advising from the Human Sciences academic advisors each semester to ensure that they are following the proper sequence for completion of the prerequisite courses.
Students must attain a minimum grade of C (2.00) in all Interior Architecture courses.
Students will be dismissed from the Interior Architecture major if they
1. commit a breach of ethics or gross professional negligence,
2. fail to progress due to unsuccessful attainment of requirements. Students who fail to progress will be readmitted on a space-available basis. Only one readmission for failure to progress will be allowed. Students admitted from other interior design programs in which a grade of D (less than 2.00) was made in interior design will not be readmitted.
Students receiving a grade of D or F in an Interior Architecture course at MTSU must repeat that course at MTSU.
Transfer credits for IDES courses will only be accepted from CIDA accredited programs.
Further specific details regarding admission and progression are available from the coordinator of the Interior Architecture program.

Academic Map

Following is a printable, suggested four-year schedule of courses:

Interior Architecture, B.S., Academic Map

Degree Requirements

True Blue Core (TBC)	41 hours
Major Requirements	63 hours
Professional Support	12 hours*
Electives	4 hours
TOTAL	120 hours

True Blue Core (41 hours)

True Blue Core (TBC) requirements (shown in curricular listings below) include courses in the Foundational Skills areas of Written Communication (WC), Information Literacy (Info Lit), Non-Written Communication (NWC), and Quantitative Literacy (Quant Lit). Knowledge Domains include Human Society and Social Relationships (HSSR), Scientific Literacy (Sci Lit), Creativity and Cultural Expression (CCE), and History and Civic Learning (HCL), which include Discovery and Explorations categories. Students must choose at least one course from each Discovery category.

Major Requirements (63 hours)

IDES 1100 - Design Thinking for Innovation 3 credit hours
IDES 2100 - Interior Design Elements and Principles 3 credit hours
IDES 2120 - History of Interiors I 3 credit hours
IDES 3100 - Design Process 3 credit hours
IDES 3110 - Interior Detailing I 3 credit hours
IDES 3120 - History of Interiors II 3 credit hours
IDES 3140 - Interior Materials and Finishes 3 credit hours
IDES 3141 - Sustainable Materials 2 credit hours
IDES 3201 - Design Representation and Analysis 3 credit hours
IDES 3220 - Studio I 3 credit hours
IDES 3240 - Codes for Interiors 2 credit hours
IDES 3300 - Interior Architecture Business Practices 3 credit hours
IDES 3320 - Studio II 3 credit hours
IDES 3330 - Lighting, Mechanical, and Environmental Systems 3 credit hours
IDES 3340 - Studio III 3 credit hours
IDES 3341 - Parametric Design 2 credit hours
IDES 4100 - Interior Detailing II 3 credit hours
IDES 4109 - Capstone I 1 credit hour
IDES 4110 - Capstone II 3 credit hours
IDES 4121 - Portfolio Design 2 credit hours
IDES 4200 - Studio IV 3 credit hours
IDES 4210 - Studio V 3 credit hours
IDES 4410 - Practicum 3 credit hours

Professional Support (12 hours)

IDES 1010 - Interior Design Career Orientation 1 credit hour
CCM 2050 - Plan Reading 2 credit hours
CCM 3200 - Project Estimating 3 credit hours
CMT 3320 - Architectural Computer-Aided Drafting and Design 3 credit hours
VCOM 2950 - Visual Communication Applications 3 credit hours

Electives (4 hours)

Curriculum: Interior Architecture

Freshman Fall

CCM 2050 - Plan Reading 2 credit hours
IDES 1010 - Interior Design Career Orientation 1 credit hour
IDES 1100 - Design Thinking for Innovation 3 credit hours
Written Communication 3 credit hours
Quantitative Literacy 3 credit hours
Human Society and Social Relationships 3 credit hours (UNIV 1010 recommended)

Subtotal: 15 Hours

Freshman Spring

Information Literacy 3 credit hours
IDES 2100 - Interior Design Elements and Principles 3 credit hours
IDES 3110 - Interior Detailing I 3 credit hours
IDES 3120 - History of Interiors II 3 credit hours
VCOM 2950 - Visual Communication Applications 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 15 Hours

Sophomore Fall

Creativity and Cultural Expression 3 credit hours
IDES 2120 - History of Interiors I 3 credit hours
IDES 3100 - Design Process 3 credit hours
IDES 3140 - Interior Materials and Finishes 3 credit hours
IDES 3201 - Design Representation and Analysis 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 15 Hours

Sophomore Spring

CCM 3200 - Project Estimating 3 credit hours
IDES 3141 - Sustainable Materials 2 credit hours
IDES 3220 - Studio I 3 credit hours
IDES 3240 - Codes for Interiors 2 credit hours
Creativity and Cultural Expression 3 credit hours
Non-Written Communication 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 16 Hours

Junior Fall

CMT 3320 - Architectural Computer-Aided Drafting and Design 3 credit hours
IDES 3320 - Studio II 3 credit hours
IDES 3330 - Lighting, Mechanical, and Environmental Systems 3 credit hours
IDES 4100 - Interior Detailing II 3 credit hours
Scientific Literacy 4 credit hours

Subtotal: 16 Hours

Junior Spring

Creativity and Cultural Expression Literature 3 credit hours
IDES 3300 - Interior Architecture Business Practices 3 credit hours
IDES 3340 - Studio III 3 credit hours
IDES 3341 - Parametric Design 2 credit hours
IDES 4121 - Portfolio Design 2 credit hours
IDES 4200 - Studio IV 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 16 Hours

Senior Fall

IDES 4109 - Capstone I 1 credit hour
IDES 4210 - Studio V 3 credit hours
IDES 4410 - Practicum 3 credit hours
History and Civic Learning 3 credit hours
Elective 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 13 Hours

Senior Spring

IDES 4110 - Capstone II 3 credit hours
History and Civic Learning 3 credit hours
Human Society and Social Relationships 3 credit hours
Scientific Literacy 4 credit hours
Elective 1 credit hour (EXL 4000 recommended)

Interior Architecture, B.S.

Admission and Progression

Interior Architecture Professional Course Sequence

Academic Map

Degree Requirements

True Blue Core (41 hours)

Major Requirements (63 hours)

Professional Support (12 hours)

Electives (4 hours)

Curriculum: Interior Architecture

Freshman Fall

Subtotal: 15 Hours

Freshman Spring

Subtotal: 15 Hours

Sophomore Fall

Subtotal: 15 Hours

Sophomore Spring

Subtotal: 16 Hours

Junior Fall

Subtotal: 16 Hours

Junior Spring

Subtotal: 16 Hours

Senior Fall

Subtotal: 13 Hours

Senior Spring

Subtotal: 14 Hours