Graduate Degrees

Ephemeral whispy lines
Interior Design Graduate Degrees
HOW TO APPLY

The  Interior Design Program at The University of Texas at Austin offers an innovative graduate curriculum that integrates research and theoretical knowledge in the application of current design issues that face our society. The positive impact of a well-designed interior environment is verifiable, making interior design a critical component of the design disciplines.

The program is among only a handful of interior design faculties in the United States housed within a large and active School of Architecture creating a dynamic atmosphere that allows students to achieve a high level of excellence in the design of architectural interiors. 

With a faculty of four full-time interior design professors along with full-time and affiliated faculty in the School of Architecture, the program offers both broad coverage and an individualized program tailored to student interests. The program is founded on rigorous instruction while also offering students the flexibility to develop their own ideas and new perspectives. The study of interior design at the graduate level is taught with constant awareness of global context, interdisciplinary challenges, and evolving demands that students experience in professional practice.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDY

Students work closely with faculty in courses, seminars, and independent research projects to develop independent thought as well as a thorough knowledge of the field. Students may combine their research on interior design topics with a broad array of related subjects. Cross-disciplinary work in the School of Architecture’s other programs of Historic Preservation, Architectural Design, Theory, and History is encouraged.

As a major research university, The University of Texas at Austin also offers a wide selection of across-campus electives, including courses in Arts Education and Design, Theater and Dance, Radio-Television-Film, American Studies, Anthropology, Psychology, and Museum Studies, to name a few. Students are encouraged to shape their own critical approaches and to develop a mastery of research in interior design. With the advice and permission of the MID program director or MID graduate adviser, students may select elective courses from other departments on campus.

AREAS OF STUDY

Design model with tiny figurines in a dark room with dozens of gold balls in an artistic display on the wall

MASTER OF INTERIOR DESIGN FIRST PROFESSIONAL [MID I]

MID I may qualify graduates to become licensed or registered as an interior designer. Interested students are encouraged to confirm requirements for the state in which they hope to practice and NCIDQ eligibility requirements.

Black and white geometric facade

MASTER OF INTERIOR DESIGN POST-PROFESSIONAL [MID II]

The MID II degree offers students advanced studies, theory, and research for those holding a prior professional degree in Interior Design or Architecture.

ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

Interior design faculty members in the School of Architecture review the applications and recommend admission to the Graduate School. Admission to the program is highly competitive. Seminars are small and advanced students work one-on-one with their adviser and other faculty members. With the advice and permission of the MID program director or MID graduate adviser, students in the MID program determine their course of study that is tailored to be highly individualized from course offerings and independent studies.

INTERIOR DESIGN STUDENT WORK

Click the images below for project details.

  • Instagram Post
    The 3rd Île-de-France Architecture and Landscape Biennial (@bapidf) invited Associate Professors Nerea Feliz (@feliz_nerea) and Clay Odom (@studiomodo) to lead their students in exploring how vernacular strategies from warmer climates—such as the southern U.S.—might inform climate-adaptive design ap
    @utsoa

    The 3rd Île-de-France Architecture and Landscape Biennial (@bapidf) invited Associate Professors Nerea Feliz (@feliz_nerea) and Clay Odom (@studiomodo) to lead their students in exploring how vernacular strategies from warmer climates—such as the southern U.S.—might inform climate-adaptive design ap

  • Instagram Post
    Plant Potential ATX South 🌱 <br>
    @utsoa

    Plant Potential ATX South 🌱

  • Instagram Post
    We’re thrilled to share that visiting faculty Cory Henry (@ateliercoryhenry) has been awarded the 2025-26 #RomePrize in Architecture by the @amacademyrome for his project, “Borders of Belonging: Rome’s Public Spaces as Arenas of Democracy and Dissent.” <br>
    @utsoa

    We’re thrilled to share that visiting faculty Cory Henry (@ateliercoryhenry) has been awarded the 2025-26 #RomePrize in Architecture by the @amacademyrome for his project, “Borders of Belonging: Rome’s Public Spaces as Arenas of Democracy and Dissent.”

  • Instagram Post
    Where thoughtful design meets campus legacy.<br><br>Interior Design undergrad Valerie Balderas is one of two students from a university-wide competition selected to reimagine the Cactus Yearbook bookshelf for the Office of the Dean of Students.<br>
    @utsoa

    Where thoughtful design meets campus legacy.

    Interior Design undergrad Valerie Balderas is one of two students from a university-wide competition selected to reimagine the Cactus Yearbook bookshelf for the Office of the Dean of Students.

  • Instagram Post
    Congratulations to @phoebelickwar’s @forgelandscape and Michael Averitt’s @_delineator for receiving 2025 Merit Awards from @texasasla!<br>
    @utsoa

    Congratulations to @phoebelickwar’s @forgelandscape and Michael Averitt’s @_delineator for receiving 2025 Merit Awards from @texasasla!

  • Instagram Post
    The Tren Maya is a monumental new passenger rail system traversing nearly a thousand miles of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico.
    @utsoa

    The Tren Maya is a monumental new passenger rail system traversing nearly a thousand miles of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico.

  • Instagram Post
    Faculty making headlines at the 2025 @AIAAustin Design Awards!<br>
    @utsoa

    Faculty making headlines at the 2025 @AIAAustin Design Awards!

  • Instagram Post
    In Associate Professor @nicholewiedemann ’s advanced studio “FUTURING: 'un-thought of architecture’ or architecture beyond what already exists,” students tackled the complicated role of design competitions in the profession. <br>
    @utsoa

    In Associate Professor @nicholewiedemann ’s advanced studio “FUTURING: 'un-thought of architecture’ or architecture beyond what already exists,” students tackled the complicated role of design competitions in the profession.

  • Instagram Post
    We're proud to celebrate Professor Bjørn Sletto’s induction into the UT Austin Academy of Distinguished Teachers—one of the highest honors recognizing exceptional commitment to teaching excellence. 👏<br>
    @utsoa

    We're proud to celebrate Professor Bjørn Sletto’s induction into the UT Austin Academy of Distinguished Teachers—one of the highest honors recognizing exceptional commitment to teaching excellence. 👏