The Interior Design Program at The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture considers the design of interiors as a multi-faceted endeavor with tangible consequences for society and the planet. As one of only a handful of interior design programs in the nation housed within a school of architecture, the program advocates for interiors as a discipline based on a distinct body of knowledge while actively engaging in the interdisciplinary context of the school. At the center of the student experience is a sequence of studio courses that serve as laboratories of innovation, creativity, professionalism, and learning-by-doing, reflecting the balance between theoretical and applied knowledge needed for an effective engagement with the world through design. This learning takes place alongside faculty whose research, creative scholarship, and practice contribute to the ongoing advancement of the discipline.
MISSION
The mission of the Interior Design Program is to advance the discipline of interior design through teaching, research, scholarship, creative practice, and service. Drawing on its distinctive position within a school of architecture at a major research university, the program’s professional degree tracks prepare graduates to become future leaders who shape the built environment with rigor, creativity, and a strong sense of responsibility for the benefit of society.
GOALS
The program’s goals support its mission and reflect its history, institutional context, and relationship to professional practice. The Interior Design Program strives to:
- Offer a world-class design education with exceptional depth and breadth
- Prepare students for entry-level professional practice in interior design and allied fields
- Build an intellectual, technical, and creative foundation for future advanced study
- Foster interdisciplinary engagement with allied disciplines in the School of Architecture and across the UT campus
- Draw on faculty research, creative scholarship, and practice as sources of knowledge and evolving expertise
- Provide students with opportunities to develop leadership skills
- Encourage lifelong learning, professional development, and intellectual and creative curiosity
Interior Design
DEGREES + PROGRAMS
The Interior Design Program at the University of Texas as Austin offers two graduate-level degree programs, an undergraduate degree, and a minor in interior design at the undergraduate level.
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INTERIOR DESIGN NEWS
INTERIOR DESIGN STUDENT WORK
Click the images below for project details.
HISTORY OF INTERIOR DESIGN AT UT AUSTIN
UT Austin first offered Interior Design classes in 1912, making it the oldest Interior Design program west of the Mississippi River. The College of Engineering offered a five-year degree in Interior Architecture in 1930, which was discontinued in 1938. A sole curriculum remained in Human Ecology from 1945 onward that provided an emphasis area in Interior Design. In 1973, UT Austin’s program became one of the first accredited Interior Design programs in the country. The Interior Design major was transferred to the School of Architecture in 1997, and it has grown and flourished since then, offering a Master of Interior Design degree in 2010. More than 1,000 Interior Design alumni have left their mark beyond UT’s Forty Acres.
ACCREDITATION
The interior design program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Interior Design as well as the first-professional Master of Interior Design I are accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, www.accredit-id.org, 206 Grandville Avenue, Suite 350, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503.
The CIDA-accredited program prepares students for entry-level interior design practice, for advanced study, and to apply for membership in professional interior design organizations. The Bachelor of Science in Interior Design granted by The University of Texas at Austin meets the educational requirement for eligibility to sit for the National Council for Interior Design Qualification Examination (NCIDQ Exam). For more information about NCIDQ Exam eligibility visit:https://www.cidq.org/eligibility-requirements.
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@utsoaIntroducing a new annual print publication from the School of Architecture: The Plot.
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@utsoaScenes from our BLOCKWORK symposium 🧱
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Organized by Professor Francisco Gomes. Thank you to The Concrete Masonry Checkoff (The Beauty of Block) and the Texas Masonry Council (@txmasonry)
for supporting the symposium.Instagram Post
@utsoaOn October 12, Johnston Marklee (@johnstonmarklee) founding partner Mark Lee will be on campus to celebrate the opening of the firm’s exhibition “Looks and Books.” with a lecture titled “Now and Then.”
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@utsoa📝 Applications are open for 2027-2028 undergraduate and graduate programs!
Apply today to join an interdisciplinary community of designers, planners, and scholars committed to creative exploration, ambitious scholarship and critical practice.
UTSOA at a glance:Instagram Post
@utsoaOn September 30, architect, urbanist and author @felipecorrea_sc presents his lecture, "The Domestic Surround.”
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@utsoaOn October 1-2, The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture presents BLOCKWORK: Concrete Masonry Architecture of the Americas.
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@utsoaAre the Battle Hall doors green or blue? The answer dates back to 1912!
As an iconic spot on campus, graduating students have posed outside the doors for decades – making it one of campus’ most recognizable locations.
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@utsoaOn September 21, architect and managing director of UNS North America (@we.are.uns) Frans van Vuure presents his lecture, “Sustainability with a Twist.”
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@utsoaFrom the iconic ONDA wall in the West Mall Building to supporting the School of Architecture's academic operations as Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Kory Bieg’s presence is felt on campus.