Interior Architecture and Product Design
The 5-year Professional Interior Architecture and Product Design degree program now leads to a Master’s Degree.
Interior Architecture Courses: 
Interior Architecture and Product Design Curriculum
Students in the Master of Interior Architecture and Product Design have the opportunity to gain competency in interior design, furniture design, product design, and space planning. Projects include exercises in space articulation, programming, human behavior, material and finish selection, furniture and fixture specification, signage, historic preservation, and facility management. By studying design in a holistic manner, students become more versatile and develop a variety of marketable skills.
Product design projects will relate to the development of new and existing products using various manufacturing methods and materials such as woods, metals, plastics, and synthetics. Products can range in size from a small flashlight to a large space station. In furniture design studios, hands-on experience is gained in producing prototypes of the students’ own designs in fully equipped wood, metal, plastic, and upholstery workshops.
Computers are integrated into studio beginning with the third year, and computer cabinets virtually replace drafting tables. Students are encouraged and aided by faculty in the use of CAD, 3D-modeling, graphic design, word processing, spreadsheets, multimedia presentation, and Internet software.
Exposure to design in metropolitan areas is achieved through field trips that are a part of the studio curriculum. During the second and third year, a one-week trip to a city such as Chicago or Dallas is planned to increase student awareness and experience. Faculty also arrange for the students to visit appropriate places of interest related to the assigned design problems. These visits are often to Kansas City, Topeka, or another nearby community.
During the second semester of the fourth year, students have several alternatives to staying on campus. Full semester credit can be earned by studying abroad or participating in a professional internship. The Department of Interior Architecture has an exchange program with Trier and Coburg, Germany. Students can also participate in an exchange program with Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic and DIS in Copenhagen, Denmark. The College of Architecture, Planning, and Design also offers programs in Castiglion Fiorentino and Orvieto, Italy. The professional internship, arranged with the aid of professors, is a paid position.
As the education in interior architecture and product design is diverse, so are the career possibilities. Some graduates have chosen to work as interior architects, furniture designers, facility managers, historic preservationists, exhibit designers, or space planners. Others have chosen graphic design, automotive design, industrial design, or lighting design. Other graduates have opted to work in the amusement and theme park arena, or aircraft, yacht, and boat design, while some have become illustrators or model builders.
Accreditation
The Master of Interior Architecture and Product Design is a five-year professional degree, and the program is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CICA), formerly known as (FIDER) . After two years of practical experience, students are eligible for certification in states currently registering interior architects and designers.
Visit the Interior Architecture Website: http://www.capd.ksu.edu/iapd