Interior Architecture + Design M.A. Admissions Requirements

In making decisions for admission, Marymount University takes a holistic approach to application review.

Post Professional Degree Track

Application Deadlines:
Applications must be complete by the following deadlines to assure an admissions decision by the start of the term. Applications received after these deadlines will be considered on a time and space-available basis.

Spring enrollment: November 1
Summer enrollment: March 1 (Priority deadline) or April 30
Fall enrollment: April 1 (Priority deadline) or August 1

Admissions Requirements:

Graduate Application
Official transcripts of all postsecondary education including evidence of bachelor’s degree from an accredited interior design program, architecture program, or their equivalent; directly to Marymount University’s Office of Graduate Enrollment Services, 2807 N. Glebe Road, Arlington, VA 22207, or via an online delivery system to grad.admissions@marymount.edu
Professional résumé
Two letters of recommendation from educators or employers who can attest to the applicant’s potential for graduate work
A statement of personal goals, objectives, motivations, and intended area of concentration
For those applying to the Post Professional Track: A portfolio of student or professional design work demonstrating creative ability and professional competence, including hand drawings, sketching, and design thinking as seen in creative ideation and process work

Students with an accredited interior design or architecture degree must demonstrate completion of an equivalent series of prerequisites that assures an understanding of a common body of knowledge within the field. If a departmental review of a student’s previous coursework and/or portfolio reveals deficiencies in the common body of knowledge, the student may be required to complete additional undergraduate and/or graduate course(s). Alternatively, students with degrees in interior design or architecture who want a CIDA accredited degree may choose the first professional MA program and transfer credits into it. However, a minimum of 36 credits must be completed at Marymount University, and a portfolio of work is required for placement. The department website has information on portfolio requirements and submission.

First Professional Degree Track

Spring enrollment: November 1
Summer enrollment: March 1
Fall enrollment: April 1 (Priority deadline) or August 1

Admissions Requirements

Graduate Application
Official transcripts of all postsecondary education including evidence of bachelor’s degree; directly to Marymount University’s Office of Graduate Enrollment Services, 2807 N. Glebe Road, Arlington, VA 22207, or via an online delivery system to grad.admissions@marymount.edu*
Professional résumé
Two letters of recommendation from educators or employers who can attest to the applicant’s potential for graduate work
A statement of personal goals, objectives, motivations, and intended area of concentration

*To meet requirements of the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA), the applicant’s transcript must show a minimum of 30 credits of liberal arts and sciences coursework in such disciplines as English composition, literatures, foreign language, history, sociology, mathematics, biology, philosophy, humanities, psychology, and economics. Coursework in professional disciplines, such as business, cannot be included in this total. Applicants with fewer than 30 credits in the required coursework will be expected to make up the deficit within the first year of matriculation.

Additional Requirements for International Students:

For university coursework completed outside the U.S., an official course-by-course evaluation of your transcript is required from an evaluation agency with NACES membership such as World Education Services, Inc. or Educational Credentials Evaluators.

Students for whom English is a second language must submit a recent official score from the TOEFL of 96, IELTS of 6.5, or PTE Academic exam of 58, or documentation of program completion at one of Marymount University’s language partners.

For complete information about International Admissions Guidelines and language partner programs, please click here.

Admissions Coordinator Contact Information:

Grace McGrath

Graduate Admissions Coordinator
(703) 908-7520
Schedule an appointment with Grace