By mid-career change, what do you mean?  I pursued, and earned my MArch partially funded by the GI Bill, it didn't cover the 8 years I was in school, and this was after 5 years in the Marines.  But I would first consider which path you want to take.  You CAN get into, and work through a MArch without prior studio experience, although it can be difficult, it's not impossible.  Without a MArch these days, you would be limiting yourself as you progress through the architecture field.  If you choose to go Interior, that's a whole different animal, and one I can't speak of, but a Masters isn't required for certification.  Your comparison of degrees isn't really telling me anything of what you really want, they're two different degrees from two different places for admission into two different fields, figure out which one is calling you, and you'll have your answer.

1- I agree with Mr_Wiggin with respect to the different degrees. You are comparing apples and oranges. It's not so much the degrees as much as the types of practice that you will be able to take on as a practitioner. An Interiors degree is far less encompassing, and you may find it limiting in the long run. 

2- Typically, an MArch I is geared directly towards people who don't have degrees in architecture. They're intense because you need to unlearn all those philosophy majors of the bad habit of talking instead of drawing. 

3- It doesn't matter in this instance, but you don't need a masters to get a license. You need a degree that allows you take the exam. 

4- Mr_Wiggin -Carol Burnett reference?

Interior Design is not a protected title anywhere.  Some jurisdictions require a license to call yourself a Register ID and may require licensure for certain types of work like large commercial etc..But only very few states....I would doubt texas is one...Im not an interior designer though so take that with a grain of salt.  

People often overlook Landscape, but imo it is a much more pleasant field, and less burdened by economic trends...Its also far less bs  involved with permits and all.  And, there seem to be more creative freedom allowed (with residential anyway).  And Houston is a good place to be for Landscape... My 2 cents...

Architecture can be great or terrible depending on a number of factors...without geographic mobility you will be limited in job searches...Texas does have a strong market though from what I hear...

jla-x,

Are you talking about landscape and landscaping? Landscape is impacted by the same market trends as seen in architecture and is often the first to get cut. Landscaping is driven by tight margins, seasonality, equipment failures and a professional degree is not required.

Landscape design...Residential is pretty stable even when the economy is down and new builds are rare, but guess that depends on location...  Public and commercial LA is a very different case.   

I persoally did my M-arch and had some years prior experiance in landscape before going off on my own, but imo it is a good field to consider.  

My first thought is to make sure you really really want to work in this field before investing time in an Architecture degree. My experience has been that it is a serious PITA career with tons of stress, long hours and not a lot of financial or spiritual reward. YMMV.  If you have any CAD skills, you could probably rummage up some intern work that would give you a much better perspective of this profession.  Working for a few months could save you years of grief in the long run OR give you a head start when you have your degree and you're ready to work.  If this is truly your passion or you just know this is for you, I would recommend the M. Arch option for people with non-architecture undergraduate degrees.  I believe UH has this degree option. This will probably take you a good 3.5 years which would be quicker than a 5 year degree.  You can't skip the design studios or take them concurrently and this is generally the critical path in the architecture programs.  You don't need a Master's but as mentioned by others, you need an NAAB accredited degree which is always 5 years minimum.  The M. Arch will meet these requirements.  You need the degree to get licensed in Texas and in the majority of other states.  You also need the same degree requirements to get NCARB certification.  Truth is, you don't need the license if you're going to work for others.  And truth be told, you really don't need the degree.  It might get you in the door but anyone that can do the job can get a job.  I've seen non-degreed non-licensed people kick butt many times but I'm glad I got my degree and my license if only for myself.  You need a license to practice on your own and you need it to call yourself an Architect. The latter being the biggest motivator for me.  I hated calling myself an intern and putting associate AIA after my name.  I'm in Houston and I'd be happy to give you a quick tour of the firm I work for.  Drop me a line if you're interested.  Take care. -Mark

Thanks for all of the responses everyone!

I have a BA already in physical anthropology so that's why I discussed the possible M.Arch level one for non-proffs. 

My main interest is in interiors, both the structure and design (surface design, textures, materials etc). 

I feel like I would enjoy a more soft focus of interior design that is why I'm more drawn to the BFA, unfortunately there is no masters interior design options in Houston. From my research though I see that people recommend M.archs  because   a licensed architect can practice deign but a designer can't practice architecture.

I figure if I am going to immerse myself in schooling I might as well take the higher road, if that makes sense....what do yall think?