Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc)
Pratt Institute
Tulane University
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Temple University
University of Oregon
Cranbrook Academy of Art
New York Institute of Technology (NYIT)
Master's Degree Soul Searching
Hey all. I've been looking into going back to school as part of a career change (undergrad was furniture design at a top school, I did a few years of professional furniture & millwork fabrication and install, then drafting, product design, and now project design for a developer in LA, looking to formalize it as up until now I've had to self-teach/learn a lot on the fly). I'm at a bit of a crossroads, and would love some input.
I've been looking primarily into Interior Design (Interior Arch, but we know how y'all feel about the branding) grad programs, currently taking prerequisites aiming to enroll in the UCLA Extension/Cal Poly M.IA full-time Fall '24. I'm also looking at Pratt and NYSID, though they're way more expensive, and longer duration (3-year versus 2 for accreditation). An M.Arch has also always been in the back of my mind, but my math skills left off around pre-calc in highschool, and it's been daunting to pursue further, on top of what I read here about salaries, working hours, etc.
My first question is if anyone has any feedback about the quality of those programs in the last couple of years, particularly UCLA, as right now it seems like the best fit. The second: as someone who enjoys the more rigorous concept-programming-analytical-technical side of things over the fabrics and paint colors, is there greater value in an M.Arch over the MIA? I'm fortunate to be making a comparable salary relative to what I've seen listed in The Poll for interior designers with several more years of experience, and I know the adage that "an architect can do the designer's job, the designer can't do the architect's", I'm just not quite sure how to come to terms with the labor value of each path relative to amount of schooling. I'm also not sure I have a strong desire to work on envelopes, structural systems, etc, in a capacity that partnership with an actual architect wouldn't solve, but are there other components/ day-to-day items I'm overlooking?
Any input would be appreciated!
Minor edit: inb4 Non Sequitur says it's "not a real degree"
minor edit: Int Arch is not a real architecture degree.
NS -- I'm obviously not claiming it's an architecture degree, and made a point to indicate as such, if that wasn't sarcasm. Sorry, I'm not the governing body responsible for naming the degree.
Seriously, would you not prefer to work with an interior designer who has a strong technical understanding of interior building systems, code, materials, programming, etc? I'm really trying to make a conscious effort to avoid vapid, decoration-focused programs, and the fucking endless peanut gallery "it's just throw pillows and sherwin williams trips" here are so trite.
not a direct answer to your question, but my experience working in retail and hospitality doing core and shell is that nearly all of the interior design firms on those projects are in fact architecture firms employing a mixed team of architects and interior designers. your talents and work experience will matter more than the specific degree if you pursue that kind of work.
ofls, I think you answered your own question. Go the accredited arch degree route. You'll get everything you listed and more without the trendy shopping sprees.
on the development side though all of the project managers for the interior fit outs are architects. there is a lot of overlap in the design capabilities in either program, but the architecture training gives you more downstream possibilities to be involved with technical aspects of the work.
An individual's future intellectual and professional path can be shaped by pursuing a master's degree by reflecting on oneself, growing academically, and exploring employment options.
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