DEPARTMENT OF

Design and Environmental Analysis

 
 
 

Two-Year Graduate Program

Program Philosophy

The M.A. in Design at Cornell centers on a concern for the individual. Both the faculty and the students believe strongly in the power of design to nurture the human spirit and support the health and well-being of individuals and organizations. Design is art in the service of humankind, and as such, is a profession of innovation as well as accountability. Designers have a social responsibility to the people for whom they create, and with each design decision must strive to ensure the ethical, sustainable, and informed role of design in society.
 
Program Focus

The M.A. program in Design has a single concentration in Interior Design which focuses on understanding and defining the expanding role of interior design as it relates to business strategy, environmental sustainability, health and well-being, and advances in virtual reality, as well as the theoretical and historical issues which underpin these emerging concerns.

The program brings together faculty and students with expertise in the fields of interior, industrial, and graphic design, architecture, art, design history, planning, building technology, environmental psychology, human factors and ergonomics, economics, and facility planning and management to work on problems related to the interior environment.

The Interior Design concentration rests on the following basic premises:

  • Development of the knowledge base guiding the design and planning of physical settings requires systematic, empirical research. 
  • Individual and organizational behaviors are affected by the form of the environment. 
  • The users of environments are diverse and have different needs. Individual characteristics such as gender, stage in life cycle, family structure, role or task affect our environmental needs. In addition, organizational characteristics such as organizational culture, goals, and structure help shape building form and use. 
  • That the professional practice of interior design should be based on enhancing the human condition. Issues of central importance include how the qualities of the interior environment (i.e., interior architecture, building systems, lighting, furnishings, equipment and finishes) affect human behavior, comfort, and well-being. 
  • How the goals and ideals of both the individual and the organization are translated into physical form; and what the designer's responsibility is to society.

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Areas of Study

There are four interdisciplinary specializations at the master’s level in Interior Design. These were developed to fit a range of interests in interior design. Each degree program varies in its requirements and content depending on the academic and professional background of the applicant.

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M.A. Degree

The M.A. degree is a two-year, post-professional degree program intended for students with an undergraduate degree in interior design, architecture, or product design who want to do advanced study and research in interior design. The program culminates in a formal research thesis in which students are encouraged to systematically develop and test research based design solutions, theories, and methods.

M.A. candidates must also select a minor from fields throughout the University. Students should identify their minor committee members early on in the program to ensure that they have time to take the minor’s required courses, typically 1-2 courses total.

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M.A. Requirements
Required DEA field course audits:
DEA 1110 Making a Difference: By Design 3 credits
DEA 1500 Intro to Human Environment Relations 3 credits
Research & design methods courses:
(choose 2 -- 1 research method and 1 design method)
DEA 6450 Dancing Mind (design method) 3 credits
DEA 6500 Programming (design method) 4 credits
DEA 6560 Research Methods in Human Environment Relations 4 credits
Varies Qualitative Methods (research method) 4 credits
Varies Historiography (research method) 4 credits
Behavior & social responsibility courses:
(choose 1 course)
DEA 4220 Ecological Literacy 3 credits
DEA 6510 Human Factors: Ergonomics-Anthropometrics 4 credits
DEA 6520 Human Factors: Ambient Environment 4 credits
DEA 6530 Planning and Managing the Workplace 4 credits
DEA 6600 Environment and Social Behavior 4 credits
Studio-based courses:
(choose 1 course)
DEA 4300 Furniture as a Social Art 3 credits
DEA 6000 Special Problems for Grads (project-based) variable credit
DEA 6480 Virtual Design, Analysis & Representation 3 credits
DEA 6540 Facilities Planning and Management Studio 4 credits
History theory & criticism course:
DEA 6680 Design Theory & Criticism Seminar 4 credits
Required course:
DEA 8990 Master Thesis 1-15 credits
Summary of Curriculum Number of Courses Total Credits
Required DEA field course audits 2 [6] audit
Research Methods & Thesis 2-3 10-12
Required M.A. courses 5 20
Courses in minor 1-2 3-6
Courses in research specialization 3-4 12-15
Additional courses (if not TA) 1-3 3-9
Total: 48-62

NOTE: Effective as of Fall 2007, a minimum grade of B- is required for courses taken within this major.

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Application
Application Requirements:
  • Statement of purpose
  • Three letters of recommendation with forms (paper or online).  Letters arriving without forms will not be evaluated
  • GRE
  • Official transcripts
  • TOEFL - International students
  • Portfolio

Application Deadline:  January 15.  Applications are accepted for Fall Admission only.

 

To find out more, visit the Graduate School web site http://www.gradschool.cornell.edu/.

Apply on line http://www.gradschool.cornell.edu/?p=3.

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Portfolio Submission

The portfolio should communicate your design background and abilities in an understandable, organized manner following the guidelines below:

  • Hard copy preferred.
  • Preferred sizes are 8-1/2 x 11 or 11 x 17. Sizes between these sizes are also acceptable. Portfolios may have pages which fold out once. Slides are acceptable. 
  • Design work should be represented by prints and/or photographs accompanied by a statement briefly describing your design projects.
  • Indicate professional work (versus student work). 
  • Indicate personal involvement in group projects (professional or student). 
  • The demonstration of conceptual sketching ability, analytical sketches and travel sketches are very useful to us in assessing ability and assigning assistantships.

Submit portfolio's to:

The Department of Design & Environmental Analysis
Cornell University
Graduate Field Assistant
E104 MVR Hall
Ithaca, NY  14853

PORTFOLIOS WILL NOT BE RETURNED
UNLESS YOU PROVIDE A STAMPED SELF-ADDRESSED ENVELOPE.

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