Interior Architecture

Special application procedures

Prospective students must apply to and be accepted by both UNCG and the Department of Interior Architecture. Departmental application materials may be requested through the above contact or downloaded from the IARc website.

Students applying for Interior Architecture must attend one of the departmental open house programs.

About the minor

Students interested in basic design, sustainability, design thinking, design theory, entrepreneurship, and historic perspectives can consult with Lucinda Havenhand, department chair, about earning a minor in IARc (requires 18 hours of selected courses).

What’s Unique about IARC at UNCG?

• Described as a “most admired program” by deans and department heads in a national survey (2015)
• Holistic studio-based curriculum with individual work space for students
• Emphases in digital design and communication, computer-aided making and fabrication, interior product design, and community-engaged design
• The IARc Experience, a collection of 9 hours that may include design thesis, additional internships or fieldwork, or a cluster of courses that establish a level of expertise in a particular area or field of study such as business, human behavior, or art
• Design/build program including housing for underserved populations such as veterans and teenage moms who are homeless

• Community – engaged design and public interest design, connecting student designers with community partners and regional needs

Academic clubs and organizations

• Center for Community-Engaged Design
• International Interior Design Association (IIDA) Campus Center

Student opportunities

• International exchange programs in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Korea, Sweden, Denmark, and China
• Collaborating on projects with community partners in our Center for Community-Engaged Design
• Honors Program
• Advanced digital fabrication using a 3-D printer, 3-D scanner, laser cutter, and computer-numerical control machine
• SoftLab with a focus on textiles and construction
• Internships, field studies, and practicums
• Annual student excursions to design firms and major metropolitan art and design centers in Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Charlotte, N.C., and Princeton, N.J.
• Participation in local, regional, and national design competitions

Graduates/Careers

Most of our new graduates are employed as entry-level designers in premier architecture and interior design firms, although a significant number of students are employed by nonprofit firms (see the IARc website for current employment figures).

Typical career choices in interiors include residential, commercial, public interest, institutional, lighting, showroom, retail, health care, digital, and furniture design.

• Employers include Perkins+Will, Gensler, Natuzzi Americas Inc., Stanley Furniture, Children’s Creativity Museum (San Francisco), tvsdesign, Steelcase (office environments), North Carolina Museum of History, CJMW Architecture, and BuildSense Architecture.

Professional organizations and accreditation

• Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA)
• Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC)
• U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
• International Interior Design Association (IIDA)