Post-Professional Master of Fine Arts in Interior Design (MFA2)

If you’re interested in exploring interior design on a deeper level and aspire to become a leader in the field, the Post-Professional MFA might be for you.

The Post-Professional Master of Fine Arts in Interior Design (MFA2) is a two-year, terminal degree program that provides professionals in interior design, architecture, environmental design, and closely related fields with the opportunity for advanced creative and academic scholarship in interior design. This full-time program is our most conceptual and is open to those who have a professional degree in interior design, architecture, or a related field.

There are four components to the program: a core design studio sequence, specialty studios, lectures/ seminars, and electives. Students experience a diverse array of interdisciplinary design approaches and project types. The thesis, required as a culminating project, consists of directed research followed by a studio project. Each student must demonstrate originality, research and design skills, and creative capacity to resolve advanced problems in design. The thesis is presented to a graduate faculty jury for evaluation.

Students graduate with a deep understanding of the nature of design of the built environment, the ability to articulate and resolve advanced problems in design, and are prepared to become leaders of the profession.

• This program requires full-time study
• Applicants must have a professional degree in interior design, architecture, engineering, or a closely related field
• Advanced portfolio required for admission

NYSID Faculty

New York School of Interior Design is a great learning institution because of its faculty. They come from a wide variety of backgrounds and bring practical and theoretical experience from their professional lives.

We have more than 100 faculty members who are practicing designers at many of the top design firms in the country: Gensler, HOK, Perkins+Will, Rockwell Group, and Robert A.M. Stern Architects to name a few. Many are also principals of their own firms--for instance Kati Curtis of Kati Curtis Design, Stefan Steil of Steilish Interiors & Architecture, and Warren Ashworth of his self-titled architecture firm.

New York School of Interior Design (NYSID) is one of the top-ranked interior design colleges in the United States and has been leading the study of interior design for a century. We offer certificate, undergraduate, and graduate programs for students at all stages of their careers.

The College prepares aspiring interior designers and working professionals to be leaders in the field by providing a focused and immersive interior design education drawing upon expert faculty, innovative approaches, and close industry relationships. Located in the heart of New York City, students have the unique opportunity to connect with experienced design professionals, participate in major design events, and access prestigious internships.

We are a diverse and inclusive community empowering students, alumni, and faculty to be leaders at the forefront of design. Students enjoy a small class size, personal attention from dedicated faculty, and state-of-the-art facilities.

Our impressive faculty represents a wide range of contemporary approaches to interior design and related disciplines. Among its members are renowned theorists, critics, historians, and some of New York's leading interior design practitioners.

Students go on to practice at the highest levels of the profession with the majority finding employment within six months of graduation, many in design and related fields. Our 2020-21 BFA graduates have a job placement rate of 90% and 2020-21 MFA graduates have a 96% job placement rate.

New York School of Interior Design is a private, not-for-profit college devoted to the design of the interior environment.

Our guiding principle is that the successful design of an interior space improves human welfare, and that the interior design profession assumes an important role in ensuring that spaces are beautiful, functional, healthy, safe, and built in a socially and environmentally conscientious way.

We are proud of our history, our esteemed faculty, and our dedicated professionals, who, year after year, provide the environment and support to help our students realize their dreams.

Mission, Vision, and Values

Mission Statement

New York School of Interior Design provides the most innovative, immersive, and transformative interior design education in the world, demonstrating the impact of professionally designed interiors on the health, happiness, and well-being of people and the planet.

Vision Statement

NYSID is a diverse and inclusive global community empowering students, alumni, and faculty to be thought leaders at the forefront of design.

Values Statement

With our rich history, New York City location, and commitment to inclusiveness, equity, and sense of belonging, NYSID values its:

• Learners from diverse backgrounds and experiences who are driven to create spaces of beauty and utility, and are focused on improving the quality of life in the built environment:
• Faculty comprised of designers, artists, and scholars dedicated to innovative teaching, conceptual and applied design, and empowering students to fulfill their creative and intellectual potential:
• Community of professionals known for collaboration, innovation, and excellence; and
• Alumni who contribute to the growth of the students, the College, the interior design profession, and the global community.

Every NYSID student has a personal story about what a focused interior design education means to them.

Brought together in a community that encourages academic excellence and that supports a vibrant campus life, NYSID students, alumni, and faculty have much to offer each other, both in and out of the classroom. Central to student life is a commitment to community, where students develop friendships and mentorships with alumni and industry leaders, meet with faculty who are experts in their field, and participate in intellectual, cultural, and social activities.

Accreditation

The New York School of Interior Design is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The MSCHE is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

The New York School of Interior Design is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

The interior design program leading to the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design (BFA) and the professional-level Master of Fine Arts in Interior Design (MFA1) is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA). The CIDA-accredited program prepares students for entry-level interior design practice, for advanced study, and to apply for membership in professional interior design organizations. The BFA and MFA1 granted by the New York School of Interior Design meet the educational requirement for eligibility to sit for the National Council for Interior Design Qualification Examination (NCIDQ Exam).

Professional Memberships

• American Council on Education (ACE)
• Association of Governing Boards of Colleges and Universities (AGB)
• Association of Independent Colleges of Art & Design (AICAD)
• Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU)
• National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU)