The New England School of Art & Design announces a new studio-based Master of Fine Arts in Interior Architecture beginning in fall 2011.

So says Karen Clarke, co-program director of Interior Design at the New England School of Art & Design. The NESAD already offers an MA in Interior Design and could have simply upped the requirements for an MFA in Interior Design……but no- they claim that their new degree program will provide “students with the opportunity for advanced intellectual pursuit and the development of leadership skills in the field of interior architecture“.   PROFESSIONALINTERIORDESIGNER thinks it is just a cop-out to avoid the stigma and stereotype of interior design in the hope that more males will enroll but that is just my suspicion

PROFESSIONALINTERIORDESIGNER challenges Ms. Clarke to clearly define the difference between the field of interior architecture and the field of interior design.  Unless her program prepares students for practice as a registered/licensed architect there is none.

http://media-newswire.com/release_1137363.html

Will CIDA continue to tacitly promote confusing terminology for “INTERIOR DESIGN” by accrediting this new interior architecture degree? Sure why not. It does not seem to matter what we call ourselves…particularly in the 50 or so states that regulate the term “architect” and the 25 or so that try to regulate the term “interior designer”

We (the CIDA/NCIDQ) certified really need to figure out what we want to be when we grow up…..an interior designer OR an interior architect. PROFESSIONALINTERIORDESIGNER will gladly change his tagline to PROFESSIONALINTERIORARCHITECT if it will help.