Interior Design (MFA)

Required application materials

1. Application Form: Complete the online application. All applicants are required to apply online.
2. Application Fee: A nonrefundable $50 application fee paid as part of the online application. A $15 SlideRoom fee is also required.
3. Transcripts:
4. Résumé: Submit a brief résumé/curriculum vitae summarizing your academic qualifications, relevant work experience, volunteer/community work, travel, exhibitions, public speaking, or any other relevant experiences as they may relate to your field of study, including dates and positions held. Please also note any special language or computer skills that you have.
5. Statement of Purpose: The field of Interior Design is often presumed to be the art of decoration. This program was initiated to advance the study and discipline of interior design, and challenging assumptions is a core principle. Choose a prompt from the list below. (500–750-word limit)
   • Describe, in meticulous detail, a particular experience or moment in your life that has transformed the way you perceive the built world.
   • Describe how a particular object, a room, a building, or a city can shape the experience of people.
   • Describe how you imagine the design of interiors can be transformative for people\'s lives.
   • What do you believe to be the role of decoration in transforming the experience of people? Why?
   • Describe a moment in your life when you were expected to make a decision but couldn\'t, and why.
6. Recommendation Letters: You are required to submit two letters of recommendation from faculty or people with whom you have worked professionally. Recommenders can submit recommendations online; instructions are included with the online application. If preferred, the recommendation form may instead be sent by mail in a signed, sealed envelope. To send by mail, download the PDF recommendation form found in the online application, complete the personal information, save the form, and forward it to the recommender for completion and submission. Applicants can also send signed and sealed recommendations to the Office of Admission using an Application Materials Cover Sheet.
7. Portfolio: The portfolio must be completed in SlideRoom only. The purpose of the portfolio is to show your individual perspective and creative skills. Prepare a sequence of 15–25 images that best communicate your visual thinking. Include work that best demonstrates your skills from previous educational and/or professional experience. Sketches and conceptual work can also be included.
   We welcome students from a wide variety of disciplines. If you are an applicant without previous training in interior design or other design-related fields, you can demonstrate your aptitude by submitting examples of freehand drawing, photography, painting, sculpture, graphic design, three-dimensional work, furniture, product design, digital media, or work in other forms. Time-based works such as film, video, performance, installation, or sound are also accepted. Do not combine images in a prepared presentation or slideshow of any type (e.g., PowerPoint or Keynote).
8. Test Scores:GRE (optional): Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores are encouraged, but not required. If you took the GRE and general tests (verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing) scores can be submitted to support your application. The institution code is 2638.
   TOEFL, IELTS, and PTE: All applicants whose first language is not English must submit valid TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE scores. The minimum score required for TOEFL (IBT) is 92, for IELTS is 7.0, and for PTE is 63. Our TOEFL institution code is 2638.
   A TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE score is not required for applicants
   
   • Whose primary language is English
   • Who have earned a four-year degree from a U.S. college/university or from a university where English is the primary language of instruction
   Upon review of your application, the Office of Admission reserves the right to request a TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE score.
   Arrange for the testing service to send your test scores directly to The New School using the codes listed above. We accept scores from the past two years. If your scores are older, you must retake the test. For more information, visit TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE.
   Applicants also have the option of enrolling in The New School\'s English as a Second Language (ESL) program. Students must pass Level 6 in order to waive the TOEFL/IELTS/PTE requirement. Visit the ESL website for more information.
9. Interviews: An interview may be requested by the graduate faculty.