The Best Interior Design Graduate Schools

Students who attend a four year college and leave with a degree in interior design may look forward to graduate school. Here those students have the opportunity to learn more about the field, gain firsthand experience in design, and work on a project that shows future employers their talents. The only problem that may occur is finding the best interior design graduate schools.

One of the best graduate schools for interior design is the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. This two-year program allows students to focus their attention solely on interior design and their concentration, without any of the electives or required classes. The student also completes a thesis project prior to graduation that focuses on their given specialty. SCAD, as it's also known, has internships available for students and some of their graduate level classes can be taken online.

The New York School of Interior Design, New York, is the best rated interior design graduate program in the United States. Their Master of Fine Arts degree program allows students to focus on either interior architecture or interior design. Students start out in a traditional classroom, then progress to advanced seminars and studio work. In their last year of the program, they focus their attention on a year long thesis project. Once the thesis is completed, the student meets with their professors and discusses their thesis project to receive their degree.

Parsons: The New School of Design is one of the most coveted schools for interior design. The Parsons name is synonymous with design and has bred some of the most famous designers in the world. Their interior design program is also the oldest in the world, dating back to 1906. Students begin by learning the history of interior design, then focus on the practices and processes of making different materials. From there they choose their concentration and go on to learn how to apply these theories to the real world. In addition students are encouraged to complete an internship during their course of study to learn what they'll face once out of school. Interior design and interior architecture programs are both offered by the Parsons: The New School of Design.

The School of Art Institute of Chicago also has one of the best interior design graduate programs. The Master of Fine Arts program from this Illinois school is unique in that its focus is on studio work as opposed to classroom learning. From the first year, students work in the studio to learn how interior design applies to buildings and specific settings. They are also offer internships to learn practical information that they'll use in the future.

Those with a graduate degree are more likely to gain employment after finishing college. Employers know that these students are dedicated and focused to interior design and ready to work in the field. The students also have their thesis project, which they can show in their portfolio of work.