Pratt Institute’s MFA in Interior Design is located within the ultimate learning environment of New York City—the interior design capital of the United States. Consistently identified at the forefront of Interior Design education, our graduate program prepares students to become leaders in the discipline by setting high standards for critical thinking, professional aptitude, social and ethical responsibility, exemplary expression of skills and abilities, enhancing and transforming the human environment.

Interior Design at Pratt is a spatially driven exploration of the discipline. Through an inspiring and challenging course of study, the Interior Design program is a leading innovator in an expanding and dynamic field. The MFA in Interior Design guides students in generating comprehensive creative solutions that integrate an understanding of craft and making, material research, emerging technologies, and sustainable practices, fully cognizant of global cultural histories and diverse contexts. The program prepares students to engage in critical inquiry which establishes them as innovators in the field of interior design, expanding the potential of professional practice, design education, and research affecting our understanding of the interior.

The MFA degree prepares individuals who are interested in contributing to the academic discipline as well as the profession. Our international student body with its varying backgrounds, academic disciplines, and life experiences, creates an intellectually stimulating environment. Our students are a select group who come to Pratt to work hard in order to prepare themselves to enter a profession in which the designer must be nimble, multifaceted, and equipped with the skills necessary to provide innovative design solutions.

Applicants with an undergraduate degree in interior design, architecture, or other closely related design fields may be eligible to complete the M.F.A. in as little as two years, a total of 60 credits; a portfolio of academic and/or professional work is required.  

Applicants with undergraduate backgrounds that are unrelated to interior design or architecture are required to take a 24 credit Core Year of preparatory study, prior to continuing the M.F.A degree. These students may complete 84 credits in three years. A portfolio is required and the department recommends that applicants submit material that represents their best skills and knowledge related to their own background, experience, and interests. A required statement of purpose provides the opportunity for applicants to articulate how their background can inform, and has prepared them for the field of study in interior design at Pratt Institute. 

Upon completion of their studies, students:

• Demonstrate a detailed level of problem identification and solving in the design of interior environments, informed by rigorous research and analysis, culminating in a comprehensive body of work.
• Demonstrate proficiency in analog processes and digital technologies to effectively generate and communicate their ideas visually.
• Use written and oral communication to effectively develop and convey their ideas.
• Demonstrate comprehension of cultural, social, and political issues affecting the design discipline, theory, and practice in order to position the role of interior design within a broader global discourse concerning human behavior and experience.
• Develop and integrate an understanding of sustainable design issues, strategies, and qualities in relation to the interior environment and its occupants.
• Demonstrate knowledge of emerging technologies within and adjacent to the interior design discipline.
• Integrate knowledge of regulations and guidelines related to construction processes, products, and labor practices.
• Research, test, and integrate innovative applications of light, color, and materiality as essential design elements and principles.
• Recognize and demonstrate awareness of the implications of spatial and material practices and their representations for a diversity of individuals and communities.

Our M.F.A. in Interior Design welcomes students from all academic backgrounds and offers two tailored pathways to success. Those with a degree in interior design or a related field complete the 60-credit program in two years. Students from other disciplines begin with a 24-credit *Graduate Core Year to build a strong foundation, completing the full 84-credit program in three years. This structure ensures everyone gains the skills needed to thrive.