ID Degree Plan

Interior Design Program

John Hannon, Interim Director
Claire L. Hamilton, Coordinator
118 College Drive #5113
Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001

601.266.5988
Fax: 601.266.5166
interior.design@usm.edu
construction.usm.edu/interiordesign

C. Hamilton, M. Rose

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Overview of Major
The interior design program prepares students to identify, research and solve problems related to the needs of people in residential, institutional and commercial environments in order to enhance the quality of life and protect public health, safety and welfare. The program’s interdisciplinary approach addresses the demands and standards of qualification of the profession and related fields. The core of program requirements includes sequential studio courses covering the analysis, planning and design of human environments, to include instruction in sustainable design, universal design, presentation, HVAC systems, lighting, plumbing, acoustics, codes, special needs, historic and contemporary furnishings/design, aesthetics and professional procedures.
Professional designers, architects, manufacturers and allied representatives serve the program in an advisory capacity as members of advisory boards, guest lecturers, part-time faculty, critics and supervisors of interns. Further contact with professionals is supported through the student chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and student membership in the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). All faculty members have had professional experience and are members of professional organizations.

Career Opportunities
Career opportunities exist in the following areas: residential and contract interior design/space planning firms; architectural and engineering firms; facilities planning, independently or within the structure of corporations, institutions or government agencies; antique dealerships; furniture and textile manufacturers and distributors; furniture showrooms for trade and retail; preservation and restoration design; and interior design education.

Computer Equipment Requirements
ID majors are required to own a specifically equipped laptop computer as a prerequisite for all 200-level and above ID studio courses. Specifications are available through the ID office (601.266.5988).

Studies Abroad
Students are offered the opportunity to earn six hours of credit while studying abroad through the British Studies Program or other study-abroad courses offered through International Programs.

Admission Policy
Admission to The University of Southern Mississippi as an interior design major does not ensure progression to the upper-division studio courses. Criteria for progression to the upper-division 300/400-level studio courses include 1) a letter of application, 2) specified GPA requirements, 3) completion of specified courses and 4) portfolio review.

Application forms and instructions may be obtained from the student’s adviser or the Interior Design Program director. The deadline for completion of the forms is the spring semester prior to enrollment in ID 320 and ID 339. Dates will be posted in the studio and announced in the lower-division studio courses.

Students who have completed or who are currently enrolled in the following prerequisite course may apply to the Interior Design Program for progression to the upper-division studio courses:

Progression Criteria
Pre-ID Curriculum Requirements: The following courses must be completed prior to entry in 300/400-level studio courses (additional prerequisites may apply for individual 300/400 level courses):

University Core (24 hrs)
(6 hrs.) ENG 101 and 102 (3 hrs.) MAT 101 or higher level
(6 hrs.) HIS 101 and 102
(3 hrs.) ART 130
(3 hrs.) SCM 111, 305, 320, or 330

The following courses must be completed with a grade of C or higher prior to entry in 300/400 studio courses (additional prerequisites may apply for individual 300/400 level courses):

Interior Design (17 hrs)
(3 hrs.) ID 140 (3 hrs.) ID 238
(3 hrs.) ID 240
(2 hrs.) ID 242
(3 hrs.) ID 310
(3 hrs.) ID 311
Art (12 hrs)
(3 hrs.) ART 101
(6 hrs.) ART 111 and 112
(3 hrs.) ART 113

Portfolio Review: Applicants will submit a portfolio of work completed in the above course prerequisites for review by the interior design faculty, typically the summer semester prior to enrolling in ID 320 and ID 339. Declared interior design majors will be issued written directions that will include format and project inclusions.

Grade Point Average: Student must have earned a cumulative GPA of 2.5 in the pre-ID curriculum and a 2.5 in all courses completed under the major area of study.

Assessment Method: A written evaluation criteria list will be issued to all students declaring an Interior Design major and made available for students enrolling in 100/200- level interior design courses and prospective students. The evaluation criteria will incorporate the Council for Interior Design Accreditation standards and guidelines applicable to predetermined competency level expectations.

Due Date: Applicants will submit the progression application the semester prior to expected enrollment in ID 320 and ID 339, typically the spring semester of the second year. Dates will be posted in the studio and announced in the ID 200-level studios. Students are encouraged to work with adviser in completing application.

Continued Progression in Interior Design Studio Course Sequence

According to the Council for Interior Design Accreditation standards, the Interior Design curriculum is designed to encompass continuity, repetition of significant concepts, sequential ordering of content, progression of learning and interrelationships among learning experiences. The student must earn a grade of C or higher in each course of the interior design studio sequence before taking the next ID studio in the sequence. The sequential order of the design studio course sequence is as follows:

ID 140, 238
ID 242, 310
ID 240, 311
ID 320, 339
ID 340, 439
ID 342, 438, 440
ID 490
ID 442

To remain in the ID Degree Plan, a student must maintain a 2.5 GPA on all Southern Miss course work.

A student who drops below the 2.5 GPA requirement will have one probationary semester (not including summer) to bring up grades. A student whose grades do not improve after probation will be barred from taking any additional ID courses. However, a student may seek permission from the program director to retake an ID course in which he or she earned a D or F, for the purpose of attaining a better grade, within the university’s regulations regarding the repeating of course work. Students progressing in the ID sequence according to their original progression schedule will have enrollment precedence over students retaking or taking studio course out of their original schedule of progression.

Summer Internship Prerequisites

Before enrolling in ID 442, Interior Design Internship, a student must have completed all course prerequisites, earned a grade of C or better in all courses in the major area of study, and have a 2.5 GPA in the major area of study and the last 60 hours of courses attempted. Approval must be obtained through an application form available from the student’s academic adviser. Early internships are possible during the summer following the completion of ID 439 and ID 340; however, students must meet minimum specified requirements.

Graduation Requirements

In addition to all university and major course requirements, the following requirements must be met for the degree in interior design:

1) Fifty percent of required courses in the major must be completed at Southern Miss.
2) All required 300 and above level studio courses must be completed at Southern Miss.
3) A grade of C or higher must be earned in all courses in the major area of study.
4) A cumulative GPA of 2.5 must be earned under the major area of study and the last 60 hours of courses attempted.

Transfer Credits

Transfer students are admitted to the program upon admission to the university. Students who wish to transfer from another college within the university must have a 2.0 GPA. Application for transfer may be made to the Interior Design Program throughout the year. The evaluation criteria for transfer credits in the major are as follows:

1. Quality and representation of course objectives documented in portfolio of previous
work completed in Interior Design Studio and support courses
2. Work completed at a program accredited by the Council for Interior Design
Accreditation (Transfer of 300- and above level Interior Design credits from programs
not accredited by Council for Interior Design Accreditation-accredited institutions
will be considered on an individual basis.)
3. Course syllabi and project description
4. Grades earned in the courses
5. ID progression criteria met prior to enrollment in 300-and above ID studio courses
6. Course descriptions published in school catalog

HOURS TO DEGREE

124 hours are needed to graduate with a BS in Interior Design. At least 50 percent of the hours applied to a degree at The University of Southern Mississippi must be earned from a senior college, and 45 of these hours must be in courses numbered 300 or above. The last 25 percent of course work must be earned from Southern Miss. The student must earn at least 12 hours in the major area of study from Southern Miss.