Interior Design Track Admissions

Related undergraduate study
A prior degree in interior design or architecture is required for admission to study interior design at the graduate level. At the graduate level, students prepare for positions in teaching and research. Experience in interior design practice is also desired. 

If you do not have a bachelor’s degree in interior design and are interested in education that would prepare you for interior design practice, please view information about our CIDA-accredited undergraduate program in interior design.

All materials must be received by the program's deadline. The program’s review process takes between four and six weeks once the application is complete. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. After faculty review your application, a faculty member may contact you for a follow-up on-line video, or telephone interview.

Materials required for all applicants

• Complete University of Minnesota Graduate School Application
• CV
• Strong academic record with a preferred 3.0 GPA
• Personal statement of your academic and professional goals for the degree desired (1–2 pages)
• Diversity statement (1–2 pages; make relevant for the Diversity of View and Experience Fellowship if applying)
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE scores)
  • Please also include your self-reported scores in the University of Minnesota Graduate School Application.
  • For scores older than 5 years, a copy of the applicant's official ETS score report must be uploaded to the application (school code is 6874).
• Three letters of recommendation written by individuals who can judge your academic performance and promise as a student
• All transcripts
• Application fee of $75, international students pay $95
• A portfolio of 15–20 examples of current work in PDF file format or a link to a website

For applicants to the PhD

• A writing sample (PDF file format) authored solely by the applicant that demonstrates the applicant’s writing skills and ability to analyze information and develop an argument and/or conclusion based on the analysis (5,000 words maximum)
  • Samples with multiple authors will not be accepted.

Note: New students are not admitted to the Design Graduate Program to pursue a doctoral degree without a master’s degree.

For applicants who are non-native English speakers

• TOEFL or IELTS scores submitted in PDF file format to the University of Minnesota (school code: 6874)
  • Please note that the exam date should be within two years of the graduate program start date.
  • For more testing options and details, view the Graduate School English Language Proficiency guidelines.
• Minimum accepted TOEFL scores are:
  • Total Score: 79
  • Writing Subscore: 21
  • Reading Subscore: 19
• Minimum accepted IELTS scores are:
  • Total Score: 6.5
  • Writing Subscore: 6.5
  • Reading Subscore: 6.5

NOTE: If you will earn or have earned an undergraduate degree in the United States you do not need to submit English language test scores.