Bachelor of Interior Architecture Degree | Marywood University

Design a Fascinating Career with an Interior Architecture Degree

The four-year, Interior Architecture degree at Marywood University prepares students to design dynamic interior environments for adaptive reuse, renovation, and new construction projects. This professional interior design program is the only BIA program in Northeast Pennsylvania accredited by National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

As one of the most forward-thinking colleges in the region, Marywood offers a unique blend of creative freedom, technical training, and sustainability-focused design education. Students learn to craft spaces that elevate function, form, and well-being — from residential interiors to commercial, institutional, and cultural environments.

Marywood also holds a prestigious Zero Energy Design Designation (ZEDD) from the U.S. Department of Energy — demonstrating its commitment to environmentally responsible design education at the undergraduate level.

To become a licensed interior architect, most states require an accredited degree, experience hours, and passing the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) exams, administered by the Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ). The BIA program fulfills the first and most essential requirement.

Students who complete the BIA program are eligible for 41 credits of advanced standing in the Master of Architecture or Master of Interior Architecture program. This makes it easy to deepen expertise in sustainable interiors and integrated design strategy.

Focused on developing the skills needed to design thoughtful interiors, buildings, and spatial environments, this accredited interior architecture degree trains students to create the specific character of spaces for human use and enjoyment. Interior architects learn how materials, colors, textures, and light influence human experience — and how to design spaces that respond to physical, psychological, and cultural needs.

Interior Architecture students benefit from a professional curriculum that includes:

Eight sequential semesters of design studios , steadily growing in complexity from beginning studio to a comprehensive interior design project

Building science courses covering building systems, environmental science, and renewable energy sources

Hybrid representation courses , with hands-on training in animation, digital and physical model making, digital rendering, fabrication, and hand drawing

History and theory courses exploring the diverse cultural and social influences that shape the built environment

Program electives in topics like furniture design, lighting, and urban ecologies

A required semester abroad in Florence, Italy

Students also benefit from shared coursework with peers in Architecture, Construction Management, and Virtual Architecture — helping them build a collaborative, real-world design mindset.

Program Highlights

Design Your Future Summer Program

From June 20 to June 27, 2026, students are invited to explore the world of interior architecture through Marywood’s Design Your Future Program, an immersive eight-day experience filled with creative design challenges, studio sessions, firm tours, and workshops.

This is a valuable opportunity for high school who want to preview life in an School of Architecture program — especially those considering an interior architecture degree focused on addressing the most urgent design challenges of our time.

Learn More About Design Your Future

Innovative Campus, Real-World Practice

Interior Architecture courses are taught in a LEED Gold-certified facility equipped with rainwater harvesting, geothermal cooling, and a green roof — a living example of sustainable, adaptive reuse design. Students gain hands-on experience with the tools and technologies that drive today’s design industry.

Marywood interior architecture students have been recognized for their creative achievements, including the Gravity Slope Colliery adaptive reuse project, which was nominated for a SAGE Award from the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce.

Students also showcase their work at First Friday Gallery nights in downtown Scranton and during the Observe Scranton Festival, presented in partnership with the Center for the Living City.

Professional Partnerships & Career Success

Students and faculty frequently partner with industry-leading firms and organizations, including:

Fancy Parsley
HC Architects
Sordoni Construction Services

And with regional nonprofits and museums such as:

Black Scranton Project for Arts and Culture
Electric City Trolley Museum
Everhart Museum
Lackawanna Historical Society
United Neighborhood Center of Northeast Pennsylvania

With a strong focus on career development, Marywood hosts an annual career fair and supports students through internships, mentoring, and portfolio reviews. The program reports an 85% job placement rate in professional roles.

About the Interior Architecture Program

Admission Requirements

Undergraduate Admissions Requirements

Completed application
Official transcripts

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Scholarships

Morris K. Udall Scholarship

The Udall Foundation seeks future leaders across a wide spectrum of environmental fields, including policy, engineering, science, education, urban planning and renewal, business, health, justice, and economics. The Foundation also seeks future Native American and Alaska Native leaders in public and community health care, tribal government, and public policy affecting Native American communities, including land and resource management, economic development, and education.

View Scholarships

Courses & Curriculum (120 Total Credits)

The four-year, professional Bachelor of Interior Architecture (BIA) degree program at Marywood is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). Marywood offers advanced standing in their professional Master of Interior Architecture (MIA) program for students with undergraduate degrees in Architecture, Interior Architecture, Virtual Architecture, or Construction Management. To become a licensed interior architect/designer, most states require completion of an accredited degree, Experience hours and NCIDQ exams administered by the Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ).

The Bachelor of Interior Architecture degree program requires study abroad in the third year in Florence. Students with extenuating circumstances outlined in the MU SOA Study Abroad Policy may apply for an exemption.

A minimum grade of “C” is required in order to fulfill the University’s requirement of design competency in each of the following studio courses: ARCH 110 , ARCH 120 , ARCH 210 , IARC 220A , IARC 310A , IARC 320A , IARC 410A , and IARC 420A .

B.I.A. (Four-year Degree) Program Requirements

Total of 120 credits required including:

Core curriculum*
Interior Architecture curriculum
General Electives

The Interior Architecture curriculum is scaffolded by four curricular sequences listed below. Please email the MU SOA Director at architecture@marywood.edu for a recommended, semester-by-semester curriculum tracker outlining the four-year program.

Studio Sequence

ARCH 110	Design Studio I	4
ARCH 120	Design Studio II	4
ARCH 210	Design Studio III	6
IARC 220A	Interior Architecture Studio IV	6
IARC 310A	Interior Architecture Studio V	6
IARC 320A	Interior Architecture Studio VI	6
IARC 410A	Interior Architecture Studio VII	6
IARC 420A	Interior Architecture Studio VIII	6

Representation Sequence

IARC 111L	Hybrid Representation Lab I	2
IARC 121L	Hybrid Representation Lab II	2
IARC 211L	Hybrid Representation Lab III	2

Technology Sequence

ARCH 127	Building Technologies I	3
ARCH 217	Building Technologies II	3
ARCH 227	Building Technologies III	3
ARCH 317	Building Technologies IV	3
ARCH 417	Building Technologies V	3

History and Theory Sequence

ARCH 128	Hist & Thry of Arch & Interior Arch I	3
ARCH 218	Hist & Thry of Arch & Interior Arch II	3
ARCH 228	Hist & Thry of Arch & Interior Arch III	3

Total Credit Hours: 131

Additional Courses

ARCH 462 (Professional Practice), Program Electives (9 credits)**, and General Electives (3 credits).

* ART 218, MATH 160, and PHYS 140 are recommended to fulfill Core requirements for Bachelor of Interior Architecture students. Equivalent or higher courses will be accepted on a case-by-case basis.

** Program Electives shall be selected from Interior Architecture, Architecture, Virtual Architecture, Construction Management, and other courses approved by the MU SOA Director. Program Electives shall not be otherwise required courses in the Bachelor of Interior Architecture degree program.

Student Resources

Interior Architecture Student Work

From #DayOne, Marywood is here for you each step of the way.

Facilities & Technology

Center for Architectural Studies

In some cases, where students learn can be as important as what they learn. Where it can be a modern urban center or a historic city like Florence, or it can be a building so innovative in its design that it becomes a partner in the educational experience. Such is the case with Marywood’s Center for Architectural Studies, which houses the School of Architecture.

The School of Architecture is a state-of-the-art example of sustainable design. It's a spacious, adaptive re-use of Marywood's former gymnasium and natatorium. It features:

Two levels of open studios
Wood and metal shops
Digital Fabrication Lab
Plaster-casting room
Printers and plotters
Construction Materials Lab
Reference library

A two-story commons under a continuous skylight harvests abundant natural light throughout the day and serves as the building's "agora" - an open, shared, central space for educational exchanges among students and faculty. This is an ideal place for group discussions, debates, displays, and project critiques.

Entrance to the building with student work displayed

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School of Architecture Classrooms

Every student is provided an individual work space with a drawing board, personal storage area, pin-up wall, and space for a laptop.

It features:

Two levels of studio space
Fully-equipped woodshop
Plaster-casting room
Printers and plotters
Computer-Aided Design (CAD) lab
Student lounge
Reference library

Architecture students working in one of the studios

work-in-progress exhibition family weekend _23_2.jpg

Student work displayed as a gallery in one of the studios

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Cloud Room

The Cloud Room (CAS 251) is located on the second level of the Center for Architectural Studies, above the lobby. Including only chairs without desks, it is not considered a traditional classroom space. The Cloud Room is used by the School of Architecture as a meeting space and as a location for architecture lectures and guest speakers.

Cloud room black and white exhibit

Student work displayed as gallery

cloud room student presentation with teacher

Class presentation

Lecturer

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Centers of Excellence

Marywood University hosts three academic Centers of Excellence on campus; The Center for Law, Justice and Policy, The Center for Urban Studies, and The Mother Theresa Maxis, IHM Center. Each center provides students with the tools and resources to excel in their academic endeavors, fostering a dynamic environment where they can engage deeply with their respective fields of study and make meaningful contributions to their communities and beyond.

Accreditation

Marywood University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSHE).

Art and design programs at Marywood University, including the Bachelor of Interior Architecture (BIA) , are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). With experience hours, our graduates are eligible to take the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) exam.

Pennsylvania has enacted legislation (Act 144 of 2024/SB 1319) that establishes a voluntary "Certified Interior Designer" (CID) title for qualified professionals. This law protects the title, allowing those with specific education, experience, and passing the NCIDQ exam to register with the state. View more information about interior design licensure in the US »

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Interior Architecture (BIA)

Design a Fascinating Career with an Interior Architecture Degree

Program at a glance

Program Highlights

Design Your Future Summer Program

Innovative Campus, Real-World Practice

Professional Partnerships & Career Success

Take Your Next Steps

About the Interior Architecture Program

Admission Requirements

Scholarships

Tuition

Courses & Curriculum (120 Total Credits)

B.I.A. (Four-year Degree) Program Requirements

Studio Sequence

Representation Sequence

Technology Sequence

History and Theory Sequence

Student Resources

Facilities & Technology

Center for Architectural Studies

School of Architecture Classrooms

Cloud Room

Faculty

Dr. Jodi L La Coe

Arian Korkuti

Dr. Liyang Ding

Scott D Allen

Dr. Elizabeth M Andrzejewski

Catherine M Armezzani

Alexander J Belavitz

Joshua David Berman

Amy L Brakefield

Charles J Breig

Tess R Brown

Dr. Miguel Angel Calvo-Salve

Matthew Chorba

Carmen J Ciampi

Antonio Felice Cicco

Emily Elizabeth Fischetti

Michael A Fusco

Negar Goljan

Thomas Alexander Gongliewski

Kimberley Ann Hagan

Christian T Hoffer

Gerard Jacquinot

Michael Lawson

Joseph Thomas Leone

Lincoln L Lewis

William R Long

Christopher J Loofs

Maria N MacDonald

Joseph R Marcellus

Nicolas A Mendez

Scott S Napkora

Blake Charles Nickel

Michelle L Pannone

Mario Joseph Paoli

Dr. Arturo Pavani

Megan M Pavlowski

Franco Pisani

Gustavo Alfredo PulidoDelCastillo

Derrick P Ricci-Riner

Lucia J Riggi-Murray

Sean M Ritter

Renee Lynn Rozaieski

Ryan Scavnicky

Kerry P Schimelfenig

Jordan M Slater

Lewis Strunk

James J Sullivan

David M Truitt

Philip Martin Vigoda

Kristen Anne Wolfe

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Centers of Excellence