Interior Architecture, M.I.A.: 42 units

Offered by: College of Environmental Design, Architecture Department

Major Required Major Electives

Culminating Experience

The Department of Architecture offers a program of study that leads to the degree, Master of Interior Architecture. This program is offered collaboratively by Cal Poly Pomona and UCLA Extension. At Cal Poly Pomona, the program is offered only through the College of the Extended University. Most of the classes are taught at UCLA Extension facilities in Westwood in Los Angeles.

The Master of Interior Architecture is a professional degree (M.I.A.) and is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation. The M.I.A. program accepts students from varied academic backgrounds, including non-design disciplines, for a program requiring 42 units of graduate academic work. For students with no previous study in interior architecture, prerequisite course work precedes the final 42 units of the Master of Architecture program. The prerequisite work is offered by UCLA Extension and credit may be awarded for equivalent courses taken at other institutions. A culmination Master’s project must be completed in this program before the Master of Interior Architecture degree is granted.

The primary goal for the Master of Interior Architecture program is to provide an opportunity for individuals with a minimum of a bachelor’s degree to pursue a rigorous program of part time study that prepares them to enter the field of Interior Architecture incorporating the highest standards of professional practice. The program particularly serves career-change students seeking to fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming interior architecture professionals.

George Proctor, Chair
Irma Ramirez, Graduate Coordinator

Admission to the Program

For admission to the Master of Interior Architecture program, an applicant must have received a baccalaureate degree, have attained an overall undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 and have completed the prerequisite units or their equivalent. An applicant who does not meet these criteria may be admitted on a conditional basis if evidence of compensating qualifications can be furnished. Students who are admitted to the program must be able to demonstrate that their undergraduate degree includes a minimum of 30 semester units of diverse liberal arts and science courses, as defined by CIDA, or have taken additional approved courses in these areas to achieve this minimum number of units. Students may enter the Master of Interior Architecture program during fall or spring terms and the program accepts non-resident and foreign students. If you are applying as a foreign student, please contact the Foreign Student Advisor in Admissions at (909) 869-5299.

Before applying to the program, a transcript evaluation is required in order to qualify for Advanced Standing. Unofficial transcripts can be used for this review process. Contact Graduate Coordinator.

Graduate Conditionally Classified

A person may be admitted to a graduate degree or credential program in this category if, in the opinion of appropriate campus authority, he/she can remedy deficiencies by additional coursework but otherwise satisfies all other university requirements for admission. All prerequisites must be specified by the admitting department at the time of student admission. Academic departments are responsible for tracking conditionally admitted students and must report their academic progress to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships and the Graduate Studies Office via a memo on a term basis. Students admitted conditionally will not be allowed to concurrently register for graduate courses that are required for the completion of their projected graduate or professional program. A conditionally admitted student’s ability to obtain financial aid is severely limited until all deficiencies have been resolved, and unconditional status is granted by the university. Conditional admission does not guarantee unconditional admission to a program.

Required Application Materials

If you are applying as an international student, please refer to the Cal Poly Admissions Requirements for International Students for additional instructions. https://www.cpp.edu/~admissions//international/graduate/

Completed Online Application - to begin your MIA application, proceed to the CSU Graduate Online Application and choose the appropriate application form. If you have questions about the application, please refer the Office of Admissions (909 869-3210) and the CSU Application Guide. https://www2.calstate.edu/apply/graduate/Documents/graduate-application-guide-21-22.pdf. Please note: a copy of your application must be sent to UCLA Extension. Download a copy of your complete application from CSUApply and email it to UCLA Extension at ARC_ID@uclaextension.edu. Use subject line: “MIA [Quarter Applied] - [Last Name, First Name]”

1. Official Transcripts - Unofficial transcripts are to be uploaded at the time of application and final official transcripts must be submitted prior to enrollment. If you received your bachelor degree from Cal Poly Pomona, you do not need to submit transcripts. Transcripts from all college-level schools, including Certificate coursework must be mailed to Cal Poly’s Office of Admissions. All transcripts must be printed originals and sent directly from the college to Cal Poly Pomona.  In the rare circumstance that your school is unable to mail transcripts, you will need to set an appointment with Cal Poly’s Office of Admissions to hand-deliver an official transcript. For information about ordering official transcripts from UCLA Extension’s Foundation Level Certificate Program, please visit the UCLA Extension Website. https://www.uclaextension.edu/
2. TOEFL score - regardless of citizenship, if the principal language of instruction for your bachelor’s degree was NOT English, the TOEFL or IELTS is required for admissions. Applicants should have the following minimum scores to be considered eligible: TOEFL 550 (paper based), 213 (computer based), 80 (internet), IELTS band score of 6.5, or Duolingo 105.   You should have your score prior to applying to the program. This score cannot be more than two years old. Official results must be mailed directly to the Office of Admissions and Outreach. You can refer to the Cal Poly Pomona International Student website https://www.cpp.edu/admissions/international/graduate.shtml or call (909)869-5299 for more information.
3. Application Fee - due at time of submission

Submit/Mail items 2-3 above to:
Office of Admissions & Outreach
Cal Poly Pomona
3801 W. Temple Avenue
Pomona, CA 91768

5. Statement of Purpose - explain your interests, motivations, and goals in pursuing a professional degree. The Statement of Purpose should not exceed 750 words.
6. Three (3) letters of recommendation - these letters can be from individuals in a position to assess your potential for either the interior design profession or a Master’s level academic program.
7. Portfolio - your portfolio must include visual work illustrating your creative or analytical abilities in written, graphic, or mathematical form. Upload to the CSU Apply website along with your other application documents.

Forward copies of items 1, 2 and items 5-7 above to: ARC_ID@unex.ucla.edu

Requirements and Conditions

1. In the Master of Interior Architecture program (M.I.A.), a minimum of 42 semester units must be completed.
2. A minimum of 22 units of acceptable graduate credit must be taken in residency. All units taken in residency or transferred from another graduate institution are subject to a time limit of 7 years.
3. An overall average of “B” (3.0 GPA) or better must be maintained in Cal Poly Pomona courses; in contract courses (those used to satisfy graduation); and in all upper division graduate work while on graduate standing (cumulative CPP and UNEX), in order to receive a graduate degree. The minimum grade in interior architecture courses that will be accepted for credit toward the degree is “C.” Any course in which a lower grade is received must be retaken, although the initial grade will not be removed from the student’s record nor from the calculations for the grade point average.
4. In order to advance to candidacy for the M.I.A. program, a student must pass the Graduate Writing Test.
5. A final Master’s project is required of candidates in the M.I.A. degree program.
6. All work produced may be collected and used for the promotion of the department and its programs. Students will always be credited. Students may post their school work elsewhere if they credit the degree program, course, and responsible faculty.
7. The candidate must be enrolled in the university during the term of graduation.