IAD Program of Study

In Digital 2D, students are introduced to image/content creation, manipulation, editing, and management through Adobe Suite programs. Students will learn proper file management and workflow techniques, along with proper digital documentation and presentation of work. Students will also employ digital terminology across a wide range of disciplines and practices while also recognizing the cultural implications of digital creation, appropriation, and distribution. By the end of the course, students will have built a solid foundation of digital knowledge and skills that will benefit them as visual creators and communicators.

Introduction to Advanced Study offers a unique and broad-based exposure in advanced-level art and design disciplines offered at MIAD. The philosophy behind Introduction to Advanced Study is to invite students to explore problem solving and ways of working within the majors. Students will be actively engaged in making as a mode of inquiry and will gain experience in both the conceptual basis for the disciplines as well as the practical processes of the disciplines studied. Faculty will offer a variety of course structures and themes.

Credits: 3.0
Prerequisite(s): FYE100, FYE110 & FYE130

This course is an introduction to composition and color theory. Students will learn and apply the elements and principles of art and design in a variety of assignments through a variety of traditional and digital tools and media. All assignments will focus on how ideation techniques are fundamental to creative problem solving. Students will gain a clear understanding of how 2D elements and compositional theory are employed to create clear and effective visual communication, aid personal expression, and help comprise a personal aesthetic. Students will learn to identify how 2D fundamentals are employed in contemporary, professional, and historical work.

Research, Process and Connection is a theme-based introductory course in which students conduct research and engage in a creative process that leads to a body of visual work. Each section of RPC is devoted to a particular idea, process, or approach. Students will develop concepts, translate ideas, and apply methods as they make their work. Students will explore their work and thinking within a historical, cultural, and personal context. This will be reinforced through critical dialogue during stages of ideation, production, completion, and evaluation.
At the end of the semester, students are required to present their final research in a digital presentation. These presentations should demonstrate visual evidence of work completed throughout the semester as well as the ability to analyze their progress and learning in a public format.

IA+D Studio I is an introduction to the study, process and application of fundamentals for spatial composition and design communication. Students will learn how to define and design interior environments in a residential setting using research, anthropometrics, sketching and appropriate design software. The course addresses human spatial needs, materials and finishes in personal spaces of the home environment.

Credits: 3.0
Prerequisite(s): FYE100, FYE150, FYE130

IAD CAD I is a technology course that introduces students to appropriate digital tools and work flows for the design process. Industry-standard software used in the course includes SketchUp, Podium, Enscape, AutoCAD and Adobe Suite. Students will achieve proficiency in using the programs and strategic application for design and documentation.

Credits: 3.0
Prerequisite(s): FYE100, FYE150, FYE130

Materials & Specifications for Interiors will define the appropriate uses for materials & finishes used in the interior environment. Sustainable design (LEED), ergonomic design, as well as accessibility (ADA) and code guidelines will be introduced, defined and applied. Students will discover the natural characteristics of materials as well as their intended use for the safety and well-being of the user they are designing for. A fundamental understanding of the elements of art and principles of design are to be established early on in the course. Methods of organization of materials and finishes will be introduced and applied. Particular emphasis will be given to both residential and commercial interior spaces.

Credits: 3.0
Prerequisite(s): FYE100, FYE150, FYE130

IAD221 is an intermediate course in the study and application of Commercial spatial composition and design communication fundamentals. This course addresses human spatial needs in the multi-person interactive and collaborative environment often associated with business. Materials, finishes, and product selection for interior commercial environments are documented with special attention to safety and workflow needs.

Credits: 3.0
Prerequisite(s): IAD220 & IAD222

CAD 2 builds on IAD222 with a focus on design development and documentation using AutoCAD and an introduction to Revit for Building Information Modeling, the industry-standard for digital representation of an interior space. In addition to presentation techniques, students will begin the process of preparing working drawings according to professional practice.

Credits: 3.0
Prerequisite(s): IAD220 & IAD222

Lighting in Design focuses on the integration of natural lighting, supplemental lighting, and spatial design. Basic principles of lighting dynamics and associated terminology are studied. Practices for lighting specifications, calculations, and product sources are tested and communicated through models and drawings.

Credits: 3.0
Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing & IAD major

A studio elective is any studio course (art or design major course) within MIAD’s entire Program of Study, as long as it not a requirement of the student’s major, and as long as the student meets the prerequisite(s). In addition to required courses from all eleven majors, each semester MIAD offers various special electives with a range of topics.

In this in-depth course, students will explore key works of interior design and architecture from 1850 to the present, while using proper terminology and methodology for analyzing works within the study of the discipline. Students will contextualize and interpret works recognizing that different interpretive and cultural frameworks can be used to analyze works of interior design and architecture. As a focused approach to the discipline, the course encourages inquiry, critical evaluation, and curiosity about interior design and architectural history. Through selected readings and discussions, students will broaden their awareness of interior design and architectural history and demonstrate their understanding through critical writing, research, and presentation.

Credits: 3.0
Prerequisite(s): WRTG120 & ARTH151

Critical Conversations is a course in which students use writing and research to engage in critical conversations about topics that matter. You will compose and communicate in a variety of forms as you hone your awareness of the relationship between audience, context, and purpose in a variety of rhetorical situations. This course emphasizes writing- in-process, and you will be challenged to take responsibility for all phases of the process: from journaling through drafting and revision to composing carefully crafted and polished texts. You will also conduct self-directed inquiry and develop proficiency evaluating and working with a variety of primary and secondary sources. Throughout, you will be required to demonstrate evolving critical judgement and self-reflection. Ultimately, students will develop the tools to shape informed opinions and engage thoughtfully and meaningfully in public dialogue about contemporary issues.

Credits: 3.0
Prerequisite(s): WRTG120 & HUMT121

The Introduction to NS is based upon first hand investigations and discoveries in the field on Natural Sciences. In this course students will deepen the nature of the scientific method, its theoretical challenges and pursue a series of empirical applications in the lab and in the field. This practical knowledge will be broadened through intensive reading, discussions, critiques and oral assignments in general. This is an intensive, practical approach that uses the scientific method as a tool for investigation, problem solving and critical thinking. Challenging and demanding, but rewarding. Excellence in analytical and critical thinking skills are of utmost importance.

Credits: 3.0
Prerequisite(s): none

This is an advanced course in Retail Interior Design. Emphasis is placed on the experience of people and their interaction with commercial products. This course investigates and solves issues in multi-person and multi-demographic business environments where spatial layouts, way finding, navigation, human-factors and commercial regulations place constraints on design opportunities

Credits: 3.0
Prerequisite(s): IAD221 & IAD223

This course introduces relationships between composed space and the human experience with specific reference to ADA, Universal Design and building codes and zoning laws. Coursework includes CAD & BIM software (Revit) as tools for design documentation and communicating course specific outcomes.

Credits: 3.0
Prerequisite(s): IAD221 & IAD223

A studio elective is any studio course (art or design major course) within MIAD’s entire Program of Study, as long as it not a requirement of the student’s major, and as long as the student meets the prerequisite(s). In addition to required courses from all eleven majors, each semester MIAD offers various special electives with a range of topics.

IAD Studio 4 is an advanced Interior Design course. Emphasis is placed on the experience of people in various health care environments. This course addresses the challenges of designing commercial Interior spaces with regulatory constraints, building codes, safety and health concerns.

Credits: 3.0
Prerequisite(s): IAD221 & IAD223

This course introduces students to interior building systems with emphasis on interior construction – including partitions, doors, stairs, and architectural woodwork. The students will also be introduced to structural, mechanical, electrical systems, and acoustics. Revit will be used for managing and communicating building information.

Credits: 3.0
Prerequisite(s): IAD320 & IAD322

A studio elective is any studio course (art or design major course) within MIAD’s entire Program of Study, as long as it not a requirement of the student’s major, and as long as the student meets the prerequisite(s). In addition to required courses from all eleven majors, each semester MIAD offers various special electives with a range of topics.

ARTH318 provides students the opportunity to give in-depth focus to a wide range of elective topics in Art History. Experience in the disciplines is broadened through intensive reading, writing, research and oral assignments. Among the topics which students may choose to study are courses such as: 19th Century American Masters; Early Chinese Art; Women, Art, and Society; The Bauhaus; The History of Industrial Design; and others.

ARTH318 is an advanced-level elective course in Art History. In ARTH318 students will undertake an in-depth and systematic investigation of one area of study in Art History. This topic may focus on the art of a geographic area or culture, a particular movement in the history of art, or on the life and work of one artist or group of artists. In each case, the course of study will include an extensive analysis of individual works of art, the cultures from which these emerged, and the critical discourse that helps us understand this art more clearly.

As an advanced-level course, ARTH318 is designed with the understanding that the coursework will feature interpretation, analysis and critical method rather than the mere assimilation and recall of factual material. Students will be presented with readings and lecture material from a variety of sources – and from a range of historic and critical literature on the topic under consideration. Each student will be expected to engage actively with course materials and methods.

Credits: 3.0
Prerequisite(s): WRTG200 & ARTH215

In The Creative Professional in Context, students explore the process of constructing a professional, public identity through written and verbal communication about their work in Fine Art and/or Design. They refine their skills in writing, speaking, and listening, and use writing as a means to examine the conceptual, critical, philosophical, and historical foundations of their emerging creative work within the broader contexts of their chosen fields and of visual culture broadly conceived.

In this course students learn to use writing as a means of effectively communicating ideas and information about their emerging professional identities. To these ends, students will write, edit and revise often; engage in self-directed research; analyze different rhetorical situations within the professional sphere; and refine their professional selves through both oral and written assignments. Instructors in WRTG300 employ frequent use of writing workshops and writing groups as well as individual writing assignments. Because the course is conducted in seminar fashion, students are expected to assume considerable responsibility for course materials and processes.

WRTG300 emphasizes the composition of polished, substantive written work, including description of studio work and processes, critical analysis of art/design texts, reflective writing, and communication with colleagues and peers. Assignments foster the development of a professional identity by engaging students in critical reading and discussion of key texts in visual culture and their major field, and identifying personal, cultural, and professional influences and connections that impact the student’s work. The course work will culminate in the creation of a substantive document representing a professional self, conceived in relation to these critical contexts.

Credits: 3.0
Prerequisite(s): Junior standing & WRTG200

Topic in Humanities offers students a range of topics in the interdisciplinary study of cultural phenomena in various societies. Courses may draw on or combine the methods and perspectives of an array of disciplines, including literary theory, media theory, film/video studies, cultural anthropology, history, philosophy, political economy, communication, sociology, social theory, psychology, museum studies, art history, and the history, philosophy or sociology of science. Experience in the topic is broadened through intensive reading, writing, research and oral assignments. As an advanced-level course, HUMT360 is designed with the understanding that the coursework will feature interpretation, analysis, and critical method rather than mere assimilation and recall of factual material. Each student will be expected to engage actively with course materials and methods and contribute regularly to class discussions and/or oral collaborative efforts—such as focus groups and panel discussions—that relate to course material.

Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): WRTG200

Service Learning is an interdisciplinary course with a service-learning component and is designed as the synthesis of a student’s four-year humanities and social science experience. In HUMT380 students will study a topic in-depth (i.e., cities, families, borders, aging, food) and be presented with many opportunities for interdisciplinary investigation. Through intensive reading, writing, research and oral assignments, students will analyze an issue in order to evaluate how social groups function and work towards resolution. Topics will be dealt with through scholarly and community investigations that may include sociology, psychology, anthropology, economics, political science, and history.

In HUMT380 students will have the opportunity to examine a social issue in depth, from a variety of perspectives. The coursework will focus on the historical and philosophical background of a given topic, as well as helping students to learn how to assess a variety of approaches to social systems through an examination of the nature of service in the community.

In the study of the social sciences, we examine patterns in our personal lives, the communities we live in, and a larger global context in order to see how they are connected. Through the in-depth study of a particular topic (i.e., food, cities, family, rivers, borders, aging), students will be able to analyze an issue in order to evaluate how social groups understand and work towards resolution. HUMT380 includes a service- learning component that is connected to the topic being studied. This will take place in the larger community, and it will allow students to examine the information they are learning through thinking and acting in a multicultural context.

Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): Junior standing & WRTG200

This is a two-course sequence that extends over two-semesters. culminating in the identification, research, conception and comprehensive design of a specific interior design project. The fall semester course consists of the predesign, conceptual design and schematic design phase of the project. Students are encouraged to identify a project that is consistent with their professional aspirations.

Credits: 3.0
Prerequisite(s): IAD321 & IAD323

This course builds on IAD323 with a greater emphasis on material specification, fabrication, detailing, assembly and construction methods within building frameworks and infrastructure. Performance characteristics of materials and assembly strategies will be discussed and provide a foundation for subsequent courses in architectural technology and design. Coursework will utilize CAD & BIM software tools for developing and communicating course-related work.

Credits: 3.0
Prerequisite(s): IAD321 & IAD323

Green studio presents a working method based on the broader concept of sustainability and green building. The course methodology emphasizes the use of green materials and technologies from the start, requiring that students employ “whole systems thinking” and design with passive solar and ventilation strategies in mind. While aesthetics are important, program development, spatial organization, systems, structure and building envelope performance are the foremost emphasis of this studio component. Understanding LEED guidelines, the Living Building Challenge and other green building standards is an integral part of that process.

Credits: 3.0
Prerequisite(s): IAD321 & IAD323

The IAD Senior Thesis – Design Development is the second course in this yearlong two-course sequence. The Spring Semester is comprised of the Design Development phase of the project. Students engage in extensive design development, design detailing, and exploration, identification and selection of materials, finishes, furnishings, fixtures, and equipment resulting in a comprehensively designed interior environment.

Credits: 3.0
Prerequisite(s): IAD420, IAD422, IAD424

This course continues design making strategies established in IAD222 where students advance design tools, techniques, and workflows for ideation and presentation throughout the iterative design process. Both manual and digital tools are integrated to support 2D & 3D design discovery and innovation.

Credits: 3.0
Prerequisite(s): IAD420, IAD422, IAD424

As the follow-up to the Fall Semester Green Studio, this course explores sustainable design components resulting in the generation of a detailed and comprehensive set of Schematic Design documents. Students undertake an in-depth investigation of green design details and construction techniques, gaining a clear understanding of the underlying systems that go into the design of a sustainable building.

Credits: 3.0
Prerequisite(s): IAD420, IAD422, IAD424

Senior Writing Seminar is an intensive capstone writing course run as a seminar examining the making of meaning through narrative; specifically, exploring forms of Life Writing. Students will study the various forms of “life writing” including: autobiography, memoir, new journalism and creative nonfiction. Through weekly written explorations, students will explore and practice the different forms that the genre of “life writing” may take. Within the context of a growing public popularity of autobiographical writing and memoirs, students will explore possible social, political and rhetorical purposes for writing from life and will compose a final, capstone life writing project individually as means for practicing this form of writing.

WR 400 is a capstone writing course that introduces students to emerging hybrid and intermodal forms of personal writing and causes them to analyze the contexts within which it is occurring. Through formal and informal written exercises, students will explore the capacity of language to help shape and give meaning and form to personal experiences, influences, individuals, achievements or landscapes. This writing should provide a reflective springboard for looking backward or for facing the future and determining larger contexts and meanings for experiences. It should also cause students to continue to develop more sophisticated skills as writers.

The nature and form of the writing that students produce will be various –individual writers will complete intensely reflective responses to readings and to one another’s writing. In an effort to identify past memories and influences, material choices and intentions, important events and people, composing short and long pieces about those issues and individuals.

Credits: 3.0
Prerequisite(s): Senior standing & WRTG300

NASC320 Topics in Natural Sciences description should be updated to reflect our current course offering:

NASC320 is an advanced-level course that examines one of the many fields of Natural Sciences. Topics in Natural Science will rotate on a semester basis. Students will study the nature of scientific inquiry, the methods, theories, discoveries, technology, and language important to the specific field of science of their choosing. As part of the course, students will also conduct an independent inquiry utilizing the basis of scientific inquiry and research.

As an advanced course, NASC320 builds upon skills and knowledge acquired in NASC220. It is designed with the understanding that the coursework will focus on interpretation, analysis and critical method rather than on mere assimilation and recall of factual material. Students will examine a field of natural science through readings and lecture material from a variety of sources and from a range of scientific and critical opinion. The material and assignments will vary depending upon the field of natural sciences taught. This course can be retaken with change in topic for a 6 credits maximum.

Credits: 3.0
Prerequisite(s): NASC220

NASC321: Topics in Natural Sciences – Field Experiences

As an advanced course, NASC321 builds upon skills and knowledge acquired in NASC220. It is designed with the understanding that the coursework will focus on interpretation, analysis and critical method rather than on mere assimilation and recall of factual material. Students will first examine the field of natural science through readings and lecture material from a variety of sources and from a range of scientific and critical opinion. Students will apply in the field the theoretical knowledge gained by a literature review, with direct inquiry and hands-on activities and investigations. This course relies heavily on field work, direct inquiry and self-directed independent research culminating with a peer-reviewed oral examination. Note: The field component of this course i9 days, located at offsite from MIAD.

Prerequisites: NASC220 or equivalent and permission of the instructors.

Credits: 3.0
Prerequisite(s): NASC220

ARTH318 provides students the opportunity to give in-depth focus to a wide range of elective topics in Art History. Experience in the disciplines is broadened through intensive reading, writing, research and oral assignments. Among the topics which students may choose to study are courses such as: 19th Century American Masters; Early Chinese Art; Women, Art, and Society; The Bauhaus; The History of Industrial Design; and others.

ARTH318 is an advanced-level elective course in Art History. In ARTH318 students will undertake an in-depth and systematic investigation of one area of study in Art History. This topic may focus on the art of a geographic area or culture, a particular movement in the history of art, or on the life and work of one artist or group of artists. In each case, the course of study will include an extensive analysis of individual works of art, the cultures from which these emerged, and the critical discourse that helps us understand this art more clearly.

As an advanced-level course, ARTH318 is designed with the understanding that the coursework will feature interpretation, analysis and critical method rather than the mere assimilation and recall of factual material. Students will be presented with readings and lecture material from a variety of sources – and from a range of historic and critical literature on the topic under consideration. Each student will be expected to engage actively with course materials and methods.

Credits: 3.0
Prerequisite(s): WRTG200 & ARTH215

Topic in Humanities offers students a range of topics in the interdisciplinary study of cultural phenomena in various societies. Courses may draw on or combine the methods and perspectives of an array of disciplines, including literary theory, media theory, film/video studies, cultural anthropology, history, philosophy, political economy, communication, sociology, social theory, psychology, museum studies, art history, and the history, philosophy or sociology of science. Experience in the topic is broadened through intensive reading, writing, research and oral assignments. As an advanced-level course, HUMT360 is designed with the understanding that the coursework will feature interpretation, analysis, and critical method rather than mere assimilation and recall of factual material. Each student will be expected to engage actively with course materials and methods and contribute regularly to class discussions and/or oral collaborative efforts—such as focus groups and panel discussions—that relate to course material.

Credits: 3.0
Prerequisite(s): WRTG200