First Post-Professional Degree to Focus on the Sustainable Interior Environment

New York, NY – July 14, 2009 – New York School of Interior Design (NYSID) will offer a one-year Master of Professional Studies in Sustainable Interior Environments. This post-professional degree is structured to prepare design professionals to assume leadership roles in developing and maintaining environmentally conscious interiors. The first class is slated for June 2010, with students in the program beginning their studies with an eight-week summer session and completing the program the following May.

“A vast amount of human and material resources are used to create interior environments,” said NYSID President Christopher Cyphers. “It was clear that we needed to do our part by providing rigorous professional education in the area of sustainable interior design.”

Scott Ageloff, NYSID’s Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean added, “We have been integrating green practices within our curriculum for some time, but this new program offers working professionals the chance to learn the principles and concepts of sustainability and the analysis, evaluation and selection of the materials used to design, build, and maintain interior spaces.”

The curriculum will expose students to a range of topics, research methods, integrated design development methodologies, and sustainable project management practices. Course work will address the history and theory of sustainability, principles of sustainable materials, natural and artificial lighting and control systems, integrated systems design, indoor air quality, green textiles, furnishings and decorative elements, and life cycle assessment. The program will include two major studio courses designed to integrate acquired knowledge and research while exploring both residential and non-residential environments.

This 30-credit MPS requires completion in one year and is structured to accommodate working professionals by offering all classes in the evening and on weekends. Graduates will be prepared to achieve LEED Certification.

Admission to the MPS in Sustainable Interior Environments requires formal acceptance and a first-professional degree in interior design, architecture, or a closely related field, as well as a portfolio demonstrating the applicant’s professional-level education and experience.

This new degree is one of the college’s many green initiatives. In addition to NYSID’s public lectures and awards dedicated to sustainable issues, in June, 2009, the college accepted Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s challenge of reducing greenhouse emissions 30 percent in the next ten years. NYSID is joined by more than a dozen colleges, universities and government entities, known as 2030 Challenge Partners, who together are creating an inventory of their greenhouse gas emissions along with an action plan for how they intend to achieve their reductions.

--

Founded in 1916, the New York School of Interior Design (NYSID) is New York’s only private, not-for-profit college devoted exclusively to interior design education and related disciplines. NYSID’s guiding principle is that the interior environment is a fundamental element of human welfare and the college is committed to actively improving the quality of life for all segments of humanity. This ideal is put into practice by a dedicated faculty of well-known designers, architects, art historians, and authorities in the field who guide a diverse student body of over 700 full- and part-time students.

NYSID offers certificate, undergraduate and graduate programs in the field of interior design. The college is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and NYSID’s BFA in Interior Design is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA).

APPLICATION INFORMATION: Contact the Office of Admissions at 212-472-1500, ext. 204 or admissions@nysid.edu.