This article was originally published in the summer 2026 issue of Samford magazine.

Since it launched in fall 2021, the School of the Arts’ accelerated Master of Architecture program has grown tenfold, making it the fastest growing academic program at Samford over the past five years. Why? The answer is an intentional combination of factors. Its rigorous academic environment is paired with a collaborative community. Its small class sizes are complemented by opportunities within Birmingham’s established design scene. And the passion of its people is coupled with a servant-hearted humility, fostered by faith.

But one cannot speak about the success of the architecture program without discussing its integrated relationship with Samford’s interior design major. Together in the same academic department, architecture was born out of interior design, and now, they work in tandem. Architecture and interior design students collaborate through cross-listed courses and shared studio space. They complete projects, study abroad and participate in local design charrettes together.

All of this is intentional, reflecting the collaboration students will experience in the professional setting. And it is novel within higher education. Few universities integrate their architecture and interior design programs so closely. As if to confirm these two programs are better together, the interior design program has seen meaningful enrollment growth too. Since the architecture program started, the total number of interior design students has increased by 18%.

Samford first offered an interior design major in 1984, and it has been accredited with the Council for Interior Design Accreditation since 2000. The dream was always to offer architecture alongside interior design, so now that it is, Jeannie Krumdieck, professor emeritus who served as department chair from 1992 to 2023, is not surprised by the enrollment growth.

“One elevates the other. Architecture and interior design are meant to be together,” she said. “As we developed these programs, our commitment was to create as much appropriate overlap as possible.”

Framework for Collaboration

The curriculum reflects this. Interior design is a traditional four-year bachelor’s program.

Architecture is an accelerated master’s degree, which means in addition to four years of undergraduate study, students complete a fifth year of graduate coursework.

The programs are designed so students start together as freshmen. The second semester of their sophomore year, their paths diverge as they engage in program-specific courses. As seniors, they reunite, bringing with them an established base of knowledge they can use as members of a collaborative design team.

“These programs have intentional points of overlap as well as points of separation,” said Ryan Misner, associate professor and chair of the Department of Architecture and Interior Design. “We want students to be confident about what they bring to the table, and at the same time, understand how others on the team contribute too.”

Misner is an architect by trade. Like many of the department’s faculty, he came to Samford with more than 20 years of industry experience. “In the professional world, there is never a day when it’s just me doing my thing. Collaboration is everything,” he said.

Similarly, Tonya Miller, associate professor and director of the interior design program, worked as an interior designer in highly integrated firms before she began teaching.

“It’s really embedded in me that we’re better together,” she said. “These are professional degrees, and we’re preparing students to be professionals. By exposing students to the synergies that are created when these disciplines work together, they will go out into the field knowing how to collaborate, how to speak the same language.”

Room to Create

Integrated into their coursework, upper-division students are expected to spend about 10 hours of their class time in the studio each week, though many students often spend additional hours outside of class to work on projects. Cohorts comprised of architecture and interior design students share studio space, and each student is assigned a designated work area.

The studio is a place where their creativity is stretched through project-based learning, diving deeper into building environments—like commercial, residential, corporate offices and mixed-use space. Students’ passion for their work reflects in long hours and late nights spent in the studio pursuing an ambitious idea.

“That’s what makes the work fun. If I choose to do the least time-consuming thing, my project won’t be that interesting,” said Everett Leerdam, a junior interior design major. “I really love what I’m doing, so I’m excited to work on my projects. Even when it feels hard, I know that I can get through it, and in the end, I’ll feel proud about what I create.”

The students’ passion is only rivaled by their professors. Faculty are readily available to brainstorm and answer questions. They’re known to stay long after studio hours are over. Some even stop by on the weekends if they know students are there working. Because of this, feedback is ample and frequent. And while critique can be hard to hear, it’s softened by the trust students have in their professors, forged by their steady support.

“Projects are always a work in progress. There is always something we could do differently or improve,” Leerdam said. “I’ve had so many ideas that I didn’t come up with on my own. I value someone who can bring fresh eyes to my work and help me see things in a new way.”

Birmingham’s Design Scene

At the midpoint and end of each semester, architecture and interior design students make a formal presentation of their studio project to a jury of faculty and local professionals. Over the past year, more than 100 members of Birmingham’s design community participated in these reviews—as well as hosted office tours, volunteered in the studio or spoke during class.

“We have been intentional about getting outside people to come in and review student work. In doing this, our students are exposed to the practitioner interface, networking and feedback,” Misner said. “Nashville and Atlanta get a lot of design attention in the Southeast, but I believe Birmingham is just as important of a design center. It is full of firms doing meaningful work all over the country.”

The relationship Samford sustains with Birmingham’s design scene functions as a two-way exchange, welcoming industry professionals to campus and sending students into the field.

As freshmen, architecture and interior design students take an introductory class called Survey of the Professions. Each week, the class visits local firms, construction sites, furniture vendors and textile producers. During each visit, students network with professionals, asking questions about their work, experience and expertise. The class, which is an instant favorite among students, exposes them to the diversity of the profession and introduces them to firms just minutes from campus.

Aileen Soto Campero, a senior architecture major, remembers when she first walked into the offices of Pledger Architect, a local firm that specializes in classical design. “I immediately thought, I want to work here one day,” she said.

During the visit, she asked the firm’s principal about internship opportunities. He suggested she wait and apply as a junior. Two years later, Soto Campero is working at Pledger Architect as a summer intern.

Connecting Passion to Purpose

Soto Campero traces back her interest in classical architecture to her sophomore year. Professor Charles Ford organized a workshop with the Alabama chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art (ICAA) as part of his Architecture Drawing course, which develops students’ hand drawing and drafting skills.

“I really enjoyed learning about the proportions of classical architecture and the rules that make its designs so beautiful,” she said. “Drawing columns by hand…it was a bit tedious, but I fell in love with it.”

Ford recognized Soto Campero’s interest and encouraged her to apply to ICAA’s summer studio in New York City. He wrote her a letter of recommendation for her application, and when she was accepted, Ford continued to encourage her to say yes. “The summer studio was amazing,” she said. “It changed my perspective on design, and it continues to influence how I design today.”

Soto Camperos’ story reflects a larger truth. Samford connections open doors to opportunities beyond the campus gates.

All students are required to complete an internship, and Mia Spain, a senior interior design major, is completing hers this summer with Poole & Company Architects, a firm that specializes in health care spaces. Her interest in designing for health care connects to her mother’s battle with breast cancer. When she was diagnosed, Spain’s family traveled to MD Anderson in Houston, Texas, for her treatment. The beauty and accessibility of the medical facilities left a lasting impact.

“I don’t just want to design pretty things. I want to create spaces that make an impact in someone’s life when they experience them,” she said. “I think this is why I’m drawn to health care. I likely won’t meet the patients who enter the space, but I know my work will play a part in their healing process. That means a lot to me.”

During Spain's junior year, Catherine Brooks, instructor of studio practice, invited her studio class to visit one of her design projects, an eating disorder clinic. The experience started conversations about their faith and God’s calling in their lives.

“I think that is why this program is so special. I’m able to go through school and have these faith-based conversations about my career and my life with professors who are so personable. Our conversations aren’t just about design. They know me as a person. They want to see me do well. They want to help me develop,” she said.

Laying the Foundations

The time and effort students spend on every project and presentation leads to a defining moment. Crossing the commencement stage and receiving their Samford degree is a milestone that reflects what students have accomplished as well as the promise of what lies ahead.

For the Department of Architecture and Interior Design, May’s commencement ceremony carried even more significance as it honored its inaugural cohort of Master of Architecture graduates.

“We couldn’t be prouder to send out the 12 graduates of our first Master of Architecture class,” said Lance Beaumont, dean of the School of the Arts. “We will always remember them because they were the first to receive the degree, but they also helped lay a foundation that we will continue to build upon for generations to come.”

For Spencer Weddle ’25, MArch ’26, crossing the commencement stage felt surreal. “When you spend hours every day on projects, time can feel odd. So, when I think about how it’s been five years, it has gone by in a flash.”

Weddle admits that his pathway to architecture was a bit unconventional. He didn’t have a background in design, but when he reviewed an alphabetical list of majors Samford offered, he joked he never made it past the As. “I knew that whatever I was going to do for the rest of my life, it had to be engaging and fulfilling,” he said. “Architecture seemed creative and technical, and it would keep me connected to people.”

The program’s design made it possible for Weddle to jump in and learn through experience.

“Those early classes gave me the basic building blocks. When I look back, I’m amazed by what I can do now compared to where I started,” he said.

In his fifth year, as a Master of Architecture student, Weddle dove into his thesis project, a locally productive grocery store as a piece of civic infrastructure in Hurtsboro, Alabama. He was inspired to address food deserts in rural communities, where residents lack access to affordable and nutritious foods. Over the course of the year, his thesis challenged him to design an idea from the ground up. Weddle identified a real location, visited the site and interviewed second- and third-person sources. He spent hours in the studio, drafting ideas and stretching his creativity. “One idea I had early on: What if you could walk into a grocery store and pick an apple right off the tree,” he said.

The start-to-finish approach of his thesis project challenged Weddle to work through every step of the building process—up until the point of actually breaking ground. “My fifth year was intense, but incredibly rewarding,” Weddle said.

When asked about his future, Weddle is quick to reply, “I want to own my own firm one day.” This means he has his sights on becoming a licensed architect, which he’ll be eligible for when Samford earns its full accreditation through the National Architectural Accrediting Board. (At the time of publication, Samford is in the final year of this process.) In the meantime, he’s excited to continue to pursue the work that he finds fulfilling. For those who follow in his footsteps, his advice is simple. “If you enter this experience with a positive attitude, everything is going to work out for you,” he said. “If you have a positive attitude, a passion and a deep care for what you do, you will be successful here.”