Colleges With Interior Design Majors: What Should You Expect From Them?
Transforming Your Passion into a Profession
To be a successful professional interior designer today, a well-rounded education and interior design degree from a reputable university are critical. The challenge of interior design education is to address the artistic, intellectual, technical, and practical considerations necessary to provide students with a solid foundation preparing them for entry into professional practice or an advanced study of interior design.
Colleges with interior design majors specialize in fostering technical skills, as well as working knowledge of textiles, materials, color, sustainability, and environmental concerns.
Since business skills are one of the determining factors in the success of interior designers, business practices such as proposals and contracts, bidding procedures, budgets, construction schedules, specifications, project administration, and professional ethics are also important.
Balance Tradition and Innovation for Aspiring Interior Designers
As you choose a school to help you meet the expectations and responsibilities of a practicing interior designer in today’s world, the interior design curriculum should balance the broad cultural aspects of education with the specialized current professional skills and needs of the interior design field. An excellent curriculum also will include opportunities to work in the profession as you study.
Interior design is a field of change. New trends and technologies, new theories and ways of practice are an essential part of the designer’s life. The designer whose education has provided a firm ground will be able to evaluate the relative importance of new trends and technologies and their validity to the practice of interior design.
College is just the beginning. The education of an interior designer is a lifelong process. Professional maturation will come through continued artistic, intellectual and technical development. What a good education provides is the map and the guidebook: figuring out where you want to go, all the ways of getting there, and what to do when you arrive. If the purpose and value of your education have been truly absorbed, you will know that you can make a difference in people’s lives.
BFA Program Accreditation
Accreditation is an important indicator of educational programs that address the right skills and knowledge for the field. The Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) sets standards for postsecondary interior design education, evaluates college and university interior design programs, and publishes a list of accredited programs that meet the standards. CIDA is recognized as a reliable authority on interior design education by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and is a member of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA). Choosing a program that is CIDA-accredited will help ensure a quality interior design education.
Professional Licensure and Certifications
Approximately 40 states have some level of legislation in place related to the regulation of interior design. In some states, use of the term “interior designer” is limited to those professionals meeting the state’s requirements. In others, the state regulates the use of “Certified Interior Designer,” “Registered Interior Designer,” or another specified title.
In California, there is a voluntary self-certification process for designers in California who have met the education, experience and examination requirements of the California Council for Interior Design Certification (CCIDC) which allows those who qualify to refer to themselves as Certified Interior Designers (CID).
The Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ), the premiere certifying organization for interior design professionals since 1974, administers the NCIDQ exam. According to CIDQ, “NCIDQ Certification meets legal and regulatory standards for the interior design profession as established by more than half of the states across the U.S. and the provinces in Canada.”
There are other opportunities to demonstrate expertise in interior design specializations through certification and credentials. As you hone your career and specialty, the appropriate credential can set you apart in the marketplace and demonstrate proof of your expertise as an interior design professional. There are certifications for expertise in aging-in-place, healthcare, and WELL and LEED, just to name a few.
Advanced Education
Colleges with interior design majors allow design professionals to specialize in high-demand fields such as sustainability and commercial design, or to teach interior design at an accredited university.
Dare to Dream, Dare to Design! Connect with us today to explore how your passion for design transforms into a thriving career. Reach out to our admissions team at admissions@disd.edu, give us a call at 858-566-1200 TODAY!
