Interior Design (BS)

Program Description

• Accreditation: CIDA

The Interior Design program is a four-year undergraduate degree program that leads to a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design. The program provides an extensive education to meet the requirements of this exciting and creative profession including an understanding of the aesthetic, technological, environmental, cultural, socio-economic, and global issues pertaining to the built environment.

The emphasis of the program is to provide a holistic and comprehensive education in interior design with a balance among the theoretical, conceptual, creative, and technical aspects of the discipline. This education is delivered through the core interior design curriculum, which is informed and enriched by the liberal arts and science curriculum and general electives.

At the program’s center are design studios in which students explore the creative process through a series of varied and progressively more complex projects, covering the range of practice from residential to commercial and institutional design. The functional knowledge necessary for design is introduced through formally structured courses focusing on such varied topics as design innovation, space planning, human comfort and well-being, sustainable design, computer visualization, construction technology, color, lighting, furniture, materials, and textiles. Students also study the history and theory of architectural interiors from pre-history to contemporary works and understand and analyze their cultural relevance. The interior design studios foster an interdisciplinary environment centered on creative experimentation, where material from other courses is synthesized through the act of design. In the fourth year, the Capstone Experience is the culmination of all previous studies when a student integrates the knowledge and skills from previous courses into an individually driven research topic and design experience.

The Interior Design program also offers valuable real-world opportunities including internships in design firms, memberships in professional organizations, and design-based community service for non-profit organizations. Students can study abroad in the third year in the cities of Copenhagen, Rome, or an international exchange program. There are multiple interdisciplinary collaborative experiences integrated into the courses and co-curricular activities. A multidisciplinary faculty, a close-knit campus community and prime location in Philadelphia provide a stimulating setting for the informed and inventive academic development of every student. Students may follow secondary specializations by choosing a minor or an accelerated pathway into a graduate program in areas such as sustainable design, construction management, historic preservation, real estate development, and photography.

Mission

In preparing graduates for successful careers in an evolving global marketplace, the Interior Design program’s mission is to prepare students to be independent thinkers, innovative problem-solvers, collaborators, and leaders with high standards of professionalism, integrity and excellence in design. With an emphasis on creativity, balanced with the knowledge and skills required for meaningful contributions to professional design practice, the program strives to instill in students an awareness and understanding of the global, cultural, social, aesthetic, technological, environmental, and ethical responsibilities involved in the design of interior environments.

The program is grounded in the belief that the interior designer mediates between human experience and the built environment, and that our graduates should enter the global marketplace as articulate, creative, inspired, socially aware and technically competent design professionals.

Learning Goals/Outcomes

• Examine global and local issues and the implications of a diverse cultural and socio-economic society and the impact of these on the design of the built environment.
• Evaluate the diverse values, behavioral norms, physical, psychological and spatial needs of different demographic/user groups in the context of designing interior environments.
• Design interior spaces using an ecologically sensitive approach that supports environmental sustainability and human well-being.
• Research, problem solve, and apply principles of design in order to generate innovative and creative solutions in the design of interior environments.
• Apply historical and theoretical knowledge of interiors, architecture, art and the decorative arts to the design and analysis of interior environments.
• Engage in multimodal communication methods and work collaboratively with a multi-disciplinary approach.
• Comply with ethical and professional standards of practice and the laws, codes, standards and guidelines that impact the health, safety and welfare of building occupants.
• Proficiently select and apply color, furniture, fixtures, equipment, finish materials and lighting in the design of interior spaces.
• Demonstrate knowledge of interior construction and building systems in order to coordinate the design of a complete interior and work productively with co-professionals in the making of the built environment.

Accreditation

Thomas Jefferson University’s Interior Design program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Interior Design is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA). To learn more about CIDA visit: www.accredit-id.org. The CIDA-accredited program prepares students for entry-level interior design practice, for advanced study, and to apply for membership in professional interior design organizations.

The BS in Interior Design granted by Thomas Jefferson University meets the educational requirement for eligibility to sit for the National Council for Interior Design Qualification Examination (NCIDQ Exam). To learn more about NCIDQ Exam eligibility and NCIDQ Certification visit: https://www.cidq.org/eligibility-requirements

Curriculum: 4 Years, 137.5-138.5 Credits