The Interior Architecture and Design program prepares students to become professional designers through education, experience, and examination. Students learn to design interior environments that enhance the function and quality of life, increase productivity, and protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public. Faculty prepare students for research-based problem-solving and experiential education rooted in studio instruction, service learning, and internships that encompass cultural, environmental, and historical perspectives. The program is accredited by the Council of Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) and faculty hold professional certifications in NCIDQ and LEED AP.
Students seeking to apply to the Interior Architecture and Design major at CSU first are admitted to CSU as Pre-Interior Architecture and Design. All students who wish to be considered for admission to Interior Architecture and Design (IAD) major will be required to complete the Degree Advancement Design Scenario practicum. Advancement into the major is based on the review received at the Design Scenario, where external reviewers will assess student competencies in writing for design, sketching, problem-solving, and conceptual frameworks. A cohort of approximately 50-60 students advances based on performance on the Degree Advancement Design Scenario. The Design Scenario occurs annually in the spring semester. Learn more on the Design and Merchandising website for Degree Advancement Design Scenario.
In order to participate in the Degree Advancement Design Scenario students must have the following:
- GPA of 2.500 or higher.
- Completion of or current enrollment in INTD 110, INTD 129 and INTD 166 or equivalent. Equivalent courses from other institutions must be approved at least two weeks prior to the IAD Design Scenario by the IAD transfer advisor.
The Design and Merchandising Department Academic Success Coordinator will work with Pre-Interior Architecture and Design students and advise them on their current performance in relation to the possibility of their admission to Interior Architecture and Design.
Learning Outcomes
Our program will allow you to explore:
- Creative problem-solving
- Design Thinking
- Global/cultural perspective
- Inclusive design
- Interior architecture design technologies
- Interior construction and building systems
- Life safety and codes
- Space planning
- Sustainable design strategies
- Visual Communication
Students engage in a studio-intensive curriculum that emphasizes research-informed and creative problem-solving. The curriculum underscores the importance of cultural, environmental, and historical perspectives in the design process.
The teaching facilities include design studios and critique spaces; a gallery; a design materials library; virtual reality computer labs; and fabrication labs (prototyping, woods, metals, and screen printing).
Students will enroll in internship credits at least one semester before graduation.
Students who engage in co-curricular learning experiences will have the opportunity to network with industry professionals, engage in project-based learning experiences, assist with department recruiting events and new student orientations, and attend a variety of leadership events.
Potential Occupations
Students are prepared to practice interior architecture/interior design with competency in design fundamentals, space planning and programming, code compliance, lighting, materials research, project management, and professional practices in the design of diverse interior spaces.
Graduates seek employment in interior design and architecture firms as residential, corporate, retail, health care, institutional, education, and hospitality designers. Graduates also work in lighting design, product development, marketing, research, design-related journalism, illustration, facility management, showroom management, and as manufacturers’ representatives.
Learn more about the Interior Architecture and Design major on the Department of Design and Merchandising website.
The Nancy Richardson Design Center is a multi-disciplinary center located in the College of Health and Human Sciences at CSU, with a mission to foster interdisciplinary creative collaboration. It serves as a design-thinking hub where students from across campus can gather to collaborate, innovate, and prototype creative ideas in formal and informal learning spaces using state-of-the-art equipment and technology. The RDC has four studio/lab classrooms for hands-on learning, a seminar room for use by professional staff, a small dedicated project room that can also be used for student teams and visiting designers-in-residence, two computer labs, a design exchange (for student presentations, gallery exhibitions, special lectures, and events, etc.), an ideation lab (including virtual reality equipment), prototyping lab (laser cutters, 3D printers, CNC textile equipment, etc.), metal shop (traditional metalworking tools, welding, as well as state-of-the-art CNC milling machinery), wood shop (traditional woodworking hand and power tools as well as a large 4’x8’ CNC router), and a sustainable dark room.
Effective Fall 2022
Distinctive Requirements for Degree Program:
First year students are identified as Pre‐Interior Architecture and Design (IAD0). Students who qualify for the Selective Advancement Design Scenario must have INTD 110 , INTD 129, INTD 166 and a cumulative reported GPA of 2.500 or better to participate. All majors in the program must earn a minimum grade of C (2.000) in the studio course sequence to advance to the next studio (i.e., INTD 210, INTD 276, INTD 310, INTD 376, INTD 410).
Freshman | |||
---|---|---|---|
AUCC | Credits | ||
CO 150 | College Composition (GT-CO2) | 1A | 3 |
CON 151 | Construction Materials and Methods | 3 | |
DM 192B | First Year Seminar: Pre-Interior Architecture and Design | 1 | |
INTD 110 | Visual Expression of Interior Environments (GT-AH1) | 3B | 3 |
INTD 129 | Introduction-Interior Architecture Design | 3 | |
INTD 166 | Visual Communication-Drawing | 3 | |
MATH 117 | College Algebra in Context I (GT-MA1) | 1B | 1 |
MATH 118 | College Algebra in Context II (GT-MA1) | 1B | 1 |
MATH 124 | Logarithmic and Exponential Functions (GT-MA1) | 1B | 1 |
PSY 100 | General Psychology (GT-SS3) | 3C | 3 |
Select one course from the following: | 3 | ||
Introduction to the Visual Arts (GT-AH1) | 3B | ||
Introduction to Design Thinking (GT-AH1) | 3B | ||
Introduction to Landscape Architecture | 3B | ||
Biological and Physical Sciences | 3A | 4 | |
Elective | 1 | ||
Total Credits | 30 | ||
Sophomore | |||
INTD 210 | Studio I-Interior Architecture and Design | 3 | |
INTD 266 | Visual Communication-Digital Multi-Media | 3 | |
INTD 276 | Studio II-Interior Architecture and Design | 3 | |
Focus Area1 | 9 | ||
Advanced Writing | 2 | 3 | |
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | 1C | 3 | |
Electives | 6 | ||
Total Credits | 30 | ||
Junior | |||
INTD 310 | Studio III-Interior Architecture and Design | 4 | |
INTD 330 | Lighting Design | 3 | |
INTD 335 | Interior Architecture and Design Technologies | 3 | |
INTD 340 | Interior Materials and Products | 3 | |
INTD 350 | Codes-Health and Safety | 3 | |
INTD 359 | History of Interior Architecture and Design | 3 | |
INTD 376 | Studio IV-Interior Architecture and Design | 4 | |
INTD 410 | Evidence-based Design Theory | 4A | 3 |
Select one course from the following: | 3 | ||
Historic Textiles | |||
American Architectural History | |||
Elective | 3 | ||
Total Credits | 32 | ||
Senior | |||
INTD 456 | Professional Practice-Interior Arch Design | 4B | 3 |
INTD 476 | Capstone-Interior Architecture and Design | 4C | 4 |
INTD 4872 | Internship | 12 | |
Biological and Physical Sciences | 3A | 3 | |
Historical Perspectives | 3D | 3 | |
Elective3 | 3 | ||
Total Credits | 28 | ||
Program Total Credits: | 120 |
- 1
In addition to required courses in the major, students must complete a minimum of 9 credits from one of the following focus areas. These credits may be used to fulfill required courses in a certificate, minor, interdisciplinary minor, second major, or a focused group of courses approved by an advisor.
Focus Areas:
- Art History
- Business Administration
- Design Thinking
- Entrepreneurship
- Gerontology
- Global Environmental Sustainability
- Graphic Design
- Media Studies
- Merchandising
- Real Estate
- Psychology
Any minor or undergraduate certificate at CSU in these or other areas will satisfy for the aforementioned focus area requirement.
A minor in Construction Management completed in full, will satisfy for the aforementioned focus area requirement.
- 2
Substitute experiences could include study abroad or elective courses or independent study (service learning) with advisor approval.
- 3
Select enough elective credits to bring the program total to a minimum of 120 credits, of which at least 42 must be Upper-Division (300- or 400- level).
Distinctive Requirements for Degree Program:
First year students are identified as Pre‐Interior Architecture and Design (IAD0). Students who qualify for the Selective Advancement Design Scenario must have INTD 110 , INTD 129, INTD 166 and a cumulative reported GPA of 2.500 or better to participate. Approximately 40 students are selected to advance to the Second Year and majors are changed to Interior Architecture and Design (IARD‐BS). The IARD-BS major is a cohort program ‐ after students pass the Design Scenario, semesters 3, 4, 5, 6 ,7, and 8 are sequential.
All majors in the program must earn a minimum grade of C in the studio course sequence to advance to the next studio (i.e., INTD 210, INTD 276, INTD 310, INTD 376, INTD 410).
Students must complete a 12-credit internship prior to graduation. For students who are unable to participate in an internship, substitute experiences could include study abroad or elective courses or independent study (service learning) with advisor approval.
In addition to required courses in the major, students must complete a minimum of 9 credits from one of the following focus areas. These credits may be used to fulfill required courses in a certificate, minor, interdisciplinary minor, second major, or a focused group of courses approved by an advisor.
Focus Areas:
- Art History
- Business Administration
- Design Thinking
- Entrepreneurship
- Gerontology
- Global Environmental Sustainability
- Graphic Design
- Media Studies
- Merchandising
- Real Estate
- Psychology
Any minor or undergraduate certificate at CSU in these or other areas will satisfy for the aforementioned focus area requirement.
A minor in Construction Management completed in full, will satisfy for the aforementioned focus area requirement.
Freshman | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Semester 1 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
CO 150 | College Composition (GT-CO2) | X | 1A | 3 | |
DM 192B | First Year Seminar: Pre-Interior Architecture and Design | 1 | |||
INTD 110 | Visual Expression of Interior Environments (GT-AH1) | X | 3B | 3 | |
MATH 117 | College Algebra in Context I (GT-MA1) | X | 1B | 1 | |
MATH 118 | College Algebra in Context II (GT-MA1) | X | 1B | 1 | |
PSY 100 | General Psychology (GT-SS3) | X | 3C | 3 | |
Select one course from the following: | 3 | ||||
Introduction to the Visual Arts (GT-AH1) | 3B | ||||
Introduction to Design Thinking (GT-AH1) | 3B | ||||
Introduction to Landscape Architecture | 3B | ||||
INTD 110 Required for selective advancement | X | ||||
Total Credits | 15 | ||||
Semester 2 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
CON 151 | Construction Materials and Methods | X | 3 | ||
INTD 129 | Introduction-Interior Architecture Design | X | 3 | ||
INTD 166 | Visual Communication-Drawing | X | 3 | ||
MATH 124 | Logarithmic and Exponential Functions (GT-MA1) | 1B | 1 | ||
Biological and Physical Sciences | 3A | 4 | |||
Elective | 1 | ||||
CO 150 and AUCC 1B (Quantitative Reasoning) must be completed by the end of Semester 2. | X | ||||
INTD 129 and INTD 166 required for selective advancement. | X | ||||
Total Credits | 15 | ||||
Sophomore | |||||
Semester 3 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
INTD 210 | Studio I-Interior Architecture and Design | X | 3 | ||
INTD 266 | Visual Communication-Digital Multi-Media | X | 3 | ||
Focus Area Electives (See Major Requirements Tab.) | 6 | ||||
Elective | 3 | ||||
INTD 266 must be completed by the end of Semester 3. | X | ||||
Total Credits | 15 | ||||
Semester 4 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
INTD 276 | Studio II-Interior Architecture and Design | X | 3 | ||
Focus Area Elective (See Major Requirements Tab.) | 3 | ||||
Advanced Writing | 2 | 3 | |||
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | 1C | 3 | |||
Elective | 3 | ||||
PSY 100 must be completed by the end of Semester 4. | X | ||||
Total Credits | 15 | ||||
Junior | |||||
Semester 5 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
INTD 310 | Studio III-Interior Architecture and Design | X | 4 | ||
INTD 330 | Lighting Design | X | 3 | ||
INTD 335 | Interior Architecture and Design Technologies | 3 | |||
INTD 350 | Codes-Health and Safety | X | 3 | ||
Select one course from the following: | X | 3 | |||
Historic Textiles | |||||
American Architectural History | |||||
Total Credits | 16 | ||||
Semester 6 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
INTD 340 | Interior Materials and Products | X | 3 | ||
INTD 359 | History of Interior Architecture and Design | X | 3 | ||
INTD 376 | Studio IV-Interior Architecture and Design | X | 4 | ||
INTD 410 | Evidence-based Design Theory | X | 4A | 3 | |
Elective | 3 | ||||
Total Credits | 16 | ||||
Senior | |||||
Semester 7 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
INTD 456 | Professional Practice-Interior Arch Design | 4B | 3 | ||
INTD 476 | Capstone-Interior Architecture and Design | X | 4C | 4 | |
Biological and Physical Sciences | 3A | 3 | |||
Historical Perspectives | 3D | 3 | |||
Elective | 3 | ||||
Total Credits | 16 | ||||
Semester 8 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
INTD 487 | Internship | X | 12 | ||
The benchmark courses for the 8th semester are the remaining courses in the entire program of study. | X | ||||
Total Credits | 12 | ||||
Program Total Credits: | 120 |