Interior design addresses the visual, technical, and aesthetic aspects of inhabited spaces. Interior design services involve the integration of art and design concepts; space analysis and planning; and knowledge of materials, furnishings, and construction to produce finished interior environments that interpret and serve the specific needs of a client. This degree curriculum focuses on the standards for professional interior design programs established by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. The major is designed to offer learning opportunities structured to prepare the student for a variety of careers in the interior design profession or for graduate school. Students interested in this major are advised that the degree requires six major studios, which must be taken in sequence, one per semester. The program of study includes a required internship to be taken in the summer after completion of 90 hours. Students should plan to be advised in the Department of Art and Design as soon as they identify an interest in this major. Students must apply to be admitted to the major based on a spring semester portfolio review of Core Field of Study courses and as Department of Art and Design resources permit.
All students, including transfer students, must have an overall grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale after completion of 30 semester hours of college credit and the successful completion and assessment of the art foundation portfolio review.
This is a 120-hour degree program.
Selected Educational Outcomes and Competencies
Students pursuing a BFA with a major in interior design will demonstrate:
- skill in creative and critical thinking and problem-solving in response to visual, technical, aesthetic, and social aspects of inhabited spaces;
- competence in a number of media and techniques in order to effectively communicate design solutions graphically, in writing, and through verbal presentations;
- an understanding of the history of art and design, including contemporary theories and works;
- competence in analysis of information and relations, evaluating issues and setting priorities as component elements of the process of generating creative design solutions for projects of any scale and complexity;
- a significant sense of the principles, ethics, and processes necessary to conceptualize and create interiors that are responsive to the intellect, the senses, and the spirit of those who inhabit them and the greater context of the environment that contains them.
Examples of Outcome Assessments
- First-year student within the program portfolio review of foundation level work using a criterion-based rubric.
- Semester review of student work by program faculty using an accreditation-standards-based rubric.
- Annual review of student work by advisory board members using an accreditation-standards-based rubric.
- Review of student internship performance by professionals in the building industry using a professional preparedness rubric.
Requirements for the Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with a Major in Interior Design
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Curriculum | 60 | |
| Core IMPACTS (See VSU Core Curriculum) | 42 | |
| Core Field of Study | ||
| ARID 1120 | Fundamental Concepts in Interior Design | 3 |
| ARID 2310 | Drawings in Interior Design | 3 |
| ART 1010 | Drawing I | 3 |
| ART 1020 | Two Dimensional Design | 3 |
| ART 1030 | Three Dimensional Design | 3 |
| ART 2030 | Computers in Art | 3 |
| Major Curriculum | 60 | |
| Interior Design Studio Courses | ||
| ARID 2111 | Interior Design Studio I | 3 |
| ARID 2112 | Interior Design Studio II | 3 |
| ARID 3111 | Interior Design Studio III | 3 |
| ARID 3112 | Interior Design Studio IV | 3 |
| ARID 4111 | Interior Design Studio V | 3 |
| ARID 4112 | Interior Design Studio VI | 3 |
| Major Core | ||
| ARID 2411 | Computers for Interior Design | 3 |
| ARID 3211 | History of Interiors I | 3 |
| ARID 3212 | History of Interiors II | 3 |
| ARID 3320 | Materials for Interior Design | 3 |
| ARID 3340 | Advanced Residential Design | 3 |
| ARID 3350 | Lighting and Building Systems | 3 |
| ARID 3370 | Construction Methods and Building Regulations | 3 |
| Capstone Courses | ||
| ARID 4010 | Interior Design Internship | 3 |
| ARID 4340 | Contemporary Design Issues | 3 |
| ARID 4610 | Professional Practice in Interior Design | 3 |
| Art History Courses | ||
| ARTH 2121 | Art History Survey I | 3 |
| ARTH 2122 | Art History Survey II | 3 |
| Electives: Interior Design or Related Areas | 6 | |
Select 2 courses (3 credit hours each) from upper-level art studio courses, upper-level interior design courses, upper-level art history courses, or other related courses with the approval of the Program Coordinator and the Department Head . | ||
| Total hours for the degree | 120 | |
