Bachelors of Fine Arts (BFA) in Interior Design
Overview
The Interior Design major educates students to become creative and responsible designers of residential and commercial spaces. Program components emphasize problem solving in applied design studios. With a focus on spatial design and space planning complimented by surface decoration, students learn to design environments for living, working, business, health, hospitality, retail and recreation. As courses progress, students are challenged by design problems that increase in size and complexity, and develop an understanding of sustainable building and reuse on human health, well-being and performance. Program curriculum and outcomes are all directly tied to NCIDQ Certification competencies, preparing students for future field certification.
Faculty
The versatile faculty is made up of artists and designers who actively produce and exhibit their creative work − artists who are leaders in their various fields of discipline. They love to teach because they love what they teach. Our faculty is equipped to motivate, inspire and nurture; they become true mentors to their students. The faculty of the Department of Art and Design believe it is necessary for students to become leaders rather than followers, to become the next generation of gifted creative artists and designers and to become art professionals in the ever-growing number of contemporary art and art-related careers.
More information about the interior design major can be found on the art major admissions page.
Degree Outcomes
Graduates with a BFA in interior design will:
- Demonstrate the ability to write and speak about art, design, and art history with clarity and logic, and be able to form and support critical judgements about art, design and art history
- Demonstrate the technical mastery of the relevant materials and tools, and the terminology, theories, and practices relevant to the student's field of study
- Demonstrate the ability generate, support, and utilize individual thoughts and ideas
- Demonstrate the ability to do research in art, design, and art history, and the competence and knowledge to analyze and think critically
- Demonstrate expanding knowledge of historical achievements and contemporary thinking, trends, processes, and issues in art and design, and apply that knowledge to their personal work
- Demonstrate broader and deeper understanding of contemporary arts practice, grasp of how to develop and maintain studio or design practice, and ideas communicating successful cultivation of both audience, concept and goals in visual art and design
Major Requirements
Complete the following:
An introduction to materials, techniques, and theory related to two-dimensional design. Additional course fee is required.
This course focuses on three-dimensional design. Hands-on projects are the primary learning mode. Additional course fee is required.
Art majors given preference. This course is a study of materials, methods, and techniques used for drawing with pencil, ink, charcoal, and other drawing media. Additional course fee is required.
A survey of the elements and concepts of art theory and practice as reflected in culturally and historically significant painting, sculpture, architecture, and other art forms, from 1450 to the present. Additional course fee is required.
Art and its relationship to a non-Western culture, e.g., African, Asian, Latin American. Specific topic will be dependent on the instructor's area of specialization. Additional course fee is required.
Art and its relationship to global culture of the 20th century. Additional course fee is required.
A study of the relationship between art and Christianity in the contemporary world. Designed primarily for studio art majors. Prerequisite: either ARTS 382 Twentieth Century Art or ARTS 384 Contemporary Art Forms. Additional course fee required.
Complete the following:
This seminar course will meet weekly to focus on theory, concepts and methodology of art historical study and their application by engaging students in discourse surrounding lectures of visiting professional artists. Investigations of film and writing will be a secondary approach to this course. Must be taken minimum 5 out of 8 semesters in students’ program. Satisfies: core major requirement.
Additional course fee required.
This seminar course will meet weekly to focus on theory, concepts and methodology of art historical study and their application by engaging students in discourse surrounding lectures of visiting professional artists. Investigations of film and writing will be a secondary approach to this course. Must be taken minimum 5 out of 8 semesters in students’ program. Satisfies: core major requirement.
Additional course fee required.
This seminar course will meet weekly to focus on theory, concepts and methodology of art historical study and their application by engaging students in discourse surrounding lectures of visiting professional artists. Investigations of film and writing will be a secondary approach to this course. Must be taken minimum 5 out of 8 semesters in students’ program. Satisfies: core major requirement.
Additional course fee required.
This seminar course will meet weekly to focus on theory, concepts and methodology of art historical study and their application by engaging students in discourse surrounding lectures of visiting professional artists. Investigations of film and writing will be a secondary approach to this course. Must be taken minimum 5 out of 8 semesters in students’ program. Satisfies: core major requirement.
Additional course fee required.
This seminar course will meet weekly to focus on theory, concepts and methodology of art historical study and their application by engaging students in discourse surrounding lectures of visiting professional artists. Investigations of film and writing will be a secondary approach to this course. Must be taken minimum 5 out of 8 semesters in students’ program. Satisfies: core major requirement.
Additional course fee required.
Complete the following:
This course is an introduction to industry-standard graphic design applications such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign. Additional course fee required.
This course prepares students for an internship or professional experience that will follow this course as a dynamic program graduation requirement. Additionally, students will gain exposure to common business practices such as the development of contracts, estimates, invoices, accounting, promotion, and project management. Prerequisite: Junior status or instructor approval.
This course focuses on the organization and preparation of a portfolio showcasing a student's creative work in preparation for employment in the field of design. Students will explore visual composition and organization, document assembly methods, and various reproduction image management techniques. Computer photo editing and printing are used to create a paper and digital portfolio. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisites: Declared Art and Design major/minor with Junior or Senior status, or by instructor permission. Course may be taken twice for up to 4 credits total.
This course is an introduction to computer-aided design and drafting using Autodesk AutoCAD and Revit softwares. Students will learn digital drafting software effectively to create computer-generated plans for interior spaces while reviewing Life Safety, ANSI, ADA and regional building codes related to their projects. Also included in this course, students will learn digital rendering through programs like Enscape and Sketchup alongside drafting mark-up softwares like Bluebeam Revu. Additional course fee is required.
This is the first studio in a sequential series of interior courses in which students apply their skills, knowledge and understanding of the design process to living environments. Emphasis is placed on the interrelationship of design elements and principles, spatial organization and sequencing, and conceptual problem solving in three-dimensional space. Open to all students. Additional course fee is required.
Study of materials used in the built environment with emphasis on the interior. Students develop knowledge of material characteristic, selection, application, installation methods, and industry regulations. Lighting design plans will also be covered. Students produce product specifications following Master Specification standards. Additional course fee is required. Corequisite or Prerequisite: INTD 200 Interior Foundations.
This class studies how to represent design ideas to viewers - learning how to clearly communicate space, form, and human experience within the built environment. Students will further develop skills rendering perspective-based drawings, as well as honing presentation skills in both oral and graphic presentations. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisite: INTD 331 CADD II.
This course builds on concepts and theories introduced in Interior Foundations and guides students through the complexities of the space planning process addressing both function and aesthetics. Students will complete a series of assignments increasing in size and difficulty designed to develop space planning skills. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisite: INTD 200 Interior Foundations.
This course will study methods and materials for interior construction. Students will create details and specify materials for interior components, including walls, floors, ceilings, glazing, millwork and cabinetry. Additional course fee is required.
Prerequisites: INTD 300 Space Planning and Programming and INTD 331 CADD II.
This course examines the construction systems, codes and regulations for the built environments in both commercial and residential interiors. Specific topics include plumbing, thermal, HVAC, electrical, communications, security and acoustics. Students are required to determine occupancy types and loads, applicable ADA regulations, means of egress, compartmentalization, and a variety of fire protection systems and their locations. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisites: INTD 300 Space Planning and Programming and INTD 331 CADD II.
A continuation of CADD I. This course includes advanced CAD techniques and introduces Building Information Modeling (BIM) software for 3D modeling interior design. Students learn how to render spaces and use creative suite techniques from Photoshop and InDesign for portfolio purposes. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisite: INTD 131 CADD I.
A study of the design process involved in a residential space. Students refine space planning skills and develop furniture, finishes, fabric, materials and source knowledge with respect to the residential environment. Students learn and apply residential kitchen and bath principles to projects while working on construction documentation. LEED, Life Safety, Fire, ANSI, ADA and regional building codes related to their projects will be reviewed. Additional course fee is required.
Corequisite or Prerequisite: INTD 300 Space Planning and Programming.
A study of the design process involved in a commercial space. Students refine space planning skills and develop furniture, finishes, fabric, materials and source knowledge with respect to the commercial environment. Students learn and apply commercial kitchen and bath principles to projects while working on construction documentation. LEED, Life Safety, Fire, ANSI, ADA, and regional building codes related to their projects will be reviewed. Additional course fee is required.
Corequisite or Prerequisite: INTD 300 Space Planning and Programming.
The Interior Design Capstone course will focus on innovative solutions for real-world design projects, incorporating connections to community-oriented design. By designing around project parameters, students will work on a course-long design project based around their focused area of Interior Design. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisites: INTD 411 Residential Design Studio and INTD 412 Commercial Design Studio.
Complete the following:
- Sophomore Review
- Junior Portfolio Review
- Senior Capstone Research Defense