Letter from the Chair

Welcome to the Department of Interior Architecture & Design! 

For over 40 years, the Department has established a long and proud tradition of design excellence, and our alumni students and faculty shape the world each day with their ideas, inspirations and actions they take as they impart knowledge, conduct research, and crafting interior environments that help people be their best selves. Like never before, the world requires thoughtful, practical and beautiful environments to solve today’s challenges, build bridges amongst people of diverse backgrounds, and provide healthy spaces that support well-being in its fullest definition. 

Our community of learning emphasizes the humanity of engagement, and our faculty and students work closely together to ‘shape spaces and shape lives’—both the lives of students and those of the future clients they will serve. The Department’s carefully sequenced curriculum is CIDA and NASAD accredited and provides students a strong foundation on which to build their design skills beginning with design fundamentals, and successively adds sequential knowledge of theory, graphics, business, technology, history, and studio experiences, where design project problem-solving occurs. Students’ engagement in internships from established Department lists of partner firms across the United States builds networks and enables students to get to know potential employers that can progress into full-time design employment. Options for Study Abroad and numerous United States field trips bring further vibrancy to the learning experience of our program. 

Employers are attracted to the Department’s educational approach of practical, marketable skills grounded in theory and research, and cite FSU graduates’ strong preparation, especially in creative thinking, design process, computer technologies, and studio projects that are varied and grounded in research. Others are noticing too, as our Interior Architecture & Design programs have been consistently ranked among the top 10 in the nation.  

The reputation of the Department and the University means that demand for interior design graduates is considerable from design firms and other companies. Placement data shows that 82% of students who graduated in spring and summer of 2020 had secured employment within nine months(typically this is higher, and we expect the pandemic effect will continue to subside and boost this back up). Our graduate students also consistently present their original research at national academic conferences and go on to practice within design specialization areas and/or academic careers.  

We welcome you to join our vibrant community of learning and growing, and so look forward to the potential opportunity to work with you. 

Jim Dawkins

Associate Professor and Chair