Undergraduate Program
Admission Requirements I Program of Study I Summer Study in the Restoration of the Historic Decorative Arts
The Department of Interior Architecture & Design offers the Bachelor of Science and the Bachelor of Arts degrees in interior design. Both degree programs are accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) and the National Association of the Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). The Department of Interior Architecture & Design does not offer a minor, although select courses may be taken by non-majors based on availability. Contact Amy O’Keefe for more information about classes for non-majors at aokeefe@fsu.edu and include Rebecca Cowart at rebecca.cowart@fsu.edu.
The interior design program leading to the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees in interior design is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, www.accredit-id.org, 206 Grandville Avenue, Suite 350, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503.
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 Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees granted by Florida State University meet the educational requirement for eligibility to sit for the Council for Interior Design Qualification Examination (NCIDQ Exam). For more information about NCIDQ Exam eligibility visit: https://www.cidq.org/paths.
Application window for 2024-2025 school year is now open
Admission Requirements
Students must be admitted to the university prior to acceptance into the program. The department is not involved in university admissions. See University Admissions (https://admissions.fsu.edu) All students including transfer students, should contact the Department Advisor in the Major at least three to four semesters in advance to reserve a seat on the waiting list. There is no entry portfolio requirement to apply to FSU or the Interior Architecture & Design program. A cumulative college GPA of 3.0 is required to be conditionally accepted into the major as either a transfer student or as a major change.
Upon admittance to the University, students should declare a major in Interior Design. Interior Design at FSU is a limited-access four-year program which means that the demand of the bachelor’s degree exceeds the capacity of the Department and thus, only a portion of the students that apply are accepted. It is a highly competitive major that requires critical-thinking skills, problem-solving abilities and effective time management skills. Three foundations classes should be taken in Year One only at the Tallahassee campus: IND 1203 Design Fundamentals I, IND 1204 Design Fundamentals II, and IND 2002 Survey of Interior Design. Students must receive a B- or higher in these classes to be eligible for First Year Review. Students additionally must complete and successfully pass ARH 2051 History and Criticism of Art II and MAC 1105 College Algebra by the end of the Year One. Transfer students or beginning students not starting the Design Fundamentals sequence in the Fall Semester must take all of the required first year Interior Design classes during the Spring semester. This will allow the best path to graduate after three and one half years in the program. Transfer students do not need to bring any Interior Design classes with them into the program.
At the end of the spring semester, a First Year Review is held at which time students are identified for fall admittance. A cumulative college GPA of 3.0 is required to be conditionally accepted into the major and to take part in the First Year Review. From the candidates in the review, up to 36 students total are accepted as majors and proceed to the second year of study. Acceptance to the program is assessed through review of the quality of work, grades in the prerequisite classes, attitude, work ethic, and overall college GPA (a 3.0 GPA or higher is required). Due to the high demand, it is important to note that even if a student meets these requirements, there is no guarantee that they will be accepted. The foundation courses can only be taken once.
Prior to applying for admission to FSU as either a transfer student or a first time in college student, students should contact the Department to reserve a seat in the foundation classes. Classes fill up quickly, so it is important that a student inform the department of their intent to enroll at least three to four semesters in advance. All students should contact Amy O’Keefe, Undergraduate Advisor in the Major, at aokeefe@fsu.edu and also Rebecca Cowart, Academic Program Specialist, at rebecca.cowart@fsu.edu
Length of the Undergraduate Program
Students who begin in the fall will require 4 years to complete the interior design curriculum; students entering in spring will need 3.5 years. It is not possible to proceed more quickly due to the intense nature of the studio classes and the sequential nature of the program. Transfer students with AS or AA degrees are highly encouraged to begin in the spring.
The Program of Studies
The undergraduate program of studies consists of sequential learning that provides training in all critical aspects of the field of interior design. Studios focus on residential design as well as healthcare, office, retail, mixed-use and a capstone hospitality studio. The program consists of 77 (seventy-seven) semester credits of required courses beyond the general education classes. A total of 120 credit hours is required for graduation composed of Interior Design coursework with the University general education requirements.
Internships are required of all undergraduate students and are essential in preparing students for their careers. The department can assist students in locating an internship with local interior design and architectural firms, or firms in a number of other cities in Florida and throughout the U.S. The student must initiate the conversation with the firm for the internship.
Continuation in the Program
All students must make a C or higher in each class in the major or the class must be repeated. Classes are sequential and build on one another — with many being prerequisites for others — thus, if a student falls off track it will be difficult to complete the program in a timely manner. Classes can only be repeated once, and only two classes in the program may be repeated. If a student exceeds these class repetitions, they will be dismissed from the program.
Summer Study in the Restoration of the Historic Decorative Arts
In cooperation with the Ringling in Sarasota, the Department of Interior Architecture & Design offers a summer one-week intensive program on the history and decorative arts, gilded age culture, and museum exhibition design. Centered on the extensive restoration of the Ca’ d’Zan, the 1920s winter home of John and Mable Ringling, students meet and learn from the curators, art historians, and craftsmen dedicated to restoring and conserving one of America’s great mansions and its extensive painting, sculpture, and decorative arts collection. Students also tour Sarasota’s celebrated mid-century modern architectural works designed by Paul Rudolph and visit with some of Florida’s leading specialists in modern and contemporary home furniture. The course, led by faculty member Dr. Lena McLane, ymclane@fsu.edu in partnership with Marissa Hershon, Ringling’s Curator of the Ca’ d’Zan, is open to all undergraduate and graduate students.
The program also offers the opportunity to study abroad. During the summer term after the second year of classes, Interior Architecture & Design students have the opportunity to experience design in another country. A summer study abroad program, offered through Florida State University International Programs, is available for Interior Architecture & Design students in London, England. Global experience has become an increasingly vital part of a student’s education. For more information, contact Amy Huber or Lena McLane.
More Information
More information on the Interior Architecture & Design Department can be found in the University Bulletin.