Interior Design Education

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1 United States
2 Canada
- 2.1 List of Canadian Professional Interior Design Associations
3 Europe
4 Africa
5 References
6 External links
7 See also

[edit] United States

[edit] Interior Design Degree Offerings

Many four year baccalaureate degrees in Interior Design exist in the United States, within major universities such as The Art Institute, Arizona State University, Northern Illinois University, University of Cincinnati and [ or as stand-alone programs in design colleges, such as Boston Architectural College. Although Masters degrees in Interior Design are less common, they are nonetheless available at a few institutions, such as Boston Architectural College, the Inchbald School of Design (in association with the University of Wales), Arizona State University and Washington State University. Many professionals pursue advanced degrees in related subjects such as industrial design, fine art, or education.

[edit] Distance Education in Interior Design

The US branch of Rhodec International offers a 60-credit Diploma Course and an Interior Design bachelor's degree available to students worldwide, in association with London Metropolitan University.

The San-Francisco-based Academy of Art University also offers both on-campus (traditional instructor-led) and distance education (online) degree and certificate programs for Interior Architecture & Design, with concentrations in residential and commercial design. These Interior Design & Architecture programs include Associate of Arts (66 credit hours), Bachelor of Fine Arts (132 credit hours) and Master of Arts (63 credit hours) for degreed study, in addition to a 120-credit hour Certificate program. The on-campus Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program for Interior Architecture & Design offered by the Academy of Art University is accredited as a Professional Level Program by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation.^[1] Although the Academy offers separate on-campus and online graduate degree programs for Master of Arts in Interior Architecture & Design (an interior design program) and the architecture programs for both Master of Arts in Architecture and Master of Architecture (the latter program requires 102 credit hours, while the former requires 63 credits), only the on-campus Master of Architecture program is a candidate for accreditation by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB).

[edit] Recognition of Degree Programs

An undergraduate degree is a requirement for becoming an Interior Design professional, and a Masters degree is recommended. Some graduate degree programs in interior design do not require a bachelor's degree in a related field. It is highly beneficial to complete an interior design degree that is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (formerly the Foundation for Interior Design Education and Research, or "FIDER"), the primary accreditation agency for interior design education in the United States.

Although most interior design schools in the United States retain "Interior Design" in the program name, some schools have adopted the name "Interior Architecture" instead. However, programs with "Interior Architecture" in its name may not be comparable to programs for interior design. A practicing professional cannot use the title of "Interior Architect," unless the person also completes the requirements for becoming a licensed architect. As "Interior Architecture" programs are not NAAB accredited, the use of the term "Architecture" is somewhat of a misnomer.

[edit] Canada

Canadian interior design education can be acquired through the college or university level. Unlike the U.S., a degree is not required to become a registered professional designer. Admission to programs is based on academic marks and creative ability as demonstrated in a portfolio submission. Once accepted into a program, six years of combined educational and work experience is required before one can take the professional examination to become a registered interior designer. Therefore, if someone graduates from a three year college diploma program, they will need a minimum of three years working experience, while someone graduating from a four year degree program will only need two. Master's degrees are rare in Canada, with only the University of Manitoba currently offering such a program. Certification is offered in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.

Canada has similar professional standards as the U.S. and uses the same professional examination, the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) examination. Additionally, it is also recommended that students complete their education at an institution that is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation. The province of Ontario is currently in the process of requiring all institutions offering interior design to be accredited.

[edit] List of Canadian Professional Interior Design Associations

Each province has their own professional association which governs the interior design profession in that province. For more information on education in a specific province it is best to contact the professional association in that area.

Interior Designers Institute of British Columbia (IDIBC)
Interior Designers of Alberta (IDA)
Interior Designers Association of Saskatchewan (IDAS)
Professional Interior Designers Institute of Manitoba (PIDIM)
Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario (ARIDO)
Association of Registered Interior Designers of New Brunswick (ARIDNB)
Association of Interior Designers of Nova Scotia (IDNS)

[edit] Europe

In Europe, the educational requirements differ between interior architects (considered a profession comparable to architects or structural engineers) and interior designers (considered a trade comparable to carpenters).

Traditionally in Germany, Interior Architecture has been taught at polytechnic universities or universities of applied sciences (for example, University of Applied Sciences Stuttgart, FH Darmstadt, Fachhochschule Coburg). Baccalaureate programs are normally three years (6 semesters) in length. In Germany, the adaptation of the university system to the international degrees Bachelor and Master has led to a restructuring of degree programs. Since university education has traditionally lasted at least 5 years, many Diploma programs have been transformed into consecutive graduate Master programs.

IMIAD (International Master of Interior-Architectural Design) is one of the first internationally orientated Masters courses in Interior Design in Europe. Part of the course takes place at a European partner institution (University of Applied Sciences Stuttgart (Germany); Edinburgh College of Art (United Kingdom); Istanbul Technical University (Turkey); Lahti Polytechnic (Finland); SUPSI - Scuola Universitaria Professionale della Svizzera Italiana (Lugano, Switzerland), with each institution contributing its own emphasis and competences to the course. Proceeding from a Bachelor degree (BA), participants receive the qualification of International Master of Arts (MA) in Interior-Architectural Design after the successful completion of four semesters. The IMIAD qualification is recognized by all of the partner institutions. The IMIAD student will be trained for managerial duties, with particular competences in design and decision-making processes. For this, a consolidated scientific and creation course involving interior design theory and practice will be offered for study.

In the United Kingdom, several universities and art colleges offer 3-year degree courses and year-long MA courses in interior design. A fast-track alternative to this educational route, which is particularly popular with adult students, is available through the private education sector. These programs range from the year-long program offered by the London-based Inchbald School to the distance education program offered by Rhodec International in association with London Metropolitan University.

[edit] Africa

Interior design education has been delivered in South Africa since the 1970s, and this education is on a par with programs offered in most developed countries of the world. The Design Institute maintains a register of reputable public and private design education institutions in South Africa. Of these schools, Inscape Design College, one of the oldest privately-owned, multidisciplinary design colleges in South Africa, celebrates its 25th year of existence in 2006.