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DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE

DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE
GRADUATE DEPARTMENT

Undergraduate Department of Interior Architecture & Design

COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS

Department of Interior Architecture & Design Website

Chair: Amy Huber; Associate Chair: Amy O’Keefe; Professor: Huber; Associate Professors: Castaneda, Dawkins, Kim, Lee, McLane, Mick, Ransdell, Robinson, Sickler; Assistant Professors:  Londy; Nam; Specialized Faculty: O'Keefe; Adjunct Faculty: Ashcroft, Markham, Varnedoe, Saginario; Professors Emeriti: Butler, Munton, Myers, Ohazama, Pable, Waxman, Wiedegreen

The School of Design prepares students for contemporary design practice through programs in Interior Design and Interdisciplinary Design. The School of Design is grounded in interior design while engaging broader, cross-disciplinary approaches that reflect the evolving nature of design education, professional practice, and student interests. Faculty expertise spans creative, technical, and research-driven domains, supporting curricula that emphasize collaboration, critical thinking, and adaptability. The interior design program offers rigorous professional preparation. While the interdisciplinary design program equips students to work across creative industries and emerging fields. Together, these programs offer innovative curricular pathways that support diverse learners and future-focused design careers.

Accreditations

The School of Design programs are accredited by NASAD (National Association of Schools of Art and Design): National Association of Schools of Art and Design website.

Digital Literacy Requirement

Students must complete at least one course designated as meeting the Digital Literacy Requirement with a grade of “C–” or higher. Courses fulfilling the Digital Literacy Requirement must accomplish at least three of the following outcomes:

  • Evaluate and interpret the accuracy, credibility, and relevance of digital information

  • Evaluate and interpret digital data and their implications

  • Discuss the ways in which society and/or culture interact with digital technology

  • Discuss digital technology trends and their professional implications

  • Demonstrate the ability to use digital technology effectively

  • Demonstrate the knowledge to use digital technology safely and ethically

Each academic major has determined the courses that fulfill the Digital Literacy requirement for that major. Students should contact their major department(s) to determine which courses will fulfill their Digital Literacy requirement. Undergraduate majors in interior design satisfy this requirement by earning a grade of “C” or higher in IND 3469.

State of Florida Common Program Prerequisites for Interior Design

The Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC) houses the statewide, internet-based catalog of distance learning courses, degree programs, and resources offered by Florida's public colleges and universities, and they have developed operational procedures and technical guidelines for the catalog that all institutions must follow. The statute governing this policy can be reviewed by visiting the Florida Postsecondary Academic Library Network page.

FLVC has identified common program prerequisites for the degree program in Interior Design. To obtain the most up-to-date, state-approved prerequisites for the Interior Design degree, visit the Interior Design General Requirements page of the Common Prerequisites Manual.

Specific prerequisites are required for admission into the upper-division program and must be completed by the student at either a community college or a state university prior to being admitted to this program. Students may be admitted into the University without completing the prerequisites but may not be admitted into the program.

At this time FLVC has not identified common program prerequisites for the degree program in Interdisciplinary Design.

Undergraduate Programs

Interior Design Degree Requirements

The undergraduate program offers the Bachelor of Science (BS) in interior design. The undergraduate degree program is a specialized admissions program that consists of 74 credit hours of coursework in interior design and requires 120 credit hours for graduation.

The competencies taught include elements and principles of design, design analysis, space planning and programming, drafting and technical drawing, computer-aided design and building information modeling, graphic presentation of design solutions, design history, sustainability, construction systems, construction documents, and includes comprehensive design studios addressing a variety of design sector projects including residential, healthcare, retail, workplace, and hospitality. There are active student chapters of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and the International Interior Design Association (IIDA). The faculty includes members of ASID, IIDA, the Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC), and holders of certificates in Certified Aging in Place (CAPS), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and the WELL Building Standard (WELL).

Specific degree requirements include the following:

  1. CoreFSU Curriculum: of the required and elective credit hours, three must be taken in ARH 2051, an art history course, in the first year and three must be taken in MAC 1105, a math course, in either the first or second year. Refer to the ‘CoreFSU Curriculum' section in the “Undergraduate Degree Requirements” chapter of this General Bulletin for specific degree requirements. Contact the program advisor for further information if needed.

  2. Foundation classes: 9 credit hours

  3. Interior design studio courses: 24 credit hours

  4. Technical and graphic design courses: 23 credit hours

  5. Lecture-based support courses: 9 credit hours

  6. History of interiors and architecture: 6 credit hours

  7. Internship: 3 credit hours

  8. Electives in interior design: none required, but students must have at least 120 hours to graduate from the University.

Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA)

The Bachelor of Science degree in Interior Design is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (Council for Interior Design Accreditation website), 206 Cesar E. Chavez Ave SW, 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 Interior Design degree granted by Florida State University meets the educational requirement for eligibility to sit for the National Council for Interior Design Qualification Examination (NCIDQ Exam). For more information about NCIDQ Exam eligibility visit: NCIDQ Exam Eligibility webpage.

Requirements for a specialized admissions into the Interior Design major

Students will be required to take three foundation courses in the first year of the Interior Design Program that include IND 1206 Introduction to Interior Design, IND 1203 Design Fundamentals I, and IND 1204 Design Fundamentals II before being considered for acceptance into the program. Students should take ARH 2051 History & Criticism of Art II in the first year and take MAC 1105 College Algebra by the end of the second year. To be eligible for review, students must earn a B- or higher in all three IND classes and have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

We reserve the right to rescind eligibility for first year review should the GPA fall below 3.0 at the conclusion of the fall semester when grades are posted. Students will be notified prior to the spring semester. (Note, however, that most accepted students have either all A’s in these classes or two A’s and a B; they also typically have above a 3.5 cumulative GPA). Note that due to high demand for our program and its limited enrollment, it is very possible to earn “A” grades in the foundation classes and still not achieve admission. All students will need a plan for changing majors in case they are not accepted.

From the FSU Registrar: “A specialized admissions (limited-access) program utilizes selective admission to limit program enrollment. Specialized admissions (limited-access) status is justified when student demand exceeds available resources (student/faculty ratios, instructional facilities, equipment, or specific accrediting requirements). Criteria for selective admission include indicators of ability, performance, creativity, or talent to complete required work within the program.”

Part of the first-year review process is a mandatory design practicum that each student will take prior to first year review. This is a requirement to provide a student the opportunity to showcase their thinking and design problem-solving abilities.

Upon completion of the three classes in the major and the design practicum, each student will participate in “First Year Review”. Department faculty members review the work of first year students. A list of work to be included in First Year Review will be provided to students during the spring semester. The selection of students will be based on the quality of the work from the three interior design foundation courses listed above and the quality of the work produced during the practicum. In addition, attitude, work ethic, participation in course activities, attendance, ability to accept constructive criticism, and cumulative  GPA are also considered.

Following First Year Review at the end of spring semester, each student will be given a status of acceptance or non-acceptance. Those students with acceptance status are admitted to the program and will begin the following fall. Those students with a non-acceptance status may not continue in the program and will need to find a new major. Due to the demand for our classes, students are only given one opportunity to take the first-year foundation classes. Retaking a class due to inadequate performance is not permitted.

A minor is not required but may be obtained in other areas (departmental advisement required prior to electing a minor).

A specific listing of courses required for a major in interior design is available on the BS in Interior Design webpage of the department's website.

Requirements for Continuing in the Major in Interior Design

Students majoring in interior design must maintain the minimum 3.0 GPA for term and overall averages and achieve a minimum grade of “C” in all interior design classes. Students must repeat classes in which they earn a grade below a “C”, but only two classes may be repeated. Students who need to repeat more than two classes in the program will be removed from the program.

Honors in the Major

The School of Design offers a program in honors in the major to encourage talented juniors and seniors to undertake independent research as part of the undergraduate experience subject to faculty availability. For requirements and other information, see the “University Honors Office and Honor Societies” chapter of this General Bulletin.

Interdisciplinary Design Degree Requirements

The purpose of the Interdisciplinary Design BS program is to prepare students to become agile, collaborative, and future-oriented design professionals equipped to meet the growing demand across creative industries. As the need for human-centered and cross-functional design solutions expands, this program will provide students with the frameworks and skills necessary to thrive in a range of design-focused careers. The curriculum integrates design thinking, digital technologies, and problem-solving methodologies, enabling students to address complex challenges through visual communication and design innovation. The degree has an emphasis on collaboration, creativity, and interdisciplinary learning, the program responds to state, national, and global demand for design skills. The faculty include members of the Professional Association for Design (AIGA), Design Incubation, the Society of Experiential Graphic Design (SEGD), and the Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC).

Specific degree requirements include the following:

  1. CoreFSU Curriculum: of the required and elective credit hours, three must be taken in ARH 2050, an art history course, and also three must be taken in ARH 2051, an art history class. Refer to the ‘CoreFSU Curriculum' section in the “Undergraduate Degree Requirements” chapter of this General Bulletin for specific degree requirements. Contact the program advisor for further information if needed.

  2. Interdisciplinary design foundation classes:  15 credit hours

  3. Interdisciplinary core courses: 29 credit hours

  4. Design and visual art courses: 24 credit hours

  5. Electives are available across disciplines.

  6. Students must have at least 120 hours to graduate from the University.

Definition of Prefixes

IND—Interior Design

XXX—Interdisciplinary Design