Interior Architecture and Design

The Major in Interior Architecture and Design exemplifies the definition of the professional designer as qualified by education, experience, and examination to design interior environments that enhance the function and quality of life, increase productivity, and protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public. Academic preparation is grounded in research-based problem solving and experiential education through studio instruction, service learning, and internships that encompass a variety of cultural, environmental, and historical perspectives. The program has a longstanding accreditation by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA), recognizing the highest academic standards established by the profession.

Students seeking to apply to the Interior Architecture and Design major at CSU first are admitted to CSU as Pre-Interior Architecture and Design. All students who wish to be considered for admission to Interior Architecture and Design (IAD) major will be required to complete the Interior Architecture and Design Scenario practicum. Selective advancement into the major is based on the review received at the IAD Scenario, where external reviewers will assess student competencies in writing for design, sketching, problem-solving, and conceptual frameworks. A cohort of approximately 50-60 students advances based on performance on the IAD Design Scenario. The IAD Design Scenario occurs annually in the spring semester. See the Department of Design and Merchandising for more information regarding the Interior Architecture and Design Scenario.

In order to participate in the Interior Design Scenario students must have the following:

• GPA of 2.500 or higher.
• Completion of or current enrollment in INTD 110, INTD 129 and INTD 166 or equivalent. Equivalent courses from other institutions must be approved at least two weeks prior to the IAD Design Scenario by the IAD transfer advisor.

The Design and Merchandising department Academic Success Coordinator will work with Pre-Interior Architecture and Design students and advise them on their current performance in relation to the possibility of their admission to Interior Architecture and Design.

Faculty in the Interior Architecture and Design program value learning as a collaborative effort inviting diversity, design research as a basis for excellence in design practice, and new models for learning to respond to new ways of working. The program guides students toward becoming dedicated professional designers who have strong communication skills, are active as team players and creative problem solvers, and who make a positive impact in the practice of interior architecture and design. Students engage in research-based problem solving, providing a solid transition from education to practice in a global community. An internship in interior architecture / interior design practice is required for graduation.

The Interior Architecture and Design graduate will learn the entirety of the design process, beginning with assessment of client needs through design programming, development of alternative design solutions, development of conceptual and theoretical frameworks, selection of furniture and finish materials, construction documentation, core compliance, and contract administration including project management and post-occupancy evaluation methodologies. In addition, students take course work in construction/ building systems and codes, business principles in interior architecture and design, computer-aided design and drafting, building information modeling, animation, multimedia, graphic visualization, history of architecture and interiors, and sustainable practices.

The teaching facilities include design studios and critique spaces; gallery; design materials library; virtual reality computer labs; and fabrication labs (prototyping, woods, metals, & screen printing).

Learning Outcomes

• Interior Architecture and Design core skills will include but are not limited to: applications of history and culture; space and form; color and light; fixtures, equipment, and finish materials; environmental systems; building systems, and interior construction; technology; and regulations.
• Students in the Interior Architecture and Design major will be able to assess and synthesize multiple factors in creating/producing quality products, services, and design solutions. The factors will address human, design, industry and business, global, science and technology sensitivities.
• Students will be able to describe their understanding of multiple processes that are involved in the practice of interior architecture and design. These processes include but are not limited to critical and creative thinking, communication, ethics, social responsibility and sustainability, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Students will distinguish and demonstrate qualities of professionalism and business practices that contribute to the industry, and advance the value of their knowledge to the interior built environments.
• Students will enroll in Internships credits at least one semester before graduation.
• Students who engage in co-curricular learning experiences will have the opportunity to network with industry professionals, engage in project-based learning experiences, assist with department recruiting events and new student orientations, and attend a variety of leadership events.

Students are prepared to practice interior architecture/interior design with competency in design fundamentals, space planning and programming, code compliance, lighting, materials research, project management, and professional practices in the design of diverse interior spaces.

Graduates seek employment in interior design and architecture firms as residential, corporate, retail, health care, institutional, education, and hospitality designers. Graduates also work in lighting design, product development, marketing, research, design-related journalism, illustration, facility management, showroom management, and as manufacturers' representatives.

Learn more about the Interior Architecture and Design major on the Department of Design and Merchandising website.

The Nancy Richardson Design Center is a multi-disciplinary center located in the College of Health and Human Sciences at CSU, with a mission to foster interdisciplinary creative collaboration. It serves as a design-thinking hub where students from across campus can gather to collaborate, innovate, and prototype creative ideas in formal and informal learning spaces using state-of-the art equipment and technology. The RDC has: 4 studio/lab classrooms for hands-on learning, 1 seminar room for use by professional staff, 1 small dedicated project room that can also be used for student teams and visiting designers-in-residence, 2 computer labs, a design exchange (for student presentations, gallery exhibitions, special lectures and events, etc.), an ideation lab (including virtual reality equipment), prototyping lab (laser cutters, 3d printers, CNC textile equipment, etc), metal shop (traditional metalworking tools, welding, as well as state-of-the-art CNC milling machinery), wood shop (traditional woodworking hand and power tools as well as a large (4'x8') CNC router), and a sustainable dark room. 

Application Materials

All applicants for admission must submit an online application, $50 application fee or fee waiver request, and academic transcripts. Freshman/first-year applicants are required to submit a personal statement. The application includes an optional Academic Explanation section for applicants to provide more context for their performance and/or enrollment history. Recommendations and ACT/SAT scores are not required. The Office of Admissions may request additional information before completing a full review of an applicant’s application file.

Refer to the appropriate application guides for details.

Application Fee or Fee Waiver

An application fee is required as part of a complete application; a decision cannot be rendered without it. If payment of the application fee presents a financial hardship, applicants can request a fee waiver.

Refer to the Office of Admissions website for the application fee refund policy.

High School Transcript and proof of graduation (or equivalent)

High school performance, as reflected on a student's transcript(s), is an essential component of the admission decision for all freshman/first-year applicants and for transfer applicants with fewer than 30 post-high school credits.

High school transcripts for transfer applicants with more than 30 post-high school credits are considered only when needed to satisfy the admission requirement in mathematics.

All freshman/first year applicants and all transfers with fewer than 60 post-high school college credits must submit proof of high school graduation or equivalent prior to the start of their first semester of enrollment.

ACT/SAT results

ACT or SAT test scores are not required. Our review process is individualized, includes a range of academic and personal factors and emphasizes students’ efforts and achievement demonstrated over 3-4 years. Test scores are not given much weight in the admission decision and are not considered at all for scholarships. Students who wish to have their scores considered in the admission decision should email [email protected] with this request.

ACT or SAT results can be used for composition placement purposes and thus can be helpful to submit by any incoming student before orientation/registration.

College Transcript(s)

Freshman/first-year applicants typically are required to submit an official college transcript at the point of application only if college enrollment is being used as their full-time high school curriculum (such as early college, ASCENT and fifth-year programs, and some homeschool curricula). Refer to College-Level Courses Completed by High School Students for additional information.

Transfer applicants must submit an official college transcript from each college attended, regardless of the type of institution, amount or type of credit earned, and age of the credential, even if the work will be reflected in transfer on another transcript. No part of the previous collegiate record may be disregarded. Failure to include all institutions previously attended may result in the rescinding of admission, loss of credit, or disenrollment. Transcripts reflecting courses taken at vocational-technical institutes or colleges that are not regionally accredited can be helpful documentation and may be required, though they do not qualify an applicant for transfer applicant status or advanced-standing credit. 

Second Bachelor applicants are only required to submit an official transcript from the college/university from which they earned their first (or most recent) bachelor's degree. Official transcripts from other colleges/universities attended (if applicable) are encouraged if an applicant is seeking a competitive major or to demonstrate explicit pre-requisites for their new degree program.

Advanced standing credit (transfer credit) is only awarded from an official transcript.

International Applicants: Additional Requirements

In addition to the documents outlined above, applicants who have completed part or all of their education outside of the US also may be prompted to submit the following:

• A certified English translation of any academic credentials not in English
• Evidence of English Proficiency to be considered for direct admission
• An Immigration Information Form, financial support documentation and a copy of the passport identification page for immigration documentation

Application Timelines 

Students can begin their enrollment during fall semester (August start), spring semester (January start) or summer term (May/June start; not recommended for freshman/first-year students).

Applicants are encouraged to apply 6-12 months prior to the start of the term. Freshman/first-year applicants must have completed at least 75% of their high school curriculum (through junior year equivalent) before a decision can be rendered; transfer applicants must have no more than one academic term in progress when a decision is rendered. Second bachelor’s/post-bachelor candidates must be finished with their first degree or in their final term of enrollment with degree pending for a decision to be rendered.

Refer to the appropriate application guides for more detail about application dates and timelines.