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Interior Design Course

You’re creative, artistic, love working with people and gain great joy from creating and redesigning physical spaces. You’re convinced that a career in interior design is the right path for you. Next step, find a good interior design school. Plus, you want to take a look at what’s involved in an interior design course of study.

To become an interior designer, at least a two year degree or a certificate is required. A four year degree, especially in the United States, is preferred. The CIDA (Council of Interior Design Accreditation) lists the accredited schools on their website, plus can give incite into what to expect from and interior design course of study.

General education is a basic part of the degree, with courses like math, history, government, English and social studies. The rest of the classes required involve specific areas of interior design. For instance, take a look at the curriculum at the Design Institute of San Diego. An interior design program leading to the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design, the DISD program requires a total of 126 semester credits, 36 in general education and 90 in the interior design major. The very first semester includes more than one interior design course: Introduction to Interior Design, Architectural Drafting, Elements of Design, History of Interiors, etc., plus English composition.

In addition to the interior design course that deals with color, structure and visual presentation, a student of interior design is required to study courses about business practices, cultural anthropology, techniques for presenting to clients and time management. The Art Institute of Dallas also includes writing courses, global economics and psychology. Internships and a study tour to New York are also available in the Art Institute’s curriculum. The Art Institute, as stated above is a national organization with campuses in several cities across the United States uses the quarter system instead of the semester and as such requires 188 credits for its bachelor’s degree, or 12 quarters. The Art Institute also offers an associate of applied science degree in interior design, which requires 7 quarters to complete, or 112 credits.

Both associates and bachelor’s degrees can be obtained via online interior design course as well. The Art Institute offers an online degree, as do other universities and institutes. The important thing to remember when deciding on a school is how well the curriculum prepares the student for their interior design career, whether its in residentialt or commercial design, specialty or general.

Once a student graduates, the next step in an interior design career is to take the NCIDQ exam. NCIDQ is the National Council for Interior Design Qualification. Com pletion of the NCIDQ examination recognizes that a student meets the minimum competency standards to practice interior design. Passing the NCIDQ isn’t a requirement for employment, unless the state requires interior design professionals to be licensed. Passing the NCIDQ, however, does qualify a designer for membership in professional organizations, is a distinct accomplishment for the student, and can boost a designer’s reputation.