Welcome to the VSU Interior Design Program.  

Enhancing and Enriching the Built Environment 

ID Program Mission

The Interior Design Program at Valdosta State University educates students to become creative and competent professional interior designers whose major concerns are based on human needs and the health, safety and welfare of the public.

ID Program Characteristics

The VSU Interior Design program promotes creativity through active learning methods that promote student engagement. Opportunities for experiential learning address current design issues and standards by utilizing real spaces on campus or in the surrounding area, which provide opportunities for hands-on design experiences. 

Creative problem solving, innovative design challenges, and professionalism run consistently through the VSU Interior Design curriculum. Collectively, their coursework emphasizes the importance of self-assessment and evaluation, design discernment, and analysis of design solutions, which leads to both personal and professional growth and development. 

Within the ID program, emphasis is placed on the importance of responsible design regarding standards in the residential and commercial building industry such as; accessibility, ergonomics, regulatory codes, building designs, construction techniques, business practices, legal aspects, communication methods, sustainability, and much more.

Interior Design students have access to the latest technology and output devices to produce high-quality presentational materials for their projects. Ultimately, the VSU Interior Design program produces successful graduates who develop a proficiency in the latest technology and industry based software within an extensive Art and Design facility that meet these needs. 

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The BFA-ID degree curriculum focuses on the standards for professional interior design programs established by NASAD and CIDA. The ID major offers learning opportunities structured to prepare the student for a variety of careers in the interior design profession or for graduate school. Learn more >

Georgia Registered Interior Designer

Applicants to become a registered interior design in the state of Georgia must have a first professional degree (Bachelors or Masters degree) from a CIDA, NASAD, or NAAB accredited program or an education deemed by the board of architects and interior designers to be equal.  In addition to the required degree, the applicant must have passed an examination promulgated by the NCIDQ (National Council of Interior Design Qualification) or pass the ARE offered through NCARB (the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards). source: https://ga.asid.org/legislation

 

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BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS WITH A MAJOR IN INTERIOR DESIGN - 120-hour degree program.

The Interior design profession addresses the visual, technical, legal, and aesthetic aspects of inhabited spaces. Interior design services involve the integration of art and design concepts; space analysis and planning; and knowledge of materials, furnishings, fixtures, equipment, and construction methods to produce finished interior environments that interpret and serve the specific needs of clients. Interior design services must integrate life-safety, fire, and building codes and follow professional guidelines and standards. The BFA-ID degree curriculum focuses on the standards for professional interior design programs established by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. The major is designed to offer learning opportunities structured to prepare the student for a variety of careers in the interior design profession or for graduate school.

GPA REQUIREMENTS – 2.5:
All students, including transfer students, must have an overall grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale after completion of 30 semester hours of college credit. This is a 120-hour degree program.

PORTFOLIO REVIEW:
Students must apply to be admitted to the major based on a spring semester portfolio review.

  • Area F courses, (Drawing I, 2D & 3D Design, Graphics and Presentation, Computers in Art).
  • Include printed copies of unofficial transcripts from BANNER showing all classes taken and GPA.
  • Include a letter of interest, which states your reasons for choosing interior design as your major.

INTERNSHIP:
The program of study includes a required internship (ARID 4010) which may be taken in the summer between the junior and senior year or in the summer after the senior year.   The internship can also be taken again as an elective option for the degree.  As an academic exercise each student works a minimum of 169 hours with qualified design related professional for 3 hours of credit. During the internship students are responsible for learning as much as possible about the business of interior design, including:

  • Working with /Learning from others: colleagues and clients, supervisor, manufacturer’s reps
  • Site visits
  • Client interviews (students “shadow” designer and observe)
  • Identifying and selecting appropriate products: FF&E
  • Client presentations including:

    • Graphic presentation
    • Verbal presentation
    • Understanding budget considerations
    • Understanding ordering processes
    • Understanding installation processes

The students experience the day-to-day working environment of the Interior Design profession. The intern students additionally:

  • Kept a journal of images and words, which contain records of projects on which they work.
  • Prepared/submitted weekly on-line Blazeview reports to the supervising professor.
  • Prepared/submitted weekly self-evaluated analysis of internship experience on Blazeview.
  • Had the employer evaluate their performance 

SELECTED EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES AND COMPETENCIES:
Students pursuing a BFA with a major in Interior Design will demonstrate:


  1. skill in creative and critical thinking and problem-solving in response to visual, technical, aesthetic, and social aspects of inhabited spaces;
  2. competence in a number of media and techniques in order to effectively communicate 
design solutions graphically, in writing, and through verbal presentations;
  3. an understanding of the history of art and design, including contemporary theories and 
works;
  4. competence in analysis of information and relations, evaluating issues and setting 
priorities as component elements of the process of generating creative design solutions 
for projects of any scale and complexity;
  5. a significant sense of the principles, ethics, and processes necessary to conceptualize and 
create interiors that are responsive to the intellect, the senses, and the spirit of those who inhabit them and the greater context of the environment that contains them.

EXAMPLES OF OUTCOME ASSESSMENTS:

  1. First year student (within the program) portfolio review of foundation level work using a criterion-based rubric.
  2. Semester review of student work by program faculty using an accreditation-standards-based rubric.
  3. Annual review of student work by advisory board members using an accreditation-standards-based rubric.
  4. Review of student internship performance by professionals in the building industry using a professional preparedness rubric.

 INTERIOR DESIGN SUPPLY LIST FOR STUDIO I AND GRAPHICS AND PRESENTATION COURSES: 

Interior Design Supply List