Interior Design Schools

Training programs are available from professional design schools or from colleges and universities and usually take 2 to 4 years to complete. Graduates of 2-year and 3-year programs are awarded certificates or associate’s degrees in interior design and normally qualify as assistants to interior designers upon graduation. Graduates with bachelor’s degrees usually qualify for entry into a formal design apprenticeship program. Basic coursework includes computer-aided design (CAD), drawing, perspective, spatial planning, color and fabrics, furniture design, architecture, ergonomics, ethics, and psychology.

Course work for interior design programs includes 3-D drawing, construction, lighting, color theory, interior design theory, history of furniture, and history of interior design. Students that earn an interior design degree will be prepared to deal with the technical, psychological, practical, and aesthetic issues posed by work in this field. Some of these programs also have courses in computer design programs, such as Auto Cad, that are useful for visualizing projects. Honing the ability to balance both form and function in the decoration and shaping of interior space are central aspects of these interior design programs.