Interior Design
Interior Design Major
A professional interior designer is one who is qualified by education, examination, and experience to identify, research and creatively solve problems relative to the function and quality of people's interior environments. The course of study in interior design leads to a first professional degree.
Students pursue courses in which creative and technical skills are applied within a structure to achieve the built interior environment. Design solutions are functional, enhance the quality of life of occupants, and are aesthetically attractive while adhering to code and regulatory information. Design solutions produce, protect, and enhance the health, safety and welfare of the public. Students learn how to approach design problems through a methodology that includes data gathering, product specification, identification of details, contractual documents, and design business procedures.
The first two years of the program introduces the fundamentals of design, visual and technical communication techniques (including drafting, CADD, perspective drawing, model building and rendering), and theoretical and practical applications (including anthropometrics, ergonomics, interior design technology, interior materials, and color theory). The interior design profession is exceedingly complex, and collaborating with design professionals and related disciplines in a team approach to problem solving is routine practice.
Upper-division course work is focused on a series of integrated studio experiences and supports courses including history, professional practice, building information modeling, and interior systems. The studio experience culminates in a capstone project. Studio experiences require that each student be exposed to a variety of projects at several different levels of complexity and different client project goals.
NDSU interior design students are required to complete a field experience between the third and fourth year of the program. Students accept a variety of positions throughout the United States. In the past few years students have completed field experiences in cities such as Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Denver, New York, and Shanghai (China).
Laptop computers are required equipment for all first-year students beginning the spring semester. These computers need to be built to operate industry specific programs. Refer to the interior design program website for computer specifications .
Admission into second-year interior design courses requires a 3.0 institutional minimum cumulative grade-point average and a minimum grade of 'C' in all major core requirements. Admission into the second-year of the interior design program is also based on the review of a completed application and letter of intent that demonstrates professional and academic interest. This is submitted during the spring semester of the student's first year in the interior design program. Students must maintain the 3.0 institutional minimum cumulative GPA and earn a grade of 'C' or better in all major core requirements throughout the remainder of the program. Transfer students entering the interior design program should contact the program coordinator to review previously completed interior design or related course work.
The interior design program at NDSU is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.
Major Requirements
Major: Interior Design
Degree Type: B.A. or B.S.
Required Degree Credits to Graduate: 122
General Education Requirements for Baccalaureate Degree
- A list of approved general education courses is available here .
- General education courses may be used to satisfy requirements for both general education and the major, minor, and program emphases, where applicable. Students should carefully review the major, minor, and program emphases requirements for minimum grade restrictions, should they apply.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Communication (C) | 12 | |
| College Composition I | ||
| College Composition II | ||
| Fundamentals of Public Speaking | ||
Upper Division Writing † | ||
| Quantitative Reasoning (R) † | 3 | |
| Science and Technology (S) † | 10 | |
| Humanities and Fine Arts (A) † | 6 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (B) † | 6 | |
| Wellness (W) † | 2 | |
| Cultural Diversity (D) *† | ||
| Global Perspectives (G) *† | ||
| Total Credits | 39 | |
| * | May be satisfied by completing courses in another General Education category. |
| † | May be satisfied with courses required in the major. Review major requirements to determine if a specific upper division writing course is required. |
Major Requirements
Students must maintain a 3.00 cumulative GPA and a minimum grade of ‘C’ in all major core requirements.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Interior Design Core Requirements | ||
| ADHM 151 | Design Fundamentals | 3 |
| ADHM 160 | Interior Design Careers | 1 |
| ADHM 161 | Introduction to Manual Drafting | 3 |
| ADHM 162 | Intermediate Manual Drafting | 3 |
| ADHM 251 | Interior Design Studio I-Residential | 3 |
| ADHM 253 | Interior Design Studio II-Office Design | 2 |
| ADHM 254 | Interior Design Studio III | 2 |
| ADHM 261 | Visual Communications | 3 |
| ADHM 264 | Residential Systems | 2 |
| ADHM 300 | Design Resource Management | 1-3 |
| ADHM 315 | History of Interiors I (May satisfy general education category A) | 3 |
| ADHM 316 | History of Interiors II (May satisfy general education category A) | 3 |
| ADHM 351 | Interior Design Studio IV-Advanced Residential | 3 |
| ADHM 353 | Interior Design Studio V-Large Scale Contract Design | 3 |
| ADHM 363 | Commercial Lighting Design and Building Systems | 3 |
| ADHM 365 | CADD for Interiors | 3 |
| ADHM 366 | Textiles | 3 |
| ADHM 367 | Textiles Laboratory | 1 |
| ADHM 368 | Interior Materials | 2 |
| ADHM 450 | Research and Project Development in Interior Design | 3 |
| ADHM 452 | Comprehensive Interior Design Project | 6 |
| ADHM 460 | Career Development and Professional Practice | 3 |
| ADHM 461 | Building Information Modeling | 3 |
| ADHM 491 | Seminar | 2-3 |
| ADHM 496 | Field Experience | 3 |
| CSCI 114 | Microcomputer Packages (May satisfy general education category S) | 3-4 |
| or CSCI 116 | Business Use of Computers | |
| HD&E 320 | Professional Issues | 1 |
| Department Requirement: Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Art History | ||
| Art History I | ||
| Art History II | ||
| Minor Program of Study Required | 16 | |
| One of the following minors is required: Business; Hospitality and Tourism Management; Apparel, Retail Merchandising and Design; French; Spanish; German; Communication; History; Gerontology; Emergency Management; Natural Resource Management; other minor options may be approved by interior design faculty. | ||
| Total Credits | 90-94 | |
Degree Requirements and Notes
- Course taken Pass/Fail will not be used to satisfy any requirements other than total credits.
Plan of Study
The following plan suggest semester schedules that allow the student to complete his/her major/option degree program in a four year span. The arrangement of courses is based on which semesters the course is offered, the classification and the prerequisites and co-requisites required for successful completion. This Plan of Study should be used alongside the official curriculum guide and with assistance from your assigned advisor. Remember, this is only a guide and circumstances may change the plan.
| Freshman | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| ADHM 151 | 3 | ADHM 162 | 3 | ||
| ADHM 160 | 1 | ADHM 261 | 3 | ||
| ADHM 161 | 3 | COMM 110 | 3 | ||
| ENGL 110 | 4 | ENGL 120 | 3 | ||
| Social/Behavioral Science | 3 | Quantitative Reasoning | 3 | ||
| Wellness | 2 | ||||
| 16 | 15 | ||||
| Sophomore | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| ADHM 251 | 3 | ADHM 253 | 2 | ||
| ADHM 264 | 2 | ADHM 254 | 2 | ||
| ADHM 365 | 3 | ADHM 368 | 2 | ||
| ART 111, 210, or 211 | 3 | CSCI 114 or MIS 116 | 3 | ||
| Science/Tech w/Lab | 4 | Science/Tech | 3 | ||
| Minor Course | 3 | ||||
| 15 | 15 | ||||
| Junior | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| ADHM 315 | 3 | ADHM 300 | 1 | ADHM 496 | 3 |
| ADHM 351 | 3 | ADHM 316 | 3 | ||
| ADHM 363 | 3 | ADHM 353 | 3 | ||
| ADHM 460 | 3 | ADHM 461 | 3 | ||
| ADHM 491 | 1 | HD&E 320 | 1 | ||
| Minor Course | 3 | Social/Behavioral Sci | 3 | ||
| Minor Course | 3 | ||||
| 16 | 17 | 3 | |||
| Senior | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| ADHM 366 & ADHM 367 | 4 | ADHM 452 | 6 | ||
| ADHM 450 | 3 | ADHM 491 | 1 | ||
| Upper Div Writing | 3 | Minor Course | 3 | ||
| Minor Course | 3 | Minor Course | 3 | ||
| Minor Course as needed | 3 | Minor Course as needed | 3 | ||
| 16 | 16 | ||||
| Total Credits: 129 | |||||
| * | Minor Options: Business, Hospitality & Tourism Management, Apparel & Textiles Minor, Retail Merchandising, Foreign Language,Communication, History, Gerontology, Emergency Management, Natural Resource Management, or as approved by Interior Design faculty. (Total Credits required to complete minors will vary). |
