Catalog

Interior Design (BFA)

Christoph Korner

Interim Department Chair

Mamun Hashem

Program Director

 

Introduction

Woodbury University four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design (BFA-ID) degree offers students design, analytical, and technical knowledge necessary to become a successful and accomplished practitioner in the growing and diverse field of interior architecture and design. The Interior Design courses provide a theoretical basis and practical skills needed for the conceptualization and visual communication of interior spaces that are meaningful to the human experience and well- being. With encouragement and expertise of our faculty, the stories of our students manifest in the structured qualities of their projects that illuminate the human condition and its culturally rich spatial narratives. The curriculum equips students with a mastery of the design process through critical and creative thinking, combined with strong technical and representational skills. Embedded in the School of Architecture, the Interior Design program contributes the human-factor element to professional knowledge and interdisciplinary collaboration with an emphasis on global relevance, sustainability, and social equity.

Accreditation

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design (BFA-ID) is designated a STEM program by WASC (WSCUC) and the Department of Homeland Security’s Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). All international students enrolled in the program can apply for a 24- month extension of their post-completion Optional Practice Training (OPT) for a total of 36 months.

The BFA in Interior Design is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA). CIDA accreditation demonstrates compliance with standards that ensure that graduates will be prepared for professional practice with a competitive advantage recognized by potential employers. CIDA is recognized as a reliable authority on interior design education by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). The CHEA’s scope of accreditation is professional-level interior design programs that result in a bachelor’s or first- professional master’s degree located in the United States and internationally.

The CIDA accreditation evaluation for the BFA program took place in 2024, and the program was awarded a full six-year term of reaccreditation. The next accreditation visit will be in 2030.

The BFA in Interior Design is accredited by the National Association of School of Art and Design (NASAD). The NASAD establishes national standards for undergraduate and graduate degrees for art and design- related disciplines, and supports institutions engaged in artistic, scholarly, and educational endeavors. The NASAD accreditation evaluation of the BFA program was completed in 2014. The program was awarded a 10- year term. The next accreditation review will take place in 2026.

Work Experience

Prior to graduation, BFA students must complete and record a minimum of 128 hours of work experience. This work experience must be compensated at no less than the applicable minimum wage. To ensure a close relationship between the student's work experience and their academic coursework, each student's internship is required to be directly related to their degree program and supervised by professionals in the built environment. Freelance work is not considered a supervised experience. While pre-approval of these internships is not required, students are strongly encouraged to verify with the WSOA Career Services Department whether the location they intend to work will satisfy the above requirements. Once work experience hours are completed, students must submit an Employer Work Experience Verification Form (completed by their employer) and Student Work Experience Reflection Form (completed by the student) to the WSOA Career Services Department for approval and recording. The required forms are available for download on the Student SharePoint, school website, or by request from WSOA Career Services.

In lieu of the paid work experience requirement above, students may also complete up to 160 hours of volunteer work with pre-approved non-profit organizations. As the aforementioned forms may not be applicable to the volunteer experience, students opting to take this route will instead submit a letter from their supervisor (on the organization's letterhead) verifying the student's responsibilities, number of hours worked, and how well the student executed their assignments. This letter will be submitted directly to the WSOA Career Services Department for approval and recording.

Program Learning Outcomes

  • Students design interior spaces based on an understanding of design principles—such as human experience, history and theory, as well as socially, culturally, economically, and ecologically global contexts— using design and research processes.
  • Students design interior spaces based on an understanding of design elements like spatial boundaries and relationships, products and materials, and light and color.
  • Students design interior spaces based on an understanding of construction and manufacturing techniques, regulations and guidelines, and environmental systems and comfort.
  • Students act in professional and academic environments, collaborate in interdisciplinary teams, and communicate effectively.

Assessment Process

Both formal and informal ongoing assessment strategies help develop and systemically evaluate student performance and attainment of key learning outcomes in interior design. The curriculum map articulates four key learning outcomes and respective levels of expertise—areas for measured assessment that include both formative and summative benchmarks and involve multiple forms of evaluation. Each year, the department specifies key areas for measured assessment of student learning outcomes that involve not only programmatic outcomes, but also core competencies and institutional outcomes. The five core competencies include oral communication, written communication, information literacy, quantitative reasoning, and critical thinking. These processes provide a vehicle to assure program quality and promote continuous improvement in the effectiveness of teaching, the improvement of student work, and the ongoing design of the curriculum.

Placement Exam Requirements

Interior Design students who have not received transfer credit for a 200-level Math course are encouraged to take the Math Placement Exam, but it is not required. See the Academic Proficiencies and Placement section of the Academic Journey chapter of this catalog for more information.

Portfolio Requirements

Students produce a progress portfolio at the end of their second year of study to document their progress. The review acts as a gatekeeper for advancement into the upper-division studios. The review process is used to review, analyze, and communicate the results of each evaluation to both faculty and students. Students are assessed on key learning outcomes derived from CIDA, NASAD, and WASC standards. Passing the portfolio review is a pre- requisite for IDES 363, Design Studio 5: Dwelling.

If students do not pass the portfolio review, they may be required to address design or technical deficiencies by taking one or more courses recommended by the portfolio review board. Upon completion of the required course or courses, students are required to resubmit their portfolios to assure they have overcome previous deficiencies and met the competency requirements. Students may only submit their portfolio for review a total of two additional times. Students are strongly recommended to enroll in the two-unit portfolio elective the semester before their portfolio is due.

Formative Assessment Experiences

Jury Review—Industry professionals review student work at the end of each semester in a public forum of critique and feedback. These reviews are attended by department administration and selected faculty, and their purpose is to provide direct feedback to the students for project improvement, as well as to provide an informal assessment of class performance, project success, and faculty effectiveness.

Faculty Critique—Students receive regular and ongoing feedback by faculty to coach and monitor throughout the semester. This in-class assessment provides students an opportunity for continuous improvement of their projects during the development process.

Peer Feedback—Class critique and small group reviews in studios provide students with direct peer feedback on their work and assist students in developing standards of critical judgment.

Summative Assessment Experiences

Program Accreditation—The program, including a review of student learning outcomes, is evaluated through a comprehensive subject-specific self-study produced for both CIDA and NASAD accreditation. The process provides an opportunity to holistically assess the program from multiple perspectives and make any necessary improvements in policies, procedures, curriculum, or staff.

Capstone Assessment—IDES 482, Senior Project Research

In preparation for entry into the senior capstone project, students must successfully complete the Senior Project Seminar. The main objective of this course is for students to develop a proposal worthy of a senior project. In the future, there are plans to develop an assessment rubric that will allow faculty not teaching the course the ability to assess the senior projects. This would provide an assessment tool for the program. Allowing faculty the opportunity to see what projects students are developing provides an insight into the program’s strengths and weaknesses.

IDES 402 Senior Project—Seniors develop a comprehensive project during their final semester in the program. Students present their projects in a public forum attended by outside professionals and faculty members from the School of Architecture and the Department of Interior Design. The department is currently developing further opportunities for project assessments. Developing a review of the projects during the week prior to graduation without the students present can provide an opportunity to evaluate the overall strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum.

Curriculum Summary

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)

Unit Type (UT) Number of Units (U)
Major (MA) 83
General Education (GE) 34
Design Elective (DE) 0
Unrestricted Electives (UE) 9
Work Experience (WE) 0
Minimum Total Units Required 126

First Year

Fall Semester

IDES 101Studio 1

6

IDES 164Interior Design History 1

3

WRIT 113First-Year Academic Writing

3

INDS ___
Interdisciplinary Core Elective

3

____ 2__
Mathematics Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:18

Type:

IDES 101 and IDES 164: MA

WRIT 113 and INDS (Interdisciplinary Core Elective) and MATH 2: GE

Spring Semester

IDES 102Studio 2

6

IDES 259Tectonics 1

3

IDES 265Interior Design History 2

3

WSDA 100WSOA Lecture Series

1

MDST 120Public Speaking

3

LSCI ___
Information Theory and Practice

1

Total Credit Hours:17

Type:

IDES 102, IDES 259, IDES 265 and WSDA 100: MA.

MDST 120 and LSCI (Information Theory and Practice): GE.

Second Year

Fall Semester

IDES 201Studio 3

6

IDES 254Construction Documents

3

FOUN 106Color Theory and Interaction

3

____ ___
Natural Science with Lab

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Type:

IDES 201, IDES 254 and FOUN 106: MA.

Natural Science with Lab: GE.

Spring Semester

IDES 202Studio 4

6

IDES 258Building Systems

3

WSDA 200Portfolio Discourse

1

ENVT 220Environmental Studies

3

WRIT 313Advanced Academic Writing

3

Total Credit Hours:16

Type:

IDES 202, IDES 258 and WSDA 200: MA.

WRIT 313 and Scientific Investigation: GE.

Third Year

Fall Semester

IDES 301Studio 5

6

IDES 352Space Planning

3

PSYC 200Introduction to Psychology

3

____ ___
Unrestricted Elective

3

____ ___
Work Experience

0

Total Credit Hours:15

Type:

IDES 301 and IDES 352: MA.

PSYC 200 and Unrestricted Elective: UE

Work Experience: WE

Spring Semester

IDES 302Studio 6

6

IDES 365Lighting Design

3

____ ___
Ethics Elective

3

____ ___
Humanities Elective

3

____ ___
Unrestricted Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:18

Type:

IDES 302 and IDES 365: MA.

Two Humanities Electives: GE.

Unrestricted Elective: UE

Fourth Year

Fall Semester

IDES 401Studio 7

6

IDES 469Human Wellbeing

3

IDES 482Senior Project Research

3

INDS 340Human Agency and Interior Spaces

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Type:

IDES 401, IDES 469 and IDES 482: MA.

INDS 340: GE.

Spring Semester

IDES 402Studio 8

6

IDES 451Professional Practice

2

____ ___
Unrestricted Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:12

Type:

IDES 402 and IDES 451: MA.

Unrestricted Elective: UE.

Program Minor Curriculum

Interior Design Minor for Architecture Students

FOUN 106Color Theory and Interaction

3

IDES 258Building Systems

3

IDES 352Space Planning

3

IDES 365Lighting Design

3

IDES 469Human Wellbeing

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Interior Design Minor for Non-Architecture Students

IDES 101Studio 1

6

IDES 258Building Systems

3

IDES 259Tectonics 1

3

IDES 469Human Wellbeing

3

Total Credit Hours:15