Design Education Updates

Do notice your surroundings? Do your friends complement your design sense and ask you for help with their living spaces? If so, you’ve probably got an eye for spatial relationships and composition, and are sensitive to color. You’re on the cutting edge of style–it’s time you considered shaping your future with an interior design career.

Prep Yourself with an Interior Design Education

While you need an aptitude for design to succeed in an interior design career, employers generally require some formal schooling. Interior design certificates and degrees at the associate’s and bachelor’s levels can prepare you with combined coursework in interior decoration and design concepts. Learn industry-current concepts in architecture, engineering, as well as fabrics, drawing, and color. Most important in many of today’s interior design careers is your ability to work with Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software–schooling should provide you with that skill.

Degrees and Licensure Bring Interior Design Career Opportunities

Because interior design is a fairly competitive field, you’ll want to gain an educational advantage. While your two-year interior design degree program should qualify you to enter the interior design workforce, a four-year degree will bring more opportunities. And 24 States provide a licensure for interior designers through the Interior Design Qualification Exam (NCIDQ).

Job Growth and Earnings Statistics for Interior Design Careers

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 65,000 interior design jobs in 2004 with employment growth continuing at an as fast as average pace. Interior design careers can give you the flexibility to work at your own pace: in 2004, about 30% of interior designers were self-employed. In 2005, the average income for an interior design professional was $40,670.

Source:

US Bureau of Labor Statistics

It is important to understand the complete admission requirements for interior design school prior to applying. However, before you even get to the admission requirements for interior design school, remember two things. First, a potential interior designer must have the right personality requirements: creative, artistic, disciplined, and organized. Second, you must research several interior design programs, paying particular attention to program length, faculty, location, costs, and course of study, so that you may find the best fit. Once you’ve made the personal commitment and found the right program, most admission requirements for interior design school look like this:

• Application Form
• Application Fee
• Proof of High School Diploma or Equivalent

Depending on the program, you might also be asked to submit:

• Letters of Recommendation
• Transcripts
• Personal Essay
• Portfolio

An interior design portfolio consists of a student’s previous design work either in the print or digital reproduction. The personal essay usually describes why a student has chosen interior design as his or her field of study. It generally encompasses the short and long term goals of the student, as well as any past experiences, influences, or hardships that have shaped the student’s life. Letters of recommendation can be obtained from high school teachers or art and design teachers that know the work of the student well and can make a beneficial testament to the character of the student. Once you’ve completed the admission requirements for interior design school, all you have to do is wait for your acceptance for admission.

Source

Council for Interior Design Accreditation
NASAD

If you’ve decided to attend interior design school, then you should spend some time researching the available financial aid for interior design students. The following are options for financial aid:

• Grants & Scholarships are a form of gift aid. They don’t need to be repaid or earned.
• Loans are a financial assistance that must be repaid with the additional accrued interest.
• Work Programs help you reduce your borrowing and pay for educational expenses through your schooling.

Additionally, there are three different providers of financial aid:

• Federal Aid. The U.S. Department of Education gives federal money in the form of loans and grants to students who’re attending accredited institutions. Of the most prominent forms of federal aid are: Federal Pell Grants, Federal Work Study, Federal Perkins Loans, Federal Stafford Loans, Federal PLUS Loans, and Federal Direct Loans. Each form of financial aid is different so it is important to research each one individually.

• State Aid. The state government distributes funds to interior design students based on a need or non-need basis. High-school counselors and state grant agencies will have the proper information for you.
• Institutional Aid. Check out if the interior design program at your school or if the interior design school you are attending offers individualized forms of aid.

Remember to fill out that FAFSA and send it to the interior design schools which you’re applying to. Exploring financial aid for interior design students can help make your dream of becoming an interior designer an affordable reality.

Source

Student Aid on the Web
NASFFA

When choosing which interior designing school to attend, there are a few things you should figure out before applying.

• Program. Does the program offer the interior design courses you would like to take? Does the school employ instructors whose interior design work you respect? Is the program hands-off or hands on?
• Requirements. Do you meet all the requirements of the program? Look for what kind of prior education, coursework, certificates, or experience in interior design are needed as qualifications. Also, check to make sure transcripts, recommendations, and portfolios (if needed) are ready to go with your application.
• Aid. Does the interior designing school participate in federal and state financial aid programs administered by the Department of Education? Does the school offer their own scholarships, grants, and work-study for potential students?
• Portfolio. Does the program require a completed interior design portfolio at the end of your coursework? You’ll need something viable to show potential employers.
• Community. What kind of community is there inside the interior designing school? What is the student-body make-up? Is it a close-knit community of interior designers or one that is more set up for individual practice?
• Location. Is the school located in an area you could see yourself living in happily and affordably? Add up your projected living, travel, work, school, and recreational expenses for living in that area so you know if you can afford it.

Your answers to these questions will help you narrow down which interior designing school is the best fit for your lifestyle.

Source

American Society of Interior Designers

So you want to be an interior designer and think the best way to get there is by paying your dues and working hard? Well, there’s nothing wrong with that, but how can you get there faster and easier? Accredited interior design programs offer the education and interior design degrees that future employers will be looking for as you apply for jobs. Sure, everyone can work hard and climb the interior design ladder, but why not get there faster with a solid interior design education and foundation? Did you know that an interior design degree is required for most entry-level interior design jobs anyway? According to American Society of Interior Designers, you must meet or exceed a certain level of accredited education before you can even call yourself an interior designer.

If you’re considering a career in interior design then you know that an interior designer designs spaces, rooms, and buildings to meet the occupant’s desires. This means everything from picking colors, textiles, and fabrics, to spacing out furniture, to choosing all fixtures and other embellishments. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, graduates of accredited interior design programs from two to four year universities normally join formal design apprenticeships upon completion of their studies. Graduates from vocational schools with accredited interior design programs become assistants to interior designers. Since accreditation is central for becoming an interior designer, it’s good to know the National Association of Schools of Art and Design accredits approximately 250 postsecondary institutions with programs in art and design.

Source
American Society of Interior Designers
US Bureau of Labor Statistics