College: Fine Arts
Degree: BS and BA
Specialized Admission: Yes
Address: 1038 WJB, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1231
Phone: (850) 644-3284
Email: aokeefe@fsu.edu
Address: 1032 WJB, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1231
Phone: (850) 644-5473
Email: Rebecca.Cowart@fsu.edu
*Please Note: Face-to-face/in-person instruction of this program is available ONLY at the main campus in Tallahassee, FL. This program is NOT available via Online/Distance Learning.*
Interior Design is concerned with the creation of all interior spaces, both residential and commercial, and the field of environmental design in general. Students are prepared to meet professional requirements and criteria. Interior Design is studied in close relationship to art and architecture.
The Council for Interior Design Qualification describes that interior design encompasses the analysis, planning, design, documentation, and management of interior non-structural/non-seismic construction and alteration projects in compliance with applicable building design and construction, fire, life-safety, and energy codes, standards, regulations, and guidelines for the purpose of obtaining a building permit, as allowed by law. Qualified by means of education, experience, and examination, interior designers have a moral and ethical responsibility to protect consumers and occupants through the design of code-compliant, accessible, and inclusive interior environments that address well-being, while considering the complex physical, mental, and emotional needs of people.
There is an active student chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), and the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) which is open to all majors in the program.
An overall GPA of a 3.00 or higher is required for admission into this major.
Foundation & Prerequisite Coursework (15 hours)
The following are the state-wide common prerequisites. Those in BOLD are the required prerequisites that students must complete for admission into this major at FSU in preparation for the upper division major. Those in ITALIC are graduation requirements that need to be taken. Students are strongly encouraged to complete each of these courses in the freshman and sophomore years.
All of the following also apply to the major:
IND 1203 (3) Design Fundamentals I*
IND 1204 (3) Design Fundamentals II*
IND 1206 (3) Intro to Interior Design*
ARH 2051 (3) History and Criticism of Art II (Renaissance through Contemporary)
MAC 1105 (3) College Algebra
*To be completed at FSU with a final grade of B minus or greater.*
Note: State-wide common prerequisites are always under review. For the most current information and for acceptable alternative courses, visit the “Common Prerequisites Manual.” This is available from the “Student Services” section of http://www.flvc.org .
Requirements for Admission to the Major
An overall GPA of a 3.00 or higher is required for admission into this major.
The interior design program is Specialized Admission and based on available faculty and space. The 4-year program of study incorporates a series of diagnostic/prerequisite courses in the first two terms of study. At the end of the spring semester, First Year Reviews are held, and the top 30 to 36 students are allowed to progress into the second year and above courses.
Major Program of Studies at FSU: (74 hours)
In order to graduate, students must successfully complete all program requirements. The program is accredited by CIDA and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
Required courses (74 hours)
IND 1203 (3) Design Fundamentals I
IND 1204 (3) Design Fundamentals II
IND 1206 (3) Intro to Interior Design
IND 2300 (3) Graphic Techniques I
IND 2310 (3) Graphic Techniques II
IND 2620 (3) Responsible Design
IND 3217c (4) Interior Design Studio I
IND 4218c (4) Interior Design Studio II
IND 4242c (4) Interior Design Studio III
IND 4243c (4) Interior Design Studio IV
IND 4245c (4) Interior Design Studio V
IND 3465 (3) Computer-Aided Design I
IND 3469 (3) Computer-Aided Design II
IND 4101 (3) History of Interiors I
IND 4131 (3) History of Interiors II
IND 3431 (3) Lighting Fundamentals
IND 3440c (4) Furniture Design
IND 3470 (3) Construction Systems
IND 3474 (3) Construction Documents
IND 3480 (3) Materials and Methods
IND 3529 (1) Portfolio Development I
IND 3533 (1) Portfolio Development II
IND 4506 (3) Business Practices for Interior Designers
IND 4947 (3) Internship
Electives (7 hours)
Choose from the courses below:
IND 3930 (1-3) Special Topics in Interior Design
IND 4947r (1-3) Internship
IND 4905 (1-3) Directed Individual Study
Other courses in related areas may be selected in consultation with the Interior Architecture and Design department.
Digital Literacy: (3 hours)
IND 3469 Computer-Aided Design II satisfies this requirement for the major.
Oral Communication Competency: (3 hours)
Students must demonstrate the ability to orally transmit ideas and information clearly.
This requirement may be met with an approved college-level course.
Upper Division Writing: (3 hours)
IND 4506 Business Practices for Interior Designers satisfies this requirement for the major.
Minimum Program Requirements - Summary
Total Hrs. Required 120
General Education 36
Major Coursework 74
Minor Coursework 0
Digital Literacy 0 beyond required major coursework
Oral Competency 3
Upper Division Writing 0 beyond required coursework
Other Coursework 0
Electives to bring total number of credit hours to 120
Mapping is FSU’s academic advising and monitoring system. Academic progress is monitored each Fall and Spring semester to ensure that students are on course to earn their degree in a timely fashion. Transfer students must meet mapping guidelines to be accepted into their majors. You may view the map for this major at www.academic-guide.fsu.edu/.
1. A minimum of 45 hours at the 3000 level or above, 30 of which must be taken at this University.
2. Half of the major course semester hours must be completed in residence at this University.
3. The final 30 hours must be completed in residence at this University.
4. Students who plan to earn the B. A. degree must complete a foreign language through the intermediate (2200 or equivalent) level and nine additional hours in the fields of history and humanities, beyond General Education requirements.
5. Students must earn a C or higher in all major classes, beyond the first year, to remain in the program.
Salary Information: For more information go to: National Association of Colleges and Employers (www.naceweb.org) or the Occupational Outlook Handbook (www.bls.gov/ooh/home.htm) provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Representative Job Titles Related to this Major(Baccalaureate Level): Commercial Designer in an Interior Design firm or Architectural firm; Residential Designer; Owner of Design firm; Lighting Designer, Product or Furniture Designer; Retail Showroom Designer, Retail Visual Merchandiser; Design Project Manager; Product Expediter; Estimator; Sales Representative ; Facilities Planner; Aging in Place Specialist; Design Marketing Specialist; Building Model Builder; Project Renderer; Universal Design Specialist; LEED(Sustainable) Design Specialist; Exhibit Designer; Codes Consultant; Installation Supervisor; Feasibility Study Designer; Specification Writer; Office Furnishings Designer, Technical Illustrator, Project Coordinator, Creative Director, Design Associate, Design Assistant, Senior Designer, Junior Designer, Construction Administrator, Purchasing Agent.
Representative Employers: Interior Design Studios, Architectural Firms, Property Management Firms, Interior Product Manufacturing Companies, Realtors, Retailers of Interior Products, Division of Parks and Recreation (Historic Preservation).
ACADEMIC MAP (Effective Summer 2025 and after)
*Please Note: Face-to-face/in-person instruction of this program is available ONLY at the main campus in Tallahassee, FL. This program is NOT available via Online/Distance Learning.*
This map is a term-by-term sample course schedule. The milestones listed to the right of each term are designed to keep you on course to graduate in four years. The Sample Schedule serves as a general guideline to help you build a full schedule each term. The General Education and Elective courses must be selected to satisfy all area and diversity requirements unless your program meets these requirements with major courses. Milestones are courses and special requirements necessary for timely progress to complete a major. Missing milestones will result in one of two types of map registration stops. The first level (Degree Map Off-track) is placed following grade posting if the student has missed a milestone (course and/or GPA) for the first time in the major. If a student is in non-compliance with milestones for two (2) consecutive semesters (excluding summers), a Major Change Required stop is placed on the student's registration.
Mapping Coordinator: Eddie Page
Email: epage@fsu.edu
Sample Schedule and Required Milestones by Term
| Sample Schedule: Term 1 hrs |
| ENC1101 Freshman Composition3 |
| 1st GE Core Mathematics: MAC11053 |
| GE Core Social Science3 |
| ARH2051 History and Criticism of Art II (Renaissance through Contemporary)3 |
| IND1206 Intro to Interior Design3 |
| Required Milestones: Term 1 |
| Complete ENC1101 ( ≥ C minus ) |
| Sample Schedule: Term 2 hrs |
| ENC2135 Research, Genre, and Context 3 |
| 2nd GE Mathematics or Statistics course3 |
| IND1203 Design Fundamentals I 3 |
| IND1204 Design Fundamentals II 3 |
| Oral Communication Competency3 |
| Required Milestones: Term 2 |
| Complete ENC2135 ( ≥ C minus ) |
| Complete ARH2051 ( ≥ C minus) |
| Complete IND1203 ( ≥ B minus) |
| Complete IND1204 ( ≥ B minus ) |
| Complete IND1206 ( ≥ B minus ) |
| FIRST YEAR REVIEW |
| Overall GPA of a 3.00 or higher |
| Sample Schedule: Term 3 hrs |
| GE History3 |
| IND2300 Graphic Techniques I3 |
| IND2620 Responsible Design3 |
| IND3217c Interior Design Studio I4 |
| IND4101 History of Interiors I3 |
| Required Milestones: Term 3 |
| Complete MAC1105 ( ≥ C minus ) |
| Complete IND2300 ( ≥ C ) |
| Complete IND3217c ( ≥ C ) |
| Complete IND4101 ( ≥ C ) |
| Complete IND2620 ( ≥ C ) |
| Sample Schedule: Term 4 hrs |
| GE Ethics Core3 |
| IND3465 Computer-Aided Design I3 |
| IND2310 Graphic Techniques II3 |
| IND3440c Furniture Design 4 |
| IND4131 History of Interiors II 3 |
| Required Milestones: Term 4 |
| Complete 2nd GE Mathematics or Statistics course ( ≥ C minus ) |
| Complete IND3465 ( ≥ C ) |
| Complete IND2310 ( ≥ C ) |
| Complete IND3440c ( ≥ C ) |
| Complete IND4131 ( ≥ C ) |
| Complete Oral Communication Competency |
| Complete Ethics Competency |
| Sample Schedule: Term 5 hrs |
| IND3474 Construction Documents 3 |
| IND3480 Materials and Methods 3 |
| IND4218c Interior Design Studio II 4 |
| IND3470 Construction Systems 3 |
| IND3529 Portfolio Development I1 |
| Required Milestones: Term 5 |
| Complete IND4218c ( ≥ C ) |
| Complete IND3480 ( ≥ C ) |
| Complete IND3470 ( ≥ C ) |
| Complete IND3474 ( ≥ C ) |
| Complete IND3529 ( ≥ C ) |
| Civic Literacy requirement |
| Sample Schedule: Term 6 hrs |
| IND3469 Computer-Aided Design II3 |
| IND4242c Interior Design Studio III4 |
| IND3431 Lighting3 |
| IND3533 Portfolio Development II 1 |
| Required Milestones: Term 6 |
| Complete IND4242c ( ≥ C ) |
| Complete IND3469 ( ≥ C ) |
| Complete IND3431 ( ≥ C ) |
| Complete IND3533 ( ≥ C ) |
| Sample Schedule: Term 7 hrs |
| IND4243c Interior Design Studio IV4 |
| IND4947 Internship (if not previously taken)3 |
| GE Natural Science3 |
| GE Elective3 |
| Required Milestones: Term 7 |
| Complete IND4243c ( ≥ C ) |
| Complete IND4947 ( ≥ C ) |
| Complete Pre-Graduation Check |
| Sample Schedule: Term 8 hrs |
| IND4506 Business Practices3 |
| IND4245c Interior Design Studio V4 |
| GE Core Natural Science and Lab4 |
| GE Elective3 |
| Required Milestones: Term 8 |
| Complete IND4506 ( ≥ C ) |
| Complete IND4245c ( ≥ C ) |
| Apply for Graduation in 1st two weeks of semester |