Completing a degree, either an associate or bachelors, is becoming increasingly more important to the interior design profession. Currently, 25 states and jurisdictions have licensing requirements for interior design practitioners. In many of these states, you cannot even call yourself an interior designer unless you meet or exceed a certain level of accredited education and in some cases pass the qualifying exam administered by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification. Regulation of interior design practice continues to become increasingly wide spread.

Selecting a Design Program

Step One: Check Accreditation

You should first check that the institution you are considering is properly accredited. The accrediting body for interior design schools is the nonprofit Foundation for Interior Design Education and Research. FIDER develops guidelines and goals for the future of interior design education and then offers schools the opportunity to meet those standards and receive “FIDER Accreditation.” Lack of FIDER accreditation does not necessarily mean that your school does not meet high standards-the school may simply not have applied. However, some state’s interior design regulations and laws specify FIDER accreditation.

Step Two: Research Programs That Fit Your Needs

You have many options: two-year programs or four-year programs, big universities or small colleges or art and design schools, even home study. You may be wondering whether a four-year degree is necessary or if a two-year degree will suffice. Before you can make these big decisions, you really should start at square one. Find out which schools are in your area or in the areas where you would be willing to live. Then do some investigating. Find out what sort of design they specialize in, who they are accredited by and what that means for your future, how much you can expect to pay in fees and other expenses, etc.

Step Three: Talk with a Faculty Member

Set up an appointment with a faculty member at the schools you are most interested in. This is a good way to decide whether or not a program is right for you. Ask the faculty member about the types of classes that are offered, the teaching philosophy of the program, what percentage of graduates actually pursue interior design careers, and what types of jobs they have landed.

Interior design education is learned through distance education or online education and attending school in person. Once you have completed your education you will be able to pursue an exciting and lucrative career in interior design. Options include taking an internship at an Interior Design firm or even starting your own designing business.

In the US, many colleges and universities offer four-year degree programs in interior design education. Traditional classroom and studio based training is available at these colleges and universities. Before enrolling in an interior design education program you must ensure that, the Council for Interior Design Accreditation accredits the school. This agency is the primary accreditation agency for interior design education in the US.

Interior design careers first came into being in the late 19th century in the US. Interior design careers were first introduced by Candace Wheeler, who published an article in 1890 titled “Interior Decoration as a Profession for Women. Until the 1950,’s most interior design work was for the wealthy and largely done by women. However, men are quite prevalent in the interior design profession now. Interior design education provides both men and women with an opportunity to display their creativity and design flair.

Interior design education allows the student to learn to be competent in design theory and aesthetics, history, analysis, space planning and programming, specifications and inspections. The student must also become proficient in aspects of environmental design. Students also learn technical knowledge that should include interior construction; building systems and codes; equipment and business practices. Oral and written communication skills are also necessary for the student.

Interior design education started to take off after WWII with the quick expansion of industry and the increasing development in commercial and domestic building. In addition, once industry started booming there was the increased desire for better living and working conditions, which greatly increased the demand for qualified interior designers.