Overview
The philosophy of the interior design program is based on a concern for human beings and the creation of interior settings that support human activities and values. After completion of the program, graduates should be able to think creatively and solve problems in a professional manner. Above all, an interior design education helps the student to develop intellectual curiosity, allowing the graduate to continue to develop as a person and as a designer throughout life. Upon completion of the program, students are able to analyze information, evaluate issues, and set priorities while generating creative design solutions for projects of a complex scale.
The Interior Design program is the only baccalaureate program in Washington accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (formerly FIDER) and offers a Bachelor of Arts in Interior Design. It's structured to teach the common body of knowledge related to interior design as recognized by CIDA. In December 1997, the program was identified as one of the ten best in North America by the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) for preparing students to enter the commercial interior design field.
Students begin their program of study in Interior Design on the Pullman campus. Upon successful certification into the major, students complete their third and fourth years in Spokane at the Interdisciplinary Design Institute. The Institute represents a unique collaboration among the design disciplines with students and faculty from Interior Design, Architecture, and Landscape Architecture working and learning together in a team-oriented, urban environment. Qualified students may also choose to enter an articulated B.A./M.A. degree program (4+1 option) within the senior year that leads to a master's degree completed in the first year of graduate study.
As graduates, their abilities to take the initiative, to make critical judgments of their own work in process, and that of others contributes to the overall well-being of the people as they interact with interior environments.
