Interior Design

Idaho’s only Bachelor of Interior Design (B.I.D.) program prepares you for a vibrant future as a professional interior designer. The program blends intensive studio experiences and real-world practice with personal faculty guidance and collaborative learning opportunities. You'll graduate with the specialized training, creative skills and confidence you need for a successful career designing interior spaces.

The interior design program allows you to develop valuable interdisciplinary skills and knowledge in the closely related field of architecture. In fact, interior design students automatically graduate with a minor in architecture. You also have the option to earn a B.I.D. and Master of Architecture (M. Arch), the degree required to practice as a licensed architect, in just seven years.

As an interior design student, you will explore a wide range of design principles and artistic techniques that will prepare you to professionally practice interior design in a variety of residential and commercial settings. You will learn how to effectively combine materials, textiles, lighting, color and furnishings. You'll master the ability to create functional and aesthetically pleasing spaces that positively influence the way people live, work and play. You’ll also become familiar with technology applications commonly used in the field, such as computer-aided design (CAD).

The program’s intensive design studios and enriching community outreach programs give you a chance to apply classroom learning to develop solutions for actual design problems. You’ll collaborate with community members, practicing professionals, and students and faculty from all art and design disciplines in the College of Art and Architecture.

Prepare for Success

If you are imaginative and creative with an aesthetic eye for your surroundings, a career in interior design could be for you. The profession demands excellent problem-solving, communication, presentation and interpersonal skills. Interior designers work under deadlines, so you must be an organized project manager. To prepare for the program, it’s helpful to take high school courses in art and design.

Your First Year

The Bachelor of Interior Design (B.I.D.) program includes courses in interior and architectural design, history and theory of architecture and interiors, environmental controls, furniture design and construction, materials and specifications and visual technologies. Your first year of the four-year B.I.D. program is devoted to introductory design and art courses and general university requirements. During your first year, you may take:

• Art 110 – Visual Communication
• Art 112 – Drawing as Integrated Design Thinking
• Art 121 – Design Process I
• ID 151 – Introduction to Interior Design
• ID 152 – Interior Design I
• Arch 151 – Introduction to the Built Environment
• Arch 154 – Introduction to Architectural Graphics

What You Can Do

Professional interior designers practice in a variety of residential and commercial settings. With a Bachelor of Interior Design from the University of Idaho, you may become a:

• Contract interior designer
• Residential interior designer
• Healthcare interior designer
• Hospitality interior designer
• Government interior designer
• Facility designer

Opportunities

As an interior designer, you will have opportunities to design spaces for restaurants, hotels, stores, offices, airports, hospitals, schools and homes. You may work in a professional design firm or possibly start your own business – as many interior designers ultimately do in their career. The degree also opens doors to related careers, including architecture, museum exhibit design, historic preservation, stage design, landscape architecture, facility design and teaching.

Current Research

As a student in the Department of Architecture and Interior Design, you will have opportunities to work alongside leading University of Idaho faculty members who are nationally and internationally recognized for research and design expertise in the following areas:

• Sustainable Design
• Health and Wellness Issues
• Social Justice
• Universal Design

Activities

American Society of Interior Designers
International Interior Design Association
American Institute of Architecture Students

Hands-On Experience

The Interior Design Program offers many quality opportunities for hands-on learning through studio work, allied research, international study, service-learning projects and other programs.

• International Programs: We offer our students many exciting international study programs. You’ll gain a global perspective by learning and exploring in historically and culturally rich architectural and design environments, such as London and Rome.
• Community Projects: Community partnerships allow you to work with professionals and community members to develop design solutions that address real-life issues. The interior design program has a strong emphasis on community outreach. Recent projects include redesigns of a city youth center, a rural church, and visioning exercises for regional community centers.
• Universal Design Challenges: A service-learning course where students from all design disciplines each participate in 20 hours of service with organizations and agencies that address needs of people with disabilities. You’ll develop an understanding and sensitivity for human needs and aspirations, which will be valuable in your design career.

Facilities

Design Resource Center (DRC):  

Technical Shop: 

Online & Outreach

Integrated Design Laboratory (IDL):  The IDL, located in Boise, is operated by the University of Idaho and sustained by grants from the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance's (NEEA) BetterBricks program, Idaho Power, The Idaho Energy Division, as well as by matching funds from the University of Idaho and project clients. The IDL provides project-based education services to designers in the disciplines of daylighting, electric lighting, HVAC and other high-performance, sustainable practices.

Prichard Art Gallery: An outreach facility of the University of Idaho College of Art and Architecture. Located in downtown Moscow, the gallery exhibits the work of regional artisans and art and design students.