Department of Interior Design

About the Department

The Department of Interior Design provides an intellectually rigorous, studio-based experience grounded in the issues of interior architecture. One of the oldest programs of its kind in U.S., we offer a curriculum that balances academic study with professional training, helping students gain both conceptual knowledge and technical skill.

Our BFA in Interior Design and MFA in Design (Interior Environments) degree programs are accredited by CIDA, the Council for Interior Design Accreditation.

Our alumni are commercial designers, hospitality designers, residential designers, museum and exhibition designers and lighting designers.

We have over a hundred undergraduate and graduate students from all over the U.S. and abroad.

Degree Programs

This studio-based program focuses on creating conceptually driven, critical holistic three-dimensional spaces, with the principles of space, form, color and light serving as the foundations of your studies.

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design

The department’s relationships with design firms nationwide offer opportunities and access to professional critiques, visiting designers and site visits. Upon graduation, a majority of students enter the field or pursue graduate programs in architecture, graphic design and industrial design.

Master of Fine Arts in Design with a concentration in interior environments: professional entry-level option

This program is for second-degree seekers who have a proven record of academic excellence and are interested in pursuing a career in interior design.

Master of Fine Arts in Design with a concentration in interior environments: post-professional option

This program educates designers to enrich the quality of life through the design of the near environment. Students with a bachelor’s degree in interior design are invited to apply.

Featured Student Work

Farrah El Sharif

Lydia Felton

Jee Yeon Choi

Lianna Bagtas

Erin Casey

Sarah Webb

Monica Shreves

Lu Dai

Student Experience

Meet our faculty, learn about professional preparation and get the information you need about requirements and policies.

Student Resources and Facilities

Get the information you need on materials, policies and facilities.

Meet our Faculty

The department boasts strong faculty with an active relationship with the professional community.

Internships and Careers

Students are required to serve internships in a professional design setting, part of the emphasis on real-world experience, and they receive training in all areas of design, including presentation and communication skills.

Learn more about VCUarts career and internship support.

Interior Design News

View all

A design alum thinks dog lovers can save the world—and Forbes agrees

March 20, 2020

VCUarts graduates to be honored in fall alumni award events

October 31, 2019

Qatar is calling: inside an interior design major’s semester abroad

October 24, 2019