Program Overview

Overview of the Interior Architecture and Design Program

The Interior Architecture and Design Program at Colorado State University offers two concentrations: Interior Architecture and Interior Products & Retailing. The program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in interior design, preparing them for careers in the field. The faculty bring international industry experiences and professional credentials in sustainability and design for health and wellness to class instruction and working with clients on real-world projects.

Program Concentrations

• Interior Architecture Concentration: This concentration prepares students to become interior design professionals, developing creative design solutions for building interiors that are environmentally sustainable, research-informed, and promote user health and well-being.
• Interior Products and Retailing Concentration: This concentration prepares students to become design specialists with business acumen, building deep knowledge of interior products focusing on textiles, furnishings, and/or lighting.

Learning Objectives

Students in the Interior Architecture and Design major will develop core knowledge and skills as a part of their concentration area. The learning objectives include:

• Developing creative design solutions for building interiors
• Understanding the applications of history and culture, space and form, color and light, fixtures, equipment, and finish materials
• Demonstrating qualities of professionalism and business practice that contribute to the industry and advance the value of their knowledge to interior-built environments

Potential Occupations

Career options for Interior Architecture graduates include:

• Professional commercial interior designer
• Professional residential interior designer
• Facilities space planner
• Design strategist or researcher Career options for Interior Products and Retailing graduates include:
• Manufacturer's products/materials sales representative
• Independent multi-line product representative/business owner
• Interior product solutions specialist
• Furniture dealer-designer

Nancy Richardson Design Center

The Nancy Richardson Design Center is a multi-disciplinary center located in the College of Health and Human Sciences at CSU. It serves as a design-thinking hub where students from across campus can gather to collaborate, innovate, and prototype creative ideas in formal and informal learning spaces using state-of-the-art equipment and technology.

Concentration Requirements

• Interior Architecture Concentration: Students must participate in the Degree Advancement Design Scenario and earn a minimum grade of C in INTD 110, INTD 129, INTD 166, and a cumulative reported GPA of 2.500 or better.
• Interior Products and Retailing Concentration: Students must earn a minimum grade of C in INTD 110, INTD 129, and INTD 166 to declare the concentration and advance to the second year in the program.

Effective Fall 2024

Effective Fall 2024, a 'standalone' major may not be completed - a concentration must be selected to graduate. First-year students in the Interior Architecture and Design Major will not declare a concentration until spring semester.