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Interior Design
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The Interior Design program is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA). It is the oldest accredited Interior design program in the state of Arkansas.
The professional interior designer is qualified by education, experience and examination to enhance the function and quality of interior spaces.
Examples of Course Work
- History of Interiors and Furniture
- Presentation Techniques
- Lighting Layout and Design
- Materials and Resources
- Professional Procedures
- Computer Aided Design
- Required Internships
- Special Projects/Portfolio
Career Opportunities
This curriculum prepares students for careers in the fields of contract and residential Interior Design. The curriculum provides a broad general foundation of academic courses and specialization in Interior Design, including courses in textiles, life sciences, art, architecture, and business. Instruction and experiences foster an attitude of inquiry and learning leading to the ability to solve problems, which in itself is a definition of design. Intellectual development of the students is stimulated and leadership qualities enhanced.
Residential Design
Residential interior design is concerned with a wide variety of client needs, resources, expected outcomes, level of design awareness, and is a close one-on-one working arrangement. Residential work requires patience and a desire to work with details. Being a successful residential designer requires a rapport with diverse clients and a strong dedication to client privacy and professional ethics. Residential work requires unique, creative, and financiallysound design decisions.
Contract Design
Contract, or commercial interior design, is a highly competitive area of professional work that requires extensive knowledge of business principles, codes, specifications, materials and resources, product information and professional ethics as well as aesthetics and creativity.
A list of some specific contract job types are:
- Office Design - Ranging from a small office to a large corporation.
- Government and Public Buildings - City halls, Court Houses, Post Offices, Police and Fire Stations, Libraries, and Museums.
- Retail Design - Shopping Malls, Stores, Galleries, and Showrooms.
- Health Care - Hospitals, Clinics, Long-Term Care Facilities, and Doctors' Offices.
- Entertainment Design - Theaters, Concert Halls, Auditoriums, and Convention Centers.
- Financial Institutions - Banks, Stock Exchange, Credit Unions, and Savings and Loan Facilities.
- Recreation - Health and Spa centers, Swimming Pools, Bowling Alleys, and other sports facilities.
- Institutional Design - Public and Private Universities, Colleges, and Schools.
- Transportation - Airports, Aircraft, Train Interiors and Terminals, Motor Homes, Boats and Ships, and other transportation vehicles and facilities.
Specialized Design
A designer may focus on specific design-related projects that stress expertise or interest in the following:
- Rendering, Perspective and Model Building
- Set Design, Stage Lighting, Window Display, Trade and Exposition Design
- Adaptive Re-use
- Historic Preservation and Restoration
- Kitchen and Bath Design
- Lighting Specialist - Residential or Commercial
- Color Consultant or Color Forecaster
- Interior Design Educator
- Interior Design Journalist
- Sales Representative, Product Showrooms, Market Personnel
- Special Population such as: children, the elderly, the physically challenged, correctional institutions, international/Culturally diverse
Internships
You will gain vital career skills during required on-the-job training as a pre-professional intern.
Students in Interior Design have completed internships in the areas of the profession including but not limited to:
- Residential Design
- Commercial Design
- Casino Design
- Space Planning
- Architectural Offices
The required internship requires a two-course sequence to be completed the spring of the junior year and the summer prior to the senior year of study. The internship experience may be repeated twice for credit. Students have been placed in interior design firms, architectural offices, Main Street programs, governmental agencies, hospitality and casino firms, and a wide range of other allied industries.
Geographically students have completed their internships in California, New York, London, UK, Las Vegas, Washington, DC, Denver, Dallas and other major cities in the United States.
Internships require students to work under approved supervision for at least 192 hours. Internships may be paid or unpaid positions. Evaluations are based on weekly reports and final assessment by the sponsoring firm, self evaluation and assessment by the internship faculty member responsible for supervision.
Special Opportunities
- Internships - Gain vital career skills during on-the-job training in the required internship experience.
- Senior Portfolio Exhibition - Leave school with a quality professional portfolio geared toward gaining an entry level position with a progressive firm.
- Domestic and International Travel - Field trips and study tours are an ongoing feature of the program’s mission to expose students to a wide diversity of design experiences.
- Computer Aided Design - Be prepared for cutting edge computer technology and information transfer.
Codes, Professional Procedures, and Ethics - Understand the importance of designing for diverse populations while being in compliance with laws, standards, and business procedures. - FIDER Accreditation - Study in a program that has maintained voluntary quality standards through self study and peer evaluation.
Clubs
- American Society for Interior Designers, Student Chapter
- Phi Upsilon Omicron