Interior Design

Major: Interior Design
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science (BS)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 187.0
Co-op Options: One Co-op (Four years)
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 50.0408
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 27-1025

About the Program

The undergraduate Interior Design program explores the behavioral, technological, environmental, and aesthetic aspects of interior design within the context of increasingly more complex design projects. Combined with art and art history, and general education requirements, a core of interior design courses creates a unique education at the forefront of design. Through academics grounded in problem-solving design studios, cooperative employment, and a dedicated faculty, the Interior Design program prepares students for leadership positions in the industry. The Interior Design program is consistently ranked among the top programs in the country and in the survey by DesignIntelligence of "America's Best Design Schools."

The BS in Interior Design program is CIDA (Council for Interior Design Accreditation) and NASAD (National Association of Schools of Art & Design) accredited. 

Program Philosophy and Mission

The mission of the Interior Design program is to prepare students to enter the field of interior design as skilled designers, creative thinkers, professional leaders, and responsible citizens. We cultivate students who acknowledge their responsibilities to the safety and well-being of the public and the stewardship of the environment to lead a multifaceted profession in an ever-changing world. The curriculum combines a studio-based design sequence with broad liberal arts study and experiential learning. Paired with a well-established professional co-op, the coursework is structured to build upon the fundamentals of interior design and to anticipate and reflect change in a continually evolving industry. The program encourages exploration and experimentation that fosters lifelong learners who will contribute to the profession and the discipline’s body of knowledge.

Additional Information

For more information about this program, visit the College's Interior Design webpage.

Degree Requirements 

*

Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major. 

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

**

Select 9.0 credits from 100-499 level courses, including T380, T480 in AFAS, ARCH, ARTH, COM, DANC, ENGL, FMST, GST, HIST, INTR, IST, JWST, LANG, LING, MENA, MUSC, PHIL, PHTO, PPE, PBHL, RELS, SCRP, THTR, TVST, VSCM, WGST, WRIT

***

Select 3.0 credits from 100-499 level courses in ANAT, ENVS, PHEV, BIO, GEO, PHYS, CHEM, NFS (must take NFS 100 +NFS 101 to earn credit)

†

Select 6.0 credits from from 100-499 level courses, including T380, T480 in AFAS, ANTH, CJS, CS, ECON, ENSS, ENVS, PSCI, PSY, PBHL, SOC, WGST

Writing-Intensive Course Requirements

In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid “clustering” these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.

A "WI" next to a course in this catalog may indicate that this course can fulfill a writing-intensive requirement. For the most up-to-date list of writing-intensive courses being offered, students should check the Writing Intensive Course List at the University Writing Program. Students scheduling their courses can also conduct a search for courses with the attribute "WI" to bring up a list of all writing-intensive courses available that term.

Sample Plans of Study 

4 year, 1 coop (Fall/Winter)

*

Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major. 

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

4 year, 1 coop (Spring/Summer)

*

Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major. 

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

Co-op/Career Opportunities

Interior design is a multi-faceted field and includes careers with interior design firms, architectural firms, and facilities management organizations; in governmental agencies; and in the furniture and textile industries. Full-time paid employment in the profession is an integral component of the program at Drexel. The six-month co-operative education, undertaken in the junior year, provides project-based experience as well as the daily operation of a design firm. Students may opt to do their co-op in Philadelphia or in another location of their choosing. Through a required course and career advisement services offered by the Steinbright Career Development Center, students develop the ability to market themselves and obtain jobs in leading firms worldwide. 

Co-op Experiences

Some past co-op employers of Interior Design students include:

• Ballinger 
• CCCS International
• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Facilities
• D2 Groups, Inc.
• D&Q Decor
• D.L. Milner, Inc.
• Daroff Design
• DAS
• Design East, Inc.
• Design Works, LLC
• Disney
• Dyer Brown
• Eberlein Design Consultants
• Ewing Cole
• Floss Barber Inc.
• Fury Design, Inc.
• Gardner/Fox
• Gensler
• HBA International
• Hillier Lewis
• Herman Miller
• HOK
• Jacobs Engineering Group
• Jennifer Stoner Interiors
• Knoll International
• KSD Architects
• L2 Partridge
• Marguerite Rogers
• Millesime
• NBBJ Architecture PLLC
• NELSON
• Office Works
• Perkins Eastman
• Polisena Construction, Inc.
• Princeton University
• RJMJ
• SGRA Architects
• Shanghai I.P.C. Interior Design and Construction Company
• Stantec
• TPG Architecture
• University of Pennsylvania 
• West Chester University 
• Wolf Creek Investment Management
• WPL Interior Design

Visit the Drexel Steinbright Career Development Center webpage for more detailed information on co-op and post-graduate opportunities.

Facilities

The Interior Design and Interior Architecture & Design programs are housed in URBN Center, an original Venturi Scott Brown building enhanced by an award-winning retrofit by MS&R Design, which includes a skylight-covered atrium, exposed beams, and open spaces. There are dedicated 24-hour undergraduate and graduate student studios with storage space, computers, and a small lounge area. We have a materials library that is continually updated with samples from major manufacturers and local design offices and showrooms; two computer labs and in-house printing for the use of our students; a Hybrid Making Lab with laser cutters, 3-D printers, a CNC router, and small-scale power tools for student use; additionally, a large shop facility which offers wood, metal, casting, CNC, and fabrication equipment.

The URBN Annex houses a black box theater, screening room, and the Leonard Pearlstein Gallery. Additional studio and classroom space in the Academic Building and the Design Arts Annex accommodate photography, basic design, painting, sculpture, and a full woodworking shop, including metal, resin, casting, CNC, and fabrication equipment with industrial-quality equipment. 

Philadelphia, one of the nation's major design centers and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, gives interior design students the vitality of the contemporary arts at local galleries and easy access to many museums, libraries, and renowned buildings, as well as design centers located in Philadelphia, New York City, and Washington, D.C.

Interiors Faculty

Emeritus Faculty