Interior Design

Interior design influences the way we interact with the built environment. As an interior design major, you’ll identify design problems and opportunities to apply design to improve the lived experience. Our CIDA-accredited program combines extensive exposure to materials and techniques with critiques and discussions that focus on developing your unique artistic voice.

The Student Experience

Students say it best. Learn more about the interior design program and the student experience from a current Suffolk student.

Download video transcript [PDF]

Through small classes and personalized instruction, you’ll learn code-related design criteria, as well as confront ethical challenges faced by designers in the field – including the protection of natural resources, socio-geographical inequalities, and the accommodation of diverse human. Our program also emphasizes career-readiness, immersing you in Boston’s booming design sector. Professional development courses and internships will prepare you to make a seamless transition into this highly lucrative industry after graduation.

As an interior design major, you will:

  • Gain a foundation in art and design history, theories of design, and sustainable design
  • Cultivate analytical and self-critical skills
  • Master a broad range of industry-specifics tools, from free-hand sketching to sophisticated CAD renderings and digital modeling
  • Develop strong presentation skills by sharing your work with peers, faculty, and external guest critics
  • Learn to work effectively on teams and collaborate with both designers and non-designers

Experience is Everything

Interior Design Program Overview

Accreditation

The interior design program leading to the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA).

206 Grandville Avenue
Suite #350
Grand Rapids, MI 49503

The CIDA-accredited program prepares students for entry-level interior design practice, for advanced study, and to apply for membership in professional interior design organizations. The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design granted by Suffolk University meets the educational requirement for eligibility to sit for the National Council for Interior Design Qualification Examination (NCIDQ Exam). For more information about NCIDQ Exam eligibility, visit the NCIDQ eligibility page.
See our Student Achievement Data

The Major

All art & design students spend their first year completing our foundation studies program.

As a Bachelor of Fine Arts candidate in interior design, you'll develop a comprehensive knowledge of design theory and history, along with communication and design skills. Your studies will explore sustainable and socially-conscious design, lighting, and furniture design, as well as code adherence and professional practices. You’ll also develop fluency in the two- and three-dimensional design software and computer hardware contemporary designers use.

Our courses also incorporate group critiques, during which students formally present their work to their classmates and instructors and receive constructive feedback. Faculty often invite design professionals to participate as guest reviewers, as well.
View the Interior Design Major Curriculum

Internship Requirement

Internships are your opportunity to apply your skills and explore possible career paths. Interior design majors must complete at least 120 hours at an internship site under the direction of a design professional and take our Marketing, Contracts & Internships course to fulfill the requirement.

Customize Your Degree

Interior design students can complement their skills with courses or minors in areas such as:

View the Art & Design laptop requirements.

Beyond the Classroom

In our program, you’ll design spaces for a myriad of people and purposes. A critical part of that process is learning how to take a client through a proposal with sketches, 3D renderings, and vivid descriptions that truly communicate your vision. That’s why our students present their work constantly—to each other, to faculty and alumni, and to industry professionals.

You’ll also have access to augmented and virtual reality technology through our faculty’s strong partnerships with the university’s STEM programs, allowing you to move through spaces as you design them and explain your ideas in 4D.

Interior design is a collaborative process. In many of your courses you’ll present your work to outside experts, gaining valuable perspectives from specialists in lighting, architecture, materials, and more. Learning to give and receive constructive criticism will help you refine your projects as you grow in skill and confidence. Your senior capstone will show your progress as you research, design, review, and iterate to create and present a final project that represents your unique perspective.

 

At Suffolk, you’ll learn to design spaces that balance form and function while also focusing on the wellbeing of people and the planet. You’ll become well-versed in international standards of sustainability and wellness and the concepts behind them, while cultivating the practical knowledge to apply them well and the curiosity to push beyond them.

You’ll visit locations nearby like the Boston Waterfront Innovation District to see how designers are reimagining neighborhoods to meet modern needs and enhance climate resilience. And in our Studio I course, you’ll take on the challenge of creating a sustainable, multicultural design that works within the constraints of a real unoccupied retail building steps from campus.

Our faculty work across disciplines to help find meaningful solutions to urban ecological challenges. They collaborate with colleagues in environmental science, business, and other fields at Suffolk and around the world, including holding a joint International Workshop on Urban Ecological Security and Sustainability with faculty from the Center for Urban Eco-Planning & Design at Fudan University in Shanghai every two years.

Our program will prepare you to step confidently into your professional career—and by the time you graduate, you’ll have a good idea of what your first step should be. That’s because most of our students complete multiple internships in various aspects of the industry, as well as a class in professional practice, to gain experience and refine their goals.

You’ll form strong bonds with your fellow students and faculty here, and be welcomed into a creative community that includes alumni who are top working professionals in virtually every aspect of design. You can participate in events through the Interior Design Organization, a student-run group that provides networking and experiential learning opportunities. We also encourage our students to join professional organizations, and many have won competitions and awards from groups such as the International Interior Design Association of New England and the Designers Lighting Forum of New England.

Center for Career Equity, Development & Success

The Career Center will help you explore career options, plan your path, and land your dream internship or job. You’ll find practical help, like how to write an effective résumé or LinkedIn profile, along with valuable connections to leading employers and successful alumni. A specific career community for Humanities and the Arts provides events and information tailored just for our students.

Success after Suffolk


Here's a sampling of recent graduates’ current job titles and employers.

Junior Designer
Capello Design
Junior Interior Designer
Dumais, Inc.
Design Assistant
Hudson Interior Designs
Junior Interior Designer
IA Interior Architects
Interior Designer
JS Interiors, LLC
Interior Design Project Manager
Kristin Paton Interiors
Interior Designer I
Perkins & Will
AutoCAD Designer
Staples, Inc.
Design Assistant
Elms Interior Design
Interior Designer
Hacin + Associates
Interior Design Assistant
Heather Wells Inc.
Interior Design Assistant
LeBlanc Design, LLC
Learn more about our Career Community

Questions? Get in touch!

Randal Thurston

Randal Thurston

Professor & Department Chair of Art & Design

Email [email protected]

Send a Message

Stories from the Interior Design Community

The Future of Design

A Whole New (4D!) World

A Whole New World

Career Changer Designs Award-Winning Workplace

Interior Design Thesis Wins Student a Ticket to European Conference

Load More News