B.F.A. in Interior Architecture—OHIO Online

The BFA in Interior Architecture from Ohio University prepares students to enter the field of interior design as a practicing professional. There is a broad range of opportunities as an interior designer. Typically, students will graduate and seek employment at a design firm and work along side other designers, architects, engineers, and related industry professionals. Each firm is different and unique but generally either focus on residential or non-residential design.  

Residential design is the design of the interiors of places where people live from apartments and condos to large estates and vacation homes.  

Non-residential design encompasses all other interiors which include office interiors, healthcare settings, educational spaces, restaurants, hotels, retail spaces, etc.  

Regardless of the type of practice, the size of a design firm varies greatly from small offices with just a few employees to large firms with multiple offices and thousands of employees around the globe. 

Individuals with a degree in interior architecture might also choose to pursue careers in sales, marketing, showroom management, and a whole subset of design specializations such as lighting design. As with any profession, specialization often requires additional education and experience in the chosen field of specialization.  

Part of the undergraduate experience is to learn about the various opportunities and to begin to identify where you, as a graduate, might want to pursue a career, both in terms of geographic location as well as type and size of practice. 

Opportunities for where and how we learn is evolving. We recognize that not everyone desires a campus-based experience for a whole range of reasons. The eCampus degree tract provides students with an opportunity to pursue a degree without coming to a physical location. 

The eCampus tract:

• allows for full or part-time enrollment 
• has classes starting three times a year, Fall, Spring, and Summer 
• offers a full schedule of courses during the summer allowing students to graduate sooner if they choose 
• is primarily asynchronous, with only a few expectations for synchronous meetings 

Students typically take 2-3 classes at a time with most classes being 7 weeks in length. 

127 credit hours which can be completed in three years (including summer enrollment).

The BFA in Interior Architecture accepts applicants from a range of backgrounds from recent high school graduates to individuals looking to start or change careers. 

Faculty who teach in the program come from a range of backgrounds representing practice experience from nearly every field of the profession. We pride ourselves in bringing real-world design experience to the classroom. 

Students will first complete a Foundation experience in which they develop an understanding of the fundamental aspects of design: 2D and 3D design, design technologies, and design’s relationship to the arts, the social and natural sciences, and introductory professional practice. 

After the successful completion of the Foundation experience, student progress in the design curriculum and learn about design process, materials and components of interior design and construction, and the application of design knowledge. Students will take part in five interior architecture-specific studios students where they practice the design process and apply their learning about the built environment. 

The curriculum culminates with two major events: the thesis experience and the professional internship. The thesis experience is an opportunity for students to explore a focused area of design and to create a project centered on this focus. The thesis experience includes coursework and activities related to design research, project execution, and exhibition. 

Details about the professional internship can be found below. 

The professional internship is an opportunity for students to synthesize academic study and the real-world practice of interior design. While the internship must be approved by the area chair of the program, the opportunities for an internship experience are many and varied with each experience being unique to the student and their specific needs and desires for an experience.  

Comprised of 200 hours, the professional internship is intended to be immersive and offers a student the opportunity to explore not only the broad practice of interior design but also realities related to a specific discipline of interior design. 

Students enroll in three courses related to the professional internship experience. Each course is designed to support a unique aspect of the professional internship experience: 

• ART 3631 – Pre-Professional Internship: assists a student in identifying and applying for internship opportunities 
• ART 3632 – Professional Internship: comprised of at least 200 hours of employment in interior design practice during which students explore and document specific aspects of practice and their experiences 
• ART 3633 – Post Professional Internship: students conclude the documentation of their experience and reflect on it as further learning. Additionally, students share their experience with other students. Through this sharing, students benefit from their own internship experience but also that of other students. 

Collaboration is a central aspect of interior design practice. While the Interior Architecture - eCampus program is primarily asynchronous, students will learn about and practice various modes of collaboration to help prepare them for professional practice. Students will experiment with collaboration utilizing technology to support classroom learning and to complete course assignments and studio projects. Students will have the chance to collaborate with each other, with faculty, and with practicing industry professionals throughout the program. 

The profession of interior design continues to be vibrant and essential. In light of recent global realities, understanding how the environments in which we live, learn, and work affect us is critical. Interior environments, how they are created, and the components used to create them are ever evolving. Because of this, professionals with knowledge and skills related to creating them continue to be a vital part of society. 

Our professional organizations are a wealth of information about current statistics, career opportunities, and events happening in the profession: 

American Society of Interior Designers: https://www.asid.org/ 

International Interior Design Association: http://www.iida.org/ 

National Kitchen and Bath Association: https://nkba.org/ 

International Facilities Management Association: https://www.ifma.org/ 

Illuminating Engineering Society: https://www.ies.org/