Interior Design
Overview
Georgia Southern University is located one hour west of the coastal city of Savannah and four hours south of Atlanta, Georgia. The program has proximity to rural areas, intermediate sized cities, metropolitan cities, resorts and coastal regions. Because of this unique location, off campus opportunities to visit historic sites and contemporary facilities are varied and abundant.
The Interior Design Program currently has 150 students enrolled both pre-majors and majors, taught by four full-time interior design professors. Georgia Southern University has held accreditation by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA , formerly FIDER) since 2000. The Interior Design Program is also accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). The program complies with eligibility requirements through its accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (recognized by the U.S. Department of Education) to award associate, bachelors, masters, specialists, and doctoral degrees.
All students earning a Bachelor of Science must complete a minimum of 53 semester credit hours in liberal arts and sciences. The Interior Design Program requires a total of 126 semester hours to graduate, allocating 72 hours toward the major. The degree conferred is a Bachelor of Science, Major in Interior Design.
The student/faculty ratio is low, enabling professors to give students individual attention. Typical studio courses have a maximum of 18 students. In addition to traditional studio classes, the program requires AutoCAD and other advanced design software applications for all INDS students. The faculty works closely with students as advisors and mentors. The design faculty hold advanced degrees, NCIDQ certification, experience in the field of Interior Design and professional memberships in ASID, IIDA, and IDEC. Learn more about the faculty here.
Faculty and students take field trips to historical sites in Savannah and Charleston. Annual trips to New York and Atlanta offer tours of design houses, specialty design/architecture, and attendance at national professional meetings. Locally, the students attend meetings of ASID and IIDA. The program sponsors a student chapter of the ASID.
Philosophy of the Interior Design Program:
The philosophy of the Interior Design Program consists of three value statements that provide a rational explanation of the program. The Interior Design Program recognizes the NCIDQ definition of interior design as the guiding principle behind the philosophy of the program.
Value Statements:
• A Student-Centered Program that nurtures and develops the individual in the pursuit of a professional interior design degree, and emphasizes the importance of ethics, accountability and lifelong learning
• A Learning Environment that provides the knowledge base, the technical skills, and the practical experience that will prepare the student to work as a competent entry-level interior design professional
• A Professional Practice Orientation that allows the student to communicate and construct concepts relevant to the needs of society and the profession.
Mission of the Interior Design Program:
The mission of the Interior Design Program at Georgia Southern University is to provide a professional undergraduate education that develops entry-level designers able to formulate practical and creative solutions relevant to the needs of the individual, family, organization and community; to provide a broad range of interior design experiences which give the opportunity to develop practical, technical, and organizational skills along with aesthetic judgment; to prepare the graduate to be an entry-level professional and competent interior designer in the region and the global community.
Goals of the Interior Design Program:
The goals of the Interior Design Program address the components identified in the NCIDQ definition of a professional interior designer and the unique components of Georgia Southern’s program. The Interior Design Program provides preparation for the entry-level professional designer. To this end, the Interior Design Program embodies the following common goals:
1. Education: A comprehensive body of knowledge in interior design prepares students to capably research, develop and present creative, effective and humane design solutions that are responsive to the changing needs of their communities and the global environment.
2. Practical, traditional skills combined with advanced technology and aesthetic discernment: A progressive curriculum emphasizes the integration of knowledge with analytical and critical thinking skills to solve complex problems using a range of tools and media for diverse clients, populations, and cultures.
3. Professional preparation and exposure: Students interface with contemporary practice through faculty experiences and expertise, industry resources, engagement with design professionals, interaction with the advisory board, and the design practicum.