About Interior Design

Interior design students working in class

In our interior design programs, we develop practitioners and scholars who excel in identifying and solving interior environment problems from a research-based, human-centered approach. Whether you are part of our CIDA-accredited undergraduate program or following the interior design track of our Design Graduate Program, you will learn how the design of interiors can support or suppress people’s physical, social, or psychological well-being.

Degree Options

Understanding the relationships between interior spaces and human well-being enables you to create environments that improve people’s quality of life. By identifying and creatively solving problems related to the interior environment, you will contribute to the life, health, safety, and welfare of diverse individuals, groups, and communities. 

Interior design student presenting light design project
Accreditation

The College of Design's Interior Design Program leading to the BS in Interior Design is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA), 206 Cesar E. Chavez Ave SW, 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 BS granted by the University of Minnesota College of Design meets the educational requirement for eligibility to sit for the National Council for Interior Design Qualification Examination (NCIDQ Exam). Learn more information about NCIDQ Exam eligibility.

What Students Say
“It is hard for me to imagine my education experience any other way. I loved having personal relationships with professors who not only knew my name, but pushed me to be the best that I could be… Ultimately my success—apart from hard work—is due to the smaller and more personal class sizes.”

—Emily Hund (BS, Interior Design)

“Attending the University of Minnesota's Design Graduate Program was one of the best decisions I have ever made, and by far the best I've made professionally. The innovative culture and knowledge I gained allows me to walk confidently in any room knowing that I can not only contribute but lead.”

 —Angie Scott (Ph.D., Interior Design Track)

Career Possibilities
Research and Creative Scholarship

Interior design contributes to human well-being. From trafficking prevention and designing to support diverse ways of living to environmentally responsible and sustainable interior design, our faculty pursue research that informs solutions to a wide range of societal challenges. Our faculty use interdisciplinary and community-engaged pedagogies that transform you into global citizens so that you can design holistically, think critically, and act responsibly. At the same time, they prepare you for excellence in professional or academic practice and leadership.

Interior Design in the Twin Cities

Industry connections and community

Minneapolis and St. Paul are intrinsically linked to our interior design programs. Among the most innovative cities in the world, the Twin Cities give students easy access to a variety of Fortune 500 companies, historic theaters, performance venues, and world-class institutions like the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and Walker Arts Center, exposing them to creative energy and intellectual drive. Furthermore, our teaching and research engage with our many diverse communities and provide students with opportunities to explore ways by which design can be used to strengthen our state’s, region’s, and the world’s cultural and economic vitality. 

Interior design faculty working with students
Meet Our Faculty and Staff

From trafficking prevention and designing to support diverse ways of living to environmentally responsible and sustainable interior design, our faculty pursue research that informs solutions to a wide range of societal challenges.