INTERIOR DESIGN PROFESSIONAL CAREER PATH

 

Choose a Degree Program

One of the most important decisions you can make in your career as an interior designer is the kind of education and training you get before you begin. While a college degree is currently not an absolute requirement, the trend among employers and in states and jurisdictions that have licensing requirements is to require a degree from an accredited institution.

 


You have a choice whether to pursue a two-year program to earn an Associates degree or certificate, or a four- or five-year degree leading to a Bachelors (BA, BS, BFA) or Masters (MFA, MA, MS). Which you choose may depend on the licensing requirements in your state and whether you have completed a degree in another field. For more information about formal education in design, see Planning a Course of Design


 

Study

Build a Portfolio and Resume
Once you have enrolled in a degree program, take the following steps:

 

 

Focus on Your Career, Not Just Your Degree
• Participate in interior design, art, architecture, business, language arts, marketing and other classes important to the practice of interior design.
• Save examples of your work from the very beginning. Take quality photos of finished products. Start your portfolio immediately.

 

Get Involved and Network

• Become an ASID student member. Participate in your ASID student chapter or organize an ASID student chapter if your school does not currently have one.
• Get involved in student leadership. It's great for your resume!
• Participate in ASID professional chapter events: Network with future colleagues and employers; receive professional education training that you might not get in school; make yourself known.

Establish Your Practice

• Upon graduation, advance to ASID allied practitioner membership.
• Acquire work experience, preferably under the supervision of an NCIDQ-certified designer or architect. Or, if you choose self-employment, garner references from your business' legal counsel, accountant, bank, etc. to document your years of practice.


Certify Your Professional Status

Upon completion of the requisite years of education and work experience, apply to sit for the NCIDQ exam. The requirements are as follows:


 

  • Four to five years of interior design education, 2 years of full time work experience in interior design, or
  • Three years of interior design education, three years of full time work experience in interior design, or
  • Two years of interior design education, four years of full time work experience in interior design.

 


After you've passed the NCIDQ exam, advance to ASID professional membership.


 

Professional Qualification

The career path of a professional interior designer involves formal education, entry level work experience and a qualifying examination. The National Council for Interior Design Qualification, an independent nonprofit organization, administers a program to assist entry level interior designers in obtaining a broad range of quality professional experience. NCIDQ also administers the qualifying examination for interior designers.

 


Interior Design Experience Program

Entry level work experience is required of candidates for the NCIDQ examination, as well as by the major interior design organizations for professional membership. State and provincial licensing boards require proof of quality interior design experience for licensure and/or registration. Developed for graduates of accredited interior design programs, NCIDQ's Interior Design Experience Program (IDEP) serves as a transition between formal education and professional practice. Working with a supervisor at their employing firm and an IDEP mentor, participants gain experience in seven major areas totaling 3,520 hours of documented experience.

Candidates who successfully complete the IDEP program can take the NCIDQ exam at no charge for the first sitting. (Currently a savings of nearly $600.) For more information, call (202) 721-0220 or visit www.ncidq.org.

 

NCIDQ Exam

The NCIDQ exam is recognized in the United States and Canada as the qualifying examination for the interior design profession. As such, states and provinces with licensing statutes have stipulated, among license eligibility criteria, successful completion of the NCIDQ examination. For more information about the exam, visit www.ncidq.org.