WELCOME TO THE LSU DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR DESIGN

Interior design involves shaping, planning, and furnishing interior spaces. From single family homes to specialized retail spaces to institutional spaces, interior designers help create comfortable, usable, attractive spaces where people can live and work. Designers work with architects, developers, or private clients to create distinctive spaces that enhance the quality of life, increase productivity, and protect the health, safety and welfare of the public.

The interior design program at LSU, accredited by the Foundation for Interior Design Education Research (FIDER), is ranked tenth in the nation by Design Intelligence in a national survey. Part of the College of Art + Design, the interior design program frequently collaborates with architecture and draws inspiration from the School of Art and the School of Landscape Architecture. The interior design program brings students a well-rounded program of creative, design and technical skills, as well as business, liberal arts and communications courses.

Small classes and a diverse curriculum help you develop your creativity and learn to analyze the needs of clients and other people. You begin to imagine the potential within a space. Working independently, you learn to put your vision to paper and make it come alive. You also collaborate with others on projects – a skill frequently required in the team approach used by many design firms. You develop strong communication skills to help explain, demonstrate and communicate your concepts and vision for a project.

Our faculty members bring a wealth of experience and a variety of perspectives to their teaching. Because the classes are small, you have an opportunity to get to know your professors and to work closely with them. With a passion for design and a dedication to helping you develop the skills you need, professors constantly challenge, mentor and critique to help you develop your own sense of design.

Once you complete your interior design degree, you work to gain practical experience before taking a professional examination through National Council for Interior Design Qualification. NCIDQ is the national organization that regulates the interior design industry. Once you pass the exam, you are eligible to register with the state they live in and join professional organizations.

The interior design degree opens up a wide variety of career paths with design and architectural firms, industry, and design groups. Designers can work in residential or commercial design, or specialize in an area such as lighting, furniture and exhibition design, historic restoration, or set design.

The Department of Interior Design has a strong network of connections with outside firms, designers and manufacturers. A new partnership with Steelcase is bringing cutting edge research into the program. Steelcase, a leading manufacturer of office furnishings, will use students and faculty to help research what offices need and want. The students will get a first-hand look at Steelcase’s observation methods and how to best utilize space.