Bachelor of Interior Design Degree

Intake:January, April, July and October each year
Program Length:4 years or 3 years of continuous study through online or in-class delivery or through a combination of online and in-class courses

Degree Program

Program Description

In the Bachelor of Interior Design program, students gain a solid foundation in interior design and benefit from the same support and mentorship from experienced faculty as they do in the diploma program. However, the program also prepares graduates for advanced professional roles in interior design.

The Bachelor of Interior Design program is “recognized” by the Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario (ARIDO) for both its online as well as in-class delivery. Graduates who successfully complete the program will be accepted into ARIDO and Interior Designers of Canada (IDC) as Intern members simply by submitting two copies of their transcript. Becoming an Intern member of ARIDO is a critical step on the path to becoming an Interior Designer and allows students to gain the required work experience to write the NCIDQ examination.  For more information on this process please visit ARIDO

The program produces professionals with broad theoretical knowledge and technical skills, who can think critically, analytically and methodically through the design process at a high level. Graduates of this program develop expertise in the latest technical and digital media, understand safety and welfare issues and public health standards and acquire deep levels of cultural and ecological awareness. Specific courses at the Bachelor level include:

• Canadian and global architecture and design
• Advanced specifications
• Philosophy of design
• Codes and regulations
• Applied lighting
• CADD rendering
• Materials and sustainability
• Advanced estimating/budgeting and restoration

Students also gain a full understanding of the business side of their industry. Graduates are equipped with well-developed visual literacy abilities; collaborative team approaches and creative problem-solving skills that help them become industry leaders.

The Bachelor of Interior Design is equivalent to a four-year Honours degree; however, students may graduate after three years of consecutive study. The degree is designed to accommodate students’ schedules, and offers multiple pathways to completion.

In North America, this degree qualifies as the first component of a recommended sequence towards a licensed interior design career; this suggested career path includes formal education, work experience and the satisfactory completion of the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) examination for registered or licensed professional status.

Learning Outcomes

In addition to the Learning Outcomes described for the diploma program above, after completing the Interior Design degree program, graduates will be able to: The program produces professionals with broad theoretical knowledge and technical skills, who can think critically, analytically and methodically through the design process at a high level. Graduates of this program develop expertise in the latest technical and digital media, understand safety and welfare issues and public health standards and acquire deep levels of cultural and ecological awareness. Specific courses at the Bachelor level include:

• Design appropriate solutions for mobile, deployable and compact spaces
• Apply principles of lighting design to specialized lighting situations, including creative lighting concepts, custom lighting solutions and lighting source design
• Work with wire frame construction and solid modeling in CADD and set up photo-realistic rendered images of 3D models
• Understand and apply LEED classifications, principles and concepts
• Understand principles of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies
• Use Building Information Modeling Revit software
• Complete a thorough cost estimate package
• Design residences, hotels, restaurants, offices and industrial spaces
• Develop an understanding of the restorative process and appreciation of the importance of architectural restoration to society
• Work at a high level in applying a systematic design process to creative problem solving and work productively with clients, other consultants and co-workers
• Demonstrate competence in all areas of interior design work, from programming to contract documentation
• Understand scheduling, administration and coordination for a major project
• Analyze, research and develop a comprehensive interior design concept for presentation as part of a capstone senior thesis project
• Present a portfolio and develop an understanding of the importance of marketing as a design professional