BFA in Interior Architecture
Units required for Major: 70
Minimum units required for BFA: 120
Program Description
The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Architecture is intended for students pursuing professional careers as interior designers/interior architects. The Program provides students with the knowledge and skills to shape interior-designed environments responsibly. Combined with the CSU General Education requirements, the breadth of courses in the program reflects the values of professional preparation grounded in a liberal arts education. The Program is one of five-degree programs offered in the Department of Design and shares a lower-division curriculum with the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Architecture Studies.
The Interior Architecture program encompasses a broader understanding of designing interior environments. Students learn both “interior” and “architectural” ways of thinking and designing as they develop the knowledge, skills, concepts, and sensitivities essential to professional life. Students are educated in architectural history/theory, interior architecture studio practice, interior construction practices, building mechanical and electrical systems, FFE research and specifications, graphic communication, and professional practice. The Program fosters an interdisciplinary approach to designing interior environments with particular attention to the design’s impact on environmental, social, and cultural systems.
A central part of interior and architecture education is the design studio, where students thoroughly examine design problems using experiential and project-based learning to prepare for the competitive rigors of the changing world they will face after graduation. Studio culture is non-competitive and supportive, emphasizing collaborative models of learning. Guest lecturers, professional panel critiques, discussions, field trips, and building tours of outstanding projects maintain strong connections to the profession. Service-learning opportunities form an important component of the curriculum.
The upper-division curriculum provides students with the design and technical skills needed to practice interior design/interior architecture and sit for the NCIDQ and/or IDEX examinations. The Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) oversees the NCIDQ Examination, which is required for interior design licensure/registration in every regulated US jurisdiction except California. The California Council for Interior Design Certification (CCIDC) oversees Interior Design Certification in California through the IDEX® California Exam.
Sacramento State is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), designated by the U.S. Department of Education as the agency responsible for the accreditation of art and design programs in the U.S.
Minimum Grade Requirement
A minimum grade of "C" or better is required in all major course requirements.
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Lower Division Design Core Courses (7 Units) | ||
| DSGN 10 | Think Make | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Design and Thinking | ||
| Design and Society Since 1780 | ||
| Required Lower Division Major Courses (19 Units) | ||
| INTD 1A | History of Architecture: Prehistory to 1800 | 3 |
| INTD 1B | History of Architecture: 1800 to Today | 3 |
| INTD 15 | Introduction to Interior Design | 3 |
| INTD 25 | Design Fundamentals | 3 |
| INTD 27 | Architectural Design Fundamentals | 3 |
| INTD 30 | Beginning AutoCAD and SketchUp | 2 |
| INTD 36 | Beginning Revit | 2 |
| Required Upper Division Design History (3 Units) | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| American Design | ||
| Principles of House Design | ||
| Film/Design | ||
| Required Upper Division Professional Practice (12 Units) | ||
| INTD 155 | Professional Practice I | 3 |
| INTD 165 | Professional Practice II | 3 |
| INTD 175 | Professional Practice III | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Pro Practice - Career Preparation | ||
| Professional Practice IV-Internship | ||
| Required Upper Division Courses (20 Units) | ||
| INTD 110A | Intermediate Interior Architecture Design Studio - Residential | 4 |
| INTD 110B | Intermediate Interior Architecture Design Studio - Commercial | 4 |
| INTD 151 | Interior Architecture Graphics I | 3 |
| INTD 171 | Interior Design Graphics III | 3 |
| INTD 180 | Capstone Interior Architecture Studio | 5 |
| INTD 181 | Interior Architecture Portfolio | 1 |
| Required Electives (9 Units) | ||
| Complete 9 units from the following: 1 | 9 | |
| Design and Thinking | ||
| Design and Society Since 1780 | ||
| World Design and Visual Culture | ||
| History Of Graphic Design | ||
| Visual Basics | ||
| American Design | ||
| Principles of House Design | ||
| Film/Design | ||
| Digital Photography I | ||
| Digital Photography II | ||
| The Photographic Self | ||
| Darkroom Photography | ||
| Total Units | 70 | |
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Students may not choose an elective that was used for another requirement in this degree.
General Education Requirements1
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Area A: Basic Subjects (9 Units) | ||
| A1 - Oral Communication | 3 | |
| A2 - Written Communication | 3 | |
| A3 - Critical Thinking | 3 | |
| Area B: Physical Universe and Its Life Forms (13 Units) | ||
| B1 - Physical Science 1 | 3 | |
| B2 - Life Forms | 3 | |
| B3 - Lab (Note: Lab experience to be taken with one of the following: B1, B2 or B5) 1 | 1 | |
| B4 - Math Concepts 1 | 3 | |
| B5 - Additional Course (Any B to reach 12 units) - Take upper-division course to complete Area & upper division requirements. | 3 | |
| Area C: Arts and Humanities (9 Units) | ||
| C1 - Arts 1 | 0 | |
| C2 - Humanities | 3 | |
| C1/C2 - Area C Course | 3 | |
| C1/C2 - Area C Course - Take upper-division course to complete Area & upper division requirements. | 3 | |
| Area D: The Individual and Society (6 Units) | ||
| Area D Course | 3 | |
| Area D Course | 3 | |
| Area D Course | 0 | |
| Area D Course - Take upper-division course to complete Area & upper division requirements. | 0 | |
| Area E: Understanding Personal Development (3 Units) | ||
| Area E Course | 3 | |
| Area F: Ethnic Studies | ||
| Area F Course | ||
| Total Units | 40 | |
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To help you complete your degree in a timely manner and not take more units than absolutely necessary, there are ways to use single courses to meet more than one requirement (overlap). For further information, please visit the General Education page.
Note: There is no way to list all possible overlaps so please consult with a professional advisor. The Academic Advising Center can be visited online, by phone (916) 278-1000, or email.
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Required in Major; also satisfies GE.
Graduation Requirements
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Graduation Requirements (required by CSU) (9 Units) | ||
| American Institutions: U.S. History | 3 | |
| American Institutions: U.S. Constitution & CA Government | 3 | |
| Writing Intensive (WI) | 3 | |
| Graduation Requirements (required by Sacramento State) (12 Units) | ||
| English Composition II | 3 | |
| Race and Ethnicity in American Society (RE) | 3 | |
| Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement 2 | 6 | |