B.F.A. in Interior Design
The interior design B.F.A. program offers students a specialized studio-oriented education in preparation for advanced or graduate studies or for beginning careers as professional interior designers.
Students gain a thorough knowledge of design processes as well as technical skills, including computer-aided design and traditional drafting and rendering. Construction methods, lighting design, materials specification, and color- use are emphasized to support specializations within the major. Studios offer design exploration in spatial experimentation, residential design, retail design, public buildings, and office planning, culminating in an undergraduate thesis project.
Micro-Credential in Interior Design: Fundamental Theory & History
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Interior Design Student Organization
Mission
Primary to the mission of the interior design program is a commitment to the intellectual, personal, and professional growth of its students. Through varied and increasingly complex coursework coupled with a strong community based project component, the students and faculty have and will continue to enhance the region in terms of residential, health care, and commercial designs as well as culturally sensitive and public-interest projects.
These projects connect the students, faculty, and community in a dynamic relationship, inspire students to expand their horizons, and create life-long learners. The program is rigorous and comprehensive resulting in professional and innovative designers who are actively sought by employers after graduation.
Educational Philosophy
Coursework in Interior Design & IF 14 provides a broad understanding of human needs within the built environment as required by the profession with the end goal that students are able to synthesize all functional, economic and technical aspects of a project into an aesthetically pleasing design. Critical thinking, visual literacy, creative problem solving, social responsibility, and the ability to efficiently communicate a design in various 2D, 3D media are the cardinal skills taught in the interior design program. Coursework in the major integrates aesthetic theories, architectural elements & principles, human-behavioral studies, digital technology, business practices, historic precedents, service learning, lighting design, and evidenced-based design. Pedagogical framework to support the philosophy includes hands-on learning, mixing digital technologies with iterative studies in sketching and ideation, and thorough grounding in theory, history, and precedent.
Careers
Interior design graduates are prepared for careers in independent practice and employment in interior design and architectural firms, institutions, corporations, and other settings.
Accreditation
The interior design program leading to the B.F.A in Interior Design is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, www.accredit-id.org, 206 Grandville Avenue, Suite 350, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503.
2020 CIDA Accreditation Letter
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 B.F.A. in Interior Design granted by SUNY Buffalo State meets the educational requirement for eligibility to sit for the National Council for Interior Design Qualification Examination (NCIDQ Exam). For more information about NCIDQ Exam eligibility visit: https://www.cidq.org/eligibility-requirements.
Timeline
1968 BA (Design) with concentration in Interior Design
1972 BS (Design) with concentration in Interior Design
1984 BS (Design) with concentration in Interior Design; BFA (Design) with concentration in Interior Design
1993 Begin FIDER accreditation review
1995 Official approval of new BFA (Design) coursework
1999 First senior class of revised BFA program; allowed for the Department to apply for accreditation
2003 FIDER accreditation received through 2010
2006 Interior Design Department created
2015 Interior Design Studies and Drafting for Interior Design Technologies Minor programs introduced
2016 The Interior Design Department merges with the Departments of Art Education, Design and Fine Arts into the Art & Design Department
2020 CIDA Council of Interior Design Accreditation (formerly FIDER) received through 2026
2021 Micro Credential: Interior Design: Fundamental Theory and History implemented
