Interior Design

Bachelor of Interior Design

Bachelor of Interior Design
Study of Interior Design at the BAC features the school's model of concurrent learning: practice and academics. Students work in approved, paid, supervised positions in design firms during the day – the "practice" component of the curriculum -- while studying several evenings a week at the BAC – the "academic" component of the curriculum. Although each component has a sequence of its own, the two are designed to be concurrent, allowing progress in one to facilitate learning in the other.

Concurrent Curriculum
The academic component of the curriculum encompasses both general education (Arts and Sciences) and professional education specific to architecture (Design Studio, History and Theory, Technology and Management, Visual Studies, and Design Degree Project). The Design Studio sequence is at the core of the curriculum. Design studios generally meet three hours per week for review of student work completed between sessions and in-class assignments, but instructors may schedule additional time for individual critiques, special lectures, or field trips.

In the practice component of the curriculum, students work in area firms to earn a total of 45 practice credits (4,500 working hours) in the following areas: Design Initiation, Design Implementation, Construction, Administration, and Related. One hundred hours of employment in an approved setting equals one practice curriculum credit. By fulfilling practice curriculum requirements while at the BAC, students usually earn substantial hours toward requirements of the Interior Design Experience Program (IDEP). Upon graduation from the BAC, a student typically needs to accrue only about 10-1/2 months of additional experience in order to be eligible for the national licensure examination by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) as opposed to 1 year 8-1/2 months without the practice credits.

Sequence of Study
Study is organized into three segments of approximately equal length:

  • In Segment I - Foundation, students acquire basic knowledge, skills, and awareness in both general and professional education. Classes include Effective Practice Strategies, Orthogonal Drawing, AutoCAD 2-D and 3-D Drawing, Freehand Drawing, Perspective, Art History & Criticism, introductory studios (A and B level), Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing/ Structural/Acoustics/HVAC, etc. Many of the Segment I first-year classes combine architecture and interior design students. This gives each type of student a chance to understand what the other profession is about -- and also facilitates switching from one college to another if a student so desires.
  • In Segment II - Integration, students explore, in breadth and depth, the field of Interior Design. Emphasis is on integrating skills, knowledge, and awareness. Classes include sustainability/green design, Textiles, History of Interior Design & Furniture, Lighting Design, Rendering, Codes, advanced studios (residential, non-residential, furniture design & construction), Professional Practice, among others.
  • In Segment III - Synthesis, students pursue advanced professional courses related to individual interest. Segment III concludes with Design Degree Project. Each student engages in a project that covers the process of design from conception through documentation. Design Degree Project integrates academic and practice components of the curriculum and synthesizes professional and general educational learning.

Length of Stay
The B.ID program takes approximately 13 semesters to complete without any transfer credits. Length of stay varies and can be reduced, depending on prior academic and work experience and participation in the optional academic-only first-year program.

Accreditation
The BAC's BID and MID programs are accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (formerly FIDER). They received the full 6-year accreditation from FIDER in 2002, based on FIDER's Standards 2000.

For more Information
To find out more about applying to the Bachelor of Interior Design program at the BAC, please contact Richard Moyer in the Admissions Office at (617) 585-0256 or the Director of the School of Interior Design, David B. Harrison, ASID, IIDA, IDEC at (617) 585-0285 or dave.harrison@the-bac.edu.

We also welcome you to visit the BAC Admissions web page to get additional information.