Interior Architecture

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Interior Architecture Overview

The Bachelor of Interior Architecture (BIA) is a professional interior design program that prepares students for practice in an interior design or architecture firm. A holistic design approach is stressed throughout the four-year program. Students are encouraged to consider all factors that influence the design of interior spaces from human behavior, aesthetics, and building technology to the views from windows and doors that penetrate the surrounding architecture.
Program School
School of Arts, Science & Business

A solid interior design education yields practitioners who protect and enhance the health, safety, and well-being of humankind. Our programs are also aligned with current issues such as global awareness, community engagement, and sustainable design. The outcome is graduates who are technically savvy and broad-thinking designers. This is what sets us apart.

—KYRA TUCKER, chair and program director, interior architecture

Set Yourself Up For Success

From a residency at Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater to superb career preparation, find out what makes Chatham's Bachelor of Interior Architecture special. 

Explore the Interior Architecture Degree:

  • Grow your practice through field experiences at inspiring destinations, including a week-long residency at Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic Fallingwater.
  • In 2010, Chatham University’s interior architecture program received the Leadership award from the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Pennsylvania West Chapter in recognition of its commitment to and accomplishments in sustainability.
  • Because our program is CIDA-accredited, upon graduation our students are able to sit for the IDFX exam, which is the first section of the NCIDQ exam. For more information, visit this website.
  • It is possible to complete the BIA in three years by adhering to a demanding course load. While this path may not fit the needs of all students, those who are interested are invited to discuss this option with the program director.

Program Outcomes & Accreditation

Chatham’s Interior Architecture Program leading to the Bachelor in Interior Architecture is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA).

To learn more about CIDA visit: www.accredit-id.org
206 Grandville Avenue, Suite 350, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503 

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 BIA granted by Chatham University meets the educational requirement for eligibility to sit for the National Council for Interior Design Qualification Examination (NCIDQ Exam). 

To learn more about NCIDQ Exam eligibility visit: https://www.cidq.org/eligibility-requirements

Chatham University, Bachelor of Interior Architecture, Student Achievement Data

The Bachelor of Interior Architecture (BIA) is a professional interior design program that prepares students for practice in an interior design or architecture firm. A holistic design approach is stressed throughout the four-year program. It typically takes a full-time student taking approximately 15 credits per semester four years to complete the degree program.

CIDA requires all interior design programs to provide “information to the public regarding student achievement, including aggregate data addressing attribution and retention, graduation rates, job placement rates and acceptance to graduate programs.” Chatham University collects and updates this information annually using institutional records and an alumni survey administered 6 months after graduation. 14 of 16 alumni responded to the survey.

Job Placement Rates: 80% (8  of 10) of students who graduated in 2021 are employed in interior design or a related profession. 

Graduation Rates: Of the students who graduated in 2021, 100% (10 of 10) graduated in 4 years.

Acceptance into Graduate Programs: 20% of students who graduated in 2021 (2 of 10) applied for graduate school, and 100% were accepted.

Student Attrition and Retention: 88% of students admitted in the fall of 2020 returned in the fall of 2021, putting attrition at 12%.

Program Philosophy

The philosophy of the Interior Architecture program at Chatham University is fundamentally founded in responsibility for the outcome of design and global public service. The Interior Architecture program believes in evidence-based design and ethnography, an approach to analyzing user needs by studying the user, their practices, and artifacts in the context of their existing interior environment.

With a curriculum that balances spontaneity and creativity with the critical thinking and problem solving skills necessary to meet practical concerns, our graduates are prepared to excel in the profession of interior design. Our students must be able to solve design challenges, communicate, and present their solutions with authority, a strong design vocabulary, and professional communication skills.

We believe it is our responsibility to train engaged stewards of the environment, globally conscious interior design professionals with consideration for the responsibility and outcomes of design and the needs of all user groups.

Program Mission

The Mission of the Interior Architecture Program at Chatham University is to prepare students excellence in the profession of Interior Design, to be engaged stewards of the environment, and to provide lasting contributions to a global society. Central to this mission is a holistic, evidence-based program that integrates knowledge and appreciation of architectural and design theory with ethical, responsible, and entrepreneurial practice.

Program Goals

  • To accept a sustainable approach to interior design and make "green design" a minimal standard and not a trend.
  • To transform students into critical thinking professionals who see inquiry as the norm.
  • To prepare students to identify, research, and solve design challenges with a logical methodology while promoting creative solutions and applied spontaneity.
  • To provide pathways and opportunities for applied research.
  • To produce professionals able to present their ideas with authority by drawing on their education, a strong design vocabulary and professional communication skills.
  • To train globally-conscious interior design professionals with consideration for the responsibility and outcomes of design and the needs of all user groups.
  • To prepare students to be proficient in the most current cutting-edge technology while instilling readiness in adapting to emerging techniques, processes and systems.

Portfolio
This course explores color theories, psychology of color and light, typology, and compositional layout relative to interior design presentation, communication and development. Through a variety of media, techniques, and applications of visual composition, skills are applied to architectural interiors and exterior context.

Environment and Behavior
This course introduces students to significant theories concerning the interaction of people and interior architecture. Emphasis is placed on shared human needs and differences based on age, culture, gender, and occupation.

Green & Sustainable Design
Global issues of energy use, resource depletion, and indoor air quality have promoted design professionals to re-evaluate design and construction processes. This course provides students with the knowledge of the US Green Building Council (USGBC) and Environmental Design (LEED) certification system to promote environmentally responsible design.

View Full Curriculum

Our Faculty

If one word could best sum up Chatham's faculty, it would be engaged. Professors bring experiences to relate the course lessons to real-world situations.

Full Faculty
Photo of a Chatham University student presenting her work to a group of peers

The Importance of Accreditation

Employers look for students to graduate from accredited programs, as a testament to the breadth and depth of their education. Studying at an accredited program gives you the greatest choice of types of employers for whom you can work.

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Intimate Campus Culture

Why study at a small school in the heart of a major city? Simple: you get the benefits of a closely-knit community with all the resources of an urban environment, just a hop, skip and a jump away (and with free public transportation using your Chatham ID).  

Photo of a student presenting to an instructor

Work with Industry Professionals

At Chatham, interior architecture professors are practitioners, with industry connections that they can put to work for their students. Our faculty are also researchers in the industry, writing textbooks and working with professional organizations.  

Photo of Chatham University students sitting at desks in a classroom listening to a lecture.

State-of-the-Art Facilities

Chatham Eastside, where our interior architecture program’s classroom, studio, and exhibition spaces reside, is recognized as a LEED Silver renovation project that manifests sustainable design practices, use of recycled materials, and energy-efficient lighting to create a green academic and social space in an urban setting.

Alumni Perspectives

BIA alumni are some of our best ambassadors. Listen to them talk about the culture, classes, and career-making opportunities of Chatham's Bachelor of Interior Architecture program.

Photo of Mellon Hall on Chatham University, surrounded by green academic quads and colorful fall foliage.

Accreditation

The interior design program leading to the Bachelor of Interior Architecture is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, 206 Grandville Avenue, Suite 350, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503. 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 Bachelor of Interior Architecture granted by Chatham University 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 this website.

Black and white portrait of Laura Conner

Recent Grad 101: Laura Conner

Laura Conner ‘20 didn’t head to college for interior architecture straight out of high school. Instead, she earned a business degree, lived abroad, became a mom, and built up some life experience before heading to Chatham to earn her Bachelor’s in Interior Architecture.

Read Laura's Story : Slide 1 - Recent Grad 101: Laura Conner
Photo of an alumna of the interior architecture program at Chatham University, smiling.

Alumna Profile: Abigail Gambino-Walker '16

"I am currently employed as a high-end residential interior designer here in Pittsburgh, and I graduated from Chatham’s BIA program. Over the course of a few years, I have worked on numerous scale renovations, new build constructions, and showhouses for Traditional Home Magazine across the United States. I am proud to have won first and second place in three international interior design competitions."

Read Abigail's Story : Slide 2 - Alumna Profile: Abigail Gambino-Walker '16
Photo of the Gowanus Canal in New York

“We Don’t Pick Out Pillows: the Science of Design”

In New York City, land is so sought after that development is expanding to one of the most polluted bodies of water in the country—Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal. That’s why chemistry students at the CUNY College of Technology are examining its water composition. Through a National Science Foundation-funded initiative, Chatham undergraduates have come on board to widen their perspective.

Read the Story : Slide 3 - “We Don’t Pick Out Pillows: the Science of Design”