Weber State University Interior Design
Weber State’s Bachelor of Integrated Studies (BIS) program gives students unprecedented control of their academic studies by offering three academic areas of interest from anywhere on campus – truly customizing them to meet your own academic interests and needs.
Interior design, building construction and facilities management students are joining forces in Ghana for an inspiring global community engaged learning project.
Accreditation
Accreditation by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) is a voluntary process designed to give students and employers assurance that a program meets professional standards. Graduates from accredited programs may apply for membership in professional interior design organizations.
Accreditation can take three years and requires faculty members to meet regularly with CIDA representatives in order to review curriculum, participate in workshops and attend conferences. Students graduating from accredited programs stand a greater chance of finding jobs or internships upon graduation.
Faculty and students also conduct research together and collaborate on projects relating to community outreach, environmental stewardship, social justice issues and cultural/historical studies. Our curriculum is human-centric and covers contemporary interior design including landscape architecture, urbanism architecture preservation furniture design digital fabrication product design among other fields.
Interior design majors must take at least six directed elective courses during their four years in a bachelor’s degree program to gain in-depth knowledge on subjects that would not otherwise be covered in regular coursework, while also gaining invaluable hands-on experience through working in fabrication lab and studio coursework.
Each year, WSU graduates 15 interior design majors who are predominantly women and white; this figure represents a relatively high graduation rate when compared with other schools offering bachelor’s degrees in interior design. Weber State ranks second among Utah universities offering such programs; College Factual ranks it 104 on their Best Schools for Interior Design list.
Studio Courses
Students enrolled in our program gain hands-on experience working on design projects with community partners. Working alongside professionals provides students with an excellent networking opportunity as they work alongside one another on projects spanning from conceptual design to hands-on design-build projects supporting community partner missions. Service learning is integrated into every course offered in our curriculum; thus enabling our students to participate in projects both locally and abroad throughout their course studies.
An integral component of our curriculum is an interdisciplinary design charrette exercise, an established problem-solving method in the design world. Students in our charrette take part in an intensive design challenge over 48 hours; the topic can have international, humanitarian, or local relevance.
At our school, we emphasize aesthetic discernment while understanding its implications on all individuals regardless of socioeconomic standing or cultural background. Our curriculum welcomes diverse opinions while gender and ethnic diversity amongst students add a rich dimension of perspectives which is invaluable to all of them.
Our program boasts an active alumni and industry advisory council which assists in keeping up with industry trends while offering student feedback. This group has helped shape our curriculum while opening up internship and job opportunities for graduates.
Each semester, our Interior Design chapter hosts an event for students and members of the community alike. With guest speakers and tours frequently being featured at these events, students are strongly encouraged to attend these gatherings and join chapter meetings which offer community service opportunities, art events, professional design networking events, as well as study abroad trips.
Internships
At our internship programs, you’ll have a chance to combine classroom learning with real world experience – such as design-build experiences, service learning activities and field trips to local and international sites. In addition, you can attend design charrettes as well as professional conferences. Plus, take part in our annual Career Fair where you may even find an internship of your own!
As part of our interior design curriculum, we also provide studio courses, service learning opportunities, field trips and field trip. Students often opt to add courses such as construction management technology, professional sales and art to complete their education. Our program has been accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA).
Our faculty are committed to giving you every chance for career success. They offer outstanding education that will develop your creative talent, technical proficiency and leadership qualities – as well as teach the importance of ethical practices in professional settings.
At UGA, we maintain an extensive network of local and international industry leaders who are ready to share their expertise. Furthermore, we host speakers for classes as well as hosting an annual design charrette and student-led design-build project to connect students to industry.
At WSU, we are dedicated to hiring a diverse workforce and creating an environment that is welcoming, inclusive and supportive of all employees. This commitment is evident by our receiving top marks for diversity and inclusion from external bodies such as Princeton Review who named WSU one of its Best Colleges for Working Parents as well as inclusion on its Great Colleges to Work For Honor Roll list. For more information regarding diversity and inclusion please see our diversity and inclusion statement – applicants must be current WSU Salaried Employees or Internal Users to be considered for application.
Service Learning
Service learning is a form of experiential education in which participants work with local community organizations to address certain problems within their neighborhood. Not only does this approach provide students with real-world experience, it teaches civic responsibility and strengthens the link between education and its larger context. At WSU Interior Design Program, service learning is integrated into classroom curriculum through the Charitable Chair event. Interior design students from multiple courses at WSU participate by designing and hiring professionals to refurbish chairs of historical significance, which are then auctioned off during a public event to raise money for Weber/Davis community organizations as well as WSU Interior Design Program. Proceeds of each chair auctioned off go directly towards funding both organizations.
The Bachelor of Integrated Studies degree allows you to combine three academic areas from nearly every department and program on campus into a unique academic program tailored specifically to your career goals and interests. Furthermore, minors may further enhance your educational experience.
Our curriculum is enhanced through service learning, internships and studio courses. Furthermore, students participate in design charrettes hosted by construction management and design engineering technology students from the College of Engineering, Applied Science and Technology to solve an assigned problem within a specified amount of time – an essential aspect of design-build emphasis and an invaluable chance for collaboration across disciplines.
WSU students can earn college credit while traveling the globe on various student-focused trips led by interior design faculty. These trips emphasize cultural immersion, architectural inspiration and global awareness while offering guests lectures from visiting professionals as well as professional firm visits in the area.
Study Abroad
The school offers multiple study abroad programs both domestically and abroad, led by interior design faculty members. These trips may combine classroom learning, field trips and service-learning activities – offering college credit while experiencing new cultures and architecture – earning participants college credits in return. Participating students are required to pay a non-refundable deposit which becomes non-refundable should their trip be cancelled by the university for any reason.
The University offers a selection of academic majors and minors as well as graduate certificates, such as accounting, anthropology, entrepreneurship education, foreign languages geospatial analysis human performance management interior design technology. Furthermore, students have access to numerous student organizations that allow them to network within their field.
Weber State awarded 15 bachelor’s degrees to graduates who studied interior design during 2020-2021. Most were white women. Below is a table and chart detailing these graduates by ethnicity as well as total students earning this degree.
Weber State University (WSU), situated in Ogden, Utah is a large public university offering more than 250 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to over 45,000 students hailing from 45 nations around the globe. WSU serves regional communities through degrees in business administration, education, health professions, liberal arts, science & technology; WSU also offers professional development training to its faculty & staff and membership with the Association of American Universities with scholarships available to international students.
