“It’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” — Steve Jobs

INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the La Roche University Interior Architecture & Design Program is to prepare students to perform as design professionals in our global society with a life-long desire to be at the forefront of the profession. Students are encouraged to explore creative solutions to complex problems while showcasing their own intellectual and design capabilities. Diverse studio experiences allow students to gain the confidence to advocate for design excellence and promote the importance of interior design to society. (Adopted 1997, Revised 2021)

INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN GOALS

  • To prepare students to enter the field of interior design or a related field by providing them with an interdisciplinary education that promotes intellectual inquiry and creativity through a curriculum that encompasses theoretical, applied, and ethical aspects of the profession.
  • To develop visual articulacy through the knowledge of essential skills in design fundamentals, hand drawing and sketching, and computer aided drawing (AutoCAD,Revit, SketchUp, and Lumion).
  • To apply the design process with exploration and iteration of multiple ideas to design creative and original works.
  • To acquire essential knowledge of human factors, space planning, material and finish selection, lighting, sustainability, universal design, and codes for both residential and non-residential design problems.
  • To promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills by challenging students to use innovative approaches to progressively complex design solutions.
  • To highlight the importance of global society and open student’s minds to new ideas and understanding by providing diverse educational experiences
  • To highlight the importance of social awareness and the impact designers can have on their local community and society as a whole.
  • To foster integrative thinking and promote the transfer of knowledge from one class/setting to another.
  • To provide opportunities for students to interact with professionals and gain leadership skills.
  • To actively engage students and stimulate their creativity through field trips and immersive experience.

WHAT DOES AN INTERIOR DESIGNER DO?

Interior designers are creative problem solvers. They use their knowledge of human behavior and technical skills to create innovative design solutions for spaces such as restaurants, retail stores, schools, museums, offices and places of worship. We experience these interior spaces every day, spending hours working in them or relaxing in their comfortable surroundings after a busy day. Interior designers are responsible for creating spaces that are functional, safe, aesthetically pleasing and most importantly, enhance the quality of life for the people using the spaces.

Hundreds of students have earned their interior design degree at La Roche University, since the degreed program was initiated in 1976. These talented interior design professionals are living and working all over the country and remain committed to our interior design program. The design graduates living in the Pittsburgh area provide strong alumni support, offering both internships and employment opportunities in the firms where they work, including DRS Associates, Stantec, The Design Alliance, Astorino, Desmone & Associates, Franklin Interiors, Workscape, KMA & Associates, Radelet, McCarthy & Polletta, Kolano Design, OM Workspace and many others.

CURRICULUM

Our broad-based curriculum prepares students to solve problems and create innovative, functional, and aesthetically pleasing solutions for many types of residential and commercial spaces. Interior Architecture & Design is a multi-faceted profession, constantly changing, and our curriculum recognizes the importance of preparing our students to meet new design challenges. The curriculum is routinely evaluated to guarantee that all courses offer the educational preparation necessary for graduating interior designers. Changes in the profession often necessitate changes in curriculum, such as including more emphasis on the most current building and safety codes, environmental sustainability, and advancements in technical skills.

TYPICAL COURSE PROGRESSION

Freshman

  • Interior Studio IA
  • Foundations I
  • Drawing I
  • History of Architecture and ID I
  • Interior Studio IB
  • Graphics I
  • Foundations II
  • Visual Presentation

Sophomore

  • Interior Studio IIA
  • Building Tech: Finish Materials
       and Textiles
  • Graphics II
  • Interior Studio IIB
  • Architectural Rendering
  • History of Architecture and ID II

Junior

  • Interior Studio IIIA
  • Building Tech: Lighting
  • Business Practices
  • Building Tech: Construction
  • Building Tech: Control Systems
  • Computer Graphics for Interiors
  • History of Architecture and ID III
  • Interior Studio IIIA

Senior

  • Contract Documents
  • Senior Design Seminar I
  • Senior Design Capstone
  • Portfolio
  • Study of Great American Houses,
       History of Art II, or History of
       Contemporary Art
  • Internship

COURSE REQUIREMENTS & DESCRIPTIONS

Interior Design Major

MORE INFORMATION


FRESHMAN REVIEW
All students majoring in Interior Architecture & Design are required to submit work for Freshman Review. The purpose of the Freshman Review is to give the faculty an opportunity to review the student’s work, talk candidly with each student about their progress to date and answer any questions they may have about their growth and success in the first year of the Interior Architecture & Design program.

Students are eligible for Freshman Review after completing the following courses with grades ‘C’ or above: IDSN1015, IDSN1020A, IDSN1060, IDSN1020B, IDSN1062, and IDSN1011. Specific project grade requirements that may affect the outcome of the review are listed in the course syllabi. Students may advance to the Sophomore year only after successful completion of the Freshman Review process.

After The Review:

  • The faculty will further discuss student work and engagement in the program to finalize results.
  • A letter is sent to students with the results of the review in early summer.

Freshman Review results in one of the following recommendations:

  • Successful/pass — Student is invited to continue in interior architecture & design.
  • Conditional — Student is invited to continue in interior architecture & design with stated reservations and recommended action(s) which may require work during summer and/or enroll in an additional studio course after which they may submit work again for a Freshman Re-review (Note: this option is only offered once).

SOPHOMORE REVIEW
All students majoring in Interior Architecture & Design are required to submit work for Sophomore Review. The purpose of the Sophomore Review is to give students the opportunity to speak about their work, to answer questions from faculty in an interview format and to identify areas of proficiencies and/or weaknesses.

Students are eligible for Sophomore Review after completing the following courses with grades ‘C’ or above: IDSN2038A, IDSN1021, IDSN2052, IDSN2038B, IDSN2045, IDSN1023, and IDSN2032 or IDSN2039. Specific project grade requirements that may affect the outcome of the review are listed in the course syllabi. Students may advance to the Junior year only after successful completion of the Sophomore Review process.

After The Review:

  • The faculty will further discuss student work and history in the program to finalize results.
  • A letter is sent to students with the results of the review in early summer.

Sophomore Review results in one of three decisions:

  • Successful/pass- student is invited to continue to major in Interior Architecture & Design.
  • Conditional – Student is required to do additional work during summer and/or enroll in an additional studio course after which they may submit work again for a Sophomore Re-review (Note: this option is only offered once).
  • Unsuccessful/fail – Student is required to change majors before the beginning of subsequent fall semester.

NASAD & CIDA ACCREDITED

The interior design program leading to the BFA degree in Interior Architecture & Design is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, www.accredit-id.org, 206 Cesar E. Chavez Ave SW, 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 BFA degree in Interior Architecture & Design granted by La Roche 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: https://www.cidq.org/eligibility-requirements.

The program at La Roche has been continuously accredited by CIDA since 1985, giving us the distinction of achieving and holding CIDA accreditation longer than any other Pittsburgh Interior Design program. In addition to our CIDA accreditation, La Roche University is one of only two schools in the area to be fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art & Design (NASAD).

To learn more about NASAD, please visit: http://nasad.arts-accredit.org/
To learn more about CIDA, please visit: http://accredit-id.org/
To learn more about NCIDQ, please visit: http://www.ncidq.org

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