Interior Design
Designing life from the inside out
Melanie Lewis ‘24 (BFA)
Brittany Snyder ‘20 (BFA)
Vincenza Lampon ‘23 (BFA)
Bridget Lee ‘24 (BFA)
What is Interior Design?
Interior design is all about how we experience and use spaces. It’s a powerful, essential part of our daily lives and affects how we live, work, play, and thrive. Comfortable homes, healthy workplaces, beautiful public spaces—that’s interior design at work.
The best interior designers make it look easy, crafting spaces that anticipate our needs and appeal to our emotions. In reality a broad set of skills and technical knowledge is required. Today, interior designers work with contractors, architects, engineers, furniture dealers, craftsmen, artisans, makers, and business and home owners.
To become a successful interior designer, you need a well-rounded education and the skills to work across many disciplines (architecture; graphic design; decorative arts; and textile, furniture, and lighting design).
What Do Interior Designers Do?
Meet with clients to the learn their needs and understand their goals
Sketch and ideate to create a unifying design concept
Create space plans, color schemes, and lighting plans
Apply knowledge of history, culture, and psycholgy in their work
Choose furniture, fabrics, and materials
Create construction documents, consisting of plans, elevations, 3D models, details, and specifications
Ensure that the design will meet all public health and safety requirements, including code, accessibility, environmental, and sustainability guidelines and laws
Act as project manager, interfacing with contractors, workrooms, and the client
Tatiana Toshimitsu ‘21 (BFA)
Kare Davy ‘22 (BFA)
Types of Interior Design
Within the field of interior design, there are a wealth of career options. You can start your own practice, work for a firm, or specialize in a particular skill (such as lighting) or a specific area (such as hospitality). The possibilities are endless, and they are expanding every day.
Residential Design
Design of the spaces we live in
Florida home • Anthony Baratta,
Hospitality Design
Design of hotels & restaurants
Retail Design
Design of retail stores
Commercial Design
Design of the spaces we work in
Teach for America headquarters, NYC
Healthcare Design
Design of healthcare environments
Cultural & Education Design
Design of schools, museums, libraries, and other public spaces
Arteco ceramics showroom, Dubai • Studio Bruno Guélaff
Ozark Hall, University of Arkansas • Robert A.M. Stern Architects
Le Campus, Hyatt Regency Charles de Gaulle, Paris • Virserius Studio
CT scan room, Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, California • RBB Architects Inc.
Inc.
• HOK
Why Does a Great Education Matter?
Education is the best way to get the skills you need to succeed. And in a culture that increasingly embraces DIY design, a degree gives you the skills and credentials to take your design work to a whole new level.
With its strong professional focus, a New York School of Interior Design education gives you access to internships and designers with real-world experience—invaluable connections that will serve you throughout your career.
Accreditation
New York School of Interior Design is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), and the College’s BFA and the MFA1 programs are accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA).
Accreditation is a voluntary activity initiated by the institution that requires a rigorous self-evaluation and an independent, objective appraisal of the overall educational quality by peers. Accreditation is important for many reasons, but first and foremost it ensures that the institution and its programs meet the highest academic standards. It also helps employers determine whether a graduate is qualified, assists institutions in determining acceptability of transfer credits, and provides a basis for determining eligibility for federal student assistance.
Why New York School of Interior Design?
Faculty
NYSID has more than 100 faculty members, all of whom are seasoned professionals with a wide range of perspectives and experience. They include expert designers, architects, artists, and design historians.
Job Placement
You’ll be on track for a great job— 94% of our undergraduate students were employed or pursuing further education within one year of graduation. The numbers say it all!
Personal Attention
NYSID is a small school and a tightly knit community. With an average class size of 12 and a 10 to 1 student-to-faculty ratio, you won’t get lost in the shuffle. You’ll have real relationships with your instructors—and you won’t spend your days in lecture halls.
Focus
You can focus 100% on interior design, because it’s all we do. We offer more than 200 courses across many programs, all seen through the lens of interior design. No other school or program offers such variety with such focus.
Flexibility
We offer unrivaled flexibility to students. You can start small with a few classes and then apply the credits you have earned to a degree program when you are ready. For most of our programs, you’ll have the option to attend part-time or full-time, with some programs also offered online. Want to study from home? Our undergraduate programs are also available online.
NYC is Your Campus
There’s no place like New York City. It’s at the heart of the design world, and NYSID is in the thick of it with two facilities—our Upper East Side main location on 70th Street and our Graduate Center at Park Avenue South & 28th Street.
Rankings
NYSID is consistently ranked one of the top interior design programs in the United States.
Undergraduate Programs
Our undergraduate degrees are a great fit for students of all backgrounds who have creative minds and a passion for interiors.
Basic Interior Design (BID) certificate
1 year
Full-time or part-time
No portfolio required
Online option available
nysid.edu/bid
Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Interior Design
2 years
Full-time or part-time
Portfolio required
Online option available
nysid.edu/aas
Bachelor
of Fine
Arts (BFA) in Interior Design
4 years
Full-time or part-time
Portfolio required
Online option available
nysid.edu/bfa
Tuition (2024-2025)
Tuition & fees: $31,200 per year
Room & board: $23,400 per year (estimated)
nysid.edu/tuition-fees
financial aid and scholarships available
Undergraduate Curriculum
Each of our undergraduate offerings feeds into the next. If you’re not quite ready to commit to the Bachelor of Fine Arts program, you can begin with a certificate or an associates degree. The credits you earn can be applied directly toward a Bachelor of Fine Arts if and when you choose to continue with your education.
7TH SEMESTER
Art & Society I: 19th & 20th Centuries
Humanities II
Kitchen & Bath Design
Professional Practice II
Thesis Preparation
Contract Design III
Design history elective
5TH SEMESTER
Cultural Anthropology
Presentation Techniques II
Residential Design III
Design Theory
Lighting II
Advanced Materials & Methods of Decoration
3RD SEMESTER
Modern Architecture and Design I
Intro to Sustainability and the Built Environment
Environment & Behavior
Presentation Techniques I
Codes
Residential Design II
Building Systems
1ST SEMESTER
Historical Styles I
Basic Drafting
Color for Interiors
English Composition I
Visual Concepts
Basic Mathematics*
Textiles for Interiors*
8TH SEMESTER
Furniture Design
Thesis
Intensive French or Intensive Italian
Design history elective
Professional or liberal arts elective
BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS (BFA)
6TH SEMESTER
Art & Society I: Pre-19th Century
Humanities I
Presentation Techniques III
Contract Design II
Professional elective
Professional or liberal arts elective
4TH SEMESTER
Modern Architecture and Design II
Professional Practice I
Construction Documents II
Environmental Science
Lighting I
Contract Design I
Professional or liberal arts elective
ASSOCIATE IN APPLIED SCIENCE (AAS)
2ND SEMESTER
Historical Styles II
Textiles for Interiors
Construction Documents I
Residential Design I
Hand Drawing and Rendering*
Design Process
English Composition II*
Materials & Methods of Construction*
*These are required classes if pursuing an AAS or BFA
BASIC INTERIOR DESIGN (BID)
94% of the Class of 2022 were employed or pursuing further education within 1 year of graduation
10:1
Student-to-faculty ratio
593 Enrollment 17% International students
Ready to take the next step?
Ready to take the next step towards your future at NYSID? Here’s how you can get started.
Apply now
Begin your application process at nysid.edu/admissions. It’s quick, easy, and the first step towards joining our vibrant community.
Take a tour
Experience NYSID firsthand by scheduling a campus tour. Walk through our state-of-the-art facilities, meet current students, and get a feel for what it’s like to be part of our creative family.
Attend an information session
Attend one of our information sessions to learn more about our programs, meet faculty members, and get answers to all your questions. Contact us
Our admissions team is here to help. Reach out to us via email at admissions@nysid.edu or phone at 212-472-1500 ext. 205, and we’ll guide you through every step of the process.