While Parsons offers a four-year BFA as well as graduate programs for concentrated fields, its two-year Associate of Applied Science interior design degree is a great option for anyone with prior college education. Coursework ranges from study of materiality, art history, and design theory to hand drawing, renderings, and three-dimensional modeling. As part of Parsons’s School of Constructed Environments, interior design students work closely with faculty, peers, and outside professionals to design spaces that consider sustainability, diversity, and well-being. in 1906, Parsons has long framed interior design as an “intellectually rigorous creative force in everyday life.” Today this research-based, intensive curriculum provides a solid foundation for a career in interior design. With the very first interior design curriculum launched in the U.S. Notable alumni: Christian Sottile, Maruja Fuentes The New School, Parsons School of Design Job placement: 99% placement in design positions or enrollment in graduate school for interior design graduates High-level internships are encouraged in Atlanta and Savannah. And satellite campuses in Atlanta and Lacoste, France, offer students access to a global education. Career prep is also paramount résumé and portfolio development, mock interviews, and self-promotion are all built into the curriculum. Plus, its collaborative design studio called SCADpro offers a way for top students to gain real-world experience. Each year, SCAD hosts SCADstyle, a three-day event filled with industry-renowned designers, architects, and editors.
Of course, SCAD’s offerings extend beyond its classrooms.
The program encourages collaborative projects, innovation, critical thinking, effective communication, and professional ethics. SCAD also ranked second on the prestigious Red Dot Design Rankings in 2019. Savannah College of Art and Design consistently appears on top lists for interior design colleges near and far in fact, 2020 marks the eighth time in 12 years that it received the top ranking on DesignIntelligence’s list of best interior design schools.
The job placement statistics shown here feature the most recently available data for each program or university, if program-specific data was not available.
Editor’s note: The costs mentioned for each school are an estimate of the tuition plus mandatory fees, and do not include room and board.