Interior Design and Interior Architecture

The professional interior designer is qualified by education, experience and examination to enhance the function and quality of interior spaces to improve quality of life; increase productivity; and protect the health, safety and welfare of the public. The Certificate Program in Interior Design and Interior Architecture offers a rewarding educational experience, preparing you to enter the profession without any prior background or experience. The certificate offers a comprehensive education that combines studio courses with the study of design theory and history and develops presentation skills and resource knowledge. Enrich your understanding of architecture and design, learn from industry professionals and build a strong portfolio to excel in the field. This certificate also provides the education and skills needed to qualify for the California Council of Interior Design exam (IDEX) and the National Council for Interior Design Qualification exam (NCIDQ).

Who Will Benefit

This certificate is ideal if you are interested in pursuing a career in interior design but have no formal prior training. Designers and architects interested in continuting their professional development are welcome to take individual courses in the program.

Prerequisites for Admission

International students in the Certificate Program in Interior Design and Interior Architecture must have a bachelor's degree.

Curriculum Requirements

The curriculum consists of 22 required courses for a total of 61 semester units (933 hours of instruction). Courses may have prerequisites; see course descriptions.

This certficate can be completed in three years.

Interior Design and Interior Architecture Courses

The table contains the required courses for the Certificate Program in Interior Design and Interior Architecture, as well as the terms they are typically available for enrollment.

Required Courses (Phase I)	Course #	Units	Fall	Spring	Summer
Design Principles and Elements	X475	3	♦	♦	♦
Graphic Communication I	X476.1	3	♦	♦	♦
Color Theory and Application for Interiors	X412.7	3	♦	♦	♦
AutoCAD	X479.1	3	♦	♦	♦
Graphic Communication II	X476.2	3	♦	♦	♦
History of Architecture, Interiors and Decorative Arts I	X412.4	3	♦
Digital Presentation Techniques	X481	2		♦	♦

Required Courses (Phase II)	Course #	Units	Fall	Spring	Summer
Design Studio I	X482.1	3	♦		♦
Interior Finishes and Materials	X480	3	♦	♦
History of Architecture, Interiors and Decorative Arts II	X412.5	3		♦
Revit	X479.2	3	♦	♦	♦
Space Planning	X413.8	3	♦	♦
Fundamentals of Lighting Design	X484	2	♦
Design Studio II	X482.2	3		♦	♦

Required Courses (Phase III)	Course #	Units	Fall	Spring	Summer
Building Components and Systems for Interior Architecture	X483			♦
Design Studio III	X482.3	3	♦		♦
Construction Documents	X414.6	2			♦
Business Practices for Interior Designers	X409	3	♦
Design Studio IV	X482.4	3	♦	♦

Electives	Course #	Units	Fall	Spring	Summer
New! Advanced Presentation Skills	X433.3	1		♦
Advanced Revit	X485	2	♦
Bathroom Design	X413.6	1	♦
Designing and Customizing Furniture and Fixtures	X473	1			♦
Exploring the World of Textiles	X499.2	1		♦
Fundamentals of Interior Design	X474	1	♦	♦	♦
New! IDEX Examination Preparation		0.8 ceu		♦
Internship in Interior Design	X409.2	2	♦	♦	♦
Inside Views of Design		0.4 ceu		♦
Kitchen Design	X447	2		♦
Portfolio and Professional Presentation	X413.5	2			♦
Principles of Sustainable Design	X400.6	2		♦
Sustainable Interiors	X411.1	1	♦

Course availability is subject to change. Begin the certificate curriculum by choosing one or more of the Phase I courses.

Professional Organizations

All students are eligible to join student chapters of the following professional organizations:

American Society of Interior Designers (ASID)
International Interior Design Association (IIDA)

Contact Information

To contact Evening Certificate Programs office, email ecp@unex.berkeley.edu, call (510) 642-2564 or fax (510) 643-0216.

Portfolio and Portfolio Review

Careers in interior design and interior architecture are premised on building a portfolio. Each course in the certificate facilitates producing work for your portfolio. Therefore, we highly recommend that you retain work from previous classes that can be used for your portfolio.

Advisory Board

Pamela Babey
Principal and Founder
BAMO

Collin Burry
Principal
Gensler

Daniel Huntsman
Founding and Managing Principal
Huntsman Architectural Group

Gary Hutton
Principal
Gary Hutton Designs

Charles Kahn
Principal and Founder
Kahn Design Associates

Lorissa Kimm
Principal
Lorissa Kimm Architect

Steven McCollum
Workplace Design Manager
Intuit

Melissa Mizell
Senior Associate
Gensler

David Moulton
Principal and Founder
BAMO

David Oldroyd
Principal
Orlando Diaz-Azcy Design Associates

Barbara Scavullo
President
Barbara Scavullo Design Inc.

Douglas Stead
Executive Vice President
California Council of Interior Design Certification

Jill Stoner
Associate Professor of Architecture and Chair of Graduate Advisers for Masters of Architecture students
Department of Architecture
UC Berkeley