Bachelor of Applied Arts Degree in Interior Design
The Bachelor of Applied Arts in Interior Design (BAA) offers a broadly based and professionally-relevant curriculum that embraces the responsibility of preparing and inspiring the designers of the future. The BAA program provides a learning environment based on a foundation of holistic, creative problem-solving. The BAA program is accredited as a professional level degree by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA). The BAA program is an upper-division course of study for students who have completed a two year foundation in interior design-related studies. The degree offers a combination of core courses, general education and electives that helps students achieve their particular career goals.
The Bachelor of Applied Arts in Interior Design is a self-support program and therefore does not follow the upper division tuition schedule published in the catalog and schedule. These courses are not eligible for tuition waivers.
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Degree Requirements Overview
The program works closely with the professional design community to keep current with the changes in interior design technologies and practices. The curriculum helps students gain insight into the various forms of spatial configuration, and learn from history and current strategies to achieve technological, sustainable, and socially relevant solutions for interior environments. Multi-disciplinary studios help students focus their interests while learning from experts in the professional field. This creates opportunities for highly collaborative student-faculty-industry relationships throughout the program.
Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from the BAA should have the skills and abilities to be employed by companies specializing in interior design services, including interior design and architectural firms who practice in commercial, institutional or residential interiors and space planning, provide furniture-related design and/or specifications, offer specialized consulting services, or participate in green-building and sustainable design projects. Program graduates should be able to:
- Apply interior design principles and practices.
- Recognize the implications of globalization on design practices and demonstrate an understanding of how social, political and physical influences shape the design of built environments.
- Utilize the principles of lighting, acoustics, thermal comfort and indoor air quality to enhance the health, safety, welfare, and performance of building occupants.
- Select and specify furniture, fixtures, equipment and finish materials on the basis of their properties and performance criteria, including environmental attributes, maintenance, installation, and life cycle cost.
- Apply ethical and accepted standards of practice for project management, project communication, and project delivery.
- Demonstrate leadership by engaging in multi-disciplinary teams representing a variety of points of view and perspectives collaborations, consensus building, and team-oriented activities.
- Demonstrate understanding of laws, codes, standards, and guidelines that impact the design of interior spaces and protect the health, welfare and safety of the public, including fire and life safety, accessibility guidelines, and industry-specific regulations in the design of interior spaces.
- Appraise the job market, create a search strategy and professional portfolio; leverage internship experience for career success; earn experience necessary to qualify for NCIDQ certification.
Degree Requirements
To determine the specific courses required for graduation, meet with an Interior Design Program advisor (e-mail BAAID@bellevuecollege.edu).
Download the 2012-13 completion worksheet for the BAA degree [PDF]
| Course No. | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility | ||
An interior design-related associate’s degree,
|
90 | |
Core Courses (see note 1) |
||
| INDES 340 | Interior Design Theory | 3 |
| INDES 350 | History of Interiors & Furniture | 5 |
| INDES 351 | Modern Interiors & Furniture | 5 |
| INDES 352 | Design & Fabrication | 3 |
| INDES 390 | Interior Building Systems | 5 |
| INDES 391 | Lighting for Interiors | 5 |
| INDES 440 | Design Research | 2 |
| INDES 471 | Capstone Design Studio I | 5 |
| INDES 472 | Capstone Design Studio II | 5 |
| INDES 480 | Professional Practices & Principles | 5 |
| INDES 485 | Practicum in Interior Design (150 hours) | 3 |
| Choose 15 credits from the following: | 15 | |
| These courses may be repreated up to 15 credits | ||
| INDES 370 | Design Studio Residential (5 Cr) | |
| INDES 371 | Design Studio Commercial (5 Cr) | |
| INDES 372 | Design Studio Experiential (5 Cr) | |
Elective Requirements (see note 2) |
||
| Electives: Take any combination of courses from the following disciplines for a minimum combined total of 8 credits: INDES studio or special topics; ART studio; DRMA 210, 212, 215; or Digital Media Arts |
15 | |
General Education Requirements |
||
| ART 203 | History of Western Art (see note 3) |
5 |
| Choose 5 credits from the following: | 5 | |
| ENGL 201 | The Research Paper (5 Cr) | |
| ENGL& 235 | Technical Writing (5 Cr) | |
| ENGL 271 | Expository Writing I (5 Cr) | |
| ENGL 272 | Expository Writing II (5 Cr) | |
| Laboratory Science | 5 | |
| Choose 5 credits from the AAS-DTA lab science course list Recommended: ENVS 207 or ENVS 250 |
||
| Humanities Distribution | 5 | |
| CMST 350 | Professional Communication for the Designer | |
Social Science Distribution |
5 | |
| Choose 5 credits from the AAS-DTA Social Science course list Recommended: ANTH& 206, BUS& 101, CMST& 230, ECON& 201, INTST 150, PSYC 203 or SOC 210 |
||
| Grand Total | 191 | |
Notes 1 through 3:
- Students must earn a C or better in Interior Design Core Courses.
- The exact number of elective credits to achieve 191 credit hours required for graduation will be determined during the admission process based on the student’s prior academic record. Students completing Bellevue College’s 97-credit AA in Interior Studies will need 8 credits to satisfy the elective requirement.
- If you have taken ART 203 or an equivalent modern art history course as part of an associate’s or other transfer degree, must substitute another art history course. For instance: ART 201, 202, or 205.
Basic Graduation Requirements
A complete description of the required curriculum is shown on the following page. In addition to eligibility requirements, students must achieve the following:
- Complete a total of at least 191 applicable college-level quarter credits (including the 90 credits required for admission to the degree program).
- Maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the general program and concentration requirements.
- Earn a cumulative GPA of 2.0 for all coursework applied to the degree, including credits transferred from other colleges.
- Complete at least 45 quarter credits for the degree in residence at Bellevue College, of which 30 credits must be upper division.
