Bachelor of Science in Interior Design

The Interior Design program prepares students for careers in interior design and closely related industries. The program is structured through a holistic approach to designing that integrates industry standards as well as scientific and experimental methods which all serve to develop broad student skill sets and professionalism. As San Francisco State University is located in close proximity to a dynamic design center, the program is able to foster additional experiential learning through utilization of these resources in addition to our own.

The program focuses on both residential and commercial interior design and includes curricula that build on rigor within the transition from foundational courses through advanced-level practicum courses. Program study includes a culminating experience within the final semester of study, the Senior Thesis Project.

Students earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Interior Design are equipped to engage in entry-level interior design practice and are eligible to sit for the IDEX California Exam immediately upon graduation.

Program Learning Outcomes

  1. Students will exhibit technical and professional interior design graphic communication skill sets and abilities.
  2. Students will plan interior design solutions considering individual and family needs including health, wellness, and lifecycle changes.
  3. Students will plan interiors considering cost analysis and construction methods and approaches.
  4. Students will develop design process methods that include application of theory, current methods and technologies, and understanding of diversity and global needs.
  5. Students will consider sustainability and eco-sensitivity within interior design study and solutions.
  6. Students will exhibit the ability to research, investigate, synthesize and apply findings to the interior design solutions.
  7. Students will identify and evaluate issues of social responsibility, professional behavior, and ethics.

Mandatory Advising

Interior Design majors must meet with their program advisor to discuss a Graduation Plan which outlines their individual course sequence. Students who wish to substitute credits earned at another institution for courses offered for the major at SF State must get approval from their major advisor and the Department Chair.

Writing Competence

Writing skills are necessary for success in the major. ID 340GW should be taken at the beginning of the sequence of upper-division ID courses, which fulfills the Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR).

Interior Design (B.S.) — 54 units

The major includes 6 units of prerequisite work and 48 units of additional major courses. A prescribed sequence of courses must be adhered to as some classes are offered only in the fall or spring semesters. Students should check Bulletin descriptions for prerequisites to individual courses.

All major courses (core and elective) must be passed with a letter grade of C– or better. CR/NC is not allowed.

Core Requirements (45 units)

Courses must be passed with a C– or better; CR/NC is not allowed.

ADM 260Textiles3
FCS 600Professional Development3
ID 240Color and Design3
ID 242Interior Design Graphic Communication I3
ID 244Heritage of Housing and Interior Design (formerly ID 342)3
ID 245Contemporary Design in Housing and Interiors3
ID 340GWHuman Dimensions in Housing and Interiors - GWAR3
ID 343Housing for People with Special Needs3
ID 345Interior Design Graphic Communication II3
ID 440The Housing Structure and Its Component Parts3
ID 445Professional Practices for Interior Design3
ID 540The Materials of Interior Design3
ID 640Interior Design Solutions - Residential3
ID 641Interior Design Solutions - Commercial3
ID 645Advanced Interior Design Solutions3

Electives (9 units)

Must be passed with a C- or better; CR/NC is not allowed. Select three of the following with the approval of an advisor:

ADM 569Visual Merchandising and Promotion3
ARTH 201Western Art History I3
ARTH 202Western Art History II3
ART 210Introduction to Digital Media Arts3
ART 222Introduction to Textile Art3
ART 231Introduction to Drawing3
ART 260Introduction to the Darkroom3
DES 210Our Manufactured World: The Life Cycle of Everyday Objects3
DES 220Introduction to Drawing for Designers3
DES 221Introduction to 3D Digital Design3
DES 222Digital Design Foundations I3
DES 256Design and Society: Contemporary Design Issues and Applications3
DES 300Design Process3
ENVS 130Environmental Studies3
FCS 543Sustainability in the Textile, Housing, and Food Industries3
FCS 685Projects in Teaching of Family Interiors Nutrition & Apparel3
FCS 699Independent Study1-3
GEOG 455Geography of Ethnic Communities3
HTM 110Introduction to Hospitality and Tourism Management3
HUM 375Biography of a City: United States Cities3
HUM 376San Francisco3
ID/ADM 366Forecasting Apparel and Interior Design Trends3
MKTG 431Principles of Marketing3
USP/PLSI 580Housing Policy and Planning3

General Education Requirements

Requirement Course Level Units Area Designation
Oral Communication LD 3 A1
Written English Communication LD 3 A2
Critical Thinking LD 3 A3
Physical Science LD 3 B1
Life Science LD 3 B2
Lab Science LD 1 B3
Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning LD 3 B4
Arts LD 3 C1
Humanities LD 3 C2
Arts or Humanities LD 3 C1 or C2
Social Sciences LD 3 D1
Social Sciences: US History LD 3 D2
Lifelong Learning and Self-Development (LLD) LD 3 E
Ethnic Studies LD 3 F
Physical and/or Life Science UD 3 UD-B
Arts and/or Humanities UD 3 UD-C
Social Sciences UD 3 UD-D
SF State Studies
Courses certified as meeting the SF State Studies requirements may be upper or lower division in General Education (GE), a major or minor, or an elective.
American Ethnic and Racial Minorities LD or UD 3 AERM
Environmental Sustainability LD or UD 3 ES
Global Perspectives LD or UD 3 GP
Social Justice LD or UD 3 SJ

Note: LD = Lower-Division; UD = Upper-Division.

First-Time Student Roadmap (4 Year)

  1. The roadmaps presented in this Bulletin are intended as suggested plans of study and do not replace meeting with an advisor. For a more personalized roadmap, please use the Degree Planner tool found in your Student Center.
  2. In order to choose your English Composition A2 course and your QR/Math B4 course, please complete the online advising activities at writingadvising.sfsu.edu and mathadvising.sfsu.edu. Questions? Contact Gator Smart Start.

First-Time Student Roadmap

General Advising Information for Transfer Students

  1. Before transfer, complete as many lower-division requirements or electives for this major as possible.
  2. The following courses are not required for admission but are required for graduation. Students are strongly encouraged to complete these units before transfer; doing so will provide more flexibility in course selection after transfer.
    • a course in U.S. History
    • a course in U.S. & California Government

For information about satisfying the requirements described in (1) and (2) above at a California Community College (CCC), please visit http://www.assist.org. Check any geographically accessible CCCs; sometimes options include more than one college. Use ASSIST to determine:

  • Which courses at a CCC satisfy any lower-division major requirements for this major;
  • Which courses at a CCC satisfy CSU GE, US History, and US & CA Government requirements.

Remedial courses are not transferable and do not apply to the minimum 60 semester units/90 quarter units required for admission.

Additional units for courses that are repeated do not apply to the minimum 60 units required for upper-division transfer (for example, if a course was not passed on the first attempt or was taken to earn a better grade).

Before leaving the last California Community College of attendance, obtain a summary of completion of lower-division General Education units (IGETC or CSU GE Breadth). This is often referred to as a GE certification worksheet. SF State does not require delivery of this certification to Admissions, but students should retain this document for verifying degree progress after transfer.

Credit for Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or College-Level Examination Program courses: AP/IB/CLEP credit is not automatically transferred from the previous institution. Units are transferred only when an official score report is delivered to SF State. Credit is based on the academic year during which exams were taken. Refer to the University Bulletin in effect during the year of AP/IB/CLEP examination(s) for details regarding the award of credit for AP/IB/CLEP.

Students pursuing majors in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines often defer 6-9 units of lower-division General Education in Areas C and D until after transfer to focus on preparation courses for the major. This advice does not apply to students pursuing associate degree completion before transfer.

Transferring From Institutions Other Than CCCs or CSUs

Review SF State's lower-division General Education requirements. Note that, as described below, the four basic skills courses required for admission meet A1, A2, A3, and B4 in the SF State GE pattern. Courses that fulfill the remaining areas of SF State’s lower-division GE pattern are available at most two-year and four-year colleges and universities.

Of the four required basic skills courses, a course in critical thinking (A3) may not be widely offered outside the CCC and CSU systems. Students should attempt to identify and take an appropriate course no later than the term of application to the CSU. To review more information about the A3 requirement, please visit bulletin.sfsu.edu/undergraduate-education/general-education/lower-division/#AAEL.

Waiting until after transfer to take a single course at SF State that meets both US and CA/local government requirements may be an appropriate option, particularly if transferring from outside of California.