contributed by Eric A. Wiedegreen, IDEC / IIDA / Allied ASID [Professor and Chair of Interior Design, Florida State University / IDEC President]
Located in Tallahassee, Florida State University doesn’t just gain energy from the ever-present sun. The presence of a busy state government and a concentrated academic community create a climate hot with politics and an atmosphere charged with innovation. 
The FSU campus is a short drive from the Gulf Coast in what is known as the Big Bend region of the Sunshine State. Though not quite as old as the state’s famous Everglades, the university has taught some aspect of interior design since it was founded in 1851, many years before the idea of interior design even materialized. So if you are looking for an interior design program with a solid history, consider FSU and all it has to offer.
The 3 R’s: Respected, Rigorous & Research-Driven
The department is housed in the historic William Johnston Building (1939), on Landis Green in the heart of the FSU campus. Aside from the department and faculty offices, our facilities consist of four design studios, a CAD lab, resource rooms, a public critique space, and gallery, seminar, and lecture spaces.
While the Interior Design department has an astounding offering of majors (close to 350 in total), Florida State enrolls almost 40,000 students. The university has the distinction of being a Research 1 Institution, which means that many members of the faculty have research programs. Additionally, students interested in research have an opportunity to develop a close working relationship with a faculty mentor as they collaborate on research projects.
The Interior Design curriculum at Florida State is both demanding and rewarding, and covers all areas of commercial and residential design. Computer technology and aspects of sustainable design and universal design are spread throughout the course of study.
The department offers the Bachelor of Science and the Bachelor of Arts degrees with many areas of minor emphasis available from other academic disciplines. The undergraduate program is fully accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation [CIDA] (formerly known as FIDER ) and the National Association of the Schools of Art and Design [NASAD]. We are proud to state that our program has been continuously accredited since 1975.
The program is termed “limited access,” meaning that during the first two semesters of study, a conditional Interior Design major must take four specific courses in the major: Introduction to Interior Design, Technical Drawing, and Design Fundamentals I and II. At the end of the spring term a First Year Review is held.
From among the students who apply for this portfolio review of the work from these four classes, only the top 40 students are chosen to proceed to the second year, and beyond, of study. While this is an extremely rigorous experience, it assures that students chosen for the program have the very best chances of becoming excellent interior design practitioners.
Beyond The Basics
The department also houses an established graduate program in interior design. The Master of Science First Professional degree is geared toward those candidates without an undergraduate degree in interior design or architecture. This portfolio track of courses fully prepares candidates to enter the profession and sit for licensure.
The Master of Science, Master of Arts, and Master of Fine Arts degrees are available for candidates already holding a bachelor’s degree in interior design or other related and approved design disciplines. Our Post-Professional program is especially responsive to those graduate students wishing to enter the field of design education. 
Professors Who Are Pros
The department has a distinguished faculty of nine full-time members. The faculty is supplemented by adjunct faculty who are practicing professional interior designers, architects, and specialists in other areas and businesses related to interior design. All faculty members hold either a PhD or a master’s degree from a major university and have been chosen for their particular expertise in such areas as interior design, architecture, art, and the technical and graphics aspects of design.
There is a careful mix between practitioner and research-focused faculty. Many are licensed interior designers in Florida and remain active in the profession. Most of the faculty hold professional memberships in a variety of organizations including ASID, IIDA, IDEC, and AIA. Department Chair Eric Wiedegreen is the current national president of Interior Design Educators Council [IDEC], and faculty members Dr. Lisa Waxman and Dr. Jill Pable are the current IDEC secretary-treasurer and past chair of the Interior Design Continuing Education Council [IDCEC], respectively. Both are currently chairs of the IDEC Academy.
The faculty’s deep belief in the powers of design is evidenced by the departmental sponsorship of the annual ART&DESIGN for Social Justice Symposium. This year’s symposium focuses on the homeless and will be held September 17 & 18, 2006, on the FSU campus.
Skip The Country
The value we place on a global experience is underscored by a 17-year history of interior design-focused summer abroad tours. Students have the opportunity to visit some of the leading design centers in Europe. Past study abroad courses have been offered in Italy, France, and England through Florida State University’s International Studies program.
A similar experience open to our students is the annual summer study in the restoration of historic decorative arts. In cooperation with the Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida, our program runs a two-week intensive study on the restoration and preservation of the decorative arts. Centered on the extensive restoration of the Ca d’Zan, the 1920s winter home of John and Mable Ringling, students are able to study with the curators, art historians, and craftsmen that made this museum house a reality. The course is open to undergraduate and graduate students for elective credit.
Career Building
But a quality design program is more than courses and buildings. A good program is composed of students who are actively engaged. Apart from the many functions sponsored by the department, students are encouraged to participate in the activities of the combined ASID / IIDA Student Chapter to develop career potentials. Competitions, conventions, and career day events are part of the calendar.
Students are also active in many campus organizations including student government, honor societies, sororities and fraternities, sports, and other intramural activities. Our students routinely win regional and national competitions. Most recently an IIDA press release announced Bridget Dunn as winning the Best in Competition in the 2006 National Student Sustainable Design Competition. Bridget’s project for an underprivileged women’s clinic using a sustainable design approach for construction and materials selection won her the honor.
Dig Deeper
We invite you to learn more about the Florida State University Interior Design program by checking our website at www.fsu.edu/~intdes. A visit to the Alumni News link allows you not only to see the full scope of the product that comes from this long-established program, but also allows you to see the varied ways interior design can be practiced.
