- We are accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA)
- Our students win regional and national interior design competitions
- Graduates of our program practice across the USA, enter graduate programs, become NCIDQ certified, and are LEED GA accredited designers
- Our Interior Design studios are equipped with industry-standard design software, a plotter and private storage spaces.
- Our internships allow students to engage with professionals and learn while working in the field
- Interior design professors are professionals with successful private practice experience
The BFA in Interior Design at Converse is a professional degree that prepares students to create beautifully functional, healthy and safe interior environments. You will develop manual and digital expertise in graphic visualization and presentation, and build an extensive knowledge base of current products and practices in use by design professionals.
Accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA), Converse’s BFA in Interior Design explores design innovation, functionality and safety in various forms of architecture, environmental design, graphic design, and industrial design.
Study with our esteemed faculty who are industry professionals and develop a deep understanding of interior design’s technical and artistic aspects for a variety of public and private interior environments.
Degree Offered
BFA in Interior Design
About Interior Design
The BFA in Interior Design at Converse is a professional degree that prepares students to create beautifully functional, healthy and safe interior environments. You will develop manual and digital expertise in graphic visualization and presentation, and build an extensive knowledge base of current products and practices in use by design professionals.
The interior design program leading to the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, 206 Grandville Avenue, Suite 350, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503.
The CIDA-accredited program prepares students for entry-level interior design practice, for advanced study, and to apply for membership in professional interior design organizations. The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design degree granted by Converse University meets the educational requirement for eligibility to sit for the National Council for Interior Design Qualification Examination (NCIDQ Exam). Visit here for more information about NCIDQ Exam eligibility visit.
Watch highlights from the Interior Design Senior Capstone Projects
Our course schedules are customized so students can meet and travel together to attend professional activities. Students network with interior designers, lighting designers and product experts at businesses and showrooms in The Upstate. Our students attend industry meetings and conferences, and are encouraged to join professional organizations.
Internships

Every interior design major has the opportunity to participate in a professional design work experience with an interior design or architectural firm. Graduating students are often recruited for full-time positions by their internship employers. You’ll be confident to intern at any design firm in the country, as Converse’s CIDA-accredited program prepares students for entry-level interior design practice, for advanced study, and to apply for membership in professional interior design organizations.
Our interior design students have interned at businesses including:
- Milliken Floor Coverings
- LS3P, Inc.
- Resort Interiors
- Fluor Enterprises, Inc.
- Signature Kitchens
- Swallowtail Architecture
- C. Taylor Interiors, Inc
- Preston Design Collaborative
- Young Office
- SGA Architecture
- Compass Office Solutions
- H. Hendy Associates
BFA in Interior Design
The studio sequence along with meaningful interactions with interior designers, architects and lighting experts, prepares you for the real world of interior design practice. You will study art, design, history and technology and learn to use the creative process to solve complex problems. Our interior design alumni consistently recruit for internships and full-time jobs from our program.
The curriculum includes specialized courses in colors, textiles, lighting, materials, design history, construction documents, computer technology, and business practices that support the core studios and provide a well-rounded interior design education. An exhibit of your work is part of your senior coursework. Student work is exhibited throughout Milliken Fine Arts Building year-round.
Course schedules are customized so students can meet and travel together to attend professional activities, industry meetings and conferences in The Upstate.
Use of software and internet research is an important component of all interior design courses. Interior Design majors are required to have their own laptop computers. Learn about laptop and software requirements.
Our alumni are employed by interior design firms, architecture and engineering firms, office furniture dealerships, manufacturers of interiors’ products, facility design/real estate properties departments, and retail showrooms.
- 100% of our 2022 Interior Design graduates had a job in their field either at graduation or within six months.
- The Human Resources manager at Web-Don, Inc. described our students as “exceptionally smart and focused students….rock stars…No wonder you have such a high placement rate.”
See interior design student projects here.
Graduating Class of 2022
Retention/Attrition
- 77% of freshmen interior design majors continued to their second year.
- 67% of freshmen interior design majors graduated; 90% of these students graduated within 4 years.
- 33% of transfer students completed less than 4 years on campus.
Student Achievement and Outcomes
- 100% of interior design students completed an internship.
- 50% worked part-time in the interior design field during their senior year.
- 80% were employed in the interior design field within three months after graduation.
- 100% of students were employed within six months after graduation.
- No students applied to graduate programs.
Data collected from institutional records and program reports. *Please note the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected some outcomes.
Department News
Converse Celebrates High-Impact Experiential Learning at 2023 RISE Symposium
Converse held its second annual RISE Symposium during the week of April 10, 2023. Open to all undergraduate, graduate and Converse II students, the RISE symposium empowers students to share …
Converse to Host 2023 Emerging Young Artists Exhibition
Converse University’s Department of Art and Design will host the 2023 Emerging Young Artists Exhibition March 13-25, 2023, in Milliken Art Gallery, an on-campus exhibition space with unique visual access …
Converse Design Students Honored at 2022 IFDA Carolinas Event
Two Converse University Interior Design students were honored at The International Furnishings and Design Association’s (IFDA) Night of Luminaries & Rising Stars. The IFDA Carolinas Chapter honored outstanding design students from …
Programs of Study
Converse offers over 100 majors, minors, certificates, and graduate programs across 2 campuses and online.