Interior Design Major

Program Mission

The mission of the Interior Design program is to prepare students to enter the field of interior design as skilled designers, creative thinkers, professional leaders and responsible citizens. We cultivate students who acknowledge their responsibilities to the safety and well-being of the public and the stewardship of the environment to lead a multifaceted profession in an ever-changing world. The curriculum combines a studio-based design sequence with broad liberal arts study and experiential learning. Paired with a well-established professional co-op, the coursework is structured to build upon the fundamentals of interior design and to anticipate and reflect change in a continually evolving industry. The program encourages exploration and experimentation that fosters life-long learners who will contribute to the profession and the discipline’s body of knowledge.

What is Interior Design?

Drexel's top-flight Interior Design major is a studio-based undergraduate program that trains the next generation of creative thinkers for the Interior Design industry.

The Interior Design program explores the behavioral, technological, environmental, and aesthetic aspects of interior design within the context of increasingly more complex design projects. Combined with art and art history, and general education requirements, a core of interior design courses creates a unique education at the forefront of design. Through academics grounded in problem-solving design studios, cooperative employment and a dedicated and deeply experienced faculty, the Interior Design program prepares students for leadership positions in the industry. Students are prepared to enter the field of interior design as skilled designers, creative thinkers, technologically skilled, professional leaders, and responsible citizens. The Interior Design program is consistently ranked among the top programs in the United States and globally including Architectural Digest, Houzz, Design Schools Hub, House Beautiful, and the survey by DesignIntelligence of "America's Best Design Schools."

The BS in Interior Design program is accredited by three individual accrediting bodies: CIDA (Council for Interior Design Accreditation), NASAD (National Association of Schools of Art & Design) and MSCHE (Middle States Commission on Higher Education).

Students in Drexel’s Interior Design undergraduate program receive a Bachelor of Science degree from one of the nation’s top universities located in the United States’ sixth largest city, Philadelphia. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Philadelphia has a rich cultural and vibrant design scene.

Why Study Interior Design at Drexel? 

The Interior Design program at Drexel is uniquely situated to offer the best education and career opportunities. Students benefit from gifted peers, outstanding faculty with active research agendas or practicing professionals, world class facilities, and an unmatched depth of resources. Our highly ranked, CIDA-accredited program is supported by a top university with a distinctive vision, and we maintain a principal position within the academic and professional worlds. Interior Design at Drexel is characterized by a focus on human experience, explorations of materials and form, commitment to a sustainable future, commitment to future technologies, and rigorous professional training.

Students participate in a vigorous learning environment through hands-on making, conceptual exploration, technological experimentation, and engagement with their faculty, peers and industry professionals. The program engages both the process and products of design and recognizes that ideas involve aesthetics, function, ethics, environmental stewardship, human well being, technology and the realities of the current and future marketplace. The program embraces visual studies, providing a foundation of design knowledge, and integrates social science research and methods that inform human-centered designs.

For current activities and student work check out what is going on via INSTAGRAM

Through a series of courses offered in the freshman and sophomore years, students will explore the challenges facing our industry and learn how to implement inclusive, responsible, and sustainable solutions in their design process. The fusion of art, design, science, technology, and critical thinking serves as a springboard to solve problems for the 21st century. This transdisciplinary approach requires flexibility and focus.

After completing classroom instruction through the University’s cooperative education program, Interior Design students complete a six-month co-op experience. Students are working full-time at major design firms, manufacturers, showrooms and dealerships at national and international locations. Cooperative education offers invaluable opportunities for students to explore and participate in the Interior Design industry’s wide variety of career opportunities. Concomitant with industry experience, and in preparation for entry into the professional field, students take courses outlining the professional practice of interior design. Topics covered include entrepreneurial endeavors, contracts, fee structures, licensing and business formation models.

Many students spend a term studying abroad in the world’s great design capitals, including London, England, Paris France and Rome, Italy. Students can also choose from a range of intensive courses abroad (ICA) offered by our Architecture, Construction, Design & Urbanism Department. Past locations have included South Korea, Australia, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Venice, Florence, Rome, and Jamacia. Additionally, students may participate in any ICA offered by Drexel.

Critiques by visiting professionals are included in all upper level courses and provide valuable “real world” input as well as future coop and career connections. Students are taught to think globally throughout their student career and culminate in the Senior Project year-long courses. These are the final studio courses melding individual interests with research to solve unique world problems. Students present and defend their projects at the end of the Spring semester to a panel of professional jurors and faculty for critique and feedback.

Each year, Interior Design students submit their designs to national and international competitions, such as HOK Design Futures, Jacobs Engineering Student Competition, American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) student competition, International Interior Design Association (IIDA), Network of Executives in Hospitality (NEWH) Student competition, Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Student competition, Gensler’s Brinkman student competition and the Donghia Competition — one of the largest Interior Design scholarship programs with an award of $30,000. There is not a lack of competitions for our students to enter and win!

What Skills Will You Learn in a Interior Design Undergraduate Program?

Students who pursue a major in Interior Design from Drexel University will be able to:

• Recognize how global, social, cultural, and economic factors shape design now and in the future, and understand the professional responsibilities and value of interior design
• Collaborate effectively with interdisciplinary teams and clearly communicate ideas in written, verbal, and visual formats
• Design spaces that support human experience and wellbeing by applying knowledge of behavior, light, color, acoustics, thermal comfort, air quality, plumbing, and waste systems
• Use all stages of the design process to create innovative solutions that thoughtfully integrate furnishings, products, materials, and finishes
• Apply knowledge of design history, interiors, architecture, decorative arts, and art, as well as the elements and principles of design, to inform their creative work
• Demonstrate knowledge of interior construction, building systems, and apply laws, codes, standards, and guidelines to ensure safe, accessible, and responsible design
• Use current technologies effectively in the design process while developing the knowledge and adaptability to understand, evaluate, and integrate emerging and future technological advances

To learn more about the skills taught throughout the Interior Design program, visit the curriculum page in the 2027-2028 Drexel University Semester Catalog.

Facilities for Interior Design Majors 

Interior Design majors are housed in the URBN Center, Westphal’s state-of-the-art facility, with well-equipped, spacious studios available to students 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Students have access to an extensive array of high-tech equipment and software for their design work, including:

• Building Information Modeling (BIM/Revit) Software
• 3D printers
• Laser cutters
• AI-related platforms

The Hybrid Making Lab is available to all Westphal students for making and collaborating on projects. Students acquire detailed knowledge about productions, advanced technologies in design, collaborative design, materials and processes, and the presentation of their projects.

Career Opportunities with an Interior Design Degree

Students who complete their Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from Drexel have the opportunity to pursue job opportunities in a variety of roles and industries, such as:

• Interior designer
• Project manager
• Commercial design
• Hospitality design
• Residential design
• Healthcare design
• Sport venue design
• Institutional design
• Exhibition design
• Set design
• Lighting design
• Kitchen and bath design
• Facilities design (i.e. Google, Apple, Disney)
• Government agencies (Federal, State, Local)
• Real Estate
• Manufacturer's Representative
• Showrooms
• Construction industry
• Product development/furniture design
• Creative director
• Design research
• Technology coordinator

Support Drexel Interior Design

UPDATED OCT2026 FOR 2027-2028 ACADEMIC YEAR (SEMESTERS)