Department of Consumer and Design Sciences
The Profession
The profession of interior design encompasses a broad range of design areas. Graduates of our program can choose many paths and specializations.
Interior Design Career Paths
Many of the following career paths will require you to pass the NCIDQ -- the interior design professional licensing exam. Our interior design program is CIDA accredited, which means you can be confident that this curriculum qualifies you to sit for the first part of the NCIDQ exam immediately upon graduation.
Professional Certifications
Students may earn professional certifications while completing their INDS degree.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a green-rating point system or scorecard. The more energy efficient and sustainable a building is, the more points it will earn. Just as buildings can be LEED certified, people in the sustainable construction industry and allied fields can become LEED professionals. The LEED Green Associate (GA) credential is the only entry level sustainability designation and shows employers and clients that you have certified knowledge in the green building industry. Auburn’s Interior Design students can prepare and sit for the LEED GA exam as a part of CADS 5310 Sustainable Design and LEED Accreditation.
The Center for Health Design’s internationally recognized EDAC program awards the EDAC credentials to individuals who demonstrate a thorough understanding of how to apply an evidence-based process to the design and development of healthcare settings, including measuring and reporting results. Its mission is to develop a community of certified industry professionals through education and assessment of an evidence based design process. Evidence-Based Design (EBD) is the process of basing decisions about the built environment on credible research to achieve the best possible outcomes using an eight step process. Auburn’s Interior Design students may elect to apply for the EDAC Certification as a part of the senior capstone Healthcare Design course.
The CADS Interior Design program is CIDA accredited, which means you can be confident that this curriculum meets professional standards for quality and career preparation. We are among the “most admired” programs in the nation (DesignIntelligence, 2014); recognized as the program of choice for interior design education.
Hiring firms also rank us among the best in educating students for communication and cross-disciplinary teamwork (DesignIntelligence 2013) and in research skills (Design Intelligence 2015). Over the last five years all graduates received job offers, many of those in Top 100 Architecture and Design Firms.
Department of Consumer and Design Sciences
308 Spidle Hall
Email Us
334-844-4084