Bachelor of Interior Design (Honours) (Co-op) at Algonquin College

Combine your strategic and design thinking for a career creating functional spaces.

The Bachelor of Interior Design (Honours) degree program prepares you to pursue a professional career related to the design of the built environment. The curriculum integrates professional and general studies with an emphasis on critical thinking and applied research.

Enriched with a focus on environmental and global perspectives in interior design, you learn to consider ecological, economic and social aspects to analyze and design healthy living environments.

The program contains a strong experiential component that includes design studio experiences and an active engagement with the professional design community. In the fourth year, you have the opportunity to specialize in an area of interest specific to the profession and are required to complete an applied research paper.

To complete your degree, you must complete one mandatory paid co-op work term where you gain valuable work experience and network within the industry.

You also earn a Building Biology Advocate (BBA) Certification upon successful completion of the seven required Construction courses.

The integration of theory, analysis and practice prepare you to assume a leadership role within the profession. As a graduate, you are able to apply strategic thinking and a research orientation to your responsibilities as a professional interior designer and can contribute to the development and evolution of the field of design.

SUCCESS FACTORS

This program is well-suited for students who:

• Are curious about the space in which they live, work and play.
• Want to combine aesthetics, technology and human need into a highly-marketable career choice.
• Enjoy using creative, strategic and critical thinking to solve problems.
• Are interested in examining sustainable and global design issues.
• Enjoy a collaborative and innovative environment for learning.

Careers

This program graduates interior designers equipped to fulfill leadership roles within the profession on a national and international level. Graduates may find employment in interior design offices, architectural firms, government planning and facilities management offices, healthcare environments, educational environments or other design and built-environment related fields. Graduates have the skills to work on interdisciplinary, multi-cultural design teams in a variety of settings. Over time, and with suitable experience, some graduates may wish to develop their own firms.

With this degree, graduates may wish to continue their academic studies in interior design and related disciplines, such as environmental studies, environmental psychology and architecture.

Learning Outcomes

The graduates have reliably demonstrated the ability to:

1. Be competent knowledgeable workers able to apply fundamental concepts and skills of design in a variety of contexts.
2. Design built environments consistent with industry standards and best practices.
3. Be critical and creative thinkers able to analyze situations, draw conclusions and develop innovative and creative products using an accepted decision-making model.
4. Be effective collaborators able to use communication and interpersonal skills to fulfill a leadership role on an interdisciplinary, multi-cultural design team.
5. Be continuous learners and contributing professionals able to assume the responsibilities of a professional designer, work within legal and ethical guidelines governing their practice and contribute to the development and evolution of the field of design.
6. Be informed citizens able to adapt their work across cultural, social political and geographical contexts.
7. Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitment and environmental stewardship.

Program Eligibility

• Six Grade 12 university (U) or university/college (M) courses with a minimum 65% average including:

  • One Grade 12 U English course.
  • One Grade 12 U Mathematics course.
• Please note that mature students must meet the following subject-specific Program Eligibility requirements, either directly or through equivalencies:
  • One Grade 12 U English course.
  • One Grade 12 U Mathematics course.
• Subject to competition, applicants may be required to present grades/averages at 70%.