In 1906, Frank Alvah Parsons founded the first Interior Design program in the United States. 100 years later, as the very concept of what actually constitutes the interior is contested territory, Parsons remains the leading school for interior design education for students around the world. The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design is a four-year degree that prepares students for a career in an increasingly complex field that embraces the design of furniture-scaled objects to building-scaled environments. Together with an acclaimed faculty of top professional designers, students learn to conceptualize and develop interior designs through to detailed resolution, using representational means ranging from models to full-scale material constructs and digital animations.

At the curricular core of the program is the design studio, where students work on interior design projects with design faculty in small groups. The studio is an open loft space with wireless digital capability, immediate access to research and fabrication facilities, and a dedicated work area for each student. It is a place of fluid exchange and interaction among faculty and peers.

In the first year of studies, intended BFA ID majors participate in the Parsons-wide foundation program. After the successful completion of this foundation year, students enter the Interior Design major. During their senior year, Interior Design majors may ballot to join the department's The Design Workshop program in which aidl students design, development and ultimately construct a full-scale project under faculty supervision.

Lois Weinthal
Director, BFA ID
weinthal@newschool.edu