The Program
The Interior Design profession encompasses many components: gathering client/user needs, space analysis, evaluation and planning, construction methods, materials and codes, drawing, drafting and rendering of plans, selecting colors, fabrics, furniture and writing specifications.

Villa's Interior Design Program stresses space planning and rendering skills to express visual ideas. Computer aided design (CAD) equipment is used by students at all levels. Additional coursework focuses on the history of interior design, furniture styles, and the business aspects of the profession.

Villa's program offers several additonal features including: Restoration and Preservation at Shea's Performaing Arts Theature, studio instruction from freshman year, including design projects in residential, retail, hospitality, restaurant, office etc. In addition, other specialized classes in Furniture Design taught by a Roycroft Mastercraftsman, a full course in Kitchen and Bath Design, as well as multiple Internship opportunities both locally and nationally.

Students visit several popular design destinationis including New York City, Toronto, Montreal, and are invited on a program-sponsored international trip to Europe.


The program offers students 3 semesters of CAD courses, with rendering skills taught in the early stages of the program. Small class sizes, individual attention, faculty advisement are all program hallmarks

The Requirements
 Download an Adobe PDF of the Interior Deisgn Program Planner



Scholarships

Ethan Allen Home Interiors Scholarship
A scholarship for present high school seniors who have a minimum of a B average and plan to attend Villa Maria College or Buffalo State College to pursue a degree in interior design.
Download a PDF of the application form


Liberal Arts
The liberal arts core, a combination of humanities, natural sciences and social sciences, essential to a solid career foundation, is required in all degree programs.

Employment Opportunities
Employment potential exists in business, industry, and residential design. Graduates will find entry level positions in interior design firms, architectural firms, construction firms, retail and commercial furniture dealerships, and retail furnishings establishments which offer interior design assistance to their clients.

Specialized areas of interior design include health care, industrial, leisure, and institutional. Careers are also available in historic preservation, sales, facility management, and education.

Special Program Notes
Interior Design students participate in a required cooperative internship to complement hands-on training and to provide students with practical work experience prior to entering the field. Internships also provide excellent networking opportunities.

Many graduates continue their education at baccalaureate institutions in architecture, interior design, historical preservation, and art education. Members of the Villa Maria College Interior Design faculty are practicing professionals in the field.

Graduates can be admitted to the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) by completing a required period of professional practice and passing the National Council for Interior Design Qualifications (NCIDQ) exam.


For Further Information