General Information

The Bachelor of Interior Design (BID) is a full-time, four-year baccalaureate degree. This distinctive integrated program will develop the theoretical and practical foundation for creative and critical design thinking skills necessary for working with clients and stakeholders in the practice of interior design. Program coursework will develop the background knowledge and professional skills required to carry out the duties and responsibilities of an interior designer. The BID degree balances the core required interior design courses with a strong foundation in liberal arts established through ten General Education courses. Program coursework normally extends over eight semesters with a required 450 hour industry Internship at the end of the sixth semester.

The Bachelor of Interior Design program consists of three core areas/streams of study (Design + Precedent, Systems, Design Tools) and a studio. The core areas establish a foundation in design related: knowledge, theory, research, problem-solving, collaboration, and professional practice as well as necessary manual and technological skills. The studio is where students apply the core area knowledge in the term through interactions with faculty and peers on project work.

Design + Precedent

• Establishes the theoretical and practical basis for understanding, researching and designing spaces for people through engaged design thinking and process.

Design Tools

• Establishes the oral, manual, technical and professional design knowledge, techniques and skills used to explore, express and communicate project work (e.g. sketching, drawing, construction documentation, graphics, and business).

Systems

• Establishes the building systems necessary to construct human environments and includes topics such as: structural principles; fundamental building systems (e.g. structures, light, heat, ventilation); building codes, by-laws and regulations; sustainable design principles; and materials.

Studio

• Applies the knowledge and skills from the core areas of study in the semester.
• Integrates design thinking and making.
• Explores studio theme/focus (e.g. space + experience) through a series of projects, students experiment, and practice their understanding of content taught in the core areas of study.

The Bachelor of Interior Design degree is built upon the very successful CIDA accredited Bachelor of Applied Interior Design degree delivered at Mount Royal since 1996. The BID maintains elements of the applied degree such as integrating hand sketching and drawing with technology to develop solid ideation and communication skills. In addition, knowledge and abilities have been expanded to ensure that students develop a broad range of design related theory, knowledge, research and skills required in professional practice as well as preparing students for study at a graduate school level. The BID degree is designed to meet or exceed the 2014 Professional Standards established by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA).

Graduates of the BID degree will be eligible to write the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) Interior Design Fundamentals Exam (IDFX). The second and final exam for professional certification is the NCIDQ Interior Design Professional Exam (IDPX). This exam can be written upon successful completion of the Fundamental exam and specific practice experience and knowledge this normally requires 2-3 years of full-time employment in interior design. Successful completion of these exams normally provides the Interior Designer with the professional NCIDQ certification required to become a Registered Interior Designer through the Interior Designers of Alberta (IDA) or an Intern Licensed Interior Designer through the Alberta Association of Architects (AAA). The NCIDQ certification is required to become Registered Interior Designer in all Provincial Interior Design Associations in Canada.

Graduates of the Bachelor of Interior Design degree will be highly qualified for direct employment in a variety of areas in professional practices (e.g. interior design or architectural firms; home builders or developers; facility management - oil & gas, civic, healthcare, airport authority; project management; theatre/set design; manufacturer’s representative; sales, etc.).

Although the Bachelor of Interior Design program is designed primarily for entry into professional practice, graduates will also be qualified to apply to graduate programs for further study. Students of the BID degree who are interested in advanced study upon graduation are encouraged to discuss their post-graduate education plans with an academic advisor at Mount Royal or the institution in which they are seeking enrolment.

Internship

The one zero-credit internship is designed to provide an extension of the learning process in a relevant work environment. This internship is offered in the spring/summer term at the end of semester six. The internship consists of 450 hours of paid work experience with an employer in an industry related area.

Given the fluctuating nature of the Calgary labour market, opportunities for work experience can be located locally, provincially, nationally or internationally. Students should be prepared to relocate and to receive intern or entry-level compensation.

General Admission Requirements

All students must meet the general admission requirements for Mount Royal University programs, as indicated in the Admission  section of this calendar.

Additional Admission Requirements

In addition to meeting the general admission requirements indicated in the Admission  section of this calendar, applicants must also satisfy the following criteria:

Academic Course Requirements

The following specific courses (or equivalencies) with the specified minimum grades are required for admission into the Bachelor of Interior Design program:

• English Language Arts 30-1 - 65%
• Mathematics 30-1 or 30-2 - 50%

Although conditional admission may be granted in advance of receipt of final/official transcripts, confirmation of the achievement of specified minimum grades will take place after all final/official transcripts have been received by the University. Applicants who do not meet these minimum grade requirements will be denied admission.

Additional Criteria

Competitively qualified applicants who meet the academic requirements for admission must complete the department directed portfolio. The portfolio includes:

• hand drawing and composition components
• in-person discussion of an identified design topic

The directed portfolio submissions are used in conjunction with the academic requirements to evaluate and determine program admission.

Admission on the Basis of Transfer from a Recognized School of Interior Design

Admittance into the program is determined based on available seats in the potential transfer year into the Bachelor of Interior Design program.

Applicants seeking admission on this basis must apply through the standard Mount Royal Admissions process and meet the Mount Royal and BID admission requirements. Qualified applicants who have received an Offer of Admission into the interior design program and wish to have previous interior design courses considered for transfer credit should refer to the timelines associated with the evaluation of specific courses for the purpose of transfer equivalency/credit. In addition, a portfolio of student work and course outlines must be provided upon confirmation of admission into the program to determine if there is any equivalency.

Interior Design Technology (IDT) diploma graduates from Alberta IDT programs, are eligible to apply for admission into the BID degree and receive applicable transfer credit in identified core courses with a minimum grade of C+. Admission for IDT graduates is competitive and will be based on the competitive admission average for available seats. IDT students are advised to meet with their institutional Academic Advisor to review the course Transfer Credit agreement. 

Re-admission following an Absence

All interior design students who have exceeded the allowable institutional absence as stated in the section Re-admission Following an Interruption of Program, regardless of the reason for returning to the program after an absence, must follow the standard admission procedures and timelines for re-admission. In addition, returning students must provide a Letter of Intent to Continue, identifying the intended semester of return to the program, to the Chair of the Department of Interior Design on or before February 1.

In addition to meeting the institutional requirements for re-admission, decisions regarding readmission to the BID program are also based on the available seats in the course/semester requested.

Application Deadline: February 1

The application for admission and all supporting documents (required for admission assessment) must be received by this date.

Continuance in the Program

All core interior design courses in a term are prerequisites for the core courses in the next term. Students who do not successfully complete one or more core interior design courses in a semester, with a minimum final grade of “C” (2.00), are unable to continue to the next semester. The student will need to retake and successfully complete the course(s) the next year it is available. This grade requirement does not apply to the required general education courses or electives.

Curriculum

The Bachelor of Interior Design requires students to complete a total of 120 credits (the equivalent of 40-three-credit courses). The program of study is prescriptive, students must successfully complete all core courses in the term with a final grade of C or higher in order to continue to the subsequent term. The program of study includes eight semesters of courses plus one (450 hours) Internship with a design-related industry employer.