Interior Design
We spend 90% of our lives in interior spaces, and their designs impact how we feel, think, and play. Wherever people are, there is a need for innovative, human-centered, and evidence-based interior design that fosters sustainability and ethical practice.
In this program, you’ll gain the theoretical knowledge to conceptualize space and create the desired experience. You’ll master the practical skills to have your designs built and the communication skills to deliver compelling presentations of your work. You’ll be prepared to conceive spaces that respect and benefit individual occupants and the public in any social, cultural, physical, and environmental context.
Programs
Interior Design AAS
In the AAS program, you’ll learn the design methodologies and practical skills that
will prepare you for an entry-level position or to apply for a BFA in Interior Design.
AAS graduates who choose to change their major can apply to the BFA in Spatial Experience
Design.
Interior Design BFA
Accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA), the BFA curriculum emphasizes human-centered and evidence-based design that, through advanced research methods, addresses current social concerns, ergonomics, and sustainability. You will learn advanced built environment technologies and the most recent computerized visualization and presentation methods. A two-semester capstone, senior thesis programming, and a design project, judged by a jury of professionals, pairs you with a faculty member and an industry mentor and becomes a significant part of your professional portfolio.
If you have an AAS in Interior Design from FIT, you may apply. Learn more about eligibility for this program.
Interior Design Materials Lab (IDMLab)
The Interior Design Materials Lab (IDMLab) is located along the northwest wall of the 6th floor in the Gladys Marcus Library at the Goodman Center. The collection includes physical samples of interior design materials that range from fabric swatches to paint chips and wood finishes.
Our Work
We envision and build spaces that are not only pleasing to the eye and functional for the user, but also environmentally and socially responsible.
Valentina Rojas, Interior Design ’24, won 1st place for her final project in the Michael Kors '23 WindowsWear Mentorship Program. Esteemed alum Michael Kors attended the presentation and announced the winners. Valentina will intern this summer at the Michael Kors Store design department.
For Design Class’s Coronavirus Design Competition, Reyha Mete, Interior Design ’20, was recognized as a Designer’s Choice when she envisioned a pop-up juice bar that serves as a refuge for health care workers.
Jesse Carrier and Mara Miller, both Interior Design ’96, launched Carrier and Company in 2005. Named a top 100 design firm by Architectural Digest, their broad portfolio includes Vogue, celebrity residential work, and artist/designer Jason Wu.
This Senior Thesis Design proposal by Nasim Lahbichi offers a solution for communities grappling with inequalities of environmental racism visible in food desert areas that lead to inadequate nutrition and compounded health problems. This project is only one example of what our interior design graduates can do.
Winner of the very first Centennial Design award from the prestigious Decorators Club, Erica Ventura walks readers through her plans for a full-floor apartment in Madison Square Park.
Our students make the most of the latest technology, including virtual reality. Immerse yourself in their projects for schools, lofts, and retail spaces.
What does it take to win a $30,000 interior design scholarship from the prestigious Angelo Donghia Foundation? See how Ahene Shin ’19 reimagined a Chelsea Market restaurant as part of her winning portfolio.
Impact
Bring spaces to life … When we apply the principles, processes, ethics, and responsibilities of our profession, its value to society becomes real.
Outside the Classroom
Students have interned at Gensler, Rockwell Group, and Interior Architects. Graduates work as interior designers in large and small firms and as consultants to manufacturers, retail stores, and design showrooms.
Explore More
some related minors
other degree programs
Learn From the Best
With access to the world-renowned museums and showrooms of New York City, prepare for a professional-level interior design career that will help you compete with excellence in the creative economy. Learn from a faculty of industry insiders who foster creativity, career focus, and a global perspective, embracing and promoting inclusiveness, sustainability, and a sense of community. Meet more Interior Design faculty.
Carmita Sanchez-Fong
Sanchez-Fong has worked in the interior design and architecture industry for more than 25 years. She believes in the restless process of design and education and its ability to stimulate, provoke, and engage the human spirit. Her focus is on advancing service learning in higher education to foster social responsibility. Sanchez-Fong spearheads the department’s service-learning initiatives and is the founder of the Integrated Service Learning Project. She has worked in New York; New Jersey; Florida; Washington, D.C.; London; Quito, Ecuador; and Bogota, Colombia. She has a BS in architecture and an MS in curriculum development and instructional technology. She has been teaching in NYC since 1990 has served as FIT's Interior Design department chair since 2017.
Ethan Lu
Lu is a full-time tenured faculty member and currently serves as FIT's Interior Design department assistant chair. He is also a principal at Metropolitan United Studio, PLLC. Lu has taught architecture and interior design courses at Columbia University, Parsons, NYIT, and NYSID. He holds a BS in Architecture from the University of Michigan, a Master in Architecture from Harvard University, and a Master of Science in Architecture and Urban Design from Columbia University. He is a Registered Architect in NY and NJ, NCIDQ Certified Interior Designer, and LEED Accredited Professional.
Contact Us
Interior Design
Carmita Sanchez-Fong
Ethan Lu
Shaniqua Matthews-McClam
Art and Design Gallery
The Art and Design Gallery is open from 9 am until 5 pm, seven days per week. The gallery is located at the northwest corner of Seventh Avenue and 27th Street.
Let's Make It Happen
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS