Interior Architecture & Design

The only program of its kind in North Carolina

Are you interested in developing the feel and aesthetic of a room, but also curious about designing the space itself? The unique Interior Architecture and Design (IAD) program at Queens is the only one of its kind in North Carolina. Your courses will inspire you to create thoughtful, empathic, and creative designs. You’ll also learn how to enrich the lives of others by developing unique and meaningful spaces that bring value to society.

This IAD program at Queens is the only CIDA-accredited Interior Design program in Charlotte, giving students direct access to talented designers and booming construction industry. You’ll interact with, be taught by, and be supported by professionals from around the Charlotte architecture and design community. This program is highly technical and geared toward maximizing aesthetic, practical, and functional skills, ensuring that students are industry-ready on day one.

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Meet Ethan Davis ’24

“Queens does a really great job of encouraging all students to be all that they can be,” he says. “I just always appreciate it for the fact that everyone is very involved. It seems like a majority of people at Queens want to be really good at what they do and what they study.”

Program Highlights

• In the IAD program, you’ll receive a unique educational experience, with a foundation in critical thinking, creative problem-solving, technical ability, effective communication, and more.
• Our faculty members will connect you to real-world experiences and professional networks, with opportunities to work with local design firms and practitioners and attend national conferences.
• Your program will culminate in a capstone project that brings together all the skills and techniques you’ve learned throughout the program. This project becomes part of a robust portfolio that will help you transition from student life to the real world.
• You’ll also become part of a community of creative and driven student designers who will help inspire and motivate you throughout the program. You can view some of their incredible work.

View Our Student Work

Your Degree in Action

You’ll graduate from Queens with the skill set you need to pursue a successful career in the Architecture and Interior Design industry, to pursue further credentials, or to seek advanced study. Here are a few of the many sectors our graduates go on to work in:

• Specific market sector design such as workplace design, education design, and institutional design
• Consulting
• Facility planning
• Project management
• Manufacturing
• Showroom or sales management
• Visual Merchandising
• Exhibit design
• Lighting design

Selected Courses

• Fundamentals of Interior Architecture and Design (IAD 111)
• Materials and Assembly (IAD 231)
• Workplace Environments (IAD 444)
• Capstone I: Research and Programming (IAD 455)
• Capstone II: Design Synthesis (IAD 456) 

Program Contact

Meet Your Professors

Accreditation

The interior architecture and design program leading to the Bachelor of Arts is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, www.accredit-id.org, 206 Grandville Avenue, Suite 350, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503. 

The CIDA-accredited program prepares students for entry-level interior design practice, for advanced study, and to apply for membership in professional interior design organizations. The Bachelor of Arts in Interior Architecture and Design, granted by Queens University of Charlotte, meets the educational requirement for eligibility to sit for the National Council for Interior Design Qualification Examination (NCIDQ Exam). For more information about NCIDQ Exam eligibility, visit the CIDQ website.

Student Achievement Data

The Bachelor of Arts in Interior Architecture and Design at Queens University of Charlotte is designed to be completed in four years by a full-time student taking approximately 16 credits per semester.

Queens previously offered a three-year track for students who had already completed their general education requirements, either at another institution or at Queens. That track is no longer offered. Students who wish to transfer into the IAD program now transfer interior design credits and present a portfolio for placement.

The data below is specific to the Bachelor of Arts in Interior Architecture and Design and was last updated in October 2026. Retention and graduation figures come from Queens University of Charlotte institutional records. Career outcome and graduate school figures come from the Vandiver Center for Career Development and reflect outcomes up to one year after graduation, not graduates’ current status. Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number.

In Fall 2025, 45 students were enrolled in the Interior Architecture and Design major: 12 first-year students, 15 sophomores, 9 juniors, and 9 seniors.

Student Attrition and Retention

Retention is reported for first-time, full-time students, based on the major they entered with. A student counts as retained if they were enrolled at Queens at the next fall census date.

• • Students who entered in the Fall of 2025: 14 of 15 (93%) were enrolled at Queens in the Fall of 2026.
  • Students who entered in the Fall of 2024: 7 of 13 (54%) were enrolled at Queens in the Fall of 2025.
  • Students who entered in the Fall of 2023: 10 of 15 (67%) were enrolled at Queens in the Fall of 2024.

Graduation Rates

Each class year covers degrees granted from July 1 through June 30.

• • Class of 2026: Of the 7 students who graduated, 6 (86%) completed the degree in four years or less and 1 (14%) completed it in six years. Three entered as first-time, full-time students and 4 entered as transfer students.
  • Class of 2025: Of the 5 students who graduated, all 5 (100%) completed the degree in four years or less. Three entered as first-time, full-time students and 2 entered as transfer students.
  • Class of 2024: Of the 10 students who graduated, 6 (60%) completed the degree in four years or less, 1 (10%) completed it in five years, and 3 (30%) completed it in six years. Seven entered as first-time, full-time students and 3 entered as transfer students.

Acceptance into Graduate Programs

• • Class of 2025: 1 of 5 graduates (20%) was accepted into a graduate program in design.
  • Class of 2024: 3 of 10 graduates (30%) were accepted into a graduate program in design.

Career Outcomes

• • Class of 2025: Outcomes are known for 4 of 5 graduates (80%). Of those four, three were employed in interior design or a related profession within one year of graduation, and one was enrolled in a graduate design program. None were employed outside the profession, and none were still seeking employment.
  • Class of 2024: Outcomes are known for 9 of 10 graduates (90%). Of those nine, five were employed in interior design or a related profession within one year of graduation, three were enrolled in a graduate design program, and one was still seeking employment. None were employed outside the profession.

Graduate school and career outcome results for the Class of 2026 will be added once the one-year reporting period closes.