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.

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 CDQ website.

Student Achievement Data

Queens University of Charlotte’s Bachelor of Arts in Interior Architecture and Design typically takes a full-time student taking approximately 16 credits per semester for four years to complete the degree program. Queens University also offered a 3-year track for students transferring from other institutions (or internally to Queens) contingent on having completed their general education requirements. Though this track is no longer an option, students looking to transfer into the IAD program will need to transfer in Interior Design credits as well as show a portfolio for placement.

*The following data was collected using institutional records.

Student Attrition and Retention

83% of the students admitted in the Fall of 2023 returned in the Fall of 2024.

Graduation Rates

Of the students graduated in 2023, 87% graduated in 4 years. 13% graduated on the 3-year track.

Of the students graduating in 2024, 50% are graduating in 4 years. 14% graduated on the 3-year track.

Of the students graduating in 2025, 57% are graduating in 4 years. 42% are graduating on the 3-year track.

Acceptance into Graduate Programs

28% of students who graduated in 2024 applied for graduate school, and 28% were accepted.

Job Placement Rates

43% of students who graduated in 2024 are employed in interior design or a related profession.