Interior Design BS Program Awarded 6-Year Accreditation

The Bachelor of Science in Interior Design program within the College of Architecture and Built Environment (CABE) recently learned it had received the maximum term for Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA).

The accreditation from CIDA—an independent, non-profit accrediting organization for interior design education programs at colleges and universities in the U.S. and internationally—lasts for the next six years.

The award, officially announced in a letter to director Lauren Baumbach in November 2020, noted that the program “demonstrated achievement of 16 accreditation standards,” including critical thinking; professional values; processes that provide the framework of interior design practice; core design; and technical knowledge that provides the historical, theoretical and technical contents of interior design practice.

“I am very proud of our interior design faculty, students and alumni for their communal spirit, dedication and excellent work,” Baumbach says. “It is wonderful that CIDA recognized the many strengths of the program and the outstanding work by all.”

Among those strengths noted by the CIDA Visiting Team are:

• a strong sense of community among students and faculty,
• a collaborative and supportive studio environment,
• excellent communication skills among students and faculty,
• a strong, seamless and consistent curriculum, and support for cross-disciplinary collaboration and
• robust connections to alumni and the professional design community.

Per CIDA, accreditation “attests to the quality of the interior design program and benefits the public and program in many ways. Parents, students and employers of graduates can be assured that the program meets the rigor of peer review and develops the skills and knowledge required to practice interior design.”

CABE Dean Barbara Klinkhammer says she’s also proud of the excellent work showcased by students and faculty during CIDA’s accreditation visit this past summer. She also congratulates the interior design program students and faculty for this achievement.

“Earning the full six-year term accreditation without any weaknesses is evidence of the excellent education our students are receiving at Thomas Jefferson University,” Klinkhammer says. “When graduating from our highly regarded and nationally ranked BS in Interior Design program, our students are well-prepared with critical thinking, design, and technological and computational skills to enter the profession and become successful interior designers.”