DESCRIPTION

Interior design is the process of conceptualizing space and of creating commodious and expressive interior environments which enhance the quality of life and contribute to the health, safety, and welfare of society. Interior design gives shape and meaning to the spaces that we inhabit. Interior designers advance creative designs for commercial, institutional and residential spaces and respond to the design challenges in the healthcare, entertainment and hospitality industry.

PROGRAM STRUCTURE

The Associate in Applied Science in Interior Design provides a general exposure to the field of interior design by assimilating theoretical knowledge with creative and practical applications to spatial design. The Associate in Applied Science track is designed for students who are interested in an overview of the field and seek junior positions in the field. The program is rooted in the mastery of design fundamentals, the development of analytical and technical skills, and the advancement of environmental and cultural considerations. Courses in design, visualization, and technology are all firmly established within the design studio.

The first two years provide the basic liberal arts requirements as a well as the essential design skills and processes.

The third year introduces design methods, concepts, and techniques as well as initiates courses in design history and theory. Emphasis is placed upon space programming, spatial organization, and space component design.

The first semester of the fourth year explores a specific design problem and introduces social science courses that sharpen analytical and conceptual thinking.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

	Prepare students as future designers with a solid knowledge base, conceptual design ability, and technical skills that empower them to excel in their career of choice.
	Promote a globally oriented, multidisciplinary, and culturally sensitive curriculum that is abreast with the current intellectual discourse and the most advanced technical developments in the field of interior design.
	Foster an open, creative environment in which students are free to push the boundaries of design through critical reflection, independent inquiry, and innovation as prerequisites for finding one’s own creative style and artistic path.
	Promote the understanding, appreciation and safekeeping of the indigenous interior design vocabulary and seek to bridge it with the contemporary design challenges in the Gulf region.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

	Gain employment as an interior designer in architectural, interior and creative design firms.
	Work in management and sales within the design industry in the domains of furniture, lighting, fabrics and finishes.
	Seek employment as creative designer in the theatrical and TV set design as well as in general media productions.