Interior Design

Interior Design

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Students looking at a piece of design work
The interior design major pushes boundaries and prompts investigation of forward-thinking interior-built environments. Creatively imagine a better future by designing spaces that are not only beautiful but are also deeply connected to our societal fabric. Explore space-making through the lens of fabrication, materiality, volume, program, light, context, experience, sustainability and human-factors. We are driven to provide excellent teaching and diverse student learning experiences so that you can define your future as a professional interior designer.

The Nebraska Difference

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100% of 2019 and 2020 graduates completed their degree within four years

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95% job placement rate

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100% of students applying for graduate school in 2019 and 2020 were admitted

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Program Features

Real-World Experience

Get activated. Discover opportunities for hands-on learning and gain valuable experiences engaging with our allied partners in design practices and community stakeholders. 

Collaborative Environment 

Invest in being an agent of change, and don’t just follow the status quo. Push boundaries and discover new potential by establishing unique collisions and dynamic collaborations in our studios. 

Hands-on Curriculum 

Be empowered to be a maker. Don’t just select materials and furniture and place them in space; actively shape space and customize new possibilities of materiality and objects for people. 

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Notable Courses

Interior Design Studio I (IDES 210)

Develop fundamental knowledge to shape interior built environments through a system-based approach. Gain skills to represent your ideas using various methods of communication.

Interior Design Materials (IDES 300)

This class provides you with important knowledge related to the technical properties, performance, selection and application of materials for interior environments.

Material Applications (IDES 301)

Gain hands-on learning experiences and use various tools and technology to manipulate materials into custom fabricated surfaces and objects for interior environments.

Capstone Studio (IDES 411)

Pursue topics and typologies of interest. With faculty mentorship, navigate the design process to realize comprehensive, creative and relevant interior design solutions.

Product Design (IDES 417)

Optional professional elective; pinnacle course for the Interior Design Program’s Product Design Minor. Generate a design using fundamental skills and methods of rapid visualization.

Explore the 4-Year Plan

Huskers Do Big Things

Internships

  • Populous, Kansas City, Missouri
  • DLR Group, Omaha, Nebraska
  • Gensler, Seattle, WA and San Diego, California
  • Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture, Omaha, Nebraska
  • Clark Enersen Group, Lincoln, Nebraska

Careers

  • Associate principal, Lamar Johnson Collaborative, Chicago, Illinois
  • Design director and principal, Gensler, San Francisco, California
  • Sales representative, Maharam, Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota
  • Interior designer, Hacker, Portland, Oregon
  • Interior designer and business owner, B Morton Design, Omaha, Nebraska

Graduate Schools

  • Master of Architecture, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
  • Master of Architecture, Yale University
  • Master of Interior Architecture, University of Oregon
  • Design Research and Development, Ohio State University
  • Master of Architecture, University of Southern California

Outside the Classroom

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Internships

Connect with a global network of top-firm professionals at our Career Fair to discover internships that offer you real-world challenges finding solutions for customers.

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Study Abroad

Immerse yourself in a culture and study interior design masterpieces firsthand.  Our faculty-led education abroad programs allow you to explore outstanding examples of the interior built environment.

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Student Organizations

Build friendships by joining the American Society of Interior Designers/International Interior Design Association (ASID/IIDA Student Chapter). Network with design professionals in healthcare, contract, product and residential design.

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Research Learning Opportunities

Partner with a faculty member to co-create new knowledge and examine topics in design through the university’s undergraduate research program (UCARE) or through graduate research assistantships.

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Academics & Experiential Learning

  • Partake in unique learning experiences and develop meaningful connections in our design studios that invite collaboration, inquiry and discovery of new ideas in a supportive environment with peers, faculty and professionals.
  • Discuss and engage in emerging and relevant topics influential to design today, such as adaptive re-use, sustainability, accessibility, affordability and community engagement.
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Career Preparedness

  • Gain confidence in your professional future with multiple opportunities to engage in design practice. Learn from local professional experts, participate in practice-led Lunch & Learns and take career prep courses.
  • Develop competency in a variety of tools and software to test ideas, formulate design proposals and customize objects and material surfaces to elevate the interior experience.
  • You’ll have access to our wood shop, media center, computer lab and partnership with Nebraska Innovation Studio.
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Community

  • Get involved in one of our many recognized student organizations affiliated with the college. 
  • Live and learn with others who share your career interests in the Responsible Design Learning Community. 

Have Questions? We're Here to Help

If you have questions about the Interior Design major or navigating the application process, contact us.

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Contact Name
Leslie Gonzalez
Contact Title
Undergraduate Admissions Coordinator & Advisor 
Phone
Phone
402-875-3465
Email
Envelope
leslie.gonzalez@unl.edu