BFA Interior Design

Overview

CCA's BFA in Interior Design program is a four-year, accredited professional degree, ranked #8 on BestAccreditedColleges.org. Our position within one of the top art colleges in the country and CCA’s Architecture division makes us highly interdisciplinary.

Our program We have a particular focus on sustainable material practices and spatial innovation. Our students collaborate with interaction designers, industrial designers, ceramicists, glass artists, furniture makers, fashion designers, architects, and textile designers.

They approach the design of built environments with equal emphasis on spatial and technical conditions.

Make The City Your Design Laboratory

We’re located in the San Francisco Bay Area, a place where architects and designers are empowered to challenge conventions and push disciplinary boundaries.

From sustainable design to experiments in collective living, our program is inspired by the city’s innovative atmosphere. Students also have access to the nearby famous San Francisco Design Center, where they learn to specify and source like professional designers.

Artistic, Technological, And Material Approaches

As you learn to design for a range of human environments, from the home to the public sphere, you’ll practice technical skills in both traditional and digital fabrication.

Our state-of-the-art facilities accommodate a diverse set of materials and processes, giving you the freedom to work with textiles, glass, ceramics, wood, and metal through traditional and emerging technologies, such as virtual and augmented reality.

Advanced Interdisciplinary Studios

You’ll synthesize critical thinking skills, knowledge of interior architecture and design history, and material exploration in the advanced interdisciplinary studios.

These courses are specifically designed to bridge multiple disciplines and connect the program with local nonprofits, manufacturers, and design experts.

Curriculum

Create Inspired Interior Environments

Interior Design at CCA is highly interdisciplinary and encouraging of material research and experimentation. Courses place an equal emphasis on spatial and technical conditions of built environments, with opportunities to work in collaboration with other creative disciplines.

Advanced-level studios challenge students to explore how interior design affects the way individuals and communities live, work, and interact. 

Investigate Ideas Through Every Dimension

Before diving into their chosen major, every undergraduate participates in the First Year Experience. Students explore a wide range of materials and tools over the course of two semesters.

Faculty from different disciplines guide studio projects, group critiques, and theoretical discussions, setting students up for success throughout their major coursework.

Careers

Influential Thinkers And Makers

Our graduates create beautiful, captivating, and functional spaces for many different kinds of organizations, from global architecture and interior design firms to specialized design practices.

They’re in high demand as interior architects, interior designers, and creative-workplace strategists for companies like Apple, IDEO, and Google.

They also find success in leading furniture, kitchen, and material showrooms in the nearby San Francisco Design Center as well as showrooms beyond the Bay Area.

Recent alumni have continued their studies in graduate programs at The Bartlett School of Architecture, the Architectural Association, Yale University, Pratt Institute, and the University of Cambridge.

Many have started their own businesses—most notably Gary Hutton Design, Alter Interiors, and Collected Studio—with classmates from their program or other disciplines.

Interior design firms that hire our graduates include Woods Bagot, NICOLEHOLLIS, ODADA, Studio O+A, and Gensler.

Potential career paths

• Architect

• Interior architect

• Interior designer

• Exhibition designer

• Textile designer

• Furniture designer

• Graphic designer

• Interaction designer

• Experience or event designer

• Production designer for films and gaming