Interior design is a collaborative discipline and our resources extend and support a myriad of opportunities.

Coop

Students are required to do a 6 month professional coop work experience during their junior year. Students are employed at a range of small and large firms, in Philadelphia and further afield.

Senior Project

Senior project is a three quarter capstone taken in the senior year of the Bachelor of Science in Interior Design Program. Throughout the course of a year, students develop an independent interior design project from research, precedent studies, and programming through to complete design development.  This experience allows the student to explore a unique area of interest and acquire the specific knowledge associated with that area of interest.  The development of a project binder that includes the study of literature, case/precedent studies, program definition, analysis and site selection study comprises the first part of the projects. Students then work with a faculty advisor to develop a design solution that addresses the issues identified through the research and continue on to develop three-dimensional interior spaces, utilizing all of their accumulated design and planning skills.

Study Abroad

Few experiences are more influential in the development of the aspiring designer than studying abroad. For many years, the faculty of the Department of Architecture, Design & Urbanism have developed study tours that are affordable, extensive and intensive. We don’t just visit sites, we study them in depth to discover exactly what makes a successful design. The trips generally last about two weeks and are usually scheduled for early September between the summer and fall terms. The destinations are chosen for the richness of their architecture, interior and urban designs, both historic and modern. Past tours have included: Korea and Japan with stops in Seoul, Kyoto and Tokyo; Florence, Italy; Rome, Italy; Barcelona & Valencia, Spain; Amsterdam & Rotterdam in the Netherlands; and Berlin, Germany. Our study tours are not vacations but life-changing experiences—you will work hard but the rewards will be immeasurable!

The Department also offers arrangements with other educational institutions for longer study abroad opportunities. We typically send 3-4 Interior Architecture students each summer to Copenhagen through the DIS program to study furniture design and interior architecture.

• Department of Architecture, Design & Urbanism Study Abroad Tours
• DIS Study Abroad Program
• Drexel University Study Abroad Programs

Accelerated Degree (BS/MS) Opportunities

The Interior Design program has formalized three opportunities for accelerated degrees, allowing students to earn a BS in Interior Design degree in four years and complete a master's degree in their fifth year.

Interior Design BS / Interior Architecture MS

The BS Interior Design / MS Interior Architecture program offers a first-professional degree in interior design and a post-professional graduate degree for students looking to accelerate their career and/or specialize in an area of interior design. For more information, visit MS Interior Architecture.

Interior Design BS / Design MS

The BS Interior Design / MS Design Research program offers a first-professional degree in interior design and a chance to develop a transdisciplinary design approach with an intensive research process aimed at real-world problems. For more information, visit MS Design.

Interior Design BS / Urban Strategy MS

The BS Interior Design / MS Urban Strategy program offers a first-professional degree in interior design and a graduate degree that prepares students to meet urban planning and public policy challenges with expertise in design, engineering, business, policy and public health. For more information, visit MS Urban Strategy.

Application for the Accelerated Degree Program must be made to the Department of Architecture, Design & Urbanism and the Graduate College after completing 90 credits, but no more than 120 credits. Applications will typically be submitted during the spring term of the sophomore year. Students completing the BS/MS Accelerated Degree Program will be coded as undergraduate students for the first four (4) years of the accelerated program. Once the student has completed four (4) years of study and received their BS Interior Design degree (minimum of 187 credits) they will be classified as a new Graduate student. Download application information.

Design Charrettes

Since 2008, the Department of Architecture, Design & Urbanism has organized an annual interdisciplinary design Charrette. Drexel students from all majors and departments can participate, be part of a design team, and contribute their expertise and unique point of view. The charrettes typically draw 50 to 100 students and require three to four days of intense, creative brainstorming and collaborative design.

Career Opportunities

Graduates are in demand and employed in a wide range of practices including boutique interior design and large multi-disciplinary firms; facilities management services; as manufacturer's representatives in the furniture and textile industries; and in government agencies and non-profit organizations. Our alumni are principles of their own firms, designers and project managers at major architectural and design firms, facilities managers, and leaders in a number of related industry areas. Most students receive employment offers from prestigious firms before graduation and many hold managerial positions within five years. Graduates are or have been employed in prominent firms such as University of Pennsylvania, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, HOK, Coscia Moos, RHJ Associate, Princeton University, Jacobs, Stantec, Nelson Worldwide, KMA, Marguerite Rodgers Ltd., Ballinger, Gensler, Perkins + Will, SOM, Loews Hotels, Liz Walton Homes and Rottet Studio.