Selective Admission

The NDSU Interior Design Program’s curriculum is designed to introduce individuals to the field of interior design and to provide students with the educational experience necessary to pursue careers in various interior design firms or organizations. Formal acceptance into the professional-level program comes at the conclusion of the first year of the program.

Individuals wishing to earn a Bachelors of Science or Bachelors of Arts Degree in interior design must complete the following application requirements to fulfill the selective admissions review process.

Application Requirements

To be considered for admission into the second (2^nd) year of the Interior Design Program, students will need to submit a completed application no later than May 1, 2026 at 11:59pm, through the online portal, available April 27. Applicants will have one (1) week to upload their materials (April 27 – May 1, 2026). Submission of materials must be completed in one (1) setting as the system will not allow for applicants to move in and out of the system. Plan for at least one (1) hour to successfully complete the online submission process. Once the application is submitted, you will receive an email verifying that your materials have been received for review by the interior design faculty. Faculty review following the end of spring semester, with review results emailed to the students no later than the fourth (4th) week of May.

Before opening the link to begin your online application:

• Have all documents (application form, personal statement, and transcript or transcripts available in digital format in order to upload them to the online submission form).
• Plan for at least one (1) hour to complete this application process as it must be completed in one (1) setting.

1. Application Form

   Complete the required application form to include full student name, email address, academic advisor, listing of grades received for interior design core requirements (ID 151, 160, 161, 261 and 265) and cumulative GPA. Complete this form prior to starting your online admission process, so you are prepared to upload the online application submission form.
   Click to access the application form

2. Transcript(s)

   An unofficial transcript from the NDSU system must be included with the application submission. Upload this transcript online. Applicants who have previously attended other colleges or universities must submit transcripts from all schools attended.

3. Personal Statement

   Applicants must submit a typed personal statement, describing their reasons for applying to the NDSU Interior Design Program. This personal statement should clearly explain the applicant’s professional and academic interest in the program. Below are additional questions to address within the discussion:

   • Describe your motivation for pursuing a career in interior design. Identify some of your career goals.
   • Discuss your personal and professional strengths as well as qualities you need to strengthen.
   • How do you see yourself contributing to the interior design profession? What constitutes the interior design profession?
   • Use your name as the title of your personal statement. The statement should be a minimum of 500 words (750 max.) in length, double spaced, typed in Times Roman, Calibri, or Arial Font (12 pt. font), and with one (1)-inch margins. This document (in Word or PDF format) will be uploaded with your application.

4. Portfolio

   Applicants must submit their individual portfolio. The format for this document has been provided online and will include projects from ID 151, 161, 261, and 265. This document (in PPT or PDF format) will be uploaded with your application.
   Click to access the portfolio template

• First-year review application
• Freshman Review Portfolio Template

Admission into second (2nd) year interior design courses requires a 3.0 institutional minimum cumulative grade-point average and a minimum grade of a ‘C’ in all major core requirements. Admission into the second (2nd) year of the Interior Design Program is also based on the review of a completed First-Year Review Application. This is submitted during the spring semester of the student's first (1st) year in the Interior Design Program.

Admission into second-year interior design courses requires a 3.0 institutional minimum cumulative grade-point average and a minimum grade of 'C' in all major core requirements. Admission into the second year of the interior design program is also based on the review of a completed application and letter of intent that demonstrates professional and academic interest. This is submitted during the spring semester of the student's first year in the interior design program. Students must maintain the 3.0 institutional minimum cumulative GPA and earn a grade of 'C' or better in all major core requirements throughout the remainder of the program. Transfer students entering the interior design program should contact the program coordinator to review previously completed interior design or related course work.

The first year of the program, your Interior Design courses introduce you to the profession, the fundamentals of design (including design elements and principles, and color theory) and visual and technical communication techniques (including manual drafting, sketching, model building and rendering and computer aided design). During your first year, in addition to your Interior Design courses, you will take several General Education courses, that may include Math, English and Communication.

You will need to purchase several textbooks (many in digital format), and a variety of drafting and rendering supplies, including paper, pencils, a drafting board, and drafting tools. A laptop is required the first semester of the freshman year. Be sure to check the program link for specific laptop requirements.