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for Students and Parents
Deciding what career you would like to pursue and selecting a college to attend are big decisions. Many factors impact your decision — mobility, affordability, personal preference, etc. Students naturally want to select the most promising educational program available to them. Selecting an interior design program that is CIDA accredited is a good start. CIDA employs a thorough review process for programs using quality standards established by the profession for entry-level education. CIDA’s accreditation process is thorough and focused solely on interior design programs that culminate in a professional-level degree. Interior design programs that voluntarily undertake the CIDA accreditation process demonstrate a strong commitment to quality and continual improvement.
Interior Design Defined
As a passionate advocate for the body of knowledge that is at the core of the interior design profession, the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) stays closely attuned to the changing nature of the practice of interior design. To this end, CIDA endorses the definition of interior design, approved in 2018 by the Board of Directors of the Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ). Because the practice of interior design has grown as technology and the environment have evolved, CIDQ believed a new definition was needed to better reflect the changes taking place in the profession. A task force of interior designers from the United States and Canada developed the new definition and presented it for review and comment by all CIDQ member boards and members of the major interior design organizations and associations.
Professional Organizations
Professional organizations play a vital role in the interior design profession by providing individual interior designers the opportunity to network, engage in continuing education, and advocate for their profession. Active participation in an association also provides a forum to develop leadership skills.
The associations listed here are among those with which the Council for Interior Design Accreditation frequently collaborates in its efforts to ensure that interior design education is responsive and responsible to students and society.
American Society of Interior Designers (ASID)
ASID is a community of people—designers, industry representatives, educators, and students—committed to interior design. Through education, knowledge sharing, advocacy, community building, and outreach, ASID strives to advance the interior design profession and, in the process, to demonstrate and celebrate the power of design to positively change people’s lives. Its more than 38,000 members engage in a variety of professional programs and activities through a network of 48 chapters throughout the United States and Canada. ASID membership also includes more than 12,000 students of interior design who participate via student chapters at colleges, universities, and design schools with two-year and four-year programs throughout the U.S. and a “virtual” chapter through Rhodec International.
ASID
1152 15th St. NW, Suite 910
Washington, D.C. 20005
T: 202.546.3480
F: 202.546.3240
membership@asid.org
www.asid.org
Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ)
The core purpose of the NCIDQ Examination is to protect the health, life safety, and welfare of the public by establishing standards of competence in the practice of interior design. It serves to identify to the public those interior designers who have met the minimum standards for professional practice by passing the regularly updated NCIDQ Examination, considered as a universal standard by which to measure the competency of interior designers to practice as professionals.
Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ)
225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 210
Alexandria, VA 22314
T: 202.721.0220
F: 202.721.0221
inquiries@cidq.org
www.cidq.org
Interior Design Educators Council, Inc. (IDEC)
IDEC was founded in 1963 and is dedicated to the advancement of education and research in interior design. IDEC fosters exchange of information, improvement of educational standards, and development of the body of knowledge relative to the quality of life and human performance in the interior environment. IDEC concentrates on the establishment and strengthening of lines of communication among individual educators, practitioners, educational institutions, and organizations concerned with interior design education. Its members are interior design educators, practitioners, researchers, scholars, and administrators in institutions of higher education. Membership is also offered to individuals who are interested in interior design education and the activities of IDEC.
IDEC
One Parkview Plaza, Suite 800
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181 USA
T: 630.544.5057
info@idec.org
www.idec.org
Interior Designers of Canada (IDC)
For 27 years, IDC has served the Canadian interior design industry, advancing the profession through high standards of education, professional development, professional responsibility, and communication. IDC, with the support of its seven provincial association members, provides a forum for the unified voice of Canadian interior designers, so that the profession continues to grow and receive recognition and respect locally, nationally, and internationally from government, industry, and the public sector.
IDC
C536-43 Hanna Avenue
Toronto, ON M6K 1X1
T: 416.649.4434
F: 416.921.3660
info@idcanada.org
www.idcanada.org
International Interior Design Association (IIDA)
IIDA works to enhance quality of life through excellence in interior design and to advance interior design through knowledge, value, and community. IIDA is a professional networking and educational association of 12,000 members practicing in nine specialty forums and more than 30 chapters around the world. Additional information on how IIDA represents interior design professionals throughout the student to expert continuum is available on IIDA’s web site.
IIDA
111 East Wacker Drive, Suite 222
Chicago, IL 60601
T: 888.799.4432 [Continental U.S. only]
T: +01 312 467 1950 [International only]
F: 312.467.0779
iidahq@iida.org
www.iida.org