Bachelor of Interior Design (Honours) (Co-op)

Combine your strategic and design thinking for a career creating functional spaces.

  • Strong experiential component that includes design studio experiences and an active engagement with the professional design community
  • Graduate with an additional qualification of a Building Biology Advocate certification [BBA], from the Building Biology Institute which focuses on the science of healthy buildings
  • The only Bridging program in Canada, where interior designers can update their credentials from a 3-year advanced diploma to a Bachelor of Interior design. This can be done fully online

Program Availability and Schedule

Availability

Open

Closed

Waitlisted

Start Term

Availability

International
Availability

Competitive?

Fall 2025

No

Schedule

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Program Summary

Credential

Honours Degree (4 Years)

Program Delivery

Program Code

Area of Interest

Arts and Design

School

School of Media and Design

Campus

Ottawa

Work Integrated Learning

The Bachelor of Interior Design (Honours) degree program prepares you to pursue a professional career related to the design of the built environment. The curriculum integrates professional and general studies with an emphasis on critical thinking and applied research.

Enriched with a focus on environmental and global perspectives in interior design, you learn to consider ecological, economic and social aspects to analyze and design healthy living and working environments. Projects increase in scale and complexity from residential scale to medium and large scale projects from commercial sectors such as: retail, workplace, hospitality and healthcare....(read more)

Overview

Combine your strategic and design thinking for a career creating functional spaces.

The Bachelor of Interior Design (Honours) degree program prepares you to pursue a professional career related to the design of the built environment. The curriculum integrates professional and general studies with an emphasis on critical thinking and applied research.

Enriched with a focus on environmental and global perspectives in interior design, you learn to consider ecological, economic and social aspects to analyze and design healthy living and working environments. Projects increase in scale and complexity from residential scale to medium and large scale projects from commercial sectors such as: retail, workplace, hospitality and healthcare.

The program contains a strong experiential component that includes design studio experiences and an active engagement with the professional design community. In the fourth year, you have the opportunity to specialize in an area of interest specific to the profession and are required to complete an applied research paper and community-based project.

You also earn a Building Biology Advocate (BBA) Certification upon successful completion of the seven required Construction courses.

Students also gain real-world experience through a paid co-operative education (co-op) work term(s) (see Additional Information for more details). Please note that places in the co-op work term(s) are subject to availability and academic eligibility. Please note admission to a co-op program does not guarantee a co-op placement.

The integration of theory, analysis and practice prepare you to assume a leadership role within the profession. As a graduate, you are able to apply strategic thinking and a research orientation to your responsibilities as a professional interior designer and can contribute to the development and evolution of the field of design.

SUCCESS FACTORS

This program is well-suited for students who:

  • Are curious about the space in which they live, work and play.
  • Want to combine aesthetics, technology and human need into a highly-marketable career choice.
  • Enjoy using creative, strategic and critical thinking to solve problems.
  • Are interested in examining sustainable and global design issues.
  • Enjoy a collaborative and innovative environment for learning.

Courses

Programs at Algonquin College are delivered using a variety of instruction modes. Courses may be offered in the classroom or lab, entirely online, or in a hybrid mode which combines classroom sessions with virtual learning activities. Upon registration, each full-time student is provided an Algonquin email account which is used to communicate important information about program or course events.

Careers & Pathways

Careers

This program graduates interior designers equipped to fulfill leadership roles within the profession on a national and international level. Graduates may find employment in interior design offices, architectural firms, government planning and facilities management offices, healthcare environments, educational environments or other design and built-environment related fields. Graduates have the skills to work on interdisciplinary, multi-cultural design teams in a variety of settings. Over time, and with suitable experience, some graduates may wish to develop their own firms.

With this degree, graduates may wish to continue their academic studies in interior design and related disciplines, such as environmental studies, environmental psychology and architecture.

Pathways

Please use our Pathways tool to search for pathway options.

Learning Outcomes

The graduates have reliably demonstrated the ability to:

  1. Be competent knowledgeable workers able to apply fundamental concepts and skills of design in a variety of contexts.
  2. Design built environments consistent with industry standards and best practices.
  3. Be critical and creative thinkers able to analyze situations, draw conclusions and develop innovative and creative products using an accepted decision-making model.
  4. Be effective collaborators able to use communication and interpersonal skills to fulfill a leadership role on an interdisciplinary, multi-cultural design team.
  5. Be continuous learners and contributing professionals able to assume the responsibilities of a professional designer, work within legal and ethical guidelines governing their practice and contribute to the development and evolution of the field of design.
  6. Be informed citizens able to adapt their work across cultural, social political and geographical contexts.
  7. Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitment and environmental stewardship.

Tuition & Fees

Get an idea of how much each semester will cost with our Tuition and Fee Estimator.

2024/2025 Academic Year

Tuition and related ancillary fees for this program can be viewed by using the Tuition and Fees Estimator tool at www.algonquincollege.com/fee-estimator.

Further information on fees can be found by visiting the Registrar`s Office website at www.algonquincollege.com/ro.

Fees are subject to change.

Additional program related expenses include:
Books and supplies cost approximately $3,000 in the first year, $3,000 in the second year, $3,000 in the third year and $3,000 in the fourth year of study.

Admissions Requirements

All applicants must satisfy both College Eligibility and Program Eligibility requirements.

College Eligibility

  • Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent.
  • Mature students are applicants who have not achieved the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or its equivalent and who are at least 19 years of age on or before the commencement of the program in which they intend to enroll. Mature students applying for Degree programs satisfy College Eligibility by having demonstrated academic abilities equivalent to those of Ontario high school graduates, verified by successful completion of at least one full-time term at the post-secondary level (minimum five courses taken concurrently in an academic program of study).

Program Eligibility

  • Six Grade 12 university (U) or university/college (M) courses with a minimum 65% average including:
    • One Grade 12 U English course.
    • One Grade 11 or 12 C Mathematics course (MBF3C, MAP4C or equivalent).
  • Please note that mature students must meet the following subject-specific Program Eligibility requirements, either directly or through equivalencies:
    • One Grade 12 U English course.
    • One Grade 11 or 12 C Mathematics course (MBF3C, MAP4C or equivalent).
    • Subject to competition, applicants may be required to present grades/averages at 70%.

Non-Academic Criteria:
Applicants applying to the Bachelor of Interior Design program must submit a portfolio of original work showing evidence of creative and technical ability and including an assessment and short written statement.

Interested applicants are welcome to address any portfolio-related inquiries to design@algonquincollege.com.

Portfolio submission details can be found on the Algonquin College Additional Admission Requirements website: www.algonquincollege.com/admissionspackages. In addition, applicants will be invited to attend an optional information session for the opportunity to view sample portfolios and student work as well as meet faculty and obtain program details.

Not sure if you meet all of the requirements? Academic Upgrading may be able to help with that: https://www.algonquincollege.com/access/.

Should the number of qualified applicants exceed the number of available places, applicants will be selected on the basis of their proficiency in English.

  • Applicants with international transcripts must provide proof of the subject-specific requirements noted above and may be required to provide proof of language proficiency. Domestic applicants with international transcripts must be evaluated through the International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS) or World Education Services (WES).
  • IELTS-International English Language Testing Service (Academic) Overall band of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each band; OR TOEFL-Internet-based (iBT)-overall 88, with a minimum of 22 in each component: Reading 22; Listening 22; Speaking 22; Writing 22; OR Duolingo English Test (DET) Overall 120, minimum of 120 in Literacy and no score below 105.

Application Information

BACHELOR OF INTERIOR DESIGN (HONOURS)(CO-OP)
Program Code 6148X03FWO

Applications to full-time day programs must be submitted with official transcripts showing completion of the academic admission requirements through:

ontariocolleges.ca
60 Corporate Court
Guelph, Ontario N1G 5J3
1-888-892-2228

Students currently enrolled in an Ontario secondary school should notify their Guidance Office prior to their online application at www.ontariocolleges.ca.

Applications for Fall Term and Winter Term admission received by February 1 will be given equal consideration. Applications received after February 1 will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis as long as places are available.

International applicants please visit this link for application process information: https://algonquincollege.force.com/myACint/.

For further information on the admissions process, contact:

Registrar`s Office
Algonquin College
1385 Woodroffe Ave
Ottawa, ON K2G 1V8
Telephone: 613-727-0002
Toll-free: 1-800-565-4723
TTY: 613-727-7766
Fax: 613-727-7632
Contact: https://www.algonquincollege.com/ro

Additional Information

Program Resources

Algonquin College has been granted consent by the Minister of Colleges and Universities to offer this applied degree for a seven-year term starting November 6, 2020. The College shall ensure that all students admitted to the above-named program during the period of consent have the opportunity to complete the program within a reasonable timeframe.

The Bachelor of Interior Design meets Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) Professional Standards and has been awarded accreditation for a 6 year term starting October, 2022. This accreditation assures that the program meets the rigor of peer review and develops the necessary skills and knowledge to practice interior design.

As the interior design profession rapidly matures towards more advanced credentialization across the globe, upgrading one`s credential to a CIDA accredited baccalaureate degree enables one to function on an equal footing with colleagues around the world. Interior design graduates with a baccalaureate credential may also pursue graduate studies in interior design or related fields.

Building Biology Advocate (BBA) certification is integrated into the curriculum through seven mandatory construction courses allowing students to become certified upon completion of final examination through the Building Biology Institute.

CO-OP INFORMATION:
Co-operative education (Co-op) allows students to integrate their classroom learning with a real-world experience through paid work terms. Two academic terms prior to the cooperative education work term, students are required to actively participate in and successfully complete the self-directed co-op course, readiness activities and workshops.

Students must actively conduct a guided, self-directed job search and are responsible for securing approved program-related paid co-op employment. Students compete for co-op positions alongside students from Algonquin College and other Canadian and international colleges and universities. Algonquin College`s Co-op Department provides assistance in developing co-op job opportunities and guides the overall process, but does not guarantee that a student will obtain employment in a co-op work term. Co-op students may be required to relocate to take part in the co-op employment opportunities available in their industry and must cover all associated expenses; e.g., travel, work permits, visa applications, accommodation and all other incurred expenses.

Co-op work terms are typically 14 weeks in duration and are completed during a term when students are not taking courses. For more information on your program`s co-op level(s), visit the courses tab on your program`s webpage.

International students enrolled in a co-op program are required by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to have a valid Co-op/Internship Work Permit prior to commencing their work term. Without this document International students are not legally eligible to engage in work in Canada that is part of an academic program. The Co-op/Internship Work Permit does not authorize international students to work outside the requirements of their academic program.

For more information on co-op programs, the co-op work/study schedule, as well as general and program-specific co-op eligibility criteria, please visit www.algonquincollege.com/coop.

Completion of the total number of co-op work terms listed under the courses section on the program page are mandatory for graduation. Co-op students must make every effort to remain on schedule and participate in co-op work terms as planned. Students who fail to complete co-op work terms as scheduled may be required to take an unscheduled break in their studies, resulting in a delay in graduation in order to complete their co-op at a later date. Taking an unscheduled break in studies can impact an international student’s immigration status, including, in most cases, the ability to work. International students are advised to consult with the International Education Centre to understand the potential implications of unscheduled breaks at www.algonquincollege.com/international/student-handouts/scheduled-unscheduled-breaks/.

TRANSFER CREDIT RECOGNITION:
Applicants with degrees or degree level courses from Canadian institutions empowered to award degrees and from other degree granting institutions recognized by the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU) will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. To receive a course credit, a minimum grade of C (65%) is required. Official transcripts and course descriptions/outlines must be presented with the application for credit recognition. Applicants with degrees or degree level courses from countries other than Canada or from postsecondary institutions not recognized by the MCU must have their degrees evaluated by a recognized Canadian public or private institution that specializes in the evaluation of international degree programs.

ADVANCED STANDING:
Graduates of an advanced (three-year) diploma from a recognized interior design program with a minimum cumulative grade point of 3.0 (B) may be eligible to undertake Algonquin`s five course online Bridging program. Following successful completion of the Bridging program, students join the fourth year of the Bachelor of Interior Design program.

For more information, refer to the Bridging program website at: https://www.algonquincollege.com/mediaanddesign/program/bachelor-of-interior-design/bridging-program/

Further information on bridging course requirements and the cooperative placement are also detailed at this link.

DEGREE ELECTIVE INFORMATION:
Students may choose from a variety of breadth courses. Courses from a range of disciplines are offered within the humanities, social sciences, sciences, global cultures and mathematics. Elective offerings may vary from semester to semester.

Contact

Courtney Miller

Program Coordinator

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