Interior + Spatial Design

Interior + Spatial Design

Create Space

Interior designers draw on an array of skills and knowledge — of 2D, 3D and 4D design; architecture and construction, materials and manufacturing; health and safety codes and much, much more — to plan spaces that support people and their goals.

The Interior + Spatial Design Program at Sage

Russell Sage College has the only accredited bachelor’s degree in Interior + Spatial Design between Syracuse and New York City. As an interior design major, you’ll learn manual and digital drafting, space planning and construction methods and how to apply sustainable materials, lighting, color, textiles and furniture to meet clients’ aesthetic and functional needs.

You’ll gain real-world experience with budgets and applying building codes at an internship, and you’ll add to your portfolio through a year-long, self-designed capstone project.

Upon completing your degree in interior design and the requisite number of work hours, you’ll be eligible to take the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) exam, which leads to professional certification.

Faculty

Art + Design faculty members write and illustrate books, participate in juried art exhibitions and contribute to attention-getting design projects — but you will find that they are supportive teachers, first. Russell Sage College is a small school, so your professors get to know you and your goals. They’ll offer constructive critiques as you grow as a designer and help you to identify fulfilling opportunities and brainstorm creative projects — while you are a student and even after you graduate.

Interior Design Program Facilities

As a BFA student at Russell Sage College, you’ll have easy access to equipment like a 3-D printers, laser cutter, large format printers, Wacom Cintiq displays, scanners, audiovisual equipment, a vacuum former and more at the Art + Design Technology Center.

Two on-campus galleries attract prestigious exhibits and provide a professional venue for students’ work. You may also serve on the editorial board or publish your work in Vernacular, a student-run art and literature publication and annual campus tradition for more than 50 years.

The Interior + Spatial Design Club hosts speakers, a lunch and learn series, trips to showrooms and design firms and industry events with local chapters of the Commercial Interior Design Association, the American Society of Interior Designers and the National Kitchen & Bath Association.

And you’ll have plenty of opportunities to network with Russell Sage College’s entire Art + Design department and members of Albany and Troy’s creative communities at department-sponsored Artist Lectures, Opalka Gallery programs and other activities.

SEE CATALOG FOR BFA IN INTERIOR + SPATIAL DESIGN REQUIREMENTS

“All of our Interior Design classes are 15 people or under. You
really get a one-on-one experience with the professor and you really get to know your classmates.”

Lynn Capirsello
Assistant Professor of Interior + Spatial Design

Interior Design Major Spotlights

Student

2025

Isabella Behan

“When I toured the college for the first time, I knew it was the right place to continue my education,” …

Student

2024

Walter Roman ’24

Imagine being a college freshman at age 55. Okay, that’s difficult. Imagine having a successful 30-year career as a hair …

Student

2024

Lizbeth Paez

When New York City native Lizbeth Paez was applying to college, she was leaning toward schools with interior design programs …

You will graduate from Russell Sage College’s interior design program prepared for entry-level positions in interior design and eventual NCIDQ-certification.

Our graduates get great jobs in interior design firms, large construction companies, boutique architectural firms and consumer product manufacturers.

Recent graduates are working as a project coordinator at Cube 3 Studio LLC, designer at Standard Commercial Interiors, designer and sales representative at Best Tile, event designer and planner at Whim Events and as independent designers.

Alumni Spotlights

A bachelor’s degree in interior design prepared these Sage graduates for success.

Alumni

Interior + Spatial Design 2022

Kait Bates

“I have always loved the things that make up Interior + Spatial design,” said Kait Bates, listing art and photography, …

Alumni

Interior + Spatial Design 2022

Brooke Perry

Meet Brooke Perry ’22! Her Interior + Spatial Design internship at Curtis Lumber Co, Inc., led to a full-time position …

Alumni

Interior + Spatial Design 2020

Meriam Murray

Growing up, Meriam Murray was the third of seven children. That meant she needed to play a role in the …

Graduate Studies with an Interior Design Degree

A Master of Fine Arts degree is the next step for many interior design majors who want to continue their studies. Our bachelor’s program in Interior + Spatial Design is also excellent preparation for programs in architecture, education or other fields that align with your goals.

Internships + Capstone Project

Interior + Spatial Design students do amazing things in the professional world, thanks to our well-established internship program. Students cite their internships as one of their best educational experiences, and many receive job offers after their internships.

Employers that have recently hosted Interior + Spatial Design interns from Sage include Architecture+, ROI Office Interiors, Accent Furniture Showroom, the Rosenblum Companies, and Shawn Henderson Interior Design.

In your senior year, you will identify a design challenge and propose a solution as your independent capstone project. Recently, students have reimagined assisted living facilities, shelters for people fleeing domestic violence, neonatal intensive care units and hospital waiting rooms for their capstone projects. The best capstone work is featured in the annual BFA show at the Opalka Gallery and the New York Eleven Plus (NY11+) showcase in New York City.

Program Objectives

As a student in Russell Sage College’s accredited Interior + Spatial design program, you’ll learn manual and digital drafting skills, space planning and construction methods and how to apply sustainable materials, lighting, color, textiles and furniture to create aesthetically-pleasing and functional environments. Our BFA curriculum includes studio classes, an internship and a self-designed capstone project to prepare you for entry-level positions in interior design and eventual NCIDQ-certification.

First-year and transfer students can find information about application procedures, tuition, financial aid and scholarships via the links at the bottom of this page.

Please also visit our website at art.sage.edu to learn more about the many opportunities available in our program.

Accreditation

Russell Sage College’s Visual Arts programs are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), 11250 Roger Bacon Drive, Suite 21, Reston, VA 20190. 703-437-0700.

Application Procedure

We’d like to meet you! Come visit our campuses, get to know our faculty and diverse student body, even sit in on a class or two.

First-year and transfer students can find information about application procedures, tuition, financial aid and scholarships via the links at the bottom of this page.

Art + Design Mission Statement

Russell Sage’s art and design programs, creative arts in therapy, and art history courses develop innovators of art and design with an understanding of visual culture, its relevance to society, and the ability to contribute as artist citizens. In this student-centered environment, students broaden their artistic vision through internships and the interdisciplinary opportunities offered at Russell Sage. Art and design students leave Sage with the confidence to influence their world through mastery in competence areas, creative vision, critical thinking and problem solving capabilities.

Sage’s art and design programs and art history courses will prepare students for current and emerging careers in the arts by:

Developing curriculum that mirrors departmental and college core values and aligns with the institution’s strategic plan.
Aligning and expanding the art and design disciplines to reflect the interdisciplinary nature of Russell Sage
Designing innovative and immersive programs that offer connections to both the local and global communities through community projects, exhibitions, guest lectures, field trips, internships, clubs, and travel opportunities
Establishing residency programs for visiting artists, designers and scholars that benefit both students and the community.
Fortifying relationships with the surrounding community
Fostering environmentally sensitive and socially conscious citizens.

This will be accomplished through:

Assessing art and design and art history curricula and its viability, using learning assessment methodologies such as faculty-guided peer review of student work, accreditation, portfolio reviews, testing, research methods and papers. In addition, art faculty will conduct yearly reviews for all students to assess programmatic progress and to continually strengthen teaching.
Interacting with Sage colleagues, programs and institutes across disciplines and the campuses to facilitate relationships necessary to strengthening interdisciplinary activity and courses.
Facilitating outreach to community partners to expand student opportunities for service learning.
Collaborating with the Sage community to combine resources for visiting artists and scholars who will benefit the Sage community in its mission.
Creating meaning by emphasizing communication modes and literacy through listening, writing, speaking, self-reflection and proficiency assessments. In part, this will be accomplished with the addition of writing and speaking components into every studio class to work in concert with art history courses and core goals of humanities education.
Encouraging non-art majors to minor in an art discipline and for art majors to minor outside of the department to foster relationships across the disciplines exposing students to a greater variety of viewpoints.
Maintaining personal faculty development in order to foster continued scholarship and professional practice in the fields of art, design, creative arts in therapy, and art history.
Modeling behaviors consistent with our value system of empathy for our fellow citizens and stewardship of the world around us.

The art and design unit, like all college constituencies, regularly aligns our plans with the Sage mission. We complete annual reviews which articulate goals for assessment, instruments to be used, how information will be gathered, and identify how assessment results will be used with program-level assessment grids. Curricular decisions are guided by and informed by the mission, and course content is designed to support each of the institutional learning outcomes.

Next steps?

It’s time to take the next step. Choose yours below.

Have questions about an Interior Design Degree?

Commencement, May 11, 2024 at 6 p.m.

Create Space

Interior designers draw on an array of skills and knowledge — of 2D, 3D and 4D design; architecture and construction, materials and manufacturing; health and safety codes and much, much more — to plan spaces that support people and their goals.