What is CIDA Accreditation, and Why Does it Matter?

Interior design is a highly specialized profession that requires great depth of knowledge in a variety of areas and a multitude of skills for success. A quality education is foundational for preparing emerging professionals to be successful in this field. The Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) is an independent, non-profit organization that sets standards for education in interior design programs at institutions of higher education, oversees the accreditation process for these institutions and facilitates communication with interior design stakeholders to advance the profession. CIDA accreditation is a signal of the quality of education provided by an interior design program and is meaningful to prospective students as well as prospective employers. There are currently approximately 200 volunteers helping CIDA to complete its important work.

For programs to receive accreditation, several requirements must be met by the program and the institution. The program must conclude with a bachelor’s degree and must be part of an institution more broadly accredited by the appropriate organization, such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) for institutions of higher education in the state of Alabama. The program must also require a minimum number of general education hours in addition to minimum interior-design-specific coursework and the institution must report certain data such as student graduation rates. Programs located outside the United States or Canada must also meet additional criteria. According to the CIDA website (https://cida.org/), there are currently over 170 CIDA accredited interior design programs across the United States and internationally, representing approximately 20,000 students.

In the CIDA Professional Standards 2024, there are sixteen standards required for a program to receive CIDA accreditation. These standards are divided into two sections:

Section 1: Program Identity and Context
The first section includes three standards addressing broader contextual programmatic factors such as faculty credentials, curriculum and learning setting.

Section II: Knowledge Acquisition and Application.
The second section encompasses thirteen standards measuring student learning expectations. Student learning expectations for the 2024 standards are: Global Context; Collaboration; Business Practices and Professionalism; Human-Centered Design; Design Process; Communication; History; Design Elements and Principles; Light and Color; Products and Materials; Environmental Systems and Human Wellbeing; Construction; and Regulations and Guidelines.

To view and download the 2024 CIDA Professional Standards document, please visit this website: https://cida.org/professional-standards

From a process perspective, programs must first conduct a self-study process to measure their success in meeting each of the CIDA standards and submit a report based upon their findings. Next, a three-day site visit is conducted by a team of trained external reviewers composed of industry professionals and educators who meet with faculty, students and administrators and review student work. The site-visit team then submits their report to a team of peer evaluators and, after thorough review, makes a decision regarding accreditation. If granted, accreditation status is given for six years.

By communicating with interior design stakeholders including professionals in the field and educators, CIDA stays well-informed of competencies required to succeed in the professional field both now and in the future and ensures programs seeking accreditation provide quality education in those areas. Their forward-looking approach means that the organization plays a major role in advancing the field of interior design by preparing emerging professionals with relevant and up-to-date knowledge to keep pace with a changing world. The interior design profession benefits from the existence of this independent non-profit organization that depends upon volunteers to implement its mission. If you would like to volunteer your time to support CIDA in advancing our profession, there are several opportunities for involvement including serving as a Site Visitor or serving on the Standards Committee or Appeal Board. More information about these volunteer opportunities is available here: https://cida.org/new-page-30