REFERENCES
1 1. Concise Oxford American Dictionary, 2006, p. 706.
2 2. Johnson, 1995, p. 216.
3 3. Marshall, 1998, p. 527.
4 4. Jensen, September 2001, p. 91.
5 5. Council for Interior Design Qualification, Inc. (CIDQ), 2019. www.cidq.org
6 6. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics Web site, www.bls.gov
7 7. Pile, 2005, p. 180.
8 8. Campbell and Seebohm, 1992, p. 70.
9 9. Abercrombie, December 1999, p. 148.
10 10. Abercrombie, December 1999, p. 146.
11 11. Pile, 2005, p. 317.
12 12. Carron, 1998, p. 72.
13 13. Tate and Smith, 1986, p. 322.
14 14. Russell, 1992, p. 11.
15 15. Zimmerman, January 2018, pp. 103–120.
CHAPTER 2 Professional Advancement
As discussed in Chapter 1, a professional must attain certain standards recognized by those in the profession. Interior design professionals and educators often talk about the three Es as a necessary part of the practice of interior design: education, experience, and examination. Although entry into the interior design profession may come in many ways today, the principles of the three Es remain valid.
Professional interior design in the 21st century requires educational preparation in a wide variety of courses specifically within the body of knowledge for interior design. Having a “flair” for decoration is not enough for a professional in the 21st century. Education should continue with professional seminars and workshops for updating and expansion of the professional practitioner's knowledge and skills.
Work experience through internships and/or entry‐level positions in the design industry helps designers see the “real world.” Practitioners gain experience on the job in a wide variety of settings and design specialties, thus preparing themselves for career options.
The third “E”—examination—is a further qualification for the professional interior designer in today's multifaceted world. An examination after completion of education and some period of work experience seeks to test a practitioner's knowledge and skills in the body of knowledge recognized as necessary for practice of the profession. Further, an examination is expected in states that have legal licensing or registration.
After completing this chapter you should be able to:
Explain the three Es and how they relate to the interior design profession.
Discuss why advanced education may be important for some interior designers.
Explain why continuing education is important for all interior designers.
Discuss how an internship program can be beneficial for a student.
Discuss how the interior design profession protects the health, life safety, and welfare (HSW) of clients and the general public.
Explain why it is important for the Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ) to be an independent organization.
Explain why you believe (or don't believe) the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) examination is important to the profession and a professional.
Investigate the membership requirements of one (or more) of the professional associations paying special attention to student membership.
Compare a practice act to a title act regarding a practitioner's qualifications and impact on the public.
Discuss the pros and cons of affiliating with a design professional association.
NCIDQ COMPONENT
Based on the best information available, some material in this chapter might appear as part of the NCIDQ examination. The reader should not depend solely on this text for study material. See the sections on licensing and registration.
EDUCATIONAL PREPARATION
Regardless of whether someone wishes to design residences or become involved in designing any type of commercial interior space, strong educational preparation should be considered mandatory. Owners and users of interior spaces who hire professional help expect the interior designer to have the knowledge and skills to perform the required work with more in mind than aesthetics.
To encompass the range of knowledge and skills development required today, interior design programs are interdisciplinary, drawing from the arts, architecture, and human ecology. It is also important for students to have coursework in business and the liberal arts. Depending on the location of the program and the educational institution, the professional and technical coursework will have a slightly different focus.
The Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA), with assistance from the Council on Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ) and the Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC), and funding from the key professional organizations, has helped to research the common body of knowledge and skills needed by competent professional interior designers. The complete listing of the elements of this body of knowledge is available at the Web site www.idec.org.
Whether a two‐year program at a community college, a three‐ to four‐year program at a professional school or university, or a “two plus two” program where a student begins at a community college and finishes a bachelor's degree at a university, in‐depth educational preparation is imperative. In some cases, advanced education is important for an individual's career choice. Teaching requires educational preparation beyond the bachelor's degree. Some specialized areas such as lighting design also benefit from advanced education.
Regardless of the level of degree sought, professional educational training in interior design must provide the student with the theory and skills of the profession, as well as with the general education required in the 21st century. The focus of that training must also meet the student's interests, abilities, and career goals.
Advanced Education
Many designers seek postgraduate education in interior design, architecture, and business, to name just a few broad areas. Sometimes designers obtain additional education in order to increase their technical skills and to allow themselves an opportunity to advance within the firm in which they work. Sometimes they seek additional education in order to retrain for a new area of expertise, such as lighting design, or to move into management.
Design professionals who seek an advanced degree most often obtain a master's degree. A master's degree involves advanced studies or research work. Master's‐degree work commonly requires a minimum of 30 semester credit hours, with actual degree requirements being prescribed by the institution. A graduate student's work culminates in a graphic or written thesis, depending on his or her academic focus and the requirements of the institution.
Individuals who are particularly interested in teaching at the college level or are interested in research topics may choose to obtain a doctorate rather than a master's degree. Doctoral studies are more extensive than master's, with additional numbers