Interior Design Degree – Wayne State College Nebraska

Explore the Interior Design degree program

From the most extravagant rooms to the simplest offices, every interior needs attention to the lighting, flooring, wall treatments, and furniture. As an interior designer, you’ll work with clients to design and create functional and aesthetically pleasing interior spaces. You’ll have the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives by improving the spaces they inhabit.

At Wayne State, you’ll develop your artistic, interpersonal, and management skills. You’ll learn design principles, color theory, space planning, construction techniques, and technical drawing using industry-standard software so you can work on real-world design projects.

Depending on your interests, an Interior Design degree can open a range of careers in a variety of settings including residential and commercial spaces, television and film sets, museums and galleries, and even furniture and textile companies.

If you have a passion for design and a desire to create beautiful and functional spaces, the Interior Design degree program at Wayne State can help you turn your passion into a fulfilling and personally rewarding career.

View program courses Download program fact sheet (PDF)

Fast facts

Degree options: B.A. or B.S. in Family and Consumer Sciences/Interior Design

Delivery format: On campus (Wayne)

Program credit hours: 57

Family and Consumer Sciences core (18 credit hours)
Interior Design concentration (39 credit hours)

Note: Students must also take 30 credit hours of General Studies courses. A total of 120 credit hours are needed to graduate from WSC. Additional majors or minors can be added to help meet graduation requirements.

School: Business and Technology

Department: Technology and Applied Science

Prepare for your future

Opportunities and outcomes

Interior design topics covered

Consumer economics
Principles of marketing and real estate
Influence of design and architecture on human behavior
Interior design techniques and technical drawing
Residential drawing with computer-aided design (CAD) software
Construction and selection of household technology
Soft furnishings and textiles
Finishing materials and techniques
Principles of design, color, furniture, materials, and accessories
Designing for residential, commercial, and retail spaces
Interior design codes and regulations
Accounting for non-business majors
Art history and multicultural arts
Professional development and presentation

Student learning outcomes

Demonstrate professional communication skills in family and consumer sciences settings
Apply knowledge from their program of study to current and future issues in family and consumer sciences
Utilize critical thinking for problem solving in family and consumer sciences settings

Interior design internships

Our outstanding Career Services Office is available to help you find fashion merchandising internships and career opportunities. Students recently completed internships at the following locations:

Heritage Homes of Nebraska
Homestead Homes
MOD House Interiors
Spaces Interior Design

Career services and internships

Graduates of the Interior Design degree program work in their chosen field using the skills they learned while at Wayne State College. Each year, eager employers welcome WSC graduates into their organizations.

Jobs of recent graduates:

Designer – Central Kitchen & Bath (Sioux City, Iowa)
Design Consultant – Homestead Homes (Wayne, Neb.)
Designer/Drafter – Dewitt Design (Sioux Falls, South Dakota)
Interior Designer – Lee Douglas Interiors (Omaha, Neb.)
Interior Designer/Drafter – The Kitchen Place (Yankton, South Dakota)

job or grad school placement rate
within six months of graduation
Data based on most recent
employment outcomes survey

Cost of attendance

Most Affordable College in Nebraska

- College Affordability Guide, 2024

Wayne State is considered the most affordable four-year college or university in Nebraska. With same rates for in- and out-of-state students, our tuition guarantee, and our generous scholarship packages, it is clear to see how WSC earned the title. In fact, the average remaining annual cost of attendance for 2024-25 is $2,268 for undergraduate students after financial aid and scholarships.

Credits: 1
Description: The history, growth and development of family and consumer sciences. Career exploration of the opportunities for careers open to family and consumer sciences graduates. Freshmen, sophomores, undeclared majors or by permission of instructor.
Credits: 3
Description: A study of the fundamentals of verbal and nonverbal presentations, media techniques for presenting oral and written information, visual aids and their usage, and display techniques to enable the student to become more skilled at giving professional presentations.
Credits: 3
Description: Development of responsible consumerism through value clarification, goal formulation, decision-making, and effective use of resources.
Credits: 2
Description: Course to enhance the professional development of FCS majors. Topics to include networking, job search skills, portfolio development, professional associations, and entrepreneurship.
Prerequisite: FCS 313 Techniques in Professional Presentation
Choose one of the following courses:
Note:Fashion Merchandising majors will take FCS 103 Clothing Construction
- FCS 103 Clothing Construction (3 credits) - Evaluation of clothing construction for the consumer relative to sewing projects and ready-to-wear. Components of quality workmanship, apparel fibers/fabrics, and cost factors are emphasized through construction projects. Lecture and lab combined.
- FCS 302 Textiles (3 credits) - Serviceability concepts, durability, comfort, care, and appearance as related to fibers, yarns, fabric construction, finishes, and designs. Consumer oriented approach.
Choose one of the following courses:
- FCS 110 Family and Personal Relationships (3 credits) - A study of relationships throughout the life cycle. Application of the critical thinking process to the identification of values, the formulation of goals, and the decision-making model in order to improve the quality of life for individuals and families.
- FCS 115 Human Development and the Family (3 credits) - Principles and concepts of individual development through the lifespan in the context of the family.
Choose one of the following courses:
- FCS 240 Design and Interior Environments (3 credits) - The study and discussion of concepts, issues, and resolutions in which research of human behavior is influenced by built environment. Use of communication skills, problem-solving, and media to design interior environments. An exploration of sustainable design and its effects on interior design, architecture, city planning, and landscape design.
- FCS 305 Housing Development and Design (3 credits) - A study of architectural housing styles, future trends in housing, housing selection as it concerns the family during stages of the family life cycle. Floor plans, furniture arrangement, elements and principles of design, color theory, and their application to housing will be covered. Lecture and lab combined.

Interior design concentration courses (38 credits)

Credits: 3
Description: A course for non-business majors to study the role of accounting as an information development and communication function that supports economic decision-making. This restricted overview of accounting emphasizes development of knowledge and skills to perform basic financial analysis, derive financial information for personal or organizational decisions, and utilize information for better understanding of business, governmental, and other organizational entities.
Credits: 3
Description: Study of design process as it applies to interior spaces. Emphasis on problem-solving and communication skills in space planning. Course will include detailing interior drawings and plans using multiple mediums. Careers in interior design will be explored. Lecture and lab combined.
Credits: 3
Description: A study of the construction, selection, use, and care of appliances and other technology used in the home; the basic principles in the use of gas and electricity in the home; safety and energy conservation of household technology.
Credits: 3
Description: The application of elements and principles of design in the use of soft furnishings to enhance the decor of a living space. Measurements and calculations, fabric characteristics, construction techniques, and placement/installation of soft furnishings will be addressed. Lecture and lab combined.
Credits: 3
Description: Advanced study of the elements and principles of design, color, period decoration and furniture, and residential design, pictorial drawings, materials, and accessories. Client projects, sample boards, and client presentations will be emphasized. Professional practices of design will be explored. Lecture and lab combined.
Prerequisite: FCS 242 Techniques of Interior Design, or instructor permission
Credits: 1-3
Description: Practical experience in the classroom or other professional settings. Experiences can include laboratory assistance, organization, presentation, and evaluation of activity units in family and consumer sciences. May be taken twice.
Prerequisite: Department chair approval
Credits: 3
Description: Comprehensive study of design components and its effect on commercial and retail spaces. Continuing emphasis on problem-solving and communication skills. Expanded application of interior design codes and regulations that are applied to designed interiors.
Prerequisite: FCS 242 Techniques of Interior Design, or instructor permission
Credits: 3
Description: Introduction to the many types of finishing materials and techniques used in modern architectural designs and on industrial goods. Residential, commercial, and industrial finishes will be explored, and students will practice several application techniques on personal or departmental projects. Lecture and lab combined.
Credits: 3
Description: This course explores the fundamentals of residential drawing and the application of computer aided drafting. Students develop skills in sketching, home planning, design, layout and building material selection for residential structures, zoning, an introduction to code requirements, building permits process and energy audits. Students are required to complete a full set of construction documents to include floor plans, foundation plans, elevations, kitchen and bath plans, detail drawings, specific notes, and a 3D rendering. Lecture and lab combined. ITE majors must pass with a C or better. Class fee of $25 required.
Credits: 3
Description: This course builds on skills and information learned in ITE 214. Students design a residential project limited in size by the instructor. The project includes a full set of working drawings. Zoning ordinances, local building code, International Building Codes, and energy efficiency are incorporated into all the projects. Topics will include IRC Code as it applies to build types, occupancy types, materials, and ratings for commercial design. Software used will allow students to produce 2D construction documents as well as 3D Building Information Models (BIM). Lecture and lab combined. ITE majors must pass with a C or better. Class fee of $25 required.
Prerequisite: ITE 214 Residential Drawing
Choose one of the following courses:
- ART 244 Art History Survey I (3 credits) - A survey of painting, sculpture, and architecture from prehistoric to Gothic.
- ART 245 Art History Survey II (3 credits) - A survey of painting, sculpture, and architecture from early Renaissance through the 21st century.
- ART 440 Multicultural Arts (3 credits) - The student will become more aware of the arts in global cultures from ancient to modern times for purposes of identity, understanding, and expression of our inheritance as world citizens. The cultural and ethnic differences will be stressed enough through readings, discussions, and studio experiences emphasizing the arts as the expressions of these eras. 6 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required. Prerequisite: junior or senior standing.
Choose one of the following courses:
- BUS 222 Business Law I (3 credits) - Introduction to the study of law, the law of contracts, agency and employment, negotiable instruments, personal property and bailments, and the laws governing the sale of goods.
- BUS 270 Principles of Marketing (3 credits) - This course facilitates students in conquering the essential concepts of product, price, promotion, distribution, segmentation, ethics, and social responsibility, while addressing the evolving digital and social media influences. The fundamentals will be stressed allowing for useful decision processes by managers while encouraging the development of the marketing specialist as one of the key decision makers in a firm. Marketing is critical to implementing strategy, gaining competitive advantages, and ensuring positive organizational results.
Choose one of the following courses:
- BUS 260 Management Theory and Practice (3 credits) - Develops the management art and science of planning, organizing, actuating, and controlling through people to make ideas materialize within economic constraints of a business enterprise. Develops ability to construct policy, to make scientifically sound decisions within that policy, and to establish ethical procedures to insure organized productive effort to intended objectives. Develops a management attitude, outlook, and ability.
- BUS 327 Principles of Real Estate (3 credits) - A study of the character of land, real estate markets, ownership, interests, legal instruments, contracts, closing transfers, financing, brokerage, and management. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.

Popular pairings

Many students at Wayne State will add a second major or a minor to complement their program of study or to focus their studies on a specific topic. Students who recently majored in Interior Design at Wayne State also paired this major with one or more of the following programs:

View all majors and minors

Related programs

Students interested in the Interior Design program may also be interested in:

Drafting and Design (B.A. or B.S.)

I chose Interior Design because I love making and transforming things. I've always been art savvy, so I decided that Interior Design would both challenge me and be fun. Wayne State's faculty really help prepare you for the future. They are more than willing to help with classes and anything in between. They really become like your college parents and just want to make sure you have everything you need to succeed. The classes provide students valuable information that we will be able to take into the workforce with us. Classes are very focused on making sure the right materials and techniques are being taught so that we are essentially ahead of the game when we enter our professional field.

Brooklyn Stack

Chadron, Nebraska

Major: Interior Design

Brooklyn Stack

Chadron, Nebraska

Major: Interior Design

Meet the professors

Technology and Applied Science faculty

Jeff Allen, Ed.D.

Professor

Erin Arneson, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

David Hix, MSE

Instructor

Al Lindsay, MSE

Instructor

Dan Mitchell, MSE

Instructor

Jessie Piper, MSE

Instructor

Grant Schrick, MSE

Instructor

Clubs for Interior Design majors

Association of Family and Consumer Sciences - For students in the family and consumer sciences
Associated General Contractors of America - Student chapter of AGC designed to enhance learning experiences in the field of construction
Delta Sigma Pi - A coed professional organization for business, computing, sport management, fashion merchandising, and industrial management majors
Drafting and Design Club - Learn about opportunities available in the drafting and design career field