At High Point University, the interior design program is housed in the School of Art and Design. Our program is considered to be one of the top in the nation. The School of Art and Design places equal emphasis is placed on commercial and residential design, given our exclusive and longstanding relationship with High Point Market and nationally recognized design leaders.
The Interior Design Program is part of the Knabusch-Shoemaker International School of Home Furnishings and Interior Design and housed in Norton Hall, which contains classroom spaces, faculty offices, studios, two computer-assisted design (CAD) labs, library/resource spaces, and a gallery to exhibit student work.
The course work is divided into five tracks: Profession of Interior Design, Design Communications, Social and Cultural Exploration, Building Technologies and Studio.
Visit the website for Interior Design
Internship and Alumni Profiles
Interior Design majors from High Point University have found great success getting internships and jobs across the nation. 93.75% of the students that graduated in May 2014 were employed by December 2014 (% reflects the 31 of 37 students who provided information).
Over the past few years our students have been employed as interior designers, furniture designers and visual merchandisers. Take a look at some of the incredible companies that have hired student interns and recent interior design graduates:
- Ageloff & Associates – New York, NY
- Barbour Spangle Design Group – High Point, NC
- Bassett Furniture Industries – Greensboro, NC
- Helen Reed Designs — London
- Schumaker Showroom/Madigan Schüler Designs – Washington, D.C.
- Anthropologie – New York, NY
- IKEA – Charlotte, NC
- Furnitureland South – Jamestown, NC
- LDG Architecture & Design – Arlington, VA
- Marriott International, Inc. – Bethesda, MD
- Rosser International – Atlanta, GA
- Lillian August – Greenwich, CT
- Sloane Design Group – Boston, MA
- Tuscan Blue Design – Washington DC
- Wilson Associates – New York, NY
- Uma Stewart Interiors + Lifestyles – New York, NY
Access to Industry Leaders
High Point University Interior Design students have the chance to participate in activities associated with the High Point Furniture Market, the premier furniture and design exhibition in the world, which is held twice each year during the fall and spring semesters.
Many top industry professionals speak to HPU students at program sponsored events regarding marketplace trends and workplace expectations, giving our students unique access to some of the best minds in the field. HPU junior Mags Boyle, a human relations and business administration double major, recently decided to dive into the furniture industry because of something that Ron Wanek, founder and CEO of Ashley Furniture, said during a panel discussion at HPU last fall.
In 2014, students met with HGTV star Genevieve Gorder during a showroom presentation in April. Past industry leader appearances have included ABC’s Ty Pennington and HGTV hosts Candace Olsen and Joe Ruggiero.
Opportunities in Florence, Italy
High Point University interior design majors have the unique opportunity to graduate not only with a four year degree, but also with a concentration certificate from the Lorenzo de’Medici Institute in Florence, Italy. HPU is the only university in the country with a certificate program of this kind. Students have the opportunity to travel abroad in their junior spring semester to study design in the geographic heart of design — Italy. Students are completely immersed in Florentine culture, and are instructed by professors native to Florence while earning a certificate at no extra cost to their HPU tuition.
Students can earn certificates in:
- Visual Communication for Fashion
- Retail Design
- Product Design Towards Sustainability
Nationally Recognized and Involved Faculty
Dr. John Turpin, professor of interior design and dean of the School of Art and Design at High Point University, will serve as editor in chief of the Journal of Interior Design. He was appointed to a three-year term and began May 1, 2015. He previously served as a reviewer for the Journal of Interior Design for more than 10 years. He has also served as liaison between the journal and the Interior Design Educators Council Board of Directors for three years. He has received five awards of excellence for his research from IDEC, which is the sponsoring organization of the journal.
A Look Inside Interior Design
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