How to Become an Interior Designer in Maryland

Interior designers are college educated.

Interior designers have a very specialized education. They receive either an associate's or a bachelor's degree. The curriculum includes such classes as color theory, space planning, electrical and plumbing systems, CAD (Computer-Assisted Design), furniture styles, furniture arranging, accessorizing and anything else having to do with design decisions. In Maryland, there are several programs available, and of course there are online classes that can be taken from anywhere.

Instructions

1. The first step is to get your education. In Maryland, Westwood College and the Maryland Art Institute (Environmental Design program) offer classes on campus. If you are close to Arlington, Va., the Art Institute has an interior design program. Ashworth College and the University of Phoenix offer classes online.

2. Get experience. After you've finished your studies you need to get experience as an intern or apprentice. You'll need the hands-on experience to get certified, plus it builds up your portfolio.

3. Get certified. Take the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) exam. Before you can take the exam, you must have a combination of interior design education credit hours and work experience hours. For a bachelor's degree, quarter credits needed total 180, with 90 in design and 3,520 work hours logged. For an associate's degree, the quarter credits required are 90 total, with all 90 in design and 5,280 hours working in the field.

4. Get your license. In Maryland, you must have a license in order to work as a designer. Interior decorators can work without a license, so you could do that, but you'd be limited in what jobs you could do.

5. Join professional organizations. You will probably want to join the ASID (American Society of Interior Designers). It is a professional organization with a lot of prestige and clout.

6. Get the proper paperwork done and get insurance. If you start your own business, you will need a tax-free certificate and FEIN (Federal Employee Identification Number) and, at the minimum, liability insurance, in case you should damage the client's property or cause someone to be injured through your business.

Tips & Warnings

• Decide early on whether you want to do residential or commercial work, and whether you will want to work as a freelancer or with a design or architectural firm or a furniture store.

References

• Becoming a Designer
• Design Schools in Maryland