BCC Interior Design program earns national accreditation

BELLEVUE, WASH.– Bellevue Community College’s Interior Design program has become just the second program in the state -- and only the third associate-degree program in the nation -- to be accredited by the prestigious Council for Interior Design Accreditation (formerly known as FIDER).

“Accreditation by the Council is nothing less than a formal stamp of approval from the most respected authority in the Interior Design profession,” said Connie Wais, who chairs and teaches in the Bellevue Community College (BCC) program. “It will greatly benefit our graduates by increasing their standing in the field and in the job market.”

The Council for Interior Design Accreditation is an independent, non-profit accrediting organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. It confers accreditation only after in-depth review of a program’s curriculum, faculty and facilities.

Accreditation, the Council says, “ensures that graduates will be prepared for entry-level practice and poised for future professional growth, a significant competitive advantage considered by potential employers.”

The only other accredited Interior Design program in Washington is offered by Washington State University.

Brooks College in Long Beach, Calif., and Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount, Minn., are the only other associate degree Interior Design programs in the nation that are accredited by the Council.

More than 500 students are currently enrolled in BCC’s three-year Interior Design program, which leads to an Associate of Arts in Interior Design degree.

An Interior Designer is a trained professional who uses artistic vision and technical knowledge of materials and construction to enhance the functional and aesthetic qualities of indoor spaces.

Further information on BCC’s Interior Design program is available at http://www.bcc.ctc.edu/ArtsHum/interiordesign/ or by calling (425) 564-4041.

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