NYSID’s Primer on Seeking Professional Credentials in Interior Design
There are people who call themselves interior designers without ever having taken a class in the discipline; and then there are those with many years of education and experience who have attained the highest credentials in the profession. Many beginners in the field don’t know that interior designers can become registered, certified, or licensed interior designers.
NYSID alum and faculty member Holly Hayden Taylor ‘10 (BFA), CID, CIDQ, a designer with a New York state license, and the executive design director of Jeremiah Brent Design, says, “It’s meaningful to have my license because it shows people you have done your homework and you want to be the best at what you do.”
Higher levels of professional education, NCIDQ certification, and state licensure correlate with higher compensation and advancement for interior designers, but many design students don’t understand what goes into the process of obtaining these credentials. The knowledge gap about what it takes for an interior designer to become a professional is even more pronounced with consumers, who often don’t have a clear understanding of how the education, examination, experience, and licensure of designers protect them.
The movement to regulate interior design and legally define the rights and responsibilities of interior designers is intensifying, and emerging designers have an important role to play in the future of the profession. Says Thom Banks, Hon. FASID, Hon. IDC, who was CEO of the Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ) until March 2025, “I would want interior design students to understand their involvement in fighting for their legal recognition as professionals is powerful and can be important to making change. The more interior designers who seek NCIDQ certification and state licensure, the more compelling of an argument we have for legislators. I would urge interior designers to be participants, not observers, in fighting for their professional rights.”
A Decades-long Transformation from an Avocation to a Profession
The Gilded Age pioneers of interior design, such as Elsie de Wolfe and later, Sister Parish and Billy Baldwin, tended to be brilliant, self-educated decorators with good taste, social connections, and business acumen. Since the 1950s, when architecture firms began hiring designers to specify art, materials and furnishings for the interiors of commercial properties, the practice of interior design has been gradually professionalizing. In the post-WWII period, use of the term “decorator” began to wane, and “interior designer” became more mainstream.
Aligned with the recognition that interior design was integral to a successful and functional space, the professional standards for the industry have also been evolving for decades. Organizations such as the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA, formerly FIDER); the Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ); The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID); the International Interior Design Association (IIDA); the Interior Design Educators’ Council (IDEC) and the Interior Designers of Canada (IDC) have been working together at the forefront of the movement to define and expand “the scope of services performed by a professional design practitioner, qualified by means of education, experience, and examination, to protect the life, health, safety and welfare of the public,” (Guerin, Martin, 2004). A seminal academic paper by Denise Guerin and Caren Martin in 2004 defined Interior Design’s body of knowledge as discrete from any other profession, especially architecture. An important moment was when in 2004, CIDQ, the organization that creates and administers the certificate exam for interior designers (the NCIDQ) finalized a formal definition of interior design. Key to this definition is the designer’s adherence to construction, fire, life-safety, and energy codes to protect the public. Says NYSID Associate Dean, Dr. Daniel Harper, CIDQ, IDEC, “Learning the codes for safe fire egress might not be the most exciting part of an interior design education, but this type of knowledge gets to the heart of the interior designer’s professional responsibility.”
“Today, the standards in interior design are rising,” says NYSID Vice President for Academic Affairs & Dean, Dr. Ellen Fisher, CID, FASID, FIDEC. Fisher is a member of the New York State Board for Interior Design, the organization that advises the New York State Education Department on matters of certification and professional conduct in interior design. “States and provinces are exploring and expanding ‘title legislation’ that regulates who can call themself a ‘Certified’ or ‘Registered’ Interior Designer, as well as ‘practice legislation’ that regulates the right to practice specific interior design services.” According to CIDQ, as of 2024, 29 states, DC, Puerto Rico, and all Canadian Provinces have some law in place related to the regulation of interior design. (See this legislation by state graphic from CIDQ for the regulatory laws by state). The central professional organizations of Interior Design (ASID, IIDA, and CIDQ) collaborate together as the Consortium for Interior Design to advocate for interior designers’ legal recognition as regulated design professionals in every jurisdiction.
What Credentials Does One Need to Be Considered a Professional Interior Designer?
Unfortunately, there’s no simple answer to that question because employers have differing standards and states have different laws regulating interior design. However, the way interior designers demonstrate their professional expertise to employers and their commitment to the interior design profession is through three interrelated credentials:
1. A Professional-level Degree from a CIDA-accredited Program
CIDA is the organization that accredits interior design programs at colleges and universities. CIDA defines a professional program as a Bachelor's degree (usually 4 years), or a first-professional Master's degree (usually 3 years) that prepares students to enter the field with practice-ready skills. NYSID’s MFA1 is the only CIDA-accredited MFA program in New York state. NYSID’s BFA is also CIDA accredited. Accreditation of a degree program is an intense process. It requires an academic institution to conduct a self-study on all its curricula to make sure it meets CIDA standards, submit a report for review, and host a site visit. CIDA-accredited programs are reviewed for reaccreditation every six years.
“The clearest benefits to students of a CIDA-accredited program are an assurance that their education will be of the highest caliber, and that it will specifically prepare them to begin to sit for the NCIDQ exam,” says NYSID VP for Academic Affairs & Dean Dr. Ellen Fisher. NCIDQ is the first certification that indicates to the public and your peers that you are a professional interior designer with knowledge of safety codes and standards that protect the public, as well as the history and aesthetics of design.
Says Holly Mattson, chief executive officer of CIDA, “CIDA and the NCIDQ exam align well because our respective organizations use similar methodology to research scope of practice and then cross examine our findings to ensure reasonable consistency between educational qualifications and professional career path.”
Says Thom Banks, CEO of CIDQ, “Statistically, there is evidence that those graduating from CIDA-accredited programs generally perform better on the NCIDQ exam than those who don’t. . . .That said, there are a number of non-CIDA programs that also produce quite capable emerging professionals who perform well on the NCIDQ exam.”
The NCIDQ exam is focused on public health and safety, but CIDA’s focus is much broader and is about all of the skills and knowledge it takes to flourish in interior design. Says Mattson, “CIDA accreditation standards are developed primarily to ensure graduates are well prepared for entry-level positions in the field and for life-long learning beyond their first interior design position.” Find CIDA’s 2024 standards for interior design’s body of knowledge.
2. NCIDQ Examination and Certification
Many certifications exist for interior designers, but the industry standard for proficiency in interior design and a proven expertise in applying codes to protect public health, safety, and welfare is NCIDQ certification.
The requirements to qualify to sit for the NCIDQ exam are rigorous, and there are several paths. Designers who have completed a professional-level Bachelor's or Master's degree in interior design must document 2-years of full-time work in interior design, affirmed by a supervisor who meets specific criteria. While a CIDA-accredited degree program specifically prepares students for the NCIDQ exam, you need not attend a CIDA-accredited program in order to take the NCIDQ exam. There is even an alternative path to taking the NCIDQ for those with a pre-professional associate degree in interior design. It requires three years of documented full-time work under an approved supervisor or sponsor. Architects with specific experience in interior design can also sit for the NCIDQ exam. This graphic from CIDQ clarifies the various paths to qualifying to sit for the exam.
Passing this exam gives designers the right to put the acronym “CIDQ” next to their names. NCIDQ certification makes designers eligible for professional membership in the IIDA and ASID. Yet, interior designers with just NCIDQ certification cannot yet call themselves “Certified Interior Designers” (CID) or “Registered Interior Designers” (RID).
3. Licensure, Registration, and Certification
The ultimate credential for professional interior designers is state licensure or registration. Each state has a different body that regulates professional services and grants licenses. In New York, the relevant organization is the New York State Education Department (NYSED), which is advised by the New York State Board for Interior Design. In every state except California, the initial requirement for eligibility for licensure is passing the NCIDQ exam. But the requirements for state licensure exceed those of the NCIDQ: For example in New York State, in order to apply for a license to use the title "certified interior designer,” interior designers must have seven years of combined academic study and work experience (a year more than to sit for the NCIDQ). In New York, which has title legislation, being granted a license from the NYSED means that an interior designer has the legal right to call her/him/their self a “Certified Interior Designer”(CID). In Connecticut, receiving a license means designers have the right to refer to themselves as “Registered Interior Designers (RID).” The nomenclature and variability of state laws makes what it means to have a license somewhat confusing.
The Movement to Secure Professional Rights for Licensed/Registered Interior Designers
“We have made more progress in expanding regulation for interior design in the last 3 years than we did in the 20 years prior,” says Banks, CEO of CIDQ. “There is momentum. Since 2021, North Carolina and Nebraska have joined the states that regulate interior design. In addition to new states, there have been a host of other states that have strengthened regulation, adding the ability to attach stamp and seal permitting privileges.” Permitting privileges give interior designers with licenses/registration the right to pull permits and supervise projects without the oversight of architects for non-seismic and non-structural design projects. Adds Banks, “Permitting privileges are the ability to submit your own work for a building permit. They are the essential component of regulation for interior designers because they enable you to truly, independently practice in the designated scope of your profession.” Wisconsin and Illinois recently passed laws that grant interior designers with licenses permitting privileges. According to this legislative map from CIDQ, 14 states, Puerto Rico and, Washington, DC have legislation with permitting privileges.
Because only a minority of states have practice legislation that regulates tasks in the jurisdiction of interior design, or title laws with permitting privileges, some interior designers do not have a strong economic incentive to get a license. But that’s changing as local and national advocacy drive more states to consider increased regulation with permitting privileges.
Another Powerful Credential: LEED
NYSID’s Career Services and Internship Manager Karen Singh urges students not to overlook LEED Certification, a credential that shows mastery of sustainable design and building standards and practices. She says that employers increasingly value this certification, “especially on the coasts, in states such as New York and California.” The US Green Building Council offers LEED examinations for a Green Associate-level credential and an Advanced Professional (AP) credential.
Does Having Professional Credentials Result in Advancement & Higher Compensation?
The short answer is yes. ASID found in its 2024 Compensation and Benefit Report that higher earners tend to have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher; also that as a group, employees who are NCIDQ certified and/or are Registered or Certified Interior Designers (RID/CID) earn higher salaries than those who are not. Furthermore, of the 10.1% of interior designers who make more than $150,000 a year, the majority hold professional certification (NCIDQ and/or CID).
There is some evidence that a degree from a CIDA-accredited program helps with getting hired in general. CIDA has found that 60% of design professionals with hiring responsibility gave preference to individuals with CIDA-accredited degrees.
“You are likely to rise through the ranks faster when you have a professional degree in interior design,” says Singh, who helps both students and alumni advance their careers. “Having a professional degree and NCIDQ certification might not matter as much for the entry level jobs, but these credentials will determine how fast you progress. Credentials are useful to both the firm and its clients. To an employer, they demonstrate the seriousness of your commitment to the profession. To the firm's client base, they underscore the importance of professional competence, skills, and industry knowledge.”
The View of Credentials from a Large Firm
Beth Ann Christiansen, CIDQ, is principal, senior project interior designer at HOK, a global design, architecture, engineering, and planning firm with 1,700 employees, and 26 offices on 3 continents. She sheds light on what her company and team look for in interior designers at every level of their careers. For entry level employees, she says, “We look for creativity, being a self starter, Revit skills, and most importantly someone who has a great attitude and is a team player.” She adds, “We look for employees that graduate from schools that are accredited. But sometimes it depends on the candidate.”
Christiansen points out that NCIDQ certification is critical for interior designer’s advancement at her company, though not necessary for more junior roles. She says, “It is encouraged and required for employees to have passed the NCIDQ in order to be promoted in our organization and to advance, although you do not need to have passed it in order to work at HOK.”
Sole Proprietors on the Value of the CID Credential
Says John Buscarello, CIDQ, CID, a NYSID faculty member and the owner of John A. Buscarello, Inc., “When I send my design plans to a residential building for approval, those plans are forwarded to the building's architects or engineers for review. Being able to call myself a CID levels the playing field and shows them I have had the education and examination to be on par with those professionals, who are always credentialed.”
NYSID alum and faculty member Claudia Tejeda ’08 (AAS), CIDQ, CID, owner of Claudia Giselle Design, says, “The CID credential provides clients with added confidence in my ability to deliver thoughtful, compliant, and well-executed designs. It also helps distinguish my business in a competitive market and reinforces my dedication to providing exceptional service. Having the CID credential means that my work reflects not just creativity but also deep technical knowledge and ethical practice.”
Your Credentials Impact the Whole Profession
“Interior design as a profession is young; together, practitioners, students, and firms are building the profession into maturity,” says Dr. Ellen Fisher. “Interior designers must pursue professional credentials in order for what we do to be recognized as a profession. The numbers matter. Everyone who values interior design needs to support education, examination, and experience as the foundation for the profession.”
Works Cited:
Guerin, Denise A., and Caren S. Martin. “The Career Cycle Approach To Defining The Interior Design Profession’s Body Of Knowledge.” Journal of Interior Design, vol. 30, no. 2, Sept. 2004, pp. 1–22. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.nysid.idm.oclc.org/10.1111/j.1939-1668.2004.tb00396.x.
“ASID 2024 Compensation and Benefits Report.” ASID, https://www.asid.org/resources/resources/view/resource-center/359#:~:text=ASID%202024%20Compensation%20%26%20Benefits%20Report%2C%20which%20draws%20on%20data%20collected,and%20drivers%20of%20job%20satisfaction.