Is it mandatory to attend a CIDA/FIDER accredited program?
The Center of Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA), formerly known as The Foundation for Interior Design Research (FIDER) establishes accreditation for interior design programs in North America who meet their curriculum and staff guidelines or requirements. The evaluation process can take up to two years and programs with CIDA accreditation are reviewed periodically to insure their standards are being met on a continual basis. It is not mandatory to attend a CIDA accredited program, but it does offer a guide to well-rounded interior design curriculums. Their standards can be used as a guide when investigating and comparing curriculums of various colleges. Traditionally, 4-year programs are considered most valuable, as a series of lower division classes provide fundamentals such as basic drawing, architectural drafting, beginning design and so forth, before entering upper division.
A. The Center of Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA), formerly known as The Foundation for Interior Design Research (FIDER) establishes accreditation for interior design programs in North America who meet their curriculum and staff guidelines or requirements. The evaluation process can take up to two years and programs with CIDA accreditation are reviewed periodically to insure their standards are being met on a continual basis. It is not mandatory to attend a CIDA accredited program, but it does offer a guide to well-rounded interior design curriculums. Their standards can be used as a guide when investigating and comparing curriculums of various colleges. Traditionally, 4-year programs are considered most valuable, as a series of lower division classes provide fundamentals such as basic drawing, architectural drafting, beginning design and so forth, before entering upper division.
