The Art Institute of Wisconsin is located in a historic building in downtown Milwaukee's trendy Third Ward neighborhood. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 20-1, classrooms are intimate and work is hands-on. The school offers a bachelor of arts degree in interior design. Traditional design methods are taught and computer design skills are emphasized. Space planning, textiles and lighting are some of the study focuses. This is a 12-quarter program with a tuition of $7,776 per quarter.
The interior design major at the University of Wisconsin Madison campus is a four-year bachelor of arts program. Two phases of coursework must be completed before a student is admitted into the interior design department. Sketching, rendering, three-dimensional modeling and computer-aided drafting and design are courses in the program. Laptop computers with specialty software are a necessity for entrance into the department. Tuition and fees for the 2010-2011 school year, for Wisconsin residents, were $8,987, exclusive of room and board.
Mount Saint Mary College's interior design program is housed within the art and design department. Located in Milwaukee, the Catholic school's all-female student body has a student-to-teacher ratio of 13-1. The four-year bachelor of arts degree program in interior design includes an internship with a local design studio. A vital component of the interior design education is a study abroad opportunity with locations that include China, Israel, the Netherlands or Peru. Tuition as of 2010-2011 was $21,668, exclusive of room and board.
In a cooperative program with Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC), Concordia University offers a pre-professional interior design degree program. The first two years of the academic course of study are completed at Concordia. The student then transfers to MATC for the final two years. A four-year bachelor of arts degree is awarded upon graduation. Concordia is located in Mequon, just north of Milwaukee.