Creative and technical: KPU’s interior design program earns 5th accreditation

Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s interior design program earned its first accreditation 26 years ago.

In May, the four-year program at the Wilson School of Design earned its fifth reaccreditation from the Council of Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA), a non-profit accrediting organization for interior design programs across the world.

Program chair Paola Gavilanez says the accreditation is crucial for students to become registered interior designers.

“If somebody sees a resume and they see that a student has graduated from a CIDA-accredited degree, the industry immediately knows what level of education that person had, so that puts them above other candidates that might not have come from an accredited degree,” says Gavilanez, an instructor at KPU for 16 years.

The accreditation is a six-year maximum term, meaning no areas of non-compliance were identified during the review. KPU has always earned the six-year accreditation.

“The process to get accredited is, I’ll be honest with you, brutal,” Gavilanez says “It’s extremely intense and rigorous, so we’re very proud of obtaining that accreditation.”

She adds that the accreditation sets interior designers apart from interior decorators and other creatives.

“Picking colors and fabrics and selecting furniture — the aesthetic is part of what we do, … [but] it’s only a portion of our practice,” Gavilanez says.

“Real interior designers are interior architects who know building code, egress, and how to protect the health, safety, and wellness of the public.”

Fourth-year interior design student Brianna Wozniak says the program is the perfect combination of creativity and technicality.

“I found myself struggling to find something else that fit both sides of me until I found interior design,” she says.

Wozniak helped with documentation for the accreditation.

“The accreditation ensures that my education is to the best standard,” Wozniak says. “It’s essentially saying that the program is top-tier and will give us the information and knowledge that is needed to be successful in our careers in the future.”

Beyond the classroom, students search for a required internship placement themselves. 

Wozniak says instructors are supportive and the individual process helps teach students how to find a job in the future. 

All instructors are practitioners and some still operate their design firms, Gavilanez says, adding that she still practices through pro-bono commercial work.

“Having faculty that are current in the profession helps bring the office into the classroom,” Gavilanez says.

She adds that an accredited degree is more important than ever in the age of artificial intelligence.

“Where people think designers will be replaced by artificial intelligence, an accredited degree that focuses on the human aspect of design ensures that the skills and the work we do will not be replaced.”