Architecture vs interior architecture

Architecture and interior architecture overlap in studio method and sometimes in the same building, school or even degree title. They are not the same qualification, and what you may call yourself afterwards depends on where you work. This guide sets out the differences as official bodies describe them and explains how this directory treats the subject.

What each field studies

Architecture programs prepare students for the design of buildings and sites, with studio, history and theory, technology and professional practice. Degrees that count toward architect registration are recognised by that jurisdiction's own regulator or accreditor, for example NAAB-accredited programs in the United States (NCARB says most jurisdictions require such a degree for an initial license) or ARB-accredited qualifications in the UK.

Interior architecture and interior design programs focus on the design of interior spaces: space planning, materials, lighting, furniture and fit-out, and the experience of rooms. Some schools call the field "interior architecture" and place it in an architecture faculty, others "interior design" in a design or art school. Titles are not standardised across countries. Politecnico di Milano's doctorate, for instance, is titled "Architectural, Urban and Interior Design", combining the three in one research area.

Who accredits interior design

The Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) describes itself as dedicated to advancing the profession of interior design through standards and accreditation in higher education, and reports more than 170 accredited programs worldwide. It accredits interior design programs, not architecture programs. Its public page does not describe licensing or registration, so check the relevant regulator for those. A CIDA-accredited interior design program is therefore a different kind of status from an architecture accreditation such as NAAB's.

Not every country has a body like CIDA, and many interior architecture courses are simply university degrees with no separate program accreditation.

Professional titles

Titles and who may use them are set by law or regulation and vary:

• In Germany the titles Architekt/-in and Innenarchitekt/-in are separately protected, along with landscape architect and urban planner. According to the Federal Chamber of Architects (BAK), only people on a state chamber's list may use each title, and eligibility is set by state law. For architecture the minimum is four years of full-time study; for the other disciplines the study length is three or four years depending on the state. The chamber advises checking with the state chamber that a program will be recognised.
• In the United States, NCARB states that each of the 55 jurisdictions sets its own requirements and licenses architects through its own board. That page concerns architects; for interior design titles, ask the relevant state or provincial authority.
• In the UK, the title "architect" is protected and registration is with the Architects Registration Board, which lists the qualifications it accredits for registration. The same page does not cover interior design.

An interior architecture degree is therefore not a route to the architect title, and an architecture degree does not by itself confer an interior design title. Some jurisdictions have their own interior design registration or certification; confirm locally.

Choosing between them

1. Write down the title you hope to hold. Then find the regulator for that title in the place you will work.
2. Ask what education that regulator accepts. Do not rely on a school's description alone.
3. Compare the curriculum: how much is architectural design, building technology and urban context, and how much is interior spaces, materials and furniture?
4. Check the accreditation shown on the program page and in the accreditor's own list. See understanding accreditation and validation.
5. Ask about moving between the two. Some schools offer bridging; many do not. Request details in writing.

It is also common to follow architecture with study in interiors, or interiors with a master's in architecture, but credit and acceptance vary by school and country, and no guarantee exists.

How this directory treats interior architecture

ArchitectureSchools.net is a directory of architecture degrees. Interior architecture is included only as a labelled adjacent subject, and only when the same institution has an architecture offering. Those programs carry a subject label, appear on request through the adjacent-subject filter, and are excluded from default architecture results on program pages, bachelor's and master's lists. General interior design programs at institutions with no architecture offering are outside the scope. We do not count an interior design accreditation as an architecture accreditation, and we do not suggest that a degree in one leads to a title in the other. The methodology describes subject labels.

Related: architecture vs architectural engineering.

Nothing here promises registration, employment or admission.