There’s so much more to this than throw pillows. Yes, it’s about how spaces look – but also how they feel and function.
Student standing at table looking at a design in a room full of bookcases filled with design books.
24
Recent Graduates
There are 24 recent graduates of this Madison College program.
90%
Student Satisfaction
90% of our recent graduates report they are satisfied with their Madison College education.
$39k
Annual Salary
Our recent graduates of this program reported an average starting salary of $39,492.

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If you’d like to learn more about the Interior Design program, we’d love to talk with you.

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Interior Design
Program Number: 103041
Your Degree:
Associate Degree
Area of Study:
Arts, Design and Humanities
Delivery Method:
Some Online/Some In Person
Estimated Time to Complete:
65 Credits | Finish degree in 2 years
financial aid icon Financial Aid Available
transfer icon Program Transfers
net price calculator sketch
What You'll Pay
Use our Net Price Calculator to estimate your tuition costs.
Estimated Tuition

$11,336.55

$9,324.25 Tuition
$1,212.30 Materials/Supplemental Costs
$800.00 Other Costs
  • Program Overview

    Turn your creative talents into an interior design career.

    The two-year Interior Design program at Madison Area Technical College provides excellent career training to prepare you for entry-level residential design and sales positions in retail stores and design studios or for commercial design work in office dealerships and corporate facilities. In your courses, you will learn the art of interior design as well as build business skills to work effectively with budgets, deadlines, customers and industry partners.

    Top Career Training

    Students in Madison College's Interior Design program learn to design interior spaces that are functional, safe and beautiful. In first-year courses, you will gain fundamental and technical knowledge in interior design principles, reading and drawing floor plans, building construction techniques, architectural and interior materials, finish selection, decorating, and space planning. Interior design students also sharpen skills in computer-aided drawing using AutoCAD and SketchUp. In second-year courses, students focus on designing commercial and residential spaces, with an emphasis on corporate offices, residential remodeling, and kitchen and bath design. They also build a portfolio of work that is shown off at our annual portfolio and can be used for job interviews. 

    Check out our latest portfolio show and see what you can expect to learn as an interior design student. 

    Interior Design Program Details

    Students in the Interior Design program can attend full or part-time.

    Interior Design Program classes are offered at the Madison College Truax campus.

    Your Advantages at Madison College

    On-campus classes with industry-accredited, experienced interior design faculty to master professional skills and industry tools and software.

    • Focus on the latest interior design trends such as sustainable or “green” design and aging-in-place.
    • Instructor insights into workplace challenges and opportunities for interior designers.
    • Hands-on career training through field trips, industry trade shows, and internships in the professional interior design community.
    • Build industry network through relationships with professional organizations such as American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), International Interior Design Association (IIDA), and National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA).
    • MATC’s annual portfolio show where soon-to-be interior design graduates show their work to potential employers and the public.

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    Interior Design Careers

    Earning your associate degree in Interior Design at Madison Area Technical College prepares you for a range of professional positions in the design industry, including:

    • Interior Designer
    • Kitchen and Bath Designer 
    • Corporate In-House Designer  
    • Commercial Designer
    • Facilities Planner 
    • Sales Representative
    • Home Decorator 
    • Home Stager 

    Madison College graduates are employed by interior design firms, furniture stores, flooring stores, paint and decorating centers, building centers, kitchen and bath design firms, office dealerships and corporations.

    Successful interior designers are creative and visually sensitive individuals who enjoy working with people and the components of interior design. They are organized and decisive with the ability to follow through on all tasks, as well as effective sales-oriented communicators. 

    Strong Job Opportunities

    Graduates who complete their associate degree through Madison College's Interior Design Program are recognized as top candidates for entry-level interior designer positions with employers throughout Madison and earn an average monthly salary $3,040.

  • Curriculum and Experience

    Prospective program students, the information below reflects the basic requirements for students admitted for the 2022-2023 academic year. To learn more about Madison College, visit us.

    Current and newly admitted program students, go directly to your Degree Progress Report to view:

    • Progress toward your specific requirements
    • Alternative (in lieu of) courses to meet specific requirements

    If you have questions after reviewing your degree progress report (advisement report), please see Advising Services.

    First Semester
    10-304-102
    3 credits
    10-304-107
    3 credits
    10-304-129
    3 credits
    10-304-177
    2 credits
    10-804-123
    3 credits
    Second Semester
    10-801-195
    3 credits
    10-801-196
    3 credits
    10-304-120
    3 credits
    10-304-123
    3 credits
    10-304-127
    3 credits
    Third Semester
    10-304-137
    2 credits
    10-304-178
    2 credits
    10-304-179
    3 credits
    10-304-180
    2 credits
    10-304-125
    3 credits
    10-809-199
    3 credits
    Fourth Semester
    10-304-143
    3 credits
    10-304-182
    3 credits
    10-304-147
    2 credits
    10-809-197
    3 credits
  • Admission

    To Apply

    Students need to complete the petition process to get into core-program classes for this program. Before submitting an application, it’s important to review the Petition Process webpage which also includes estimated wait times for each program.

      • View the admission requirements for application deadlines, materials, and requirements
         
      • There is currently 1-2 years between acceptance into pre-program and the start of core classes. The estimated time to enter the core-program is subject to change based on the variable number of students ready to petition each semester.
         
      • Learn more about the Madison College experience and get help with the admissions process

      After Acceptance

      Once you have been accepted in a pre-program status, your next step is to complete the Petition Requirements. See the Petition information in the next section.    

      Additional Notes

      Students will be required to meet the current admission and petition requirements. Requirements must be amended any time accreditation requirements are updated or changed. Requirements may also be amended based on Madison College programmatic assessment data.

      Questions?

      Contact Enrollment Services at EnrollmentServices@madisoncollege.edu or 608.246.6210.

       

      apply for admission

      Get Started!

      Apply to Madison College and take the first step towards your Interior Design career.

      It's Free to Apply

    • Petition

      After Acceptance

      After you have been admitted into a pre-program status, complete all of the Petition Requirements for your program. Login to your student account and run a Degree Progress Report to review the Petition Requirements and see which requirements you have completed and which need to be satisfied.

      Requirements vary by program, and may include some or all of the following:

      • Prerequisites (examples: Algebra, Geometry, Chemistry, Biology, English and Reading): This varies by program
      • Course Requirements (examples: Anatomy and Physiology, Intro to Psychology, etc.): This varies by program
      • Testing Requirement (examples: ACT, HESI, TEAS): This varies by program
      • Petition Workshop: This is done online and can be found in Blackboard after you have been admitted in a pre-program status

      You can view the Petition Requirements for this program using the links below.

      Fall 2022 and Spring 2023

      Fall 2023 and Spring 2024    

      After completing the petition requirements, students are then selected for entry into core program courses through the Petition Process.

      Questions?

      Contact Enrollment Services at EnrollmentServices@madisoncollege.edu or 608.246.6210.

    • Transfer Opportunities

      Wisconsin Private Schools

      Entering students who have completed Madison College general education courses with a grade of "C-" or better may apply them toward satisfying Stritch Liberal Arts requirements.
      Student who earn an Associate Degree from Madison College can transfer a minimum of 60 credits and a maximum of 72 credits to Lakeland College to be applied to the requirements of the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Sciences degree.

      Out-of-State Schools

      Students who complete any associate degree at Madison Area Technical College will have no additional general education core curriculum requirements to meet but must satisfy the Kirkpatrick Signature Series requirement. This applies to students who are pursuing a bachelors of arts, bachelors of science or bachelors of fine arts at Bellevue University.
      Students graduating with an associate degree from MATC with a 2.0 GPA or higher are guaranteed admissions into CSU-Global and can transfer up to 64 semester credits from MATC to be applied toward earning a Bachelor’s Degree at CSU-Global.
    • Career Outcomes

      After completing the Interior Design program at Madison Area Technical College, you will be able to:

      • Integrate the codes and standards that impact the interior environment. 
      • Model professional practices of the Interior Design industry.
      • Validate the design process.
      • Evaluate design decisions within the parameters of the built environment.
      • Graduate Summary

        Graduate Report Summary Overview

        201920202021
        Number of Program Graduates222624
        Number of Surveys Sent222624
        Number of Surveys Returned202010
        Percent of Surveys Returned90.90%76.90%41.70%
        Available for Employment19199
        Percent Available for Employment95.00%95.00%90.00%
        Not in Labor Market111
        Percent Not in Labor Market5.00%5.00%10.00%
        Available for Employment

        201920202021
        Graduates Employed16189
        Percent of Graduates Employed84.20%94.70%100.00%
        Employed in Related Occupation15118
        Percent Employed in Related Occupation93.80%61.10%88.90%
        Employed in Unrelated Occupation171
        Percent Employed in Unrelated Occupation6.30%38.90%11.10%
        Employed - No Response000
        Percent Employed - No Response0.00%0.00%0.00%
        Seeking Employment310
        Percent Seeking Employment15.80%5.30%0.00%
        Reaction To Training at Madison College

        201920202021
        Student satisfaction Mean (Out of 4)3.63.43.3
        Number of Satisfaction Responses202010
        Very Satisfied (4)1285
        Percent Very Satisfied60.00%40.00%50.00%
        Satisfied (3)8124
        Percent Satisfied40.00%60.00%40.00%
        Unsatisfied (2)000
        Percent Unsatisfied0.00%0.00%0.00%
        Very Unsatisfed (1)001
        Percent Very Unsatisfied0.00%0.00%10.00%
        Primary Reason for Attending Madison College

        201920202021
        Number of Primary Reason Responses202010
        Preparation for Getting a Job9114
        Percent Preparation for Getting a Job45.00%55.00%40.00%
        Career Change854
        Percent Career Change40.00%25.00%40.00%
        Improvement of Existing Skills100
        Percent Improvement of Existing Skills5.00%0.00%0.00%
        Preparation for Further Education121
        Percent Preparation for Further Education5.00%10.00%10.00%
        Personal Interest121
        Percent Personal Interest5.00%10.00%10.00%
        Other000
        Percent Other0.00%0.00%0.00%
        When Employment was Obtained

        201920202021
        Number of When Employment Obtained Responses16189
        Before Enrollment130
        Percent Before Enrollment6.30%16.70%0.00%
        While Attending the College934
        Percent While Attending the College56.30%16.70%44.40%
        After Training at the College6125
        Percent After Training at the College37.50%66.70%55.60%
        Location of Employment (related and unrelated)

        201920202021
        Number of Employment Location Responses16189
        In College District14158
        Percent In College District87.50%83.30%88.90%
        In Wisconsin, Not in District230
        Percent of In Wisconsin12.50%16.70%0.00%
        Outside of Wisconsin001
        Percent Outside Wisconsin0.00%0.00%11.10%
        Employer Location Unknown000
        Percent Location Unknown0.00%0.00%0.00%
        Salary Trend
        Salary Trend201920202021
        Full Time Employment (Related Job)Full Time Salary Count1176
        Average Monthly Wage$3,329$2,998$3,291
        Average Hourly Wage$19.36$17.43$19.13
        Average Work Hours per Week41.541.941.9
        Part Time Employment (Related Job)Part Time Salary Count331
        Average Hourly Wage$13.33$18.61$16.50
        Average Work Hours per Week26.72032
      • Graduate Employers

        Graduate Employers for academic year: 2021
        Employer(s)Job TitleCity*State**Positions
        Bella DomicileDesignerFitchburg
        Blue Terra DesignLead Designer & Office Manager
        EnvironmentsSales Support SpecialistPortlandOR
        Heffron HomesInterior DesignerPrarie du Sac
        Holtz BuildersProject AssistantLake Delton
        Marling Lumber & HomeWorksKitchen & Bath Designer
        Steinhafel's FurnitureInterior Designer

        * - Only cities outside of Madison will display.

        ** - Only states outside of Wisconsin will display.

        *** - If you have a position to post, please contact Career and Employment Services at jobpostings@madisoncollege.edu

    Ready to get started?
    Your first step is to apply to Madison College. It's easy and free to apply, so get started today!