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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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Program Transfers
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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.
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 the Madison area.
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Curriculum and Experience
Prospective program students, the information below reflects the basic requirements for students admitted for the 2025-2026 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 SemesterSecond SemesterThird SemesterFourth Semester -
Admission
To Apply
Earning a degree is a great way to advance your career development opportunities, so apply today!
International students who wish to apply for, maintain, or transfer their F-1 student visa status to Madison College are required to complete the International Admission Process.
Application Dates
Fall 2025
- Application open
- Application completion deadline is August 31, 2025
Program Status: Waitlist
Due to demand, the program is currently accepting students to the waitlist.
- This program is available to in-state residents only
- Estimated wait time: 0-1 year
- Students will be notified by email when space becomes available
- Selection from the waitlist into the program is based on:
- Date of application completion
- Residency
Admission Requirements
All materials must be submitted by the application deadline.
1. Admission Application
The online application allows you to save your work as you complete it and ensures fast, secure delivery to our office.
2. Education Completion
Official transcripts must be sent from the institutions you attended and indicate one of the following:
- High school transcript (current high school seniors may submit an in-progress transcript)
- GED/HSED transcript
- College transcript(s) showing:
- Completion of an associate degree or higher, or
- At least 30 credits completed with a minimum GPA of 2.0 on a 4-point scale
- The credits must be completed at a single college and cannot be combined with other transcripts
- Any transfer credit listed on a transcript does not count toward the 30-credit minimum
All high school and/or college transcripts are recommended to be submitted for Credit for Prior Learning evaluation.
3. Residency Requirement
Per Wisconsin Statute TCS-10 because this program has a waitlist:
- Out-of-state residents (except Minnesota residents*) are not eligible for admission consideration to this program
- Non-district state residents
- May only be considered after January 1 for the upcoming fall term
- *Minnesota residents are considered non-district state residents for admission purposes
Additional Notes
Course prerequisites differ from admission requirements; admission into a program does not guarantee eligibility to enroll in courses or success in the program. Refer to program curriculum for details.
After Acceptance
Once you are admitted into your program, review the Start of Semester Checklist to prepare for your first day of classes at Madison College.
Questions?
Contact the Enrollment Center at EnrollmentServices@madisoncollege.edu or 608.246.6210.
Get Started!
Apply to Madison College and take the first step towards your Interior Design career.
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Transfer Opportunities
Wisconsin Private Schools
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.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.
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Graduate Summary
Graduate Report Summary Overview
2021 2022 2023 Number of Program Graduates 24 8 11 Number of Surveys Sent 24 8 11 Number of Surveys Returned 10 6 7 Percent of Surveys Returned Available for Employment 9 6 6 Percent Available for Employment 90.0% 100.0% 85.7% Not in Labor Market Percent Not in Labor Market 10.0% 0.0% 14.3% Available for Employment
2021 2022 2023 Graduates Employed 9 5 5 Percent of Graduates Employed 100.0% 83.3% 83.3% Employed in Related Occupation 8 5 5 Percent Employed in Related Occupation 88.9% 100.0% 100.0% Employed in Unrelated Occupation 1 0 0 Percent Employed in Unrelated Occupation 11.1% 0.0% 0.0% Employed - No Response 0 0 0 Percent Employed - No Response 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% Seeking Employment 0 1 1 Percent Seeking Employment 0.0% 16.7% 16.7% Reaction To Training at Madison College
2021 2022 2023 Student satisfaction Mean (Out of 4) 3.3 3.7 2.9 Number of Satisfaction Responses 10 6 7 Very Satisfied (4) 5 4 1 Percent Very Satisfied 50.0% 66.7% 14.3% Satisfied (3) 4 2 4 Percent Satisfied 40.0% 33.3% 57.1% Unsatisfied (2) 0 0 2 Percent Unsatisfied 0.0% 0.0% 28.6% Very Unsatisfied (1) Percent Very Unsatisfied 10.0% 0.0% 0.0% Primary Reason for Attending Madison College
2021 2022 2023 Number of Primary Reason Responses 10 6 7 Preparation for Getting a Job Percent Preparation for Getting a Job Career Change Percent Career Change Improvement of Existing Skills Percent Improvement of Existing Skills Preparation for Further Education Percent Preparation for Further Education Personal Interest Percent Personal Interest Other Percent Other 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% When Employment was Obtained
2021 2022 2023 Number of When Employment Obtained Responses 9 5 5 Before Enrollment 0 0 0 Percent Before Enrollment 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% While Attending the College 4 4 3 Percent While Attending the College 44.4% 80.0% 60.0% After Training at the College 5 1 2 Percent After Training at the College 55.6% 20.0% 40.0% Location of Employment (related and unrelated)
2021 2022 2023 Number of Employment Location Responses 9 5 5 In College District 8 5 4 Percent In College District 88.9% 100.0% 80.0% In Wisconsin, Not in District 0 0 1 Percent of In Wisconsin 0.0% 0.0% 20.0% Outside of Wisconsin 1 0 0 Percent Outside Wisconsin 11.1% 0.0% 0.0% Employer Location Unknown 0 0 0 Percent Location Unknown 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% Salary Trend 2021 2022 2023 Full Time Employment (Related Job) Full Time Salary Count 6 5 4 Average Monthly Wage $3,291 $3,286 $3,169 Average Hourly Wage $19.13 $19.10 $18.43 Average Work Hours per Week 41.9 38.0 41.5 Part Time Employment (Related Job) Part Time Salary Count 1 1 Average Hourly Wage $16.50 $18.00 Average Work Hours per Week 32.0 24.0 -
Graduate Employers
Graduate Employers for academic year: 2023 Employer(s) Job Title City* State** Positions CTW Abbey Kitchen & Bath Designer McFarland Emmons Business Interiors Interior Designer Milwaukee Gary Brink and Associates Interior Designer Middleton JLA Architects & Planners Interior Design Monona Time2Remodel Design Assistant * - 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
