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.
100%
Employed
100% of our recent graduates got a job in the industry.
99%
Student Satisfaction
99% 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 $39,432.

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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 Program Cost

$11,722.87

Financial Aid

Applying for financial aid and scholarships help you pay for your education.
  • 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 2024-2025 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
    10-304-100
    1 credit
    10-304-102
    3 credits
    10-304-107
    3 credits
    10-304-129
    3 credits
    10-304-177
    2 credits
    Second Semester
    10-801-195
    3 credits
    10-804-123
    3 credits
    10-304-120
    3 credits
    10-304-123
    3 credits
    10-304-127
    3 credits
    Third Semester
    10-801-196
    3 credits
    10-809-199
    3 credits
    10-304-125
    3 credits
    10-304-134
    3 credits
    10-304-179
    3 credits
    10-304-180
    2 credits
    Fourth Semester
    10-809-103
    3 credits
    10-304-147
    2 credits
    10-304-148
    3 credits
    10-304-182
    3 credits
    10-304-189
    2 credits
    10-304-190
    2 credits
  • 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 2024

    • Application open
    • Application completion deadline is August 31, 2024

    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.

    Additional Notes

    • Class capacity is limited and is available on a first come, first served basis.
    • 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.

    apply for admission

    Get Started!

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

    It's Free to Apply

  • 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. 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

      202020212022
      Number of Program Graduates26248
      Number of Surveys Sent26248
      Number of Surveys Returned20106
      Percent of Surveys Returned
      Available for Employment1996
      Percent Available for Employment95.00%90.00%100.00%
      Not in Labor Market
      Percent Not in Labor Market5.00%10.00%0.00%
      Available for Employment

      202020212022
      Graduates Employed1895
      Percent of Graduates Employed94.70%100.00%83.30%
      Employed in Related Occupation1185
      Percent Employed in Related Occupation61.10%88.90%100.00%
      Employed in Unrelated Occupation710
      Percent Employed in Unrelated Occupation38.90%11.10%0.00%
      Employed - No Response000
      Percent Employed - No Response0.00%0.00%0.00%
      Seeking Employment101
      Percent Seeking Employment5.30%0.00%16.70%
      Reaction To Training at Madison College

      202020212022
      Student satisfaction Mean (Out of 4)3.43.33.7
      Number of Satisfaction Responses20106
      Very Satisfied (4)854
      Percent Very Satisfied40.00%50.00%66.70%
      Satisfied (3)1242
      Percent Satisfied60.00%40.00%33.30%
      Unsatisfied (2)000
      Percent Unsatisfied0.00%0.00%0.00%
      Very Unsatisfed (1)010
      Percent Very Unsatisfied0.00%10.00%0.00%
      Primary Reason for Attending Madison College

      202020212022
      Number of Primary Reason Responses20106
      Preparation for Getting a Job1144
      Percent Preparation for Getting a Job55.00%40.00%66.70%
      Career Change542
      Percent Career Change25.00%40.00%33.30%
      Improvement of Existing Skills000
      Percent Improvement of Existing Skills0.00%0.00%0.00%
      Preparation for Further Education210
      Percent Preparation for Further Education10.00%10.00%0.00%
      Personal Interest210
      Percent Personal Interest10.00%10.00%0.00%
      Other000
      Percent Other0.00%0.00%0.00%
      When Employment was Obtained

      202020212022
      Number of When Employment Obtained Responses1895
      Before Enrollment300
      Percent Before Enrollment16.70%0.00%0.00%
      While Attending the College344
      Percent While Attending the College16.70%44.40%80.00%
      After Training at the College1251
      Percent After Training at the College66.70%55.60%20.00%
      Location of Employment (related and unrelated)

      202020212022
      Number of Employment Location Responses1595
      In College District1585
      Percent In College District100.00%88.90%100.00%
      In Wisconsin, Not in District000
      Percent of In Wisconsin0.00%0.00%0.00%
      Outside of Wisconsin010
      Percent Outside Wisconsin0.00%11.10%0.00%
      Employer Location Unknown000
      Percent Location Unknown0.00%0.00%0.00%
      Salary Trend
      Salary Trend202020212022
      Full Time Employment (Related Job)Full Time Salary Count765
      Average Monthly Wage$2,998$3,291$3,286
      Average Hourly Wage$17.43$19.13$19.10
      Average Work Hours per Week41.941.938
      Part Time Employment (Related Job)Part Time Salary Count31
      Average Hourly Wage$18.61$16.50
      Average Work Hours per Week2032
    • Graduate Employers

      Graduate Employers for academic year: 2022
      Employer(s)Job TitleCity*State**Positions
      Caliber Custom CabinetryDesign AssistantBrooklyn
      Elle Maven HomesInterior DesignerSun Prairie
      Gary Brink and AssociatesInterior DesignerMiddleton
      Silver Leaf Design GalleryJunior Interior Designer
      Zander's InteriorsJunior Interior 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

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