In The Spotlight: In the Spotlight: Interior Design Setting the ...

All of the interior design instructors at Clover Park Technical College (CPTC) hold the prestigious National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) certificate, a rare distinction for the only Interior Design Program in Pierce County. Interior Design Instructions (left to right) Michael Bowman, Julie Watts, Sunny Houser The exam is composed of three sections: : Codes, Building Systems, and Construction Standards : Design Application, Project Coordination, and Professional Practice The NCIDQ Certificate is required for professional membership in the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), and Interior Designers of Canada (IDC). CPTC Interior Design students can accumulate the required time with any of the College’s three certified instructors who have been through the six-year NCIDQ process. NCIDQ certification indicates extensive, measurable knowledge of and experience in not simply the aesthetic component, but the building codes component of interior design, as well. Those at home or abroad interested in high caliber interior designers can check to see who has NCIDQ certification through the website, . Students at Clover Park Technical College who complete the Interior Design Program may go right to work, but they also have the option of transferring to Evergreen State College or Bellevue College to complete a four-year degree, or to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising located in San Francisco or L.A. With skills that are transferable and the variety of areas that call for interior design talent (and NCIDQ certification), few lines of work could boast being more recession-proof.