2009 Accreditation Requirements: Comparison of CIDA and NAAB

Abstract

This investigation studied interior design and architecture education with respect to their specialized and shared knowledge areas (KAs). Education, formalized via accreditation requirements, is available to both disciplines. KAs within discipline-specific accreditation requirements content were identified, categorized, and then compared to differentiate the specialized, parallel, and shared knowledge gained by students graduating from accredited programs. The findings of this study could contribute to the dialog about what makes interior design and architecture unique professions.

CIDA Site Visit: Shifting Toward an Alternative Interior Design Program Evaluation Method

“…For all the above accreditation agencies, the accreditation process is a well-established process that has been followed for years. As an initial step, these agencies initially require a self-study report to be completed by the program to be evaluated presenting their qualifications and the details of their programs (Martin & Kroelinger, 2010). Through this step, the agency judge on the eligibility of the study program for accreditation (International Union of Architects, 2017).…”

“…Yet, the final accreditation decision itself is put into the hands of highly experienced volunteer experts who base their decisions primarily through a site visit to the requesting institution. The number of experts forming these teams vary between different agencies; for example, CIDA's team consist of three experts while NAAB's team consists of four experts (Martin & Kroelinger, 2010). The visitation process usually lasts three or four days in which the team inspects the facilities; presented with a range of students' work from all subject areas; introduced to the curriculum for each year of the course; given access to works produced by the students and completed student exams for each year of study, final student works and projects, and research conducted by teachers (International Union of Architects, 2017).…”

الكفاءات المطلوبة من المصمم الداخلي المبتدئ: مقارنة بين الكويت والولايات المتحدة الامريكية

“…competencies sought by interior designers in the United states have been changing overtime (Baker & Sondhi, 1989;Douthitt & Hasell, 1985;Hernecheck, Rettig, & Sherman, 1983;Scarton, 2012). Also, the Council for Interior Design Accreditation in North America has been modifying the accreditation standards to meet the market needs (Martin & Kroelinger, 2010). As technology advances and the interior design body of knowledge evolves, interior design competencies sought by entry-level interior designers may differ from country to another depending on the ID practices and accreditation requirements.…”