Skills You'll Learn
Space Planning
Design functional interior layouts and furniture arrangements.
Computer-Aided Design (CAD)
Create architectural construction documents using AutoCAD and REVIT.
Residential Building Construction
Understand building systems, materials, and non-load-bearing construction.
Kitchen & Bath Design
Plan and execute kitchens and bathrooms using NKBA guidelines.
Sustainable & Universal Design
Apply sustainability, accessibility, and ADA-compliant design principles.
Materials Specification
Select, specify, and estimate interior fabrics, finishes, and fixtures.
UGA NKBA Student Chapter
For Furnishings and Interiors, we have the UGA NKBA Student Chapter organization that meets six times a semester on Tuesdays to learn more about the kitchen and bath industry through guest speakers such as kitchen and bath designers, interior designers, manufacturer representatives, former alumni, as well as visiting local showrooms to learn more about that side of the business.
Student Projects
There are seven studio courses that the students take to enhance their skill sets and knowledge about interior design projects.
CAD Lab
There is a dedicated computer lab for the technical courses and studio classes where the students learn how to use AutoCAD, REVIT, Design 2020 and various other programs to complete their projects.
Industry Experience
Through a variety of studio projects, students have opportunities to work with real clients and real projects to help maximize their learning experience.
Career Paths
For Interior Designers there is a wide range of occupations or areas of design that one can go into such as visual merchandising, strictly doing show homes, project management, technical drafting, specifier, heath care, hospitality, certified kitchen and bath designer, commercial design, residential design, wayfinding, and accessibility.
Scholarships
For FACS students, there are a couple of scholarships that FI students can apply for to help with their student costs for tuition and internships. Additionally, for students that like to do research, they can do so through the UGA CURO program and for study abroad; the Global Education of UGA has other scholarship opportunities as well.
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History of the FI Program
The Furnishings & Interiors program was officially established as a major in 1975, initially within the Department of Housing, Home Management & Furnishings. By 1977, the department evolved into Housing, Home Management, and Consumer Economics.
Today, we thrive as part of the Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Interiors within the College of Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS)—an eclectic group offering diverse opportunities for student collaboration and research.
As we celebrate our 50th Anniversary in 2025, our program's significant growth is a testament to our wonderful, talented, and supportive faculty. Our dedicated educators equip Furnishings & Interiors (FI) students with the essential skill sets needed for a variety of roles within the interior design profession.
Program interest and recognition from alumni and graduates, particularly through our annual senior portfolio show celebrating student success, have doubled our enrollment in the past few years.
Meet Our Students
Lily Fowler
TMI student values encouraging nature of FACS professors
MaryBeth White
White's grandmother instilled in her a love for design
Niasia Ferguson
Ferguson found a home at FACS the minute she walked into the drafting studio.
BSFCS in Furnishings & Interiors '23
I love the TMI program because we were constantly challenged to think creatively and express our creative ideas into all our projects. The program also prepared me to confidently use AutoCAD, which I now use daily to present floor plans, detailed elevations, and space-planning concepts to our clients. I highly recommend the TMI program to future students because attending a big university can be so overwhelming. The smaller class sizes created a close-knit environment that gave me the confidence to participate and engage in class activities, while also building lasting relationships with faculty and classmates. These relationships are extremely valuable to have when working in the interior design industry.
I was nominated to showcase my work at the 2021 National Kitchen and Bath Association Gala. There I met with design professionals from Metro Atlanta. It was an incredible opportunity to network and learn from designers in the field.