Rhode Island Interior Design Schools and Salary Guide

You can turn your creativity into a career that pays you a decent salary if you decide to become an interior designer in Rhode Island.

If you can communicate well with people and have good problem-solving skills, you will succeed in this field.

It also takes determination, however.

States Requirements for Interior Designers

According to 2005 legislation, no one shall use the “Interior Designer” title unless registered by the state of Rhode Island.

However, the information updated in 2021 or later may suggest that architects, not interior designers, require a license.

It is important to request recent information from both the state and your instructors to confirm that you are in compliance with local requirements, however.

For more information on Rhode Island licensing requirements, the Department of Business Regulation has information about building fire safety codes related to interior and exterior architecture that also pertains to interior designers.

Regardless of state mandates, you will establish a positive reputation in RI if you abide by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) organization and the related National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) exam protocols.

5 Interior Design Schools in Rhode Island

Recommended Rhode Island Interior Design schools have a CIDA affiliation and follow the NCIDQ standards when preparing student curricula.

It is wise to verify these accreditations before registering, whether you decide to take in-person or online classes.

Additional interior design associations the best online and offline training institutions affiliate themselves with include the following: American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC), Kitchen & Bath Association, and International Interior Design Association (IIDA), and dozens more.

The Rhode Island School of Design

The Rhode Island School of Design interior design certificate program would start you off with color theory and spatial planning, material and finish applications, interior design styles, lighting setup, drafting, and art history.

This institution also provides information to its students about ways they can acquire hands-on experience, including both classroom projects and off-site internships.

The RISD also has an Interior Architecture training program that focuses more on the interior structure than what the surface looks like.

In addition, they have a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Arts program.

The course catalog for interior architecture students includes the same 2D and 3D drawing classes typically included in interior design training programs.

Johnson & Wales University (Providence Campus)

Johnson & Wales University in Providence has a College of Engineering & Design that offers a variety of courses related to interior design, engineering, and architecture.

The school also gives you the chance to build your own interdisciplinary major that could include these courses: computerized and hand drawing, color matching, materials, and textures blending, and spatial planning.

Check with an academic advisor to make sure you take the right classes to fulfill the Rhode Island licensing requirements.

Community College of Rhode Island

The Community College of Rhode Island offers an interior design certificate program that you can complete in either six weeks or three months, depending on your learning preferences.

The curriculum covers basic 2d and 3D design principles and computerized drafting techniques.

In addition, you will learn the core concepts always taught to interior design students: space planning, texture and color mixing, lighting displays, and window treatments.

This course track also introduces you to challenges with creating eco-friendly designs and does mention past and present design styles.

Rocky Mountain School of Art & Design

“Space is a blank canvas,” says the introduction video for the Rocky Mountain School of Art & Design.

This online school appears to provide “legit” services, and they have several accreditations, and CIDA is one of them.

The CIDA affiliation may improve your chances of establishing credibility in Rhode Island even through virtual training.

You probably can apply for your virtual training program to the state of Rhode Island because this school declares a relationship with the right accrediting associations.

Nevertheless, you should make sure before you enroll that it meets your certification needs.

By the way, most states do honor the online training by way of licensing reciprocity programs if a license is required.

Architects Training Institute

The Rhode Island Architects Online Continuing Education Program relates to both architects and interior designers.

For instance, you may receive fire safety and building code information.

It may help you with the health and safety portion of your interior design education, and you may qualify to take these classes if you meet any prerequisite criteria, if any exist.

The CE courses provided by this institution might help you when working with architects and also could benefit you if you want to transition from becoming an interior designer into working as an architect.

Interior Design Schools in Rhode Island – Summary Table

Salary

In Providence, Rhode Island, you may make an average annual salary of about $51,300 as an interior designer if you completed at least two years of training.

During this time, you must have also had prior work experience in the field.

Before you become certified, you may make only about $30,000-$40,000 as an assistant.

Aside from Providence, you might also try Westerly Narraganset, Portsmouth, or West Warwick, and more.

You also might want to try Boston as long as you squared away the Massachusetts licensing requirements.

Regional Salary in Rhode Island

Interior Design Schools by State