FSU launches School of Design amid program expansion

 

FSU launches School of Design amid program expansion

Florida State University kicked off the fall semester with the launch of a new academic unit for some of its creative and detail-oriented students – the School of Design. 

As someone passionate about the world of design, 21-year-old Dallas, Texas native and FSU senior India Skipper is one of nearly 200 students in the school who are stepping into the new era with the university. 

FSU’s College of Fine Arts launched the new School of Design for the 2026-27 academic year that began last month, which comes after the college's design program has been around for over 50 years. It is housed in the William Johnston Building on campus, which is located near Landis Green. 

While a new bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary design was recently launched at FSU, a graduate certificate in graphic design was created last year. Although the number of students enrolled int the new undergraduate major is unclear, approximately 192 students are currently enrolled in FSU's design programs, according to a College of Fine Arts spokesperson.

Besides the latest offerings, the new school also consists of bachelor's and master's degrees in interior design. Current students in FSU's design programs are not affected by the new transition, according to the university.

While interior designing is not a profession in high demand compared to jobs in fields with shortages – such as healthcare – the employment of interior designers is projected to grow by 3% in the next few years, which is an average job growth percentage, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The median pay is about $67,000 a year.

Potential job offerings for design students include being a commercial designer in an interior design firm or architectural firm, a residential designer, a design project manager, a facilities planner, a design marketing specialist and a creative director.

In addition, FSU's decision for the new school designation comes as the university's interior design program is currently ranked No. 3 in the nation for both undergraduate and graduate education by Niche, a publication that analyzes dozens of public data sets for its college and graduate school rankings.