Interior design student holds model of a home.

Department of Interior Design

Empower your environment and create meaningful spaces

Elevate the way people live by curating spaces that are both eye-catching and functional. Brenau’s Department of Interior Design will help you build a foundational knowledge of interior design, so you can critically weigh design decisions and concepts, and achieve your dream of becoming an effective interior designer.

Why Brenau?

  • Have the opportunity to showcase your creative work at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. 
  • Learn in close proximity to some of the biggest interior design firms in the country, which offer internship opportunities 
  • Create a personalized schedule with your dedicated faculty advisor, working in partnership towards your educational goals. 
  • Take Studio classes in a small, creative environment with an 9:1 student-to-teacher ratio. 
  • Learn from professors who have real-world interior design industry experience and are NCIDQ-certified. 
  • Travel to design firms and showrooms in and around Atlanta to meet and learn from industry professionals first-hand.
  • Have the freedom and flexibility to explore areas of the field that interest you
  • Membership in the American Society of Interior Designers through the Brenau + ASID Higher Education Partnership.

Choose the best path for you

  • College of Fine Arts & Humanities, Interior Design

    Master of Interior Design

    Graduate / MID
  • College of Fine Arts & Humanities, Interior Design

    Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design

    Undergraduate / BFA
Testimonials
Interior Design student holds diorama.
The biggest benefit of going to Brenau is the intimacy and connections that you form. As I got further into the interior design program, I got really comfortable with everybody in my class and the professors.
Greg Skrabovski BFA in Interior Design
Interior design student stands in classroom.
Our professors pushed us hard, but they made us who we are. Also, I did an internship in Marietta and had to complete 100-plus hours of work. Having that experience and requirement helped prepare me for life after school.
Erica Uriostegui BFA in Interior Design
Interior design student holds textbook.
Especially with certain classes, you get to visit firms and places in Atlanta that showcase what you’re learning. It helps us understand on a deeper level what we’re talking about in the everyday world.
Alex Jahnke BFA in Interior Design
Interior design student stands beside panel of work.
The interior design professors are very encouraging, and they’re always giving me opportunities to push myself. They are a big part of my journey here, as well as my peers.
Kelysia Benson BFA in Interior Design

Interior Design student awards:

2022- Bianca Andersen, BFA ’23 receives ASID GA Student Design Excellence Award, Design Concept – Hospitality

2021- Jaci Montalvo, BFA student wins ASID GA Student Design Excellence Award, First Year Design Project

2020- Aisa Goforth, BFA ’21 wins ASID GA Student Design Excellence Award, First Year Design Project

2020- Melissa Paquin, BFA ’20 receives ASID GA Student Design Excellence Award, Design Concept – Hospitality

2019- Laura Harris, MFA ’19 wins ASID Joel Polsky Academic Achievement Award

Mission Statement

For over fifty years, utilizing small class sizes and one-on-one attention, Brenau University’s Interior Design Department has been preparing students with the specialized knowledge applied to the planning and design of interior environments that enhance the human experience while also promoting sustainability, health, safety, and welfare.  We prepare students to apply evidence-based methodologies to identify, analyze, and synthesize information to generate holistic, technical, creative, and contextually-appropriate design solutions.

CIDA Accreditation

Brenau University, Interior Design Program, BFA in Interior Design

It typically takes a full-time student taking approximately 16 credits per semester four years to complete the degree program (8 semesters). It typically takes a transfer student (someone with a previous bachelors or AA degree or whom has completed their required Liberal Education courses) taking approximately 17 credits per semester two and a half years to complete the degree program (5 semesters).

“The following data was collected using institutional records, alumni communications with Chairs, LinkedIn and an alumni survey that was administered 6 months after the class of 2024/25 graduated.”

Student Attrition and Retention

73.33% of students (first year’s and transfer-in) admitted in the Fall of 2024 returned Fall 2025, putting attrition at 26.67%.

Graduation Rates

Of the students graduating AY24/25, 100% graduated in 4 years.

Acceptance into Graduate Programs

25% of students who graduated AY 2024/25 applied for graduate school. The acceptance rate for those who applied was 100%.

Job Placement Rates

100% of students who graduated in AY 2024/25 are employed in interior design or related professions.

Our Faculty & Staff

Contact Us Today

Michael Kleeman
Interior Design Department Chair & Professor of Interior Design
+1-770-534-6266
[email protected]

Interior Design Faculty & Staff

C. Michael Kleeman, ASID, GAIDP, NCIDQ

Interior Design Department Chair and Professor of Interior Design

Michael Kleeman

Margaret Gilchrist Serrato, Ph.D., MBA, AIA, ASID, LEED AP

Program Director of MFA and Interior Design Professor

Learn more
Margaret Serrato

Jill DeMarotta, IIDA, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP, EDAC, CHID

Interior Design Professor

Learn more
Jill DeMarotta