History
In 1915, during a slowdown in the building industry, Whiton conceived the idea of a Home Study Course in the Decorative Arts. As more and more home study students began to visit his professional office expecting to find a school, he decided to open one in 1916. He established the New York School of Interior Decoration.
Education
Chartered by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York in 1924, NYSID is authorized by the Board of Regents to confer the Basic Interior Design certificate (on-site and online), the degrees of Associate in Applied Science in Interior Design (on-site and online), Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design, Master of Fine Arts in Interior Design, Master of Professional Studies in Lighting Design, and Master of Professional Studies in Sustainable Interior Environments.
Career
Even the most talented interior designer needs to know how to market him/herself to potential clients and employers. That's why NYSID makes teaching presentation skills and professional practice a priority.
NYSID's Career Services include:
- Skill-focused presentations every semester on resume building, interview skills, and portfolio presentation.
- A Spring Portfolio Fair set upon the format of “speed-mentoring.” Students sit down with practicing designers from a broad range of firms, and get rapid-fire feedback on their portfolios.
- An annual Q & A with an NCIDQ representative.
- Ongoing advising from NYSID’s career services coordinator (resume and portfolio reviews by appointment).
- Job Listings
Distance Learning Courses
Arts, Design & Architecture (4)
- M.P.S. Healthcare Interior Design
- B.F.A. Interior Design
- M.P.S. Lighting Design
Environmental Studies & Earth Sciences (1)
Medicine & Health (1)
- M.P.S. Healthcare Interior Design
Housing services
NYSID’s rooms at the 1760 Third Avenue Residence have successfully been managed by the organization Educational Housing Services (EHS) over many years.
The Residence features rooms, each with its own bathroom; there is 24-hour security and concierge service. Each room is equipped with a refrigerator, microwave oven, and 26-inch DVD-equipped flat-screen TV. There is free cable, free local and national phone service, and free high-speed internet. Rooms come fully furnished and the facility has common rooms, quiet rooms, a fully equipped gym, a game room, a laundry room, and computer kiosks.
Library services
The Library at the New York School of Interior Design is one of the only educational collections devoted to the practice and profession of Interior Design in the United States. Currently, the collection holds 15,000 volumes that include books on architecture, design, decorative arts, décor, art history, construction codes and standards and sustainable design.
Medical services
Counseling services include one-on-one tele-therapy appointments and workshops.
Campus life
NYSID’s uptown facility is nestled on a leafy Upper-East Side block within walking distance of institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guggenheim Museum, and Frick Collection. Its conjoined 100-year old Renaissance and Colonial-Revival buildings house a hive of activity. Here, NYSID’s 500+ undergraduates take the majority of their classes. NYSID’s classrooms and MAC computer labs are outfitted with the latest computers and software (including AutoCAD, Maya, and Revit). Our Lighting Lab provides the perfect blend of technology and texture, where students manipulate light sources on everything from wood grain to stainless steel.
Student clubs
NYSID has active student organizations that support diverse interests, promote student involvement, and encourage leadership opportunities. These clubs and associations help students connect to each other as well as to the global and local interior design community.
- American Society of Interior Designers
- International Interior Design Association
- NYSID Green Design Group
- Graduate Student Association
- Undergraduate Student Association
The New York School of Interior Design is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The MSCHE is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
The New York School of Interior Design is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).