True or False? NCIDQ requires all future exam applicants to complete an interior design degree program accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (formerly known as FIDER).

False! NCIDQ requires exam applicants to earn their postsecondary education at an accredited institution; however, we do not require any single type of accreditation. We recognize that our exam applicants have diverse backgrounds, and that not all of them have the opportunity to complete a CIDA-accredited program.

There are many different levels of accreditation, including national, regional and program-specific. CIDA accreditation is program-specific. In other words, CIDA reviews only the interior design degree program, not the college or university as a whole.

NCIDQ strongly supports CIDA's mission to maintain the "gold standard" for interior design education. We also know that some colleges and universities are unable to pursue CIDA accreditation; we believe students attending these schools should not be excluded from the opportunity to earn the NCIDQ credential.

Some state boards (Nevada and Texas, for example) require that new applicants for state licensure have a CIDA-accredited degree OR one that is "substantially equivalent." NCIDQ is working with the state boards to help define "substantially equivalent." For example, Nevada applicants are required to submit additional documentation to show that their non-CIDA-accredited education met the curricular requirements of a well-rounded interior design program.

To learn more about education requirements in your jurisdiction, contact your regulatory agency directly.

The Oklahoma Board of Architects, Landscape Architects, and Interior Designers is looking for you! Interior design title registration begins July 1, 2007. You can learn more and apply now at the Board's Web site.

Note: Oklahoma's grandfather clause expires June 30, 2009. To become registered under the grandfather clause, applicants must have an interior design education that the board deems equivalent to an accredited professional degree in interior design and passage of the NCIDQ Examination. Or in lieu of any professional degree, applicants must have six years of diversified and appropriate interior design experience and passage of the NCIDQ Examination. Additionally, the board may waive the educational and experience requirements if the applicant can demonstrate 15 years of diversified and appropriate interior design experience prior to July 1, 2007 in order to use the title "interior designer."

The Illinois Interior Design Coalition (IIDC) is seeking to update its contact information for interior designers practicing in Illinois, whether or not they are licensed in the state. IIDC encourages all NCIDQ Certificate holders who work in Illinois to contact them directly for more information.

Under NCIDQ's privacy policy, we do not share your information with legislative coalitions, local ASID and IIDA chapters, or private companies. If you want to get involved in legislative efforts, contact your local coalition directly.