The Department of Design is home to more than 300 students. A majority of these majors are in-state students who represent all regions of Virginia, especially the urban areas that surround Washington, DC. Other states represented in current ID&F enrollments are: Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, New York, Oklahoma and Vermont.
Most students in the department participate in one of the two student organizations: the Radford University Fashion Society or the RU student chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). These student groups sponsor design trips, community service projects, and student networking activities.
All students pursuing a major in the Department of Design are required to complete a two-credit hour internship during the summer between their third and fourth years in the program.
Advance preparation for the internship experience begins in the third year when students enroll in the Pre-Internship Seminar Class, DSN 340.
This credit course provides an opportunity for students to determine a focus for their
internship and explore the possibilities for locations, sites, and firms. The location
of the internship site can be selected by the student, but must be approved by the
RU faculty member supervising the internship. Students develop a resume, write a cover
letter, and role-play the interview process through which they will apply for an internship.
The internship requires a minimum of 120 hours for interior design and design management
or 200 merchandising and fashion design hours of work on-site in the field, during
which the student submits weekly logs of tasks and experiences.
Faculty in the Department of Design believe that one good way to study design is to see it in person. On a regular basis, students and faculty members travel to important design centers, museums, cultural centers, historic sites, design studios, manufacturing facilities, fashion houses, and markets, both domestic and international.
Interiors students have visited historic sites such as Unity Temple and the Rookery in Chicago, Union Station and the Guggenheim Museum in NYC, Fallingwater in Pennsylvania, and the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. Fashion design and merchandising students have traveled to the Smithsonian Institution and the Textile Museum in Washington, DC, the Mint Museum in Charlotte, NC, and the Apparel Mart in Atlanta.
The Office of Financial Aid located in Heth Hall, Room 169, is the clearing-house for information about a variety of different scholarships, both need-based and merit-based. In addition to the scholarships available through Financial Aid, each spring the Department of Design awards merit-based scholarships funded by the Arts Society.
Students who have already completed at least nine credit hours after declaring a major in the department, and who meet the minimal GPA requirements (at least 3.2 in the major and 2.8 overall) are eligible to apply for the Design Arts Society scholarship.
The Student Employment Program at Radford University offers a valuable experience for students. Students work in the Department of Design up to twelve hours per week. Work study positions are offered to students who establish need through the Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). However, positions are available to any student after the first week of classes, fall semester.
Work Study employment through the Department of Design gives students the opportunity to work directly with departmental faculty. In addition, students expand their skills in discipline specific areas that will strengthen their resume for their future careers.
Students who have established need through the results of the FAFSA are always given priority for any positions available.
Apparel Product Engineer, Assistant Buyer, Boutique Owner, Buyer, Department Manager, Events Organizer, Executive Trainee, Fashion Forecaster, Stylist, Fashion Consultant, Management Trainee, Manager, Market Researcher, Marketing Assistant, Merchandising Analyst, Merchandising Researcher, and Visual Merchandiser
Apparel Designer, CAD Fashion Designer, Costume Designer, Couturier, Fashion Illustrator, Fashion Journalist, Fashion Stylist, Image Consultant, Pattern Maker, Product Manager, Production Technical Designer, and Textile Designer/Colorist, Sustainable Design
Corporate Designer, Residential Designer, Hospitality Designer, Healthcare Designer, Kitchen/Bath Designer, Restoration Contractor, Historic Preservationist, Manufacturer’s Representative, Furniture/ Product Designer, Space Planner, Lighting Designer, Facilities Manager, Working with Contractors, Retail Designer, Sustainable Design
Management Positions within Design Firms, Design Managers, Creative Directors, Human Resource Management with the Design Industry, Branding, Business for Design, Design Research; Design Thinking, Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Public Relations, Service Design, Social Media, Social Practice and Innovation, Sustainable Design
Whatever you dream of doing in Design we are here to help you realize it. At Radford University’s Department of Design we pride ourselves on being just the right size—big enough to provide many opportunities to practice your craft, yet small enough to give you the close attention designing requires. Submit an interest form online or contact Holly Cline at hcline@radford.edu.
Requirements and procedures for admission to Radford University as an undergraduate student are available from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
Any student receiving admittance to Radford University is eligible. No portfolio is required for acceptance into these programs and no previous experience is required. All of the degree programs in the Department of Design begin by developing the basic skills needed for the major, including sewing or drafting.
Students from Maryland can find information about the advantages of the Common Market agreement available for ID&F majors by contacting the Maryland Higher Education Commission or calling the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at 540-831-5371 / Toll free: 1-800-890-4265.
Computer technology is an important aspect of the Design curriculum for all concentrations within the Department of Design. All computer applications used for classes in this department operate in the Windows-based format. The Department of Design recommends a Windows based laptop computer. If you wish to use a Mac, please have dual operating systems installed (Windows and Mac OS).
All incoming students are required to have laptops. (For additional details, please see the Division of Information Technology's website.)
Software for first-year students is the Microsoft Office suite. Second through fourth year software requirements will be noted by the specific concentration at the beginning of each year.
The Department of Design seeks to promote excellence and ensure the competency of each graduate by imposing routine progress requirements.
Students must maintain an overall cumulative GPA of 2.0 and a 2.5 or higher GPA in all department courses to proceed to the following year and to graduate.
Students must earn a "C" or better in all first year courses in their major before
proceeding to the second year in the program sequence.
Students must also pass department-wide assessments. These assessments are performance
based measures and are normally not tied to a specific class.
These performance measures include: