- Interior architecture is grounded in place and culture. Meaningful interior environments emerge from a deep understanding of how buildings and interior spaces respond to human traditions, landscapes, settlements, cities, and suburbs.
- Study abroad programs offer opportunities to explore historical and contemporary interior design while learning from international scholars and practitioners with expertise in diverse global building cultures.
Fulfill Professional Degree Requirements
- Intermediate-level design studios offered in:
- Rome or Vicenza, Italy
- Vancouver, British Columbia
- Intermediate interior design studio credits available through the Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS) in Copenhagen.
Additional International Opportunities
- Non-studio programs with professional content offered through other departments within the school.
- Participation in an exchange program with the University of Stuttgart.
- Independent international practica in professional design firms or non-profit organizations.
- The university’s IE3 international internship program.
- Transferable credit from approved international programs offered by other accredited interior design schools in the United States may be applied toward departmental degree requirements.
Undergraduate Global Engagement
- Undergraduates are encouraged to enroll in university-sponsored or affiliated international programs to fulfill general education requirements.
Study Visits & Global Exposure
- In addition to credit-bearing international programs, students have participated in school-sponsored study visits to:
- British Columbia, China, Egypt, Finland, India, Italy
- Korea, South Africa, Sweden, Tanzania, Thailand, and Turkey
Rome, Italy
University of Oregon faculty from Architecture and the History of Art and Architecture lead an immersive summer term experience in Rome that offers a full academic curriculum for interior architecture students. The 12‑credit course of study includes a design studio, a media-based course, and a seminar, each using Rome as a living environment for investigation and critical inquiry.Beyond the classroom, guided field trips provide opportunities to study interiors, buildings, and urban spaces in other Italian cities, expanding students’ understanding of materiality, spatial experience, and cultural context through direct engagement.This opportunity is open to interior architecture students who have successfully completed a minimum of four design studios.
Copenhagen, Denmark
The department offers students the opportunity to study in Denmark through the Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS). DIS offers interior design and furniture design studios, providing a strong foundation in spatial, material, and product-based design.Students may participate during summer, fall, or spring semesters, or pursue a full academic year of study in Copenhagen, with all instruction conducted in English.
Barcelona, Spain
Explore how bottom-up approaches to urban design enable workers and residents to participate in shaping an integrated community within Barcelona’s 22@ information activities district. The experience focuses on participatory urban strategies and their role in fostering inclusive and adaptable urban environments.Students study and diagram three urban typologies at the scales of the urban room, district, and neighborhood, including the maritime metropolis, modernism, and contemporary pluralism. This work is supplemented by a comparative analysis of related typologies in Granada, Andalucía.Participants live in the pedestrian-oriented waterfront neighborhood of Poblenou, engaging directly with everyday urban life and gaining firsthand insight into the social and spatial dynamics of the area.
Vancouver, British Columbia
This Vancouver-based architecture and urban design experience offers an integrated, design-focused curriculum open to undergraduate and graduate interior architecture students who are eligible for the 4/584 studio sequence. Granville Island serves as the primary site for both urban design and architectural projects, as well as the location for academic instruction and studio spaces.
Vicenza, Italy
The spring term experience in Vicenza offers students an immersive introduction to Italy’s architectural, urban, and landscape traditions, while providing firsthand engagement with the country’s culture, people, and language. Studio work is enriched by excursions in Vicenza and surrounding regional towns, allowing students to extend learning beyond the classroom.These visits support hands‑on exploration in the history and media courses and deepen students’ understanding of Italy’s built environment through direct observation and experience.