Information for foreign-trained interior designers
(5242) Verified: 2008 10 31
Information on requirements to practise
The profession of interior designer is regulated in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, where you must be certified as a full member in the provincial institute or association in order to use the designation Interior Design Consultant (IDC) in your practice. Where the profession is not regulated, employment is subject to demand, and qualifications requirements are set by individual employers. However, most employers still require membership in the professional association where it is available but voluntary. Therefore, once you know where you will settle and work in Canada, you should contact the appropriate provincial authority (see list below) for details on certification.
The provincial regulatory bodies and associations are also members of the national organization, Interior Designers of Canada (IDC). The provinces hold responsibility in their jurisdiction for setting standards for entry into the profession and for licensing those who meet the qualifications and standards of practice. For general information on the profession, on education and learning, program accreditation, and standards of professional practice, contact:
- Interior Designers of Canada (IDC)
- 6 Adelaide Street East, Suite 220
- Toronto ON M5C 1H6 Canada
- Phone : (416) 594-9310
- Fax : (416) 921-3660
- Email : info@interiordesigncanada.org
- http://www.interiordesigncanada.org/
Members of IDC participate on the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (formerly FIDER), which assesses and accredits interior design programs at universities and colleges in both Canada and the United States. The list of approved interior design programs in Canada is available at http://www.accredit-id.org/accreditedprograms.html#canada.
The National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) offers a credentialing examination for individuals who meet its education and experience requirements. In addition, each province establishes its own education and experience requirements (that may be more or less restrictive than NCIDQ's) that must be met prior to becoming a full, professional member of the provincial association. Representatives of the Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario, the Interior Designers Institute of British Columbia and the Interior Designers Association of Saskatchewan serve on the NCIDQ Council of Delegates. For more information, you may contact NCIDQ at the following address:
- National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ)
- 1200 18th Street, NW, Suite 1001
- Washington 20036-2506 United States
- Phone : (202) 721-0220
- Fax : (202) 721-0221
- Email : info@ncidq.org
- http://www.ncidq.org/
Information on assessment of qualifications
Although the associations can provide information on requirements to practise, they are not set up to assess the credentials of foreign-trained interior designers.
If you need to have your credentials assessed before coming to Canada, you may contact an evaluation service and consult our Fact Sheet No. 2, "Assessment and recognition of credentials for the purpose of employment in Canada." Although the evaluation services offer expert advice on how qualifications obtained abroad compare with credentials obtained in a Canadian province or territory, the evaluation is advisory only and does not guarantee recognition of your qualifications for employment or certification purposes in Canada. Please note that they charge a fee for their services.
Other relevant information
For a general description of duties and employment requirements, you can refer to the information prepared by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada regarding
Specific provincial/territorial information
You may also be interested in the CICIC information pages for
List of provincial regulatory bodies
Alberta
- Interior Designers of Alberta (IDA)
- P.O. Box 21171
- Edmonton AB T6R 2V4 Canada
- Phone : (780) 413-0013
- Fax : (780) 413-0076
- Email : info@interiordesignalberta.com
- http://www.interiordesignalberta.com/
British Columbia
- Interior Designers Institute of British Columbia (IDI of BC)
- 400 - 601 W. Broadway
- Vancouver BC V5Z 4C2 Canada
- Phone : (604) 298-5211
- Fax : (604) 421-5211
- Email : info@idibc.org
- http://www.idibc.org/
Manitoba
- Professional Interior Designers Institute of Manitoba (PIDIM)
- 137 Bannatyne Avenue East, 2nd Floor
- Winnipeg MB R3B 0R3 Canada
- Phone : (204) 925-4625
- Fax : (204) 925-4624
- Email : pidim@shaw.ca
- http://www.pidim.ca/
New Brunswick
- Association of Registered Interior Designers of New Brunswick (ARIDNB)
- P.O. Box 1541
- Fredericton NB E3B 5G2 Canada
- Phone : (506) 459-3014
- Email : sdunton@interiordesigncanada.org
Nova Scotia
- Interior Designers of Nova Scotia (IDNS)
- P.O. Box 2042, Stn. M
- Halifax NS B3J 3B4 Canada
- Phone : (902) 425-4367
- Email : info@idns.ca
- http://www.idns.ca/
Ontario
- Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario (ARIDO)
- 6 Adelaide St. E., Suite 220
- Toronto ON M5C 1H6 Canada
- Phone : (416) 921-2127
- Phone (alternate): 1-800-334-1180
- Fax : (416) 921-3660
- Email : adminoffice@arido.ca
- http://www.arido.ca/
Saskatchewan
- Interior Designers Association of Saskatchewan (IDAS)
- Box 32005
Erindale Postal Outlet- Saskatoon SK S7S 1N8 Canada
- Phone : (306) 343-3311
- Phone (alternate): (306) 543-6000
- Fax : (306) 249-3011
- Email : char.vaughn@sasktel.net
- http://www.idas.ca/
List of provincial professional associations
Quebec
- Association professionnelle des designers d'intérieur du Québec (APDIQ)
- 19, Cours le Royer Ouest, Bureau 306
- Montreal QC H2Y 1W4 Canada
- Phone : (514) 284-6263
- Phone (alternate): 1-888-247-2790
- Fax : (514) 284-6112
- Email : apdiq@apdiq.com
- http://www.apdiq.com/