Interior Architecture and Design - MA
| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2023-09-01 | - |
Program Overview
Through encouraging and promoting experiential learning, the MA Interior Architecture and Design course embraces the truth that designing is a creative adventure.
This twelve-
month programme will enable you to form an understanding and appreciation of theoretical, practical and professional issues that are informing the evolution of contemporary interior architecture and design professional practice.
This course is
open
toInternational
students.What's covered in this course?
On the MA Interior Architecture and Design programme you will explore the distinctive qualities associated with the interiors of inhabited architecture.
By looking at the cultural, practical and atmospheric aspects of interiors created by architects, artists and designers, as an innovator you will be able to strategically develop creative interfaces and determine how users will perceive and behave in the spaces that your are conceiving.
Making speculative work is an important aspect of the programme. As individuals you will establish your professional identity as autonomous creative practitioners by blending philosophy, artistry and practicality in order to compose an interior design scenario that is future-focused and personally and
culturally
meaningful. By exploring innovative practices embedded within your own design process, this reflective practice will act as a stimuli for you to challenge existing assumptions about interior design and push the international platform for the profession forwards into new and versatile directions.
A key aspect of the course is that it will encourage a spirit of 'internationalisation', which will contribute to the establishment of a culturally rich, vibrant and diverse learning studio environment. Fostering the ambition of ‘life long learning’, you will create a dynamic continual development plan. This will allow you to draw on the expertise and global networks associated with the institution, reflecting the full spectrum of opportunities that can help you to enrich and nurture your career. Previous postgraduate students on the programme have been employed at leading international architectural practices as architects, interior designers, or as design lecturers in further and higher education institutions, with the pathway to postgraduate Doctoral PhD study also opened up as a result.
Moments of inspiration cannot be pinned down to one or two; it was everywhere around me! It was in Graham’s lectures and his morning chats. It was within my colleagues, their design approaches and how they see things different than the way I do. It was in my course director, Delia and her encouraging tutorials and constant encouraging talks. Inspiration was the soul of the course, was ongoing until the end.
Tamadher Alfahal, MA Interior Architecture and Design graduate
Why Choose Us?
Two-thirds of the impact of our research was judged to be very considerable (3*) or outstanding (4*) - REF2021
Studying with us during the Covid-19 pandemic
The University has put in place
measures in response to Covid-19
to allow us to safely deliver our courses. Should the impact of the pandemic continue in future years, any additional or alternative arrangements put in place by the University will be in accordance with the latest government public health advice, health and safety legislation, and the terms and conditions of thestudent contract
.Program Outline
Modules
Modules
In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 140 credits):
Design Systems 40 credits
This module will provide you with both academic and creative opportunities to engage with different perspectives on; commercial markets, design processes and design practice. These inter-related elements are often cited as essential factors in the evolution of the dynamic ‘Design Systems’ that are associated with design projects. By focusing on contextually specific architecture sectors, you will use a combination of theoretical and practical analysis, to define, examine and hone your own appreciation of the Design System within which you are working. In doing this, you will define alternative theorems and strategies relating to the construction and deconstruction of design ideas, mechanisms, and processes as part of your own interior architecture and design practice.
Appreciative Design Inquiry 40 credits
This module will engage you in Experiential Learning. Taking as a starting point that “There are two goals in the experiential learning process. One is to learn the specifics of a particular subject, and the other is to learn about one’s own learning process.” (Kolb & Kolb, 2008: 58). The Experiential Learning Model (ELM) developed by Roger Fry and David Kolb, presents a systems view in which learning is composed of four ‘concrete’ elements, namely:
Major Project: Interior Architecture and Design 60 credits
The purpose of the module is to enable you to undertake a sustained, in-depth and theoretically informed research project exploring an area that is of personal interest to you. It is important that we can support you appropriately, so you will be guided towards choosing a research topic which is relevant to your discipline and in which your lecturers have expertise. The outcome may take the form of a written dissertation or a practical outcome with accompanying reflective, critical and contextual material. The main consideration when choosing your topic is that it must be relevant to your programme and you should consider the relevance of this topic to your future academic or professional development.
In order to complete this course you must successfully complete the following SHARED SUBJECT module.
Design Cultures 20 credits
Taking an internationalised stance, this module is concerned with the meaningful context of design practice and considers the cultural, aesthetic, political, economic and social factors that influence designers. By focusing on how these macro conditions effect an individual designer’s decision-making processes and Praxis, the development of specific design ‘cultures’ can be evaluated at an individual, corporate, national and global level. By focusing on a design precedent, you will consider how the designer’s outputs are utilized, valued and absorbed by the design industry at large – including curators, journalists, bloggers, businesses, brands, retailers and the general public. By applying practice-led research, you will form a better understanding about the international and local influences that impact on your own respective design specialism and the resultant design cultures that are emerging within this industry sector.
In order to complete this course you must successfully complete at least the following OPTIONAL module.
Co.LAB 20 credits
The module is an opportunity to learn and critically reflect on the skills of collaboration. Collaboration is a vital employability skill within the Creative Industries and this module allows you to develop these skills, making use of University facilities, with the support of academic staff. Within this module framework, several kinds of collaborative opportunities are available. Your supervisor may set you a predetermined live project, to enable you to work with other students in a way that is appropriate to your subject area; or there may be opportunities for you to collaborate with staff on research projects. In all cases, you must apply your subject skills to a project which will be agreed in advance with your supervisor.
Core modules are guaranteed to run. Optional modules will vary from year to year and the published list is indicative only.
Download course specification
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The course is structured into three ‘Trimester’ periods that are designed to both build your confidence and improve your level of ability across a range of design and academic contexts.
Each Trimester has been carefully designed to enable you to explore your potential and chart your unique learning curve. During each period, the staff team and your peers will help you to reflect on your practice and recognise when you have developed professionally as you make the transition towards your enhanced career prospects.
Phase 1: Building a foundation of knowledge and skills
This is the most instructional phase of the programme, with a rich timetable of theoretical, practical and interactive sessions. Transitional activities are embedded into the design of each module. This phase ensures core sector knowledge and the development of the required skills needed for you to become independent learners and be successful at later stages of the course.
Phase 2: Experience through practical application
During this phase you will have the opportunity to work on self determined briefs and/or ‘live’ projects on an individual or interdisciplinary group basis. The focus is on learning by doing (experiential learning), putting into practice the knowledge and skills developed during phase one. You will be given greater independence to communicate, argue, problem-solve and rationalise. Tutors will provide milestone reviews and facilitated peer-to-peer discussion to support your professional practice.
Phase 3: Personalised learning and independent study
During this phase you will be given greater autonomy to direct your learning journey by engaging in external partnerships that align with your particular interest and through establishing your own goals. There is no taught content and support is available via scheduled tutorials.
Further Study
During your studies, you might want to investigate the broad platform of Masters programmes and research degrees that are available at the University. This may include a Doctorate of Philosophy.
Within Birmingham School of Architecture and Design there is an evolving research collective that now includes a cluster of scholars that are actively pursuing Interior Design PhD research interests.
As an international hub, we interrogate the most vibrant, diverse and ambitious research and professional practice activities in the subject area. This research focuses on the advancement of scholarship, creative innovations and applied professional practice across a breadth of architecture and interior design related creative practice.
Our extensive connections include professional organisations, designer makers and curators, academics and research fellows, as well as exchange and overseas students. As an early stage emerging researcher and member of this team you would become increasingly engaged with activities such as delivering at leading academic and industry-specific conferences, events, seminars, symposia, exhibitions and access innovation events.