Program Overview

Interior Design – BA (Hons)

Course Overview

The Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Interior Design at the Limerick School of Art & Design is a dynamic and comprehensive programme aimed at students aspiring to excel in the field of interior design. Whether you envision working within architectural practices, design consultancies, commercial companies, or as part of an in-house design team, our programme equips you with the skills and knowledge to thrive in diverse professional environments.

The BA (Hons) Interior Design programme offers a comprehensive and engaging learning experience:

• Studio-Based Learning: prioritises studio-based learning, providing hands-on experiences to foster creativity and practical skills. This approach ensures that students actively engage with the material and develop a strong foundation in design principles.
• Diverse Activities: Students participate in a variety of activities, from traditional sketching to utilising advanced computer software, allowing them to create dynamic 2D and 3D content. This diversity enables students to explore different mediums and develop versatile skills.
• Assessment Through Design Projects: Assessment focuses on design projects, where students apply theoretical knowledge to real-world situations. This practical approach ensures that students are prepared to tackle challenges they may encounter in their future careers.
• Emphasis on Design Process: The curriculum emphasises the design process, analysis, research, and intervention, equipping students with the tools to understand user needs and develop innovative solutions. This holistic approach prepares students to address a wide range of interior design projects, including residential, commercial, hospitality, and community spaces, among others.
• Structured Skill Development: Structured for gradual skill development, students start with foundational concepts in their first year and progress to more complex projects over time. The programme’s progression ensures that students build upon their knowledge and abilities.
• Professional Placement Practice: In the third year, a dedicated module offers professional placement practice, or the option to engage in Erasmus+ allowing students to study or practice in mainland Europe. This hands-on experience prepares students for the realities of working in the field and helps them establish connections within the industry.
• Self-Directed Project: The fourth year culminates in a self-directed project, allowing students to showcase their expertise and creativity in an area of their interest. This project serves as a capstone to their education, demonstrating their readiness to enter the workforce.
• Promotion of Collaboration: The programme promotes collaboration through group work and individual studio practice, fostering teamwork and exposing students to diverse perspectives. This collaborative environment enhances the learning experience and prepares students for collaborative work in their careers.
• Enrichment Opportunities: Additional enrichment opportunities, such as local and international field trips and visiting lectures from industry professionals, further enrich the learning experience. These opportunities expose students to current trends and best practices in interior design, both locally and internationally.

Entry Requirements

• Leaving Certificate: A minimum of 2 H5 & 4 O6/H7 grades in six Leaving Certificate subjects, including Mathematics and English or Irish.
• QQI FET/FETAC: TUS accepts QQI-FET/FETAC awards for entry on all courses of study.
• Mature Applicants: Candidates applying as mature applicants may be required to attend an interview and may be requested to take an aptitude test to prove their suitability for a place on this programme.
• International Applicants: International applicants should apply directly to the International Office at TUS, allowing plenty of time for completing the visa process.
• Portfolio: As well as meeting the Leaving Certificate/QQI FET/FETAC requirement, students will also need to pass a portfolio assessment. The portfolio is scored out of 600 with a minimum score of 240 required to pass.

Course Modules

Year 1

• Creative Practice
  • Credits: 10
  • This studio-based module introduces many key approaches to creative visual representation.
• Design Fundamentals
  • Credits: 20
  • Interior Design Studio 1 introduces the student to space and place, including the composition, elements, and principles of interiors, and their application to the built environment.
• Design Illustration and Communication
  • Credits: 10
  • The use of a range of graphic communication techniques are considered a primary design skill in communicating design ideas.
• Draughting
  • Credits: 5
  • This module introduces students to the principles of drawing, using manual draughting and sketching techniques as its main tools.
• Furniture Design
  • Credits: 5
  • The aim of this module is to equip the learner with the knowledge, skill and competence necessary to characterise, select, and utilise materials and finishes within the context of furniture design.
• Interior and Architectural History
  • Credits: 5
  • This module builds an understanding of the origins and the development of architectural and interior design movements, and styles, throughout Western History.

Year 2

• Contemporary Design Studies
  • Credits: 5
  • The aim of this module is to provide students with a knowledge and understanding of contemporary and historic design thinking, principles and their application in the interior design of spaces.
• Detailing and CAD
  • Credits: 10
  • This module develops the skills learned in the Design Illustration and Communications module, focusing on the production of construction drawings through CAD, to scale and in compliance with drawing standards and conventions.
• Digital Media & Communication
  • Credits: 5
  • The aim of this skills-based module is to develop both verbal and visual presentation techniques that will assist the student in communicating their design schemes.
• Domestic Interior Design
  • Credits: 20
  • Interior Design Studio 2 builds on the fundamental skills, techniques and processes developed in Year One.
• Interior Surveying and Quantification
  • Credits: 5
  • This module will incorporate the collaborative application of existing domestic and simple buildings interior surveying skills and the quantification of the relevant areas, volumes and internal quantities and costs associated with them.
• Interior Technology and Regulation
  • Credits: 10
  • Source, process, apply the principles and processes of best practice in construction detailing as applied to interior design.
• Materials Application
  • Credits: 5
  • The aim of the module is to enable the learner to understand the characteristics and application of appropriate material and finishes used for interior design.

Year 3

• Advanced Graphics & Communication
  • Credits: 5
  • Advanced Graphics & Communication provide in-depth training and practice in the use of industry standard visualization systems.
• Commercial Interior Design
  • Credits: 10
  • This one-semester module is project-oriented and builds on Interior Design Studio 2.
• Conservation for Interior Design
  • Credits: 10
  • The aim of this module is to develop the students’ knowledge of conservation principles, technologies and technique’s that will allow a well-informed approach in the interior design of historic and contemporary buildings.
• Contextual Design Studies
  • Credits: 5
  • This module will focus on the different established design processes and practices in the information and digital era.
• Design Studio – Hospitality
  • Credits: 10
  • The aim of this module is to examine hospitality in the form of concept and experience in tandem with the principles of multi-level spatial organisations and the complexity of a large-scale commercial building.
• Professional Placement
  • Credits: 25
  • The aim of this work-based learning module is to enhance formal academic education with experiential learning.
• Reflective Journal
  • Credits: 5
  • The aim of this module is to develop the student’s professional skills and competencies through experiential learning while on placement within the Interior Design industry.
• Services and Regulation
  • Credits: 10
  • This module will focus on the environmental conditions required within buildings to make them function efficiently.
• Sustainability for Interior Design
  • Credits: 10
  • To evaluate a wide range of topics under sustainable construction which are driving the environmental agenda in the context of interior design.

Year 4

• Advanced Technology
  • Credits: 5
  • Implementation of technological design factors in order to select materials, components and assembly methods in the context of bespoke interior elements.
• Building Information Modelling for Interior Design
  • Credits: 5
  • Building Information Modelling (BIM) for Interior Design contains a blend of theory and practical skill development.
• Design Seminars
  • Credits: 5
  • This module focuses on exemplars of interior design practice.
• Design Studio – User Centered
  • Credits: 10
  • The aim of this module is to give the student-designer an opportunity to polish and refine accumulated knowledge and skills through a focused design problem.
• Final Design Project
  • Credits: 10
  • Interior Design Studio 4.2 provides the design student with an opportunity to demonstrate competence in all areas of interior design.
• Financial and Project Management
  • Credits: 5
  • To develop an understanding of the Financial and Project Management activities relevant to Interior Design Projects.
• Professional Practice
  • Credits: 10
  • The main aim of this module is to provide the student with an understanding of business practice in the design environment.
• Research Project
  • Credits: 10
  • The focus of this module, Research Project, is on investigating a specific area of interest within the discipline of interior design.

What can you do after this programme?

• Career Opportunities:
  • Interior Design Practice (Independent Consultancy / Architecture or Design Firms / Freelance)
  • Commercial Interior Design
  • Industrial Interior Design
  • Residential Interior Design
  • Spatial 3D Modelling / Visualisation
• Further Study: Successful graduates of this programme are eligible for Level 9 and 10 postgraduate programmes within TUS and/or elsewhere.