Program Overview

Interior Design MA

Course Overview

Improve your skills and knowledge of interior design principles, applications, and practices, and explore adaptive reuse and innovative design to give yourself a competitive edge.

What You'll Study

Throughout your studies, you will work in an interdisciplinary and collaborative learning environment to actively challenge conventions and drive innovation in response to cutting-edge themes at the forefront of interior design.

You should develop creative, independent research skills and critical analysis, experiment boldly with advanced creative techniques and media - including the use of AI - and learn strategies for building an agile, sustainable career.

Modules

• Co-Create – 30 credits
  • Collaborate on a simulated or real-life project created by industry experts.
  • Work with students from other postgraduate courses in the School of Arts and Creative Industries, applying your specialist discipline knowledge to form an essential part of a wider team.
  • Explore design theory and practice, and research methodologies, and build professional development skills like project management, delegation, and problem-solving.
• Professional Practice and Innovation – 30 credits
  • Explore ecologies of the creative industries, considering the interrelations between independent, commercial, and public sectors.
  • The module is designed in collaboration with the RSA, from which you’ll have a 12-month fellowship so you can access all RSA resources and platforms during your period of study.
  • Receive an RSA digital credential once you have successfully passed the module.
• Dynamic Interior Design – 30 credits
  • Develop an individual design proposal in a studio setting and complete a small-scale interior design project.
  • This involves researching the theme, understanding end-user needs, and experimenting with different design ideas.
  • Through evaluation, you will create a well-rounded solution, presenting it using verbal and visual methods to enhance your specialist skills.
• Interior Design Specialist Investigation – 30 credits
  • You will be exposed to various research methodologies and investigative techniques, helping you to understand your end users, trends in interior design, and how to create research-informed design proposals.
  • You will manage an academic investigation, exploring various research methods and techniques.
  • You will produce an illustrated report adhering to academic and ethical standards.
• Major Project: Future Interior Design – 60 credits
  • The Interior Design MA course gives you the chance to really discover who you are as a designer and hone your individual style.
  • Your MA journey culminates in a self-initiated major interior design project that aligns with your career aspirations and interests.
  • You will use research-informed interior design briefs and specified contexts to create innovative, sustainable, original, and desirable spatial design responses that are appropriate to user audiences.

How You'll Learn

Teaching and learning methods may include:

• Lectures
• Seminars
• Tutorials
• Presentations
• Group projects
• Workshops
• Practical studio sessions

Teaching Contact Hours

As a full-time postgraduate student, you will study modules totalling 180 credits each academic year. A typical 30-credit module requires a total of 300 hours of study. Study hours are made up of teaching contact hours, and guided and independent study.

Guided and Independent Study

Throughout your studies, you will be expected to spend time in guided and independent learning which will make up the required study hours per module. You will be undertaking a variety of activities, learning through guided background research, planning and preparation, studio activity, creative practice and making, reviewing what you have learned and completing assignments.

Entry Requirements

Typical entry requirements:

• UK: An honours degree 2:2 or above in interior design, architecture, product design or architectural technology.
• International: An honours degree 2:2 or above in interior design, architecture, product design or architectural technology.

Portfolio

You will need to submit a portfolio that includes a selection of your work. Your portfolio should demonstrate your design process and interior design skills, including interior design drawings (CAD), 3D computer models and renderings and hand-drawn sketches.

Fees and Funding

• UK, Ireland, Channel Islands or Isle of Man: £11,200
• EU: £11,200 per year with EU Support Bursary, £18,600 per year without EU Support Bursary
• International: £18,600

Facilities

The Interior Design MA course is taught at our designated home for the creative industries, the Delia Derbyshire building. We aim for your learning to replicate the creative industry’s ways of working, including working in a studio-centric working environment.

Our digital and printing workshops bring your ideas to life through different media. You’ll find a high-powered laser cutter, 3D printers, scanners and traditional printmaking and making workshops for etching, silk-screen printing, relief printing and woodwork, as well as a generously stocked letterpress room.

Maximise your learning in our PC and Mac suites. You'll have access to PCs and Macs running the latest industry-standard software needed for your course, including graphic design packages such as Adobe Creative Suite.

Careers and Opportunities

On successful completion of the course, you could find yourself working in a range of roles:

• Interior designer with interior design or architectural companies
• Architectural designer
• Stage designer
• Lighting designer
• Brand creator
• Visualiser

On successful completion of this course, you should be able to:

• Show a clear understanding of key ideas and themes within your chosen area of interior design to develop advanced skills in practical contexts
• Apply advanced techniques, tools and new technologies creatively to bring fresh ideas to interior design
• Create original designs that meet key requirements such as usability, sustainability, appeal and technological feasibility
• Contribute to global discussions on interior design by exploring experimental and creative approaches
• Apply creative solutions to diverse environments, using tools and methods that promote positive social change
• Understand and work effectively with creative teams to successfully complete design projects
• Address global challenges, such as sustainability, with innovative and forward-thinking design solutions
• Solve complex problems thoughtfully and ethically, considering both design standards and broader societal issues.

Where Our Graduates Work

Successful graduates of this course have gone on to work for companies such as:

• Foster & Partners, London
• Briggs Hillier, Hinckley
• Extension Architecture, London
• Argent Design, London
• Lineworks Studio, Shanghai
• MGL Projects Hertfordshire
• Arkis Architects, Reykjavík
• Nest Studios Ltd., Warwick
• Stylib, London