Program Overview

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BA (Honours) Interior Architecture and Design with Foundation Year

Course summary

Gain a global understanding of the world of interior architecture and design – becoming an Interior Designer who designs and creates spatial environments of the future with an initial foundation year to prepare for the course.

How you learn

This foundation course brings together students across all our art and design courses as one creative community. You’ll work and learn together in a dedicated studio space and have access to our top-class facilities.

Based in our bespoke studios, workshops, and digital spaces, you’ll become part of a dynamic and collaborative learning community. Together, you’ll undertake creative adventures, explore possibilities, and challenge conventions.

Through our teaching, we unfold your potential to contribute as a creative thinker and doer and apply your knowledge to art practice, culture, society, and life systems. Your learning will be informed by experts in contemporary interior design, architecture and engineering – a versatile approach that provides a detailed understanding of the technical requirements you can apply in a variety of settings.

You learn through:

• Studio practice
• Workshops
• Technical demonstrations
• Group work and collaboration
• Reviews
• Lectures
• Guest talks
• External visits and field trips

We take a holistic and person-centred approach to assessment to support your creative growth while respecting the diverse ways people learn.

Key themes

Your foundation year will help you get to grips with University life as you study alongside a creative community of Art and Design students. Expect to be hands-on in the studio, learning through doing as you explore the creative process with collaborative projects, workshops and field trips.

Using a variety of research and design techniques you’ll learn how to produce sophisticated solutions informed by current design thinking. You’ll be encouraged to nurture your own individual design approach to create environments that blend aesthetics with function. And you’ll learn how to design spaces that champion inclusivity, ergonomics and sustainability.

Through studio-based learning, you’ll engage with various aspects of the industry – exploring real-world issues and gaining an understanding of the challenges facing the profession, both locally and globally.

Using the latest media and 3D technology, you’ll learn how to communicate spatial and technical information. You’ll also develop key vocational skills, such as cross-disciplinary collaboration and communication, allowing you to thrive in a broad range of professions.

Course support

The course develops strategies of attention, empathy, imagination, courage and resilience in the face of an uncertain future. Our course prioritises care as a critical activity – care for global human contexts and for the more-than- human world.

Throughout your learning journey, you’ll experience a range of dedicated personal, academic and career development support, such as:

• Access to our Skills Centre with one-to-ones and online resources to help with planning and structuring your assignments
• Access to office and studio space, expert workshops, freelancing opportunities and a vast business network to tap into
• Industry-specific employability activities and careers support for up to five years after you graduate

Applied learning

Your course has been designed to embrace real-world challenges and provide you with the practical skills and knowledge to be successful.

We do this by developing your expertise in collaboration with the professional creative and cultural sectors, commercial and creative practitioners, commissioners and clients and arts organisations.

Work placements

You’ll have the opportunity to undertake a year-long work placement (25 weeks minimum) or multiple placements before your final year. This gives you valuable work experience to prepare you for your future career and allows you to graduate with an Applied Professional Diploma to add to your CV.

Previous students have secured placements with companies such as YourStudio, Mynt Design and Fosters + Partners and have completed placements abroad in Dubai, Melbourne, LA and New Zealand.

Live projects

You'll have the opportunity to take part in live projects each year, working with external partners and real-world briefs on socially-driven community and commercial briefs.

As the course progresses, you’ll collaborate with industry leaders and international partners to experience all forms of interior architecture – from retail and hospitality to cultural and exhibition design.

Previously, students have designed and developed projects on homelessness, theatre, exhibitions, student accommodation and luxury spas – allowing them to make an active contribution to the industry and engage with current issues.

Field trips

In each year of your course you’ll have the opportunity to go on study trips in the UK and abroad. In recent years these trips have included workshops, design exhibitions or visits to practitioners’ studios and museums.

You can further enhance your studies with our optional field trips. Recent international trips have taken students to Berlin, Barcelona and the Venice Architecture Bienne.

You can also apply for funding through the Turing Scheme to support a study exchange or placement outside of the UK.

Networking opportunities

This course benefits from excellent links with national practices and local design agencies that bring valuable industry insight.

Experience guest talks delivered by external practitioners from design practices within the UK and abroad, and build your network with industry leaders.

Competitions and exhibitions

You're supported to develop and showcase your professional creative work and profile by entering national and international competitions such as the RSA Student Design Awards.

The course has seen great success in the national awards, with students consistently recognised across several categories.

At the end of your final year, you’ll have the opportunity to exhibit your work in our annual Future Now Festival of Creativity. Hosted in the city centre, the festival is widely attended – by VIP guests, employers, businesses, influencers, friends and family, and the general public. Alongside this, all our students will curate and exhibit their work on our online Gallery.

Course leaders and tutors

• Tony Broomhead, Senior Lecturer

Modules

Compulsory modules

• Foundation Projects — Developing Creative Practice
• Foundation Skills & Methods
• Interior Principles: Space, Form + Architecture
• Interior Strategies: People + Place
• Future Now: Collaboration In Action
• Interior Context: Eat + Sleep
• Interior Practice: Work + Play
• Undergraduate Sandwich Placement Applied Professional Diploma
• Interior Exterior: Cultural Context
• Interior Futures: Professional Pathways

Elective modules

• Study Abroad - Creative Industries

Future careers

This course prepares you for careers and future study in:

• Interior and spatial design
• Architectural design
• Branding and retail design
• Landscape architecture
• Exhibition design
• 3D computer modelling and visuals
• Related careers in architectural technology and management

Previous graduates of this course work for a range of local and global design companies working across diverse sectors:

• 93 feet
• BDP
• Bond Bryan Architects
• Fletcher Preist
• Fosters + Partners
• HKS
• HLM Architects
• IKEA
• Lister + Lister
• TP Bennett
• Whittam Cox Architects

Equipment and facilities

You'll have access to a wide variety of facilities across the university campuses – including a 24-hour learning centre, Students’ Union, cafes and eateries, lecture theatres, exhibition spaces and more.

You'll be based in a fully equipped and purpose-designed studio, with state- of-the-art facilities including:

• Industry-standard computer hardware
• Virtual reality equipment and software for coding
• Digital design print facilities
• Extensive workshops for soft modelling and prototyping
• Multi-material fabrication workshops – print, wood, plastics, metal, mixed media, casting and ceramic
• CNC equipment including laser cutters, CNC routers (2D and 3D)
• 3D printing (including SLA, FDM, SLS, Metal 3DP)
• Industry-standard spray painting and colour-matching facility
• A photographic studio and creative media centre

Where will I study?

You study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.

Entry requirements

• UCAS points: 80
• A levels: CDD with a grade C in a relevant subject
• BTEC National qualifications: MMP in a relevant subject
• Access to HE Diploma: 15 credits at level 2 and 45 at level 3, with at least 15 level 3 credits at merit grade or above
• English Language or Literature: grade C or 4
• IELTS score: 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills (for international students)

Fees and funding

• Home students: £9,535 per year (capped at a maximum of 20% of this during your placement year)
• International students: £17,155 per year (capped at a maximum of 20% of this during your placement year)

Additional course costs

• General course additional costs
• Additional costs for Sheffield Creative Industries Institute (PDF, 268.6KB)

Student satisfaction

• 93% of students say staff value students' views and opinions about the course
• 91% of students say teaching staff have supported their learning well
• 95% of students are in work or doing further study 15 months after the course

Legal information

• Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.