Interior Architecture and Design

BA (Honours)

UndergraduateArt and design

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.

Everything you need to know…
  • What is the fee?

    International/EU: £16,655 per year (£1,200 for placement year)

  • How long will I study?

    3 / 4 Years

  • What are the admission requirements?

    112 UCAS Points

  • When do I start?

    2024.September

  • Placement year available?

    Placement Available

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.
Develop your skills alongside interior designers, architects and engineers
Produce sophisticated architectural solutions led by contemporary design thinking
Learn the latest media and 3D technology to communicate spatial and technical information
Respond to site-specific briefs to design for inclusive and sustainable environments
Build a unique portfolio and exhibit to industry professionals at our Future Now Festival of Creativity

You’ll become part of an inclusive, and collaborative studio community where you will learn creatively alongside industry specialists. By the end of the course, you’ll have the professional skills and knowledge to start your career in interior architecture and design sustainable spaces for diverse audiences.
How you learn

Work placements

You'll have opportunities to arrange single or multiple work placement/s in between your second and third years. Placements give you real-world experience to prepare you for your future career. 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. You may also be able to work or study abroad with the possibility of funding through the Erasmus+ programme (until 2023) or the Turing scheme.

Live projects

You'll engage in authentic work experiences each year, working with external partners and live briefs. You'll have the opportunity to work on socially-driven community and commercial briefs. 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

We offer opportunities to go on study trips in the UK and abroad – with free travel and accommodation for all mandatory field trips on the course. These could include workshops, design exhibitions or visits to practitioners’ studios and museums. There may be opportunities to further enhance your studies with optional field trips, though these will incur additional costs. Recent international trips include Berlin, Barcelona and the Venice Architecture Bienne.

Networking opportunities

We benefit from excellent links with national practices and local design agencies who bring you industry insight. We'll offer talks delivered by external practitioners from design practices within the UK and abroad, providing you with industry contacts. There are a range of opportunities to work on applied live briefs, expanding your real-world professional experience and wider knowledge base.

Competitions

You're supported to develop and showcase your professional creative work by entering national and international competitions, e.g. the RSA Student Design Awards. You can also exhibit at the Interior Educators' national graduate design exhibition – in 2019 we won the Course Exhibition award and one of our graduates won Best 2D Representation.

All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.

Through studio-based learning and working on live projects, you'll gain a deep understanding of design culture and practice. You'll learn how to create innovative and sustainable designs, engage with a variety of architectural spaces, critically reflect on projects and develop your own personal approach and career aspirations.

You'll learn through

  • studio-based design projects
  • designing through making
  • industry visits and field trips
  • lectures and seminars
  • specialist software sessions
  • applied industry (live) projects and collaborations with industry professionals
  • group work and collaboration
  • workshops
  • group and individual tutorials
  • exhibitions and presentations
  • study trips
  • Blackboard online learning portal
  • presentations and feedback sessions
  • self-directed study

Take a look at the department's Instagram and TikTok to see what innovations and creations our students have been working on. For content directly from our BA Interior Architecture and Design students, visit the course Instagram. 

Future career

This course prepares you for future study and careers in

  • interior and spatial design
  • interior architecture
  • 3D design
  • retail and exhibition design
  • promotion and management

Previous graduates of this course work for

  • Fosters + Partners
  • Jestico + Whiles
  • Whittam Cox Architects
  • Lister + Lister
  • HLM Architects
  • Bond Bryan Architects
  • Menis Architects
  • Next
  • Laura Ashley
  • IKEA
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

 

Entry requirements

UCAS points

  • 112

This must include at least 64 points from two A levels, or equivalent BTEC National qualifications (to include a relevant subject such as Art or Design). For example:

  • BBC at A Level.
  • DMM in BTEC Extended Diploma.
  • A combination of qualifications, which may include AS levels, EPQ and general studies.

You can find information on making sense of UCAS tariff points here and use the UCAS tariff calculator to work out your points.

GCSE

  • English Language or literature at grade C or 4 or equivalent

• Access - an Access to HE Diploma with at least 45 credits at level 3 and 15 credits at level 2. At least 15 level 3 credits must be at merit grade or above, in an art and design or media related programme from a QAA-recognised Access to HE course, or an equivalent Access to HE certificate

• Diploma in Foundation Studies in Art and Design - pass

If English is not your first language, you will need an IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills or equivalent. If your English language skill is currently below IELTS 6.0 we recommend you consider a Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course which will enable you to achieve an equivalent English score.

We welcome applications from people of any age. We may be flexible in our normal offer if you can show a commitment to succeed and have the relevant skills and experience. This must show that you will benefit from and finish the course successfully.

Portfolio review

If your application is successful, you will be invited to attend a portfolio review, this is where you can showcase your relevant work and highlight any pieces you are particularly proud of.

In light of the updated advice from the Government about the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, we are not currently offering face to face portfolio reviews but are instead accepting portfolios through digital submission. Find out about what happens at a portfolio review and how you can prepare to produce a strong portfolio.

Please note the University will only admit students who are aged 18 or over at the point of enrolment.

Modules

Important notice:

The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.

You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course. See the modules table below for further information.

 

Year 1
Compulsory modules

Module

Credits

Assessment

Interior Principles: Space, Form + Architecture

60

Coursework

Interior Strategies: People + Place

60

Coursework

 

 

Year 2
Compulsory modules

Module

Credits

Assessment

Future Now: Collaboration In Action

20

Coursework

Interior Context: Eat + Sleep

60

Coursework

Interior Practice: Work + Play

40

Coursework

 

Year 3
Optional modules

Module

Credits

Assessment

Placement Year

 

 

 

Final Year
Compulsory modules

Module

Credits

Assessment

Interior Exterior: Cultural Context

60

Coursework

Interior Futures: Professional Pathways

60

Coursework