BA(Hons) Interior Design (with Foundation Year)
This course is open for applications
Introduction
Build an impressive portfolio, real-world experience, project management skills and the technical expertise needed for a successful career in interior design.
Why study interior design?
Interior design is an exciting field that bridges the boundaries between architecture, art and design.
Interior designers take a holistic approach to space, designing every element from structural interventions to specifying materials. Working to a level similar to that of an architect, they design for the retail industry, commercial offices, art galleries, private homes and the hotel and leisure sector.
Working in this industry is exciting and varied. To succeed, you'll need creative flair, professional acumen and real practical skills.
Why UWE Bristol?
BA(Hons) Interior Design degree teaches you the professional skills you need to work in the interior design industry.
You'll be based at Bower Ashton Studios, as part of our City Campus, which includes renowned contemporary arts centres Spike Island, Arnolfini and Watershed. Exceptional facilities and resources include industry standard digital studios and fabrication workshops.
This is a technical learning course, with a focus on lighting, heating, ventilation and acoustics. You'll learn to work with traditional tools and the latest technology, and develop the skills to design lighting, furniture, materials and entire interior projects.
Learn to view spaces differently and seek new design opportunities within them. Push the boundaries of what interior design means and what it can achieve.
Regular guest lectures and events will help you explore work opportunities. Develop your own independent projects and follow live briefs set and assessed by professionals in the field. This Interior Design course gives you the opportunity to spend a year in industry gaining real-world experience. You can also take on work experience and placements throughout the degree, including international exchange.
Focusing on the areas that most interest you, you'll graduate with an impressive portfolio and the skills to succeed as an interior designer.
Showcase your work to talent scouts and potential employers at the final year Degree Show.
Hear from Interior Design graduate, Kayla Haughton, about their final year degree show project, Food of the Gods.
Where can it take me?
This Interior Design degree course offers excellent preparation for a professional career in commercial and domestic interiors, retail, leisure and exhibition design.
You could choose to specialise in furniture, product or lighting design, materials or architecture-scale projects.
You could also go onto postgraduate study.
The image above shows the fantastic work from one of our students (Edward Zachariah, 2022 Interior Design graduate).
Watch: Welcome to the School of Arts at UWE Bristol
Structure
Content
This course delivers a broad subject range from within the Interior Design field. We respond to current thinking and practices in the professional design industry as well as developments with cutting edge research so these areas of inquiry may be subject to change. Through a series of structured briefs each year, you'll develop your skills and tailor your practice in a multi-discipline approach. Topics and skills you'll cover include:
You normally need to pass all modules in your foundation year before going into year one.
Year one
- The fundamental skills required to begin your design journey
- Studio-based practice
- Material understanding
- Design Communication
- Spatial Analysis
Year two
- Further development of your studio practice
- Development of digital and CAD based skills
- Investigations of live sites in greater detail
- Responding to client briefs
- Contextualising your practice within the creative realm
- Working towards practice in real settings as a design practitioner
Final year
- Critically responding to a creative context and developing your own concepts within a clear design direction
- Learning to professionally communicate your project work
- Developing your career trajectory to prepare you for working in practice
- Producing a final portfolio project to demonstrate everything you have learned on the programme and help you gain employment.
The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved, we'll inform you.
Learning and Teaching
Learn a wide range of skills from our dedicated team, with an emphasis on the creative design process and 'learning by doing'.
Develop critical awareness of environments, applying new skills to a variety of briefs. Take part in workshops, seminars, lectures and tutorials and engage with peer and self-assessment, contributing meaningfully to your group.
Much more than simply 'decoration and styling', the course covers every aspect of modern interior design, including high-end design, digital design and working to building regulations, in collaboration with other professionals.
Develop the full range of professional skills, including modelling, prototyping and full design. You'll become adept at using software such as Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator, as well as computer-aided design, computer-aided manufacturing and high-end rendering packages.
Focus on developing the relationship between form, content and the language of materials. Look at the implications, techniques, manufacturing processes and design impacts between the bespoke and mass-produced design markets. Explore the emotional and experiential factors at play and the narrative of space.
Craft your skills as a researcher, working with academics and partners helping to shape new thinking in the field.
Build strong enterprise skills, including problem solving and creative thinking, setting you up for a range of careers.
You'll push the boundaries of your abilities and be encouraged to think dynamically, yet practically, as you build a strong portfolio and skillset to prepare you for professional practice.
Strong industry links ensure ongoing input from professional designers. We encourage and support work placements and internships and host a series of industry guest speakers.
In your final year, you'll work on a project directed towards the area of interior design you want to move into.
See our full glossary of learning and teaching terms.
Sit in on some of our MA Design presentations, to further your knowledge in specialist areas and explore opportunities for further study.
Study time
In a typical week in your first year, you could expect to be timetabled with academic staff for an average of 12 hours, with the expectation that you'll also work on practice and assessment tasks through independent self-study for an additional 12 -18 hours.
Assessment
You can expect to be assessed through presentations of visual work, group presentations, and essays. There are no exams.
You'll write critical evaluations of your work, where you'll critique and analyse it, and relate it to the broader context of media theory and creative practice.
Features
Placements
Students who get work experience tend to graduate with better degrees. Experience also hones your skills, industry knowledge and professional network, making you a sought after graduate.
We have strong links with companies across the region and beyond, including Arno, I Am Associates, Wylde IA, Amarelle, AMH, Claremont, AWW Architects, The Bush Consultancy, 2 Feet Below, Corian, Vescom, Abet Laminati, Interface and Altro Flooring.
There are a number of opportunities for you to do a 40-week paid sandwich placement after year two. Completing a placement year is valuable because it allows you to gain real-world experience and skills that increase your employability.
Throughout your course, there will be opportunities to take professional practice and work experience modules, where you'll undertake work placements, internships and volunteering.
Study exchanges are available as part of our exchange programme. You can also spend a placement year in industry after Year two.
You'll get help to find your placement and support throughout from staff within the School and our award-winning careers service.
Fieldwork
You'll visit industry locations, trade fairs and renowned interior locations throughout your degree. We give real sites to all of our design projects and run regular study trips to studios and galleries, including the RWA, V&A, and Design Museum.
We make trips to Clerkenwell Design Week and 100% Design, along with study trips abroad. In recent years, we've been to Berlin, Copenhagen and Paris.
Study facilities
Interior Design is based at Bower Ashton, part of our City Campus.
Access industry standard facilities and resources, including our media studios and resources for laser cutting, plasterwork, ceramics, metalwork, woodwork, textile and print. Friendly technical support is always on hand.
Our City Campus connects teaching and learning with some of the best creative and cultural organisations in Bristol. Attend guest lectures and seminars at the Arnolfini and at Watershed in Bristol city centre.
Bower Ashton houses a library that supports our partners as well as students.
A mix of traditional and hands-on learning environments helps you quickly take on essential knowledge and skills, standing you in good stead for your professional career.
Learn more about UWE Bristol's facilities and resources.
Take a personalised virtual tour of the Design facilities and experience what a typical day could look like here for you.
Life
Accommodation
An excellent range of options for all of the Bristol campuses and the city centre.
Bristol
A stunning city for student living with all the qualities to make you want to stay.
Sports, societies and activities
There is more to your experience here than study. Choose to make the most of it and try new things.
Health and Wellbeing
We provide support in the way you need it.
Campus and facilities
Discover our campuses and the wealth of facilities provided for our students.
Careers
Careers / Further study
Tailoring what and how you study, you can shape the course towards your chosen career path.
This degree is excellent preparation for a career in commercial and domestic interiors, retail, leisure, and exhibition design. You could also choose to specialise in furniture, product or lighting design.
Some graduates go on to set up their own freelance design businesses.
You could also go onto postgraduate study.
Get inspired
Our award-winning careers service will develop your employment potential through career coaching and find you graduate jobs, placements and global opportunities.
We can also help find local volunteering and community opportunities, provide support for entrepreneurial activity and get you access to employer events.
Visit our employability pages to learn more about careers, employers and what our students are doing six months after graduating.
Fees*
Full-time, sandwich course
Indicative Additional Costs
Supplementary fee information
*The UK Government recently proposed that tuition fees for Home students will increase by 3.1% to £9,535 from 1st August 2025. This increase is subject to Parliamentary approval and the vote is expected to take place later this year.
Any tuition fee which is impacted by this change will be updated following approval.
Please see GOV.UK for further information.
Additional costs are for items you could need during your studies that aren't covered by the standard tuition fee. These could be materials, textbooks, travel, clothing, software or printing.
Entry
Typical offers
- Tariff points: 72
- Contextual tariff: See our contextual offers page.
- GCSE: Grade C/4 in English, or equivalent.
- English Language Requirement:
International and EU applicants are requirement to have a mimimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 5.5 with 5.5 in each component (or approved equivalent).*
*The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English Language section. Please visit our English language requirements page. - A-level subjects: No specific subjects required.
- Relevant subjects: Art and Design; Textiles; Design Technology; Product Design.
- EDEXCEL (BTEC) Diploma: No specific subjects required. For information on required Guided Learning Hours please see our minimum entry requirements page.
- Access: No specific subjects required.
- Baccalaureate IB: No specific subjects required.
- Irish Highers: No specific subjects required.
- Welsh Baccalaureate: We accept tariff points achieved from the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales in conjunction with other Level 3 qualifications.
- Cambridge Technical: No specific subjects required.
- T Levels: No specific subjects required.
Selection process
Applicants may be required to submit a digital portfolio for review within three weeks of their application being received. For more details on the process, please visit our selection page.
Entry requirements
If you exceed the entry requirements you may be eligible for BA(Hons) Interior Design.
International applicants
For country specific entry requirements please find your country on the country information pages.
Read more about entry requirements.
How to apply
Read more about undergraduate applications.
Read more about international applications and key international deadline dates.
For further information
- Email:
UK applicants
Admissions@uwe.ac.ukInternational/EU applicants
International@uwe.ac.uk - Telephone:
UK applicants
+44 (0)117 32 83333International/EU applicants
+44 (0)117 32 86644