Where To Study Interior Design In London

Last Updated on July 30, 2023

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1. London Metropolitan University
2. Courses
3. Undergraduate courses
4. Interior Design – BA (Hons)

Interior Design – BA (Hons)

Why study this course?

Discover how interior design responds to and reflects our ever-changing society. You’ll work with industry leaders to gain hands-on skills and experience through a range of live commercial and community projects – from retail, workspace and hospitality projects to education and healthcare. Covering every aspect of interior design, you’ll gain all the skills you need to succeed in your career.

Our Interior Design course scored highly for student satisfaction across the board in the National Student Survey (NSS) 2021. It achieved 92% student satisfation for the teaching on the course, 96% satisfaction for learning opportunities, 93% for assessment and feedback, 91% for academic support and and overall satisfaction score of 93%!

We’re also in the top 35 unis in the UK for architecture according to the Guardian university league tables 2022.

You can find out more about what to expect on the course in this video presentation from our Head of Interiors.Street furniture by Youngjin Bok

More about this course

Interior design is an exhilarating practice responding to the rapid pace of the interiors industry. It involves an exciting range of projects embracing commercial, social and temporary projects such as workspaces, hotels, retail, museums, exhibitions, and health and educational spaces. This Interior Design BA will introduce you to the latest research as well as industry professionals who will bring their knowledge and experience to the course.

Your first year  – through an active and holistic learning and teaching programme – is designed to develop your thinking, key skills and understanding of the industry and related practice, allowing you to produce a portfolio and discover your career aspirations through explorative approaches. You’ll explore sketching, drawing, sketch-modelling and the production of scaled accurate models through workshop practice and orthographic techniques, with digital software also used to strengthen your ideas and skills. This will guide you into your second year where we ask you to choose a studio in which to cultivate your design philosophy, sector specialisms and professional skills. The course also offers an opportunity to work within the industry and gain real life work experience with an interior design company, which is assessed as part of your degree. We then build on this in the third year and advance your individuality and expertise through both studio specialisms and a mentoring scheme leading you towards successful employment.

Our studios are run by practitioners and experts in their field who develop a series of year-long projects covering contemporary and relevant design issues and topics. We work with well-known businesses, associations, and museums and galleries running live projects. This gives you the opportunity to discuss and exhibit your projects, which in turn helps you to develop a range of professional presentational skills.

The course takes place in the heart of London’s creative district, which gives you access to an abundance of live projects and industry mentors. You’ll be surrounded by the best interior practices in London from Shoreditch, Clerkenwell, the West End and Mayfair.

We also promote an entrepreneurial spirit, which leads to students participating in national and international competitions and taking advantage of volunteering opportunities.

Follow @ldnmet_interiors on Instagram for the latest student work and news from the course!

Assessment

A variety of assessment methods are used throughout the course. These range from formative, summative, diagnostic, peer and self-assessment methods, through to studio based work, workshops, and CAD and digital projects and exercises. Feedback is given throughout the course.

Entry requirements

In addition to the University’s standard entry requirements, you will normally be expected to obtain:

• a minimum grade BBC in three A levels from relevant subject areas such as the arts, humanities and social sciences (or a minimum of 112 UCAS points from an equivalent Level 3 qualification in relevant art and design subjects)
• a portfolio review
• English language GCSE at grade C/grade 4 or above

We encourage applications from international/EU students with equivalent qualifications. We also accept mature students with diverse backgrounds and experiences.

Suitable applicants living in the UK will be invited to a portfolio interview. Applicants living outside the UK will be required to submit a portfolio of work via email.

If you don’t have traditional qualifications or can’t meet the entry requirements for this undergraduate degree, you may still be able to gain entry by completing our Interior Design (with Preparatory Semester) BA Hons or our Interior Design (including foundation year) BA (Hons).

Portfolios and interviews

Your portfolio should be selected but have enough work to show the range of your interests and talents. We are interested in seeing how you develop a project from beginning to end, not only finished work.

Interior designers make models as well as flatwork, so 3D work may be relevant as well as 2D.

If you cannot bring it to portfolio interview, take photographs and include them.

We always want to see traditional drawing whether observational, life or concept generating, so please include this, even if you have good CAD skills already.

Finally, be ready to talk about your work and how you see your future as an interior designer.

Accreditation of Prior Learning

Any university-level qualifications or relevant experience you gain prior to starting university could count towards your course at London Met. Find out more about applying for Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL).

English language requirements

To study a degree at London Met, you must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. If you require a Student visa you may need to provide the results of a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as Academic IELTS. For more information about English qualifications please see our English language requirements.

If you need (or wish) to improve your English before starting your degree, the University offers a Pre-sessional Academic English course to help you build your confidence and reach the level of English you require.

Modular structure

The modules listed below are for the academic year 2021/22 and represent the course modules at this time. Modules and module details (including, but not limited to, location and time) are subject to change over time.

Year 1 modules include:

• +Critical & Contextual Studies 1 (Interiors) (core, 30 credits)▼
• +Design Principles for Interiors (core, 30 credits)▼
• +Interior Materials and Technologies (core, 30 credits)▼
• +Spatial Design Development (core, 30 credits)▼

Year 2 modules include:

• +Critical & Contextual Studies 2 (Interiors) (core, 30 credits)▼
• +Design Details (core, 30 credits)▼
• +Human Scale (core, 30 credits)▼
• +Interior Technologies and Production (core, 30 credits)▼

Year 3 modules include:

• +Critical & Contextual Studies 3: Dissertation (Interiors) (core, 30 credits)▼
• +Integrated Design Practice (core, 30 credits)▼
• +Major Project Realisation: Interior Design (core, 30 credits)▼
• +Project Design and Development for Interiors (core, 30 credits)▼

What our students say

“I felt inspired and confident to take part whilst being on my placement mainly because of the things I have learnt so far in uni. The [School of Art, Architecture and Design] has a very good reputation I only really noticed this as [my employer] spoke highly of [the School]. I wanted to thank you all so much for preparing me for the industry I really appreciate you all and I now understand much better the context of the course in relation to the industry.” Chantelle Oluchi, Interior Design BA (Hons) graduate, 2020

“Returning to education after 20 years with limited computer skills was not an easy journey. But London Met, alongside its inspirational teaching, has given me the ability to soar…” Cavell Browne Richardson

“The journey I have made has been immense, significant and challenging, but most of all life-changing. Completing my degree will be the start of a new chapter in my life, built on the foundation of London Met.” Beata Piotrzkowska

“In the second year I had the pleasure of winning an internship with Fitch and in the third year to be nominated for the D&AD Pencil Awards. The mentoring offered a great opportunity to connect with people from the industry and helped me to get a job. The final year exhibitions helped give my portfolio more exposure and many positive responses.” Anna Czarnowska

We were working across so many projects, but I found it wasn’t just about your skill, at Jestico + Wiles its developing lots and lots of ideas too. What was the most fascinating was working with a huge range of materials. It’s a really interesting and important aspect of design that I didn’t understand before, getting to know the kinds of materials you can work with influences your choices in design.” Yasemen Gokce on her second year work placement at Jestico + Wiles.

Where this course can take you

This course will prepare you to work with confidence as a specialist in a design or architectural practice. On entering the workplace you will find your role requires a range of skills and experience beyond the purely creative. The collaborative nature of the projects you’ll complete whilst studying are ideal for preparing you for interacting with other professionals and performing construction industry processes. 

Recent graduates have been employed by design companies including Gensler, BDP, Turner Bates, Black Sheep, Fitch, AI Architects, Woods Bagot, Foster and Partners, Seen Displays, Areen, My Beautiful City, and Avante Garde.

We also have graduates who have chosen to work for set designers, interior design magazines and in museum and gallery curation.

Others have chosen to continue onto postgraduate study. Graduates of this course are well-suited to pursuing further studies in interior design, sustainable design, architecture and environmental design and strategic brand management at postgraduate level. We have a variety of suitable courses at London Met, such as:

• Interior Design MA
• Environmental, Sustainable and Regenerative Design MA
• Architectural History, Research and Writing MA
• Public Art and Performance MA

Every student who studies on one of our three interiors courses has the opportunity of a work placement at a leading London design practice. We place our students in the top 150 interior and architectural practices in London including Penson, Gensler, turnerbates, Fitch and WeAreYourStudio.

Collaborative and international links

You’ll have the opportunity to work with the following international universities and institutes on a range of projects:

• Gachon University
• Dongyang University (in Korean)
• Geneva University of Art and Design
• The George Washington University
• NKF (in Norwegian)
• Habitat Institute India

Additional costs

Please note, in addition to the tuition fee there may be additional costs for things like equipment, materials, printing, textbooks, trips or professional body fees.

Additionally, there may be other activities that are not formally part of your course and not required to complete your course, but which you may find helpful (for example, optional field trips). The costs of these are additional to your tuition fee and the fees set out above and will be notified when the activity is being arranged.

Stay up to date

Follow our School of Art, Architecture and Design on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with everything that’s happening in our creative community.

Discover Uni – key statistics about this course

Discover Uni is an official source of information about university and college courses across the UK. The widget below draws data from the corresponding course on the Discover Uni website, which is compiled from national surveys and data collected from universities and colleges. If a course is taught both full-time and part-time, information for each mode of study will be displayed here.

93%

of students were satisfied overall with their course.

Data for Interior Design (Full time) at London Metropolitan University

For more official course information visit.

Interior Design at London Metropolitan University

To see official information about this course and others visit Discover Uni.

Make an informed choice.

How to apply

If you’re a UK applicant wanting to study full-time starting in September, you must apply via UCAS unless otherwise specified. If you’re an international applicant wanting to study full-time, you can choose to apply via UCAS or directly to the University.

If you’re applying for part-time study, you should apply directly to the University. If you require a Student visa, please be aware that you will not be able to study as a part-time student at undergraduate level.

When to apply

The University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) accepts applications for full-time courses starting in September from one year before the start of the course. Our UCAS institution code is L68.

If you will be applying direct to the University you are advised to apply as early as possible as we will only be able to consider your application if there are places available on the course.To find out when teaching for this degree will begin, as well as welcome week and any induction activities, view our academic term dates.

Screen printing visuals by Arianne Erlicher

Interior Design BA Honours

Overview

Why study interior design with us

Interior design courses are rapidly growing in demand. Interior design is a vital part of our everyday lives, from home and the work place, shops and restaurants to hotels, museums and other public buildings. Our course aims to equip you with the knowledge and practical skills you’ll need to start your career in interior design. You’ll learn all about how to design successful, commercially focussed interiors and what is meant by ‘placemaking’, In doing so, you’ll explore the diverse interdisciplinary nature of the subject.

In addition to the three-year full-time course, we offer a four-year sandwich option. This pathway incorporates a one-year professional placement opportunity, recognised by a dedicated Advanced Diploma in Professional Practice: Interior Architecture & Design, which you’ll receive at graduation.

You’ll be taught by a team of highly experienced staff, who are academics and industry professionals. They’ll provide you with all the support and guidance you need to succeed in your studies. We’ll provide you with specialist technical and study facilities on campus, which is equipped to a state-of-the-art standard.

Develop your interior design skills with us

Our course is based on integrated design projects to get you thinking and working like an interior designer. You’ll be challenged to apply and demonstrate various elements of your learning. Tasks have been designed to help you develop your creativity and originality while engaging with a diverse range of design challenges, just like you would at work. You’ll also become proficient in the use of the latest digital communication methods used in the industry.

An interior design degree can open a lot of career doors. Past graduates have gone on to work in interior design practices, specialist studios and consultancies, advisory agencies, and commercial organisations. Some of the graduate career destinations include prestigious design companies such as Brinkworth, Virgile and Partners, Dalziel and Pow, 20.20, Silver and Co. and Fitch.

Get the support you need

We ensure that every student has adequate support throughout their time with us. That’s why you’ll get matched with a Personal Tutor as well as a Student Learning Assistant and a Graduate Academic Assistant. They’ll have experience in your subject area and will be able to help whenever you need.

Course content

What will you study on the BA Interior Design?

Learning on the course is based on a sequence of ‘integrated design projects’, in which you are asked to apply and demonstrate various aspects of your learning, as well as your individual creativity and originality, to specified design tasks. Projects are supplemented by a variety of lecture, seminar and workshop sessions to provide specialist skills and knowledge. Your ideas and proposals will be tested and explored in regular tutorials and reviews, in which critical evaluation, guidance and feedback is provided, and from which you will be expected to develop and improve your work.

The curriculum focuses on seven core learning strands which are developed progressively throughout all years of the course.

Research – Cultural, historical, political and social-economic contexts and how research and analysis of these contexts informs the design process and decision making.

Process – How the design of interiors is initiated, from the inception of a design concept through the process of design development to  resolution and communication of the design proposal.

Design – The highest standards in design, recognizing creative currency, innovation and design quality relative to contemporary Interior Design practice.

Making – The importance of materiality in interiors and how, and from what, interior environments are formed, fitted-out and finished in order for designs to function and be appropriately experienced with an economic, ethical and ecological conscience.

Communication – How the design of interiors is coherently communicated and represented across a range of media and techniques, from freehand drawing to advanced visualization programmes.

Practice – Professional standards and practice procedures applied to Interior Design, and how professional skills are deployed in the relationship with audiences, clients, markets, uses, consumers and participants in interior environments.

Employability – Self-evaluation and personal career development and employability opportunities within interior Design and related professions.

Modules

• Year 1
  • Fundamental Contexts and Skills (30 credits) – Compulsory
  • Fundamental Practice (30 credits) – Compulsory
  • Interpreting Contexts and Skills (30 credits) – Compulsory
  • Interpreting Practice (30 credits) – Compulsory
• Year 2
  • Developing Contexts and Skills (30 credits) – Compulsory
  • Developing Practice (30 credits) – Compulsory
  • Interior Design: Application (60 credits) – Compulsory
• Optional placement year
  • Interiors: Placement 1 (60 credits) – Optional
  • Interiors: Placement 2 (60 credits) – Optional
• Year 3
  • Interior Design: Integration – Research and Practice (60 credits) – Compulsory
  • Interior Design: Integration – Major Project (60 credits) – Optional

See the course specification for more information about typical course content outside of the coronavirus outbreak:

• Course specification

Optional modules are usually available at levels 5 and 6, although optional modules are not offered on every course. Where optional modules are available, you will be asked to make your choice during the previous academic year. If we have insufficient numbers of students interested in an optional module, or there are staffing changes which affect the teaching, it may not be offered. If an optional module will not run, we will advise you after the module selection period when numbers are confirmed, or at the earliest time that the programme team make the decision not to run the module, and help you choose an alternative module.

Teaching

1. Overview
2. Teaching and learning from 2022
3. Advanced Diploma in Professional Practice
4. Assessment and feedback

• We are regularly reviewing and updating our programmes to ensure you have the best learning experience. We are taking what we’ve learnt during the pandemic and enhancing our teaching methods with new and innovative ways of learning. Please regularly check this section of the course page for updates.How is the BA Interior Design taught?Learning and teaching on the course is centred on a sequence of design projects, in which you are asked to apply various aspects of your learning, as well as your individual creativity and originality, to specified design tasks. Your ideas and proposals will all be tested and explored in regular tutorials and reviews, in which critical evaluation and guidance is provided through discussion and feedback, from which you will be expected to develop and improve your work.Project work is supplemented and supported by a variety of lecture, seminar and workshop sessions intended to provide the particular skills and knowledge that you will be expected to apply and demonstrate in your work. In addition to scheduled teaching and learning activities, you will be expected to engage in a considerable amount of guided independent study and research,There is an emphasis throughout on the value of participative and collaborative work, from group tutorials and workshops to class reviews and critiques. Not only is group work a valuable professional skill, but learning with and from each other is known to be effective. All the approaches to learning and teaching we use throughout the programme are intended to encourage and support your full and active engagement and participation in all aspects of your learning in co-operation with fellow students.Student exchangesMiddlesex also has over 100 Exchange partners in Europe, supported by the EU Erasmus programme, and more than 30 across the rest of the world, and the course allows you the opportunity to study at an overseas institution, as a part of your studies, normally for the first term of the second year. See our Student exchanges page for more information.

Entry requirements

1. Standard entry requirements
2. International (inc. EU)
3. Interview and portfolio
4. How to apply

• Our entry requirements provide a guide to the qualifications that you’ll need to study our courses. We have a personalised admissions approach and we make fair but aspirational offers. We want you to aim high and achieve great results.We understand that things have been very different at school and college since the pandemic started. We’ll always aim to be as flexible as possible and take into consideration any barriers you may have faced in your learning.We’re currently reviewing entry requirements based on this and they may be subject to some small changes. However, if you don’t quite get the grades you hoped, we’ll also look at more than your qualifications like your achievements in other areas and your personal statement.At Middlesex, we’re proud of how we recognise potential in future students like you and how we can support you to succeed in the future.QualificationsWe accept applications from students with a wide range of qualifications, including combinations of qualifications. The requirements for our most common entry qualifications can be found below:112-128 UCAS Tariff PointsA LevelsBBC-BBBBTECDMM-DDMAccess requirementsOverall pass: must include 45 credits at level 3, of which all 45 must be at Merit or higherCombinationsA combination of A-Level, BTEC and other accepted qualifications that total 112 – 128 UCAS Tariff pointsOur general entry requirements page outlines how we make offers where we have given a range (e.g. BBB – BBC in A levels), and how you will be made an offer if you are studying a combination of qualifications (e.g. BTEC and A level). In both cases, we will base this on information you’ve provided on your application.Applications from mature candidates without formal qualifications are welcomed, provided they can demonstrate appropriate levels of relevant ability and experience.If you are unable to meet the entry requirements for this course you may still be eligible for our Foundation Year in 3D Design course. This is an extra year of study to prepare you for the full degree.EligibilityUK/EU and international students are eligible to apply for this course.Academic credit for previous study or experienceIf you have achieved a qualification such as a foundation degree or HND, or have gained credit at another university, you may be able to enter a Middlesex University course in year two or three. For further information please visit our Transfer students page.If you have relevant qualifications or work experience, academic credit may be awarded towards your Middlesex University programme of study. For further information please visit our Accreditation of Prior Learning page.Interviews, entrance tests, portfolios and auditionsEntry onto this course requires a portfolio submission. You have the option of attending an interview on campus or online through Zoom, but it is not mandatory.Please view the Interviews and portfolio tab for more information.

Fees and funding

1. UK
2. EU / International
3. Additional costs

• The fees below refer to the 2021/22 academic year unless otherwise stated.UK students*Full-time students: £9,250*Course fees are subject to annual inflation.For more information and to answer your frequently asked questions, please visit our undergraduate funding page.

Scholarships, fees and bursaries

Undergraduate fundingUndergraduate scholarships

Student work

Draft

In light of the COVID restrictions inflicted upon this year’s cohort, we’ve transformed our annual printed magazine to reflect the digital world we (and the industry) find ourselves in. Take a look at DRAFT to see the wonderful work produced by our students across the three Interiors programmes.

Student Awards

Interior Educators:

Every year, Interior Educators holds a show to celebrate the work of Interiors students nationwide, presenting awards to the best students in different award categories. We are very proud to announce that, once again, our students excelled and took home awards in 2020!

Progress Awards: Best sketchbook: Adela Spalenkova (Yr 2) Winner

Progress Awards: Best Orthographic Drawing: Ashna Butt (Yr 2) Winner, Emily Marzocchi (Yr 1) Winner

Progress Awards: Live Projects: Ligia Popa (Yr 2) Winner

Retail Student Design Awards:

Second year students from BA Interior Architecture and BA Interior Design entered the Retail Student Design Awards again this year, tackling a brief set by the high street restaurant chain, Pizza Express. The judges, consisting of retailers and design experts from the The Body Shop, Specsavers, Quinine, Dalziel & Pow, Gensler and AHMH architects, were impressed by the entries, awarding joint winner status to two students from Middlesex – Ligia Popa, BA Interior Design and Ashna Butt, BA Interior Architecture.

Examples of work

Follow us on Instagram or scroll through the images below to see the great work our students have produced.

Careers

How can the BA Interior Design support your career?

Graduates from the BA Interior Design course are equipped to fulfil design roles in interior design practices, specialist studios and consultancies, building and property companies, advisory agencies, and the design departments of public and commercial organisations. The creative industries sector is currently one of the fastest growing employment markets and graduates can take advantage of the many opportunities for design-related roles and activities across the built environment sector, as well as in the education, media, retail and entertainment sectors.

The course will also prepare you for further postgraduate and specialised study in interior design, interior architecture, architecture,  the built environment, design history and theory, visual culture, and design management.

If you are interested in this course you might also like to find out about our MA Interiors (Architecture and Design).

Life at Middlesex

Work and career

Facilities

Workshops and studios

The specialist resources and facilities available to students in the Grove are extensive and the most up-to-date available, and there is professional technical support in all areas to help you use our workshops and studios to the best advantage.

The library

The Sheppard Library houses computing and audio-visual facilities, a language centre, learning support services and the student help centre. There is an entire floor dedicated to design resources, including the Materials and Product Collections.

The Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture

The Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture (MoDA) is MLA accredited and houses the important Silver Studio collection of late 19th and early 20th century decorative art and design, designated as of national importance, together with a range of other collections including the J M Richards Archive of books on architecture and town planning.