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Interior Design

Entry requirements


112 UCAS points from at least two A-levels or equivalent OR Pass Foundation in Art and Design

Access to HE Diploma

M:30

Pass QAA Access to Higher Education course with at least 30 level 3 credits at Merit. We will normally require students have had a break from full-time education before undertaking the Access course.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

26

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DMM

T Level

M

UCAS Tariff

112

You may also need to…

Present a portfolio

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Interior design and architecture

On this course you will reimagine existing interiors and challenge the idea of ‘space’ to create innovative and experiential new spaces. Interior Design focuses on the way people interact within these environments, considering comfort, usability, effectiveness, aesthetics and emotional connection.

You’ll explore the regeneration of real buildings and sites, turning them into exciting new spaces for exhibition, retail, leisure, performance, spiritual, eating and socialising purposes. You'll also develop visual communication skills in drawing, 3D modelling, computing, video-modelscope, computer-aided design (CAD) and virtual reality. Your work will respond to future global challenges whilst reflecting the importance of sustainability and inclusivity.

You'll develop your own personal design style and learn to communicate your creative solutions with confidence. Our aim is to nurture these skills so that you graduate as a well-rounded designer with a broad portfolio ready for industry.

**Key features**
* Work and create in a studio environment that is designed to mimic professional practice and learn from staff with extensive industry experience.

* Determine your own design direction according to your passions and aspirations. We have seen students designing immersive art galleries, educational community hubs and boutique hotels and tackling the challenges of food waste, empty high street units and body confidence.

* Boost your career prospects with a placement. Our students have gained valuable industry work experience at companies such as Ashfield Events, Newman Gauge, Tibbatts Abel and PVH Europe.

* Strengthen your portfolio by entering prestigious competitions and showcasing your work. Our students have recently been recognised by the Interior Design Association and exhibited their projects at New Designers in London.

* Benefit from the very latest facilities – CAD, modelscope, drawing studios, video visualisation equipment and prototype workshops. Our award-winning Vijay Patel Building provides both the space and the facilities to foster creative thinking and explore your design potential.

* Our graduates have gone on to work for a range of large, medium and small design practices including Blueprint, SomeBrightSpark, Fitch Design, Faber, Checkland Kindleysides and Leonard Design Architects.

**If you are interested in advanced entry into Year 3 of this course, please visit the DMU website for the course details:** https://www.dmu.ac.uk/study/pre-edu-2030/interior-design-ba-degree/interior-design-ba-degree.aspx

Modules

**First year**
Block 1: Understanding Space
Block 2: Exploring Space and Context
Block 3: Defining Space 1
Block 4: Defining Space 2

**Second year**
Block 1: Ideation and Concept
Block 2: Design Development
Block 3: Professional Communication and Context
Block 4: Professional Design Practice

**Third year**
Block 1: Advanced Research for Interior Design
Block 2: Advanced Conceptualisation
Block 3: Advanced Design Development and Communication
Block 4: Advanced Professional Design Practice

Assessment methods

We want to ensure you have the best learning experience possible and a supportive and nurturing learning community. That’s why we’re introducing a new block model for delivering the majority of our courses, known as Education 2030. This means a more simplified timetable where you will study one subject at a time instead of several at once. You will have more time to engage with your learning and get to know the teaching team and course mates. You will receive faster feedback through more regular assessment, and have a better study-life balance to enjoy other important aspects of university life.

**Structure**
The course is essentially studio-based, supported by lectures, seminars, tutorials and site visits. Assessment is project-orientated and you will continuously receive feedback on your progress throughout your learning journey.

In your first year you will explore interior design examples of the application of technologies, with an emphasis on understanding and exploring interior space. You will be introduced to the development of conceptual ideas and thinking, alongside a range of manual techniques and computer-aided design (CAD) software. You will also be introduced to cultural, historical and contextual studies.

In your second year you will build on the skills and knowledge developed in the first year to start to realise your own disinvite design identity and become more self-directed in your learning and design decision-making. You will have the opportunity to undertake live projects and can explore specialisms in Design for: Exhibition, Leisure & Hospitality, Performance, Retail, Workspace and Event.

In your third year you will select key design projects, with an emphasis on demonstrating the application of previously learned knowledge and skills and clear independent learning. You will be taught through briefings, seminars and mainly group and individual tutorials with support from current industry practitioners. Your studies will culminate in an individual Major Design Project for showcasing, alongside developing a professional employability toolkit which can be used to launch your career after graduation.

You are encouraged to take part in national competitions in which DMU has a proud history of success. Our students have won the Gensler award for Interior Design (New Designers), Aston Martin – rethinking luxury car interior materials and 3 have been shortlisted for the RSA awards. A number of students have also been involved in ‘live projects’ resulting in the installation of their designs in the Heritage Centre and the Energy Lab at DMU, input on the Leicester Castle Business School refurbishment and design for the visitor’s area at HMP Leicester.

Our staff have extensive commercial design backgrounds in display/exhibition and interior architecture. Some run their own interior design practices, working in the leisure industry, domestic and retail sectors of interior design. There are also specialists in design for television and drama productions, exhibitions and spiritual space.

**Contact hours**
In your first year you will normally attend around 17 hours of timetabled taught sessions each week, and we expect you to undertake at least 23 further hours of independent study to complete project work and research.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

England
£9,250
per year
International
£15,750
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Leicester Campus

Department:

Arts, Design and Humanities

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

77%
Interior design and architecture

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Design studies

Teaching and learning

79%
Staff make the subject interesting
83%
Staff are good at explaining things
84%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
86%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

79%
Library resources
80%
IT resources
85%
Course specific equipment and facilities
64%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

93%
UK students
7%
International students
8%
Male students
92%
Female students
71%
2:1 or above
24%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
A
D

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Design studies

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£18,000
med
Average annual salary
98%
high
Employed or in further education
60%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

44%
Design occupations
17%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
10%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Design studies

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£16k

£16k

£20k

£20k

£22k

£22k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
University of East London | Newham
Interior Design
BA (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 96
Lower entry requirements
University of Plymouth | Plymouth
Interior Design
BA (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 96-120

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

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