Study Interior Design in the UK - Excel Education | Study in Australia, Malaysia, the UK & Canada

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Interior design is all about working with space. Designing a space is similar to shaping the experience that a person will have inside in the space. Interior design incorporates art and science to create, restore or readapt within various structures such as homes, offices or other spaces.

An interior designer will need to undergo professional training and experience in developing a project from a large conceptual point of view. A designer will need to figure out the ways to work with certain aspects including vertical and horizontal objects, walls, surfaces, materials and lightings within a space.

Career Opportunities for Interior Designers

Students who graduated with an Interior Design degree tend to work in interior design and architectural firms and consultancies, property development companies and event management firms.

Within the interior design industry, there are various sub-categories available for graduates to pursue their career path. Therefore, students have the flexibility to decide on the specific area in this industry that they enjoy doing the most. Here are the lists of career prospects for interior designers.

Interior and spatial designer

Involved in the design or renovation of internal spaces, including structural alterations, furnishings, fixtures and fittings.

Exhibition Designer

Create fixtures and displays for events such as public exhibitions, conferences, trade shows and temporary displays for businesses, museums and libraries.

Interior design consultant

Create an interior design plan for an existing or new space. They analyze the function of the space with the client’s requirement in mind and draft sketches, schematics and blueprints.

CAD (Computer-Aided Design) Specialist

A career path can be created by technically inclined designers to create 2D and 3D drawings and presentations.

Stage Set Designer

Create scenic settings for the entertainment industry through designing and furnishing the interiors we see in the film, theatre and television.

The Average Annual Salary as Interior Designer in the UK vs Malaysia 2021

Career Stages	UK	Malaysia
Early Career	£25,000	RM 29,000
Mid Career	£30,000	RM 44,000
Late Career	£38,000	RM 61,000

Freelance Interior Designers

An experienced interior designer can also be self-employed and work directly with private clients, private firms, consultants or even property development industry. Freelance interior designers provide consultation to clients regarding space planning, layout and utilization of furniture and decorations. The advantage of a freelance designer is that they are free from restrictions of permanent employment and freedom to decide on which job to take.

General Entry Requirement for Interior Design Degrees in the UK

A-Levels	A minimum grade of BBC
STPM	Minimum 3B (excluding general paper and Malay studies)
UEC	Minimum 5Bs
ATAR (SACEi/ SAM/ Ausmat)	65-70%
International Baccalaureate (IB)	34 points or above

*Entry requirements may vary among universities, for inquiries on specific entry requirements, contact Excel Education

English Requirement for Interior Design in the UK

IELTS	Minimum 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each individual band
TOEFL	90 overall (with a minimum of 22 in Reading; 21 in Writing; 17 in Listening; 20 in Speaking
IGCSE/O-Level	Grade C or above

* Entry requirements may vary among universities, for inquiries on specific entry requirements, contact Excel Education

Top Universities to study Interior Design in the UK

#1 Northumbria University, Newcastle

Image Credit: https://oyaschool.com/college/northumbria-university/

Northumbria emphasises on innovative interior designs in new architecture and through the adaptive re-use of existing buildings and exteriors.

Students will be exposed to exciting design proposals through the study of design history and theories to be explored through identifying existing site and architecture, function, materials, brand, tactility, space and human interaction. Projects are set and communicated through 2D and 3D methods inclusive of technical drawings, sketching and model making.

Program	Interior Design BA(Hons)
Intake	September 2021
Duration	Full time (3 years + 1-year work placement)
Indicative Annual Fee (2021)	£16,000

#2 University of Plymouth

Image Credit: https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/about-us

The University of Plymouth shapes confident and employable graduates who can communicate their ideas and contribute with confidence in the interior design world. A mix of live and theoretical projects enable students to explore space between objects and architecture with hands-on approach to craftsmanship and positively influence the perception and experience of people.

The university has produced students who have pursued a successful career in interior design in established companies such as Fosters and Partners, Soho House Group, the BBC, HLM Architects and workplace specialists interaction.

Program	BA (Hons) Interior Design
Intake	2021/22
Duration	Full time (3 years)
Indicative Annual Fees	£14,200

#3 Heriot-Watt University

Image Credit: https://www.hw.ac.uk/news/articles/2020/HW-students-offered-lease-end.htm

Heriot-Watt gives the opportunity to develop a complete set of interior design skills by assisting students in developing specialist skills in interior design while collaborating with skilled designers from textiles, fashion and more specialist departments.

The university enlightens students with the latest tech where they will demonstrate how innovative new technology can help students’ interior design ideas to life. Students are given the opportunity to work on real projects for businesses to develop connections and skills that will be fruitful for placement after graduation.

Program	BA (Hons) Interior Design
Intake	September 2021
Duration	Full time (4 years)
Indicative Annual Fees (2021)	£15,384

#4 De Montfort University

Image Credit: https://www.ukeas.com/uk_universities/de_montfort_university.php

The university secures 100% of its interior design graduates from 2017 to be employed or continued further study after graduating. De Monfort boosts students’ career prospects with industry placement with companies such as Newman Gauge and PVH Europe.

Students will explore the regeneration and adaptation of real buildings or sites as well as learn how to turn an old premise into an exciting space for socialising purposes. Students will learn about the essence of visual communication, design cultures and heritage which will develop their own personal style and design language as they grow confidence as they pursue individual projects.

Program	Interior Design BA(Hons)
Intake	2021/22
Duration	Full time (3 years)
Indicative Annual Fees	£14,250

#5 Solent University

Image Credit: https://artuk.org/visit/venues/southampton-solent-university-4675

Solent University’s BA(Hons) Interior Design course is accredited and recognized by the Society of British and International Design (SBID) as they meet professional interior design standards.

The course is supported by a group of employer partners who are actively involved in mentoring and helping students to secure roles in top London interior design businesses. Facilities and software are available for students for hands-on experiences such as CAD stations, Revit, Vector Works as well as 3D and large format scanners

Programs	BA (Hons) Interior Design Decoration
Intake	2021/22
Duration	Full time (3 years)
Indicative Annual Fees	£13,800

#6 UWE Bristol

Image Credit: https://info.uwe.ac.uk/news/uwenews/news.aspx?id=3350

UWE values student feedback and consistently makes efforts to improve student experience which secured 88% in overall student satisfaction in the 2019 NSS results, which puts it 7th in the UK.

Studying in UWE Bristol brings you the professional skills which are required to work in the interior design industry. Students will be exposed to technical learning courses, with a focus on lighting, heating, ventilation and acoustics. This way students will learn to work with traditional tools and update to the latest technology and acquire skills to design lighting, furniture, materials and the entire interior projects.

Program	BA(Hons) Interior Design
Intake	2021/22
Duration	Full time (3 years + 1-year work placement)
Indicative Annual Fees	£13,500

#7 University of Kent

Image Credit: https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/291/kent-mba

Kent is a leading academic institution with 97% of its research was judged to be of international quality in the Research Excellence Framework.

The University of Kent ensures that students study all aspects of Spatial and Interior Design, from digital modelling and hands-on the sketch to developing the spatial and interior design skills to transform existing urban spaces for festivals and celebrations.

Students are able to discover the digital age by developing a responsive practice where you are proficient working in 2D, 3D and 4D.

Program	Spatial and Interior Design BA (Hons)
Intake	September 2021
Duration	Full time (3 years)
Indicative Annual Fees	£20,500

#8 University of East London

Image Credit: https://www.uel.ac.uk/about/about-uel

Over the years, UEL has been developing and starting to implement strategies to transform its curriculum, pedagogy, research impact and partnerships to make a positive difference to students, graduate and community success.

In this course, students will be fed with educational and creative framework together with necessary contacts to launch them on their part of becoming a successful interior designer. Students will study designs in all forms including architectural, retail, furniture, set and exhibition designs.