Interior Design (Professional Placement Year)

Take an inclusive and sustainable approach to transforming spaces with our Interior Design degree.

• Explore the key issues affecting contemporary design and produce work that is ethical, inclusive and sustainable.

• Respond to live briefs and experiment with design solutions, techniques and technologies to expand on your design concepts.

• Build skills in research, problem solving and idea development, and learn to communicate your design proposals to a wider audience.

Become a creative and curious designer who knows how to put the wellbeing of inhabitants first and succeed in the professional world.

Our Interior Design course develops practical and professional skills that you can take into a range of industries. Take a social, ethical, cultural, economic and environmental approach to interior design. Learn to balance the complex elements of a project to produce the best outcome for people, places and the environment.

You’ll get the chance to apply your skills to sectors including heritage, retail, business and hospitality. Working with external clients on live briefs, you’ll provide creative solutions that build your portfolio. You'll also develop an ambitious final project that you can use to showcase your design skills to future employers.

More about the Professional Placement Year
A Professional Placement Year (PPY), traditionally known as a sandwich year, is where you undertake a period of work with an external organisation for between 9-13 months. The placement occurs between your second and final years of undergraduate study. You can engage in multiple placements to make up the total time and are required to source the placement(s) yourself, with support from the Careers team.

<b>Year one</b>
Collaborate and explore. Build the knowledge and professional skills you’ll need to thrive in Interior Design. We introduce you to key designers and sectors before you begin to learn through making.

Working in small groups, you’ll collaborate on projects in our inspiring design studios. You’ll explore spatial elements through observational drawing, 3D sketching, modelling and model-making.

You’ll use industry-standard software and build skills in Computer Aided Design (CAD). You'll also study the technical practices that underpin successful designs, including drawing conventions, lighting plans, floor plans and elevations.

<b>Year two</b>
Build your knowledge. Focus on the ways you can use your skills in your future career. We'll explore the different avenues for your professional practice through critical thinking and problem solving.

Through live client projects and competitions, you’ll apply your knowledge and skills to real life scenarios. You’ll learn to manage budgets and balance the cultural, environmental and social elements of a design.

You'll also turn your focus to future employment, whether in the private sector, commercial world, or as a freelancer. As you progress through the course, you'll build your individual identity as a designer. You'll focus on how to communicate this through your CV, cover letter, networking skills and social presence.

<b>Year three</b>
This is your Professional Placement Year.

<b>Year four</b>
Curate, exhibit and promote your work. In your final year, you’ll research and deliver your final major project at different scales. This gives you an in-depth understanding of construction and the tactile qualities of materials in practice.

Assessment is 100% based on coursework. We'll provide you with constructive feedback, so you’ll know how to improve or develop your work.

We also provide verbal and written feedback during each module, through tutorials, seminar sessions, and group critiques.