Course overview
You focus on existing and emerging design trends including health, wellbeing and sustainability, and engage with socially and ethically-focused agendas. Learn how to contextualise interiors in relation to people and society and participate in live projects and national competitions that replicate professional practice.
Interior design at Teesside has a long heritage and has been taught at undergraduate level for over 50 years. We are also a Society of British and International Interior Design Centre of Excellence.
* Subject to University approval
Course details
Course structure
Core modules
Design in Context: Building for People and Society
You are introduced to the social, cultural and economic aspects of current design and built environment thinking. You consider people and communities, current spatial design trends, innovation and new models of construction. The cultural understanding of home, work, community, health, wellbeing and place is explored. The impact of changing government policies, changing demographics, as well as the influence of new technology and sustainability is discussed. You also consider the relationship between process and product and relate theory to practice through a design project that applies learning from the past, to problem solving a current project.
Emerging Spatial Trends: Wellbeing and Sustainability
You investigate the links between interior design and the built environment with new thinking on designing for health and wellbeing. Promoting health and wellbeing through new materials and biophilic trends has rapidly gathered momentum. You focus on notions of environmental wellness in interior design as a growing design ethos and how residential and commercial spaces can influence our physical and mental health.
You identify, lead and manage a large scale, innovative and complex interior design project. The project is a substantial novel piece of work, where you display a deep understanding of creative and innovative design. This is underpinned by research and a detailed journey of the development and critical skills necessary to identify, develop and implement solutions to spatial and real world problems.
You are introduced to new and emerging design tools and software that are becoming more widespread in interior and architectural design practice. The designer’s role in building information modelling is investigated and some of the key considerations, terminology and software that the designer takes into account in their professional role. You explore how building performance and sustainability is considered from the beginning of the design process, and how new software allows design to become a collaborative and iterative process.
Interior Practice: Managing Design
The interior designer’s role has many features and goes beyond the purely creative design element. Interior design is an industry that works within building and construction regulation and legal constraints and operates across a number of sectors dealing with specification, contracts, health and safety and project management. The designer rarely works in a vacuum, you consider the management and business of interior design practice and the role of the interior designer in the professional relationships between them and other practitioners.
Modules offered may vary.
How you learn
All learning is online. You learn through lectures, workshops and seminars as well as through educationally purposeful packages of digital learning.
You develop creative skills and commercial awareness by working to industry briefs. Learning focuses on reflecting the reality of working in the creative industries, and throughout the course you are encouraged to work both individually and as part of a group.
Each unit typically consists of:
- a short introductory video, where your tutor introduces the week’s key themes
- writing prompts and exercises
- supporting materials, reading questions and suggestions for further reading and research to discuss in the discussion forum
- a dedicated private space to workshop your ideas and work-in-progress with the tutor and fellow students.
How you are assessed
Most of the modules include a progressive assessment strategy, with practical tasks set each week to support you in working towards in course assessment (ICA).
Entry requirements
You will typically have a first degree (2.2 minimum). We also consider other relevant experience or qualifications.
You are asked to present a portfolio of work or a completed project showing the development of your work from behind the scenes, or an ongoing project showing the progression and direction of your work.
International students will require IELTS 6.0 or equivalent.
For general information please see our overview of entry requirements
Employability
Career opportunities
With MA Interior Design you could work as a designer in commercial, residential, hospitality and health sectors, and design and space planning in schools and further and higher education, retail design and visual merchandising, technical computer-aided (CAD) design work or CAD visualisation, lighting design, exhibition and museum design, interior product and branding, or an interior specialist within architectural practices.
Learning platform
Our virtual learning environment (VLE) is the platform you use to access your online course
Teesside University online learning courses are delivered through the Brightspace Learning Environment.
Here are some of the benefits.
- You can use it on your smartphone, tablet and computer.
- And you can use it anytime, so that you can plan your learning to fit your own schedule.
- It's easy to use and navigate.
- Modules are set out by topics and themes. You can use the progress bar to understand where you are in your modules, and appreciate your achievements.
- We support you to become familiar with your VLE, helping you to start learning quickly.
- You get feedback, help and guidance from tutors throughout your course through the VLE, and you can ask questions at any time.
- Our tutors use a live activity feed to keep you updated about your course.
- You can create a student profile, collaborate with other students and take part in online discussion forums.
