BA (Hons) Interior Design Bachelor's degree at the University of Plymouth
BA (Hons) Interior Design at University of Plymouth integrates core theory, research and methods, applied practice, specialist options, an independent project, and professional skills development.
About this course
BA (Hons) Interior Design is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at the University of Plymouth, based in University of Plymouth Campus. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Design studies graduates from this provider, 95% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 60% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £21,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Art & Design, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Limited evidence Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 95% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 95% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 4 modules
- Stage 1 Placement PreparationCore
Module details
This module is aimed at students who may be undertaking a company placement in the third year of their programme. It is designed to assist students in their search for a placement and in their preparation for the placement itself.
- Interior Discovery, Exploration, Enquiry and CultureCore80 credits
Module details
Through the development of a portfolio of project work, Interior Design is introduced relative to the varied nature of three-dimensional design. Studio practice is linked with historical, cultural and critical contexts. Processes of discovery, exploration and enquiry introduce specialist design knowledge, core skills and stimulate reflection. The module informs and broadens the student's awareness of the subject of Interior Design within an interdisciplinary studio context.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
- Introduction to Studio and Workshop PracticeCore20 credits
Module details
Students will be introduced to the wide range of materials and processes available to them as designers, and will have the opportunity to develop workshop skills in the selection and processing of materials. Students will also be introduced to CAD and digital presentation software and gather a wide range of presentation skills to develop their confidence and ability to communicate confidently, effectively, clearly and efficiently.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
- Design Carousel 1Core20 credits
Module details
This Level 4 module runs in parallel with a Level 5 module, enabling collaborative cross-year interdisciplinary learning. It provides the opportunity to choose a project brief from a range of options to stimulate reflection of individual disciplines and specialisms, and adds breadth to individual portfolios. Working with senior peers enables the acquisition of new skills and knowledge, and establishes cross year interdisciplinary peer learning opportunities within the design studio.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
Year 2 5 modules
- Interior Specialist Exploration and CultureCore40 credits
Module details
This module develops specialist knowledge and professional practice skills in Interior Design relating to design for the public realm. Project work explores branding, public space, urban landscape and regeneration. The module includes Design Culture exploration of major issues and concepts affecting design with the development of research, critical evaluation and contextualisation skills as a primer for Level 6 dissertation modules.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
- Interior Specialist Skills and ProgressionCore40 credits
Module details
This module develops specific skills, knowledge and understanding relevant to the practice of Interior Designers. Project work develops fundamental perceptions of the body in space, the notion of scales and inhabitation, and associated contextual and cultural issues relating to contemporary design practice. Project work is structured to introduce and develop discipline specific technical skills in 2D and 3D.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
- Design Carousel 2Core20 credits
Module details
This Level 5 module runs in parallel with a Level 4 module to enable collaborative cross-year interdisciplinary learning. It provides the opportunity to choose a project brief from a range of options to stimulate reflection of individual disciplines and specialisms, and adds breadth to individual portfolios. Working with junior peers develops interpersonal and organisational skills valued by professional practice, and sustains peer learning opportunities within the design studio.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
- Common Challenge: Interdisciplinary DesignCore20 credits
Module details
This module celebrates the interdisciplinary nature of professional design practice and acknowledges the role designers can play in addressing the big challenges posed by complex sustainability themes and issues relating to global society, culture and ecology. Interdisciplinary teams contribute to a series of Design Sprints inspired by a proposed theme or issue to produce individual and group work.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
- Stage 2 Placement PreparationCore
Module details
This module is aimed at students who may be undertaking an industrial placement in the third year of their programme. It is designed build on the Stage 1 Placement Preparation module and to assist students in their search and application for a placement and in their preparation for the placement itself.
Year 3 1 modules
- Design Industry Placement / ExchangeCore
Module details
A period of professional training of 24 weeks or more spent as the third year of a sandwich programme undertaking an approved placement with a suitable company, or 2 semesters of study with an overseas partner institution. This provides an opportunity for the student to gain relevant external experience to consolidate the first two stages of study and to prepare for the final stage and employment after graduation.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
Final year 5 modules
- External Factors and FeasibilityCore40 credits
Module details
This module encourages students to challenge and develop their professional practice skills, and their emerging design identity, by conducting distinct projects concurrently. A significant external project brief and a self-initiated project brief develop a platform of knowledge and experiences on which the character of their graduating portfolio will be based.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
- Major ProjectCore40 credits
Module details
Students identify, plan, evolve and review a summative design project in the programme and award specialism. It allows a substantive body of work celebrating all the learning outcomes and specific skills sets attained. The project culminates with a 1 to 1 viva with an external examiner and a degree show exhibition.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
- Research ProjectCore
Module details
Examine how research underpins creativity and innovation in art and design. Explore key methodologies for creative inquiry, while developing critical thinking, analytical skills, and original exploration. Build confidence in forming research questions, investigating ideas, and articulating findings with clarity and depth.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
- Interior ConsolidationOptional20 credits
Module details
This compact module offers students the option to develop their professional practice skills to a higher level. Professional and creative attributes are developed to prepare students for the evolving future of design practice. Sustainability principals are blended with increased knowledge and understanding of business and project management issues that have relevance to Interior Design practice.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
- Extended DissertationOptional20 credits
Module details
This module offers students the option to develop an Extended Dissertation that builds on a proposal, structure and literature review generated within the Critical Practices module. It provides the opportunity for extended in-depth research and to write an illustrated dissertation. Students use their creative and analytical skills on a concentrated topic area, with a word count of 8/10k
Assessment: 100% Coursework
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
This course develops your practical and conceptual skills across interior design and related disciplines. You'll usually begin with visual fundamentals, colour, composition and form, alongside materials and making processes across physical and digital workshops. Contextual studies ground your practice in design history and contemporary thinking. From Year 2, you'll pursue sustained studio projects and live briefs with real clients, whilst exploring digital and emerging media relevant to your direction. In Year 3, you'll specialise more deeply in areas such as graphic design, illustration, fashion & textiles, fine art, or UX & digital work. Throughout, you'll develop a professional portfolio alongside a final major project, culminating in a degree show where your work is publicly exhibited.
Who it's for
This course suits students with A-level qualifications or equivalent. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent, with typical UCAS tariff scores of 96–111 points. You should have a genuine interest in interior design practice and be prepared for a blend of theoretical study and hands-on project work.
Careers & job market
Across Art & Design courses nationally, 87% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating. Of those working, 55% are in highly skilled roles or continuing their studies. National earnings data shows starting salaries of £22,000–£27,000 at 15 months post-graduation, rising to £20,825–£29,400 after five years. These figures reflect the broader graduate outcomes for the field, not a guarantee for individual graduates.
University & format
This BA (Hons) is studied full-time over 3 years at University of Plymouth, a university based in Plymouth, England. Teaching is delivered in English. The qualification is a nationally recognised UK bachelor's degree. The university holds Gold status for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023 assessment.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 80% |
| another higher-education qualification | 10% |
| an Access course | 10% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications and UCAS points. If you're worried about grades, this course has historically taken a wide range, and contextual offers may apply.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Standard capped home fee at English providers (2026/27); Scotland, Wales & NI differ.
Check fees at University of Plymouth →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Art & Design graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £21,000 | £19,000 – £25,000 | 10 |
| 3 years after | £21,000 | £16,000 – £24,500 | 175 |
| 5 years after | £25,000 | £21,500 – £32,000 | 185 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in art & design · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Art & Design nationally
National figures for Art & Design graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Art & Design courses at the same study level.
Compared with 1,698 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Web and Multimedia Design ProfessionalsSOC 2020 214 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £32,574
- Elementary occupationsSOC 2020 9 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £19,087
- Managers, directors and senior officialsSOC 2020 1 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £51,733
- Design occupationsSOC 2020 342 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £35,957
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 70; response rate: 60%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Art & Design graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Art & Design graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Design studios & agencies
- In-house brand teams
- Games & media companies
- Freelance & self-employed
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Art & Design graduates.
Fine Art TechnicianFirst Choice StaffPharmacy Technician – Brand New State-of-the-Art HospitalCompass AssociatesArtificial Intelligence Engineering ManagerMBN SolutionsArtificial Intelligence EngineerExperis UKDelivery Driver (Part Time 24 hours) - AndoverOcado LogisticsCompliance Business PartnerNashrock Insurance RecruitmentIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
95% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £21,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 7.6 out of 10: NSS 37.4% · in work or study 95% · continued 95%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
University of Plymouth
Design, and creative and performing arts across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around University of Plymouth Campus
3,218 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Art & Design right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to University of Plymouth from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by University of Plymouth; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check University of Plymouth’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with University of Plymouth and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at University of Plymouth
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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