Integrated Foundation - Bachelor of Arts (Honours) - Interior Design

The Interior Design course at Derby is aimed at individuals inspired by interiors and curious about the technical processes required to realise their ideas. It develops students’ design skills to create functional and unique spaces with strong spatial identities. The programme explores the effective use of spatial qualities such as form, texture, materials, lighting, colour, architectural components, objects, and their placement, enabling concepts to be translated into reality. Emphasis is placed on environmentally responsible, memorable, and experiential design practices.

Preparing students for a career in interior design, the course covers the full scope of an Interior Designer’s role, from the initial brief to the final build, which may involve existing buildings, urban interiors, or self-standing entities such as exhibitions or set-stages. The programme encourages a dynamic, co-creative approach that values students’ individual voices, cultural perspectives, risk-taking, and experimentation. Graduates are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in professional practice.

Students gain exposure to a broad spectrum of interior design fields, including residential, commercial (retail and corporate), set-stage and exhibition design, hospitality, and adaptive reuse or regenerative design. The course also emphasizes employment opportunities available to interior design graduates. Collaborative work, both nationally and internationally, is integrated, alongside the design of bespoke artefacts and furniture to complement interior spaces. Students learn to generate appropriate visual documentation for each stage of the design process and gain an understanding of how people interact with space and objects, incorporating ergonomics and designing in accordance with building regulations and health and safety legislation.

The course distinguishes itself through unique collaborative opportunities with other disciplines and national or international partners. Collaboration may involve working with other university programmes to design and manufacture interior artefacts or bespoke products. International collaboration is facilitated through vertical studio projects spanning Level 4 to Level 6 cohorts. The course maintains affiliations with Interior Educators and the British Institute of Interior Design (BIID) to ensure that teaching remains current with industry developments.

Including a foundation year as part of the four-year study programme gives students a head start in their academic and professional development. The foundation year strengthens skills, knowledge, and confidence with extensive support from expert staff before progressing to the first stage of the honours degree. It is particularly beneficial for those considering a career change or looking to gain familiarity with new subject areas. Degrees with a foundation year are continuous, eliminating the need to reapply once the first year is successfully completed.