Interior Design – BA (Hons)

One of the best things about the BA (Hons) in Interior Design at TUS is that you aren’t just reading about design in a textbook—ies you are living it every day in a high-energy studio environment. From your very first week at the Clare Street campus, you are treated like a professional designer, with your own dedicated desk space where you’ll transition from hand-sketched concepts to complex digital builds. This program is famous for its "learning by doing" philosophy, ensuring that by the time you reach your final year, you have the technical confidence and the creative portfolio to walk straight into a top-tier design firm.

Experiential Learning

At TUS, your education is built around immersive, hands-on experiences that bridge the gap between classroom theory and industry reality:

• Dedicated Studio Practice: You’ll spend the majority of your time in bespoke, light-filled design studios at the historic Clare Street campus, which acts as a living "canvas" for your projects.

• Professional Work Placement: A defining feature of Year 3 is the mandatory professional placement, where you’ll spend a semester working in an interior design practice or architectural firm to gain real-world industry experience.

• Industry-Standard Software: You will master the same tools used by global firms, including AutoCAD for technical drafting, SketchUp for 3D modeling, Revit for Building Information Modelling (BIM), and the Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) for high-end visual presentations.

• The "Experiential Week": A unique dedicated period where you’ll experiment with physical materials like brick, timber, metal, and sustainable "scrap" to understand the tactile reality of construction.

• Global Mobility (Erasmus+): Beyond local placements, you have the opportunity to study or practice in mainland Europe, gaining a global perspective on interior architecture and design.

• FORGE Design Factory: Access to this interdisciplinary hub—the first of its kind in Ireland—allows you to collaborate with industry partners and students from other disciplines to solve real-world design problems.

• Field Trips & Site Visits: Learning extends beyond the campus with regular local and international field trips to examine landmark buildings, heritage sites, and contemporary commercial fit-outs.

• Specialized Workshops: Full access to the LSAD carpentry and metal workshops, where you can use advanced machine tools to create physical scale models and furniture prototypes.

• LSAD Gallery: You’ll have the chance to exhibit your work in the school’s major professional exhibition space, which hosts international biennials and high-profile design shows.

• Research & Design Seminars: Engage with the LSAD Research Institute, focusing on cutting-edge themes like regenerative design and circular economies in the built environment.

When you graduate from the BA (Hons) in Interior Design at TUS, you aren’t just receiving a degree; you’re gaining a passport to a global industry that’s constantly evolving. Our graduates are highly sought after because they don't just know how to design a room—they understand the technical, financial, and strategic complexities of the modern built environment. You'll join a network of LSAD alumni who are currently leading creative teams in top-tier architectural firms, launching their own successful design consultancies, and transforming commercial spaces across Europe and beyond.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Our graduates hit the ground running, with the vast majority securing professional roles in diverse sectors like luxury residential design, commercial fit-outs, and sustainable adaptive re-use. Typical job roles include: Interior Designer, 3D Design Visualizer, Furniture Designer, and Project Manager.

• University Support Services: The TUS Careers & Employability Service provides a dedicated "Careers Connect" portal, one-on-one CV coaching, and mock interview sessions tailored specifically for design portfolios. They also host the annual LSAD Graduate Show, which acts as a massive recruitment event where industry scouts come to hire talent directly from the gallery floor.

• Employment Stats & Salary: TUS has proudly held the title of Ireland’s Top University for Graduate Employment for three consecutive years (2023–2025). According to the latest HEA Graduate Outcomes, 85.5% of our honors graduates are in employment within nine months. In the Irish market, entry-level interior designers typically earn between €35,000 and €41,000, with senior professionals reaching €70,000+.

• Industry Partnerships: We maintain deep links with industry leaders like the Institute of Designers in Ireland (IDI) and various architectural firms through our Professional Placement module. Employers even help co-design our curriculum to ensure you are learning exactly what the market needs right now.

• Long-term Value: Your degree is recognized for its high standards by the European Council of Interior Architects (ECIA), meaning your qualifications are respected and transferable across the EU and internationally.

• Graduation Outcomes: Over 80% of our alumni report that their current roles are directly relevant to their degree, and more than 60% are working in "highly skilled" professional or management occupations within a year of leaving.

Further Academic Progression: If you’re looking to specialize further after your BA, TUS offers excellent pathways to deepen your expertise. You can progress into the MA in Interdisciplinary Design, the Professional Master of Education (Art and Design) if you're interested in teaching, or even pursue research-based Masters (Level 9) and PhD (Level 10) programs within the LSAD Research Institute, focusing on niche areas like sustainable spatial design or restorative environments.