BA Hons Interior Design

3 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Central Lancashire

Program Overview

The Interior Design BA (Hons) at UCLan is a 3‐year full-time course (with a foundation year option if you need extra preparation) based at Preston Campus, combining creative design skills, professional practice, and high levels of industry engagement. It’s ideal for students who love exploring space, materials, light and form, enjoy hands-on work (model making, digital rendering, etc.), and want a path to work in commercial, residential or live-project environments after graduation.

Curriculum Structure

Here’s roughly what you’ll do each year (note: module names & exact content may vary slightly depending on the year):

Year 1

In Year 1, you’ll be introduced to the fundamentals: you'll work on developing your creative and visual communication skills (through drawing, modelling, digital and analogue media), and begin understanding how interior space works in context. For example, modules will cover “Design Context”, “Drawing & Modelling”, and studio-based project work that mix theory and practice. You’ll also begin to explore materials, scale, texture, colour and the basic tools used in interior design. (While UCLan doesn’t publish all module names by year publicly, these are typical foundational modules based on the course description.)

Year 2

In the second year, you build on those foundations: more complex design briefs, exploring live or competition-based projects, exposure to commercial interiors, working with professionals, and increasing your technical skills (e.g. model-making, digital tools, working with materials and finishes). You’ll also engage in critical studies: looking at design history, sustainability, user experience, spatial planning, and how interiors respond to different functional, cultural or commercial needs.

Year 3

Final year is where you get to pull everything together. You’ll work on major individual design projects (often a “Major Project”) for a capstone that lets you express your personal design voice, experiment with full-scale proposals, detail specification, professionalism, user experience, finishes, possibly even conservation or adaptive reuse depending on your interests. You’ll also prepare your portfolio, often showcase work in degree shows, and engage with industry links to help in the transition to work.

Focus Areas

Creativity & Conceptual Development; Spatial & Material Exploration; Professional & Live Project Experience; Technical & Digital Skill Building; Sustainability & User-Centred Design.

Learning Outcomes

You’ll graduate able to: design across residential, commercial and public interiors; use a range of tools (digital, analogue, model-making) to realise spatial ideas; critically evaluate design decisions about materials, lighting, structure and sustainability; communicate effectively with clients and stakeholders; produce a strong portfolio and be ready for professional employment or further study.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

The course has strong links with industry: students work on live projects and competition briefs with design companies and professional associations. The program is taught by tutors with real-world expertise. While I did not find a specific professional accreditation body (like RIBA or CIID) explicitly accrediting the UCLan Interior Design BA in the publicly available sources, its strong industry involvement, portfolio development, and student satisfaction ratings show it is well aligned with industry expectations.

Reputation (Employability & Rankings)

For student satisfaction in Art & Design, the course is 1st in the North West according to the Complete University Guide 2025.
UCLan has reported that 95.5% of its full-time first-degree UK graduates are in employment or further study within six months of graduating.
Graduate outcomes for this program indicate a salary around £22,000 after 15 months, with a relatively low unemployment rate (4%) for students not studying or employed.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

You’re not just going to sit in lectures—this course is built to immerse you in the practice of interior design from day one. You’ll be making, designing, visiting, meeting clients, using tech, working in studios, and getting real feedback. Here’s what that looks like:

You’ll work in Interior Design Studios which are set up to feel informal and relaxed but carry the professional expectations of a working design environment.
There’s motion capture equipment and laser-cutting tools in the design studios, so you can experiment with technology for modelling, prototypes, spatial visualisation, etc.
Access to a Digital Print Studio and Printmaking studio for producing graphics, detailed visuals, large format prints, etc.
You’ll develop your skills across the full design process: idea generation, visualisation, material/finishes selection, specification, and turning concepts into realistic outcomes.
There are live projects and competition briefs with real design companies, which let you test your ideas in authentic settings and build your portfolio. For example, workshops delivered by external organisations like Crown Paints.
Study visits, overseas exchange opportunities are part of the course. You’ll also have interaction with visiting lecturers / industry professionals.

Key features & tools you’ll have

To make those experiential opportunities possible, UCLan provides a number of specific facilities, tools, and learning supports:

Architecture Resource Room (within Harris Building): has specialist books (architecture, environment, construction etc.), periodicals, a large-format A0 flatbed scanner, networked computers. Useful for research and visual documentation.
Library (Preston Campus): thousands of books, AV materials, journals; open study spaces; bookable group & individual rooms; electronic resources; media suite with Apple Macs; printers/scanners etc. Also 24/7 access (ground floor during term time).
Workshops / printing / fabrication tools: lasers for cutting; digital printing; motion capture; large format printing etc. These support both conceptual & physical model making.
Subject-specific support via dedicated subject librarians & library services, which help you with research, sourcing materials, referencing, etc.

Project & career development

Here’s how UCLan helps you build experience you can show to future employers or clients:

You’ll do live projects (briefs that come from real clients). For example, 3rd year students worked on a live project with the National Waterways Museum—designing an outdoor play area: clients, site visits, visuals, specification etc.
Participation in competition briefs like the Commercial Interiors UK Next Generation Awards.
Workshops by industry professionals / external brands.
Portfolio development is central—you’ll graduate with a high-quality body of work, ready for design studios, or your own practice.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates from UCLan’s Interior Design often move into creative, practical, and leadership roles: Interior Designer, Design Assistant, Project Designer, or they even start their own design practice. : These roles typically involve working with commercial interiors, retail spaces, residential projects, or hospitality settings, and many alumni rise into senior or managerial design positions over time.

What You’ll Get & What It Means for Your Future

University services that support employability:
- You’ll participate in live projects and competition briefs with real design companies and professional associations, giving you hands-on experience and exposure.
- Guest lectures, visiting industry professionals, and workshops (for example by companies like Crown Paints) are built into the course.
- Studio facilities include design workshops, CAD suites, large format printing, fabrication studios — so you build technical as well as creative skills.
Employment stats & salary figures:
- Around 88% of graduates are either working or in further study 15 months after finishing.
- Typical earnings are about £22,000 per year 15 months after graduation.
- After 3 years, median salaries are somewhat lower (~£19,500), rising again as experience grows.
University–industry partnerships / competitive opportunities:
- UCLan runs an annual conference week where specialists from lighting design, retail, commercial interiors share their work and give guidance.
- Students have won national/international design competitions (for example the “Get Me 2 the Top” competition run by SBID), which comes with internships (e.g. internships at top studios like 1.61 London) as rewards.
- There are overseas study / partner university options (Hebei, China; NAFA, Singapore) for those looking to add an international dimension.
Long-term accreditation and recognition value:
- UCLan’s Interior Design degree is well recognized in the UK for its combination of creativity and practical skills. Graduates are viewed as ready for industry roles. (While the course doesn’t appear to lead to a professional registration like RIBA, it is well-respected in design practice contexts.)
- The course rankings in relevant UK subject tables: e.g. 2nd in the North West for student satisfaction in Art & Design; Top 5 in the UK for academic support (Design Studies) in the Guardian table.
Graduation outcomes:
- Many graduates go straight into design practices; others launch their own studios or freelance.
- Alumni such as Angela Bardino have grown from Design Assistant roles to senior leadership positions (Design Principal) in large firms, handling large-scale commercial interior projects.
- Student satisfaction is strong on key measures: final-year students say teaching staff support their learning well; the degree develops real skills they expect to use in their future.