MA Interior, Architectural and Spatial Design

1 Year On Campus Masters Program

University of Edinburgh

Program Overview

The MA Interior, Architectural and Spatial Design at the University of Edinburgh is perfect if you’re excited about shaping meaningful spaces and want to push your creativity far beyond traditional interior design. It’s a great fit for students who enjoy thinking deeply about how people experience places and want to work across scales — from small crafted details to big urban ideas.

You’ll explore interiority through hands-on design projects, critical theory, and a lot of making. From day one, you’ll dive into a real site in Edinburgh and use it as the foundation for your design thinking, helping you grow both creatively and professionally.

Curriculum Structure

Your Year of Study

This MA is fast-paced and immersive, giving you a full creative journey in just one year. You’ll begin by investigating a specific site in Edinburgh — often somewhere culturally rich or historically layered. That site becomes your studio, your challenge, and your inspiration. Through this, you learn to respond to real contexts and real spatial needs.

As you move through the programme, you’ll work on a series of design projects that encourage you to experiment with drawing, digital modelling, writing, and physical making. Alongside studio work, you’ll be guided by lectures and seminars that push you to think critically about space, culture, materials, and scale.

A highlight of the experience is being part of the Interior Lab community, a supportive group of alumni, PhD researchers, and undergraduate students. It’s a space to present ideas, gather feedback, and grow your network — something students often describe as one of the most inspiring parts of the program.

Focus Areas

“Interior theory; spatial design; architectural detail; materiality; urban-scale interiors”

Learning Outcomes

“You’ll learn how to design with clarity and sensitivity, think critically about spatial problems, communicate ideas through both digital and hand-made media, and deliver refined, professional design outcomes.”

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

While the programme isn’t tied to a single accrediting body, it’s closely aligned with the expectations of interior design and architectural practice. The skills you build — from concept development to technical resolution — prepare you for real-world roles in creative studios, design consultancies, and built-environment organisations.

Reputation (Employability Rankings)

You’ll study within Edinburgh College of Art, known internationally for excellence in architecture and design education.
Your design work engages with real sites and communities, giving you practical experience that employers value.
Graduates from this programme have gone on to work in interior design firms, architectural studios, cultural organisations, and even research roles — or moved on to PhD-level study.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

One of the best things about studying Interior, Architectural & Spatial Design at Edinburgh is how quickly you get out of the “classroom mindset” and start designing in real spaces. The city itself becomes part of your studio — you’ll walk through your project site, sketch it, study how people use it, and then return to the studio to turn those insights into meaningful design work. You’ll build skills through a mix of hands-on making, digital experimentation, and collaborative studio culture, all supported by ECA’s creative community.

And once you step into ECA’s Lauriston Campus, you’ll have access to workshops, studios, and tools that make it easy to test ideas, build models, and push your creativity further. Here’s how that experience looks in practice:

Real-site design projects where your work is centred around a specific building or location in Edinburgh — you’ll visit the site, research it, and develop design proposals grounded in real-world context.
Interior Lab community, bringing together MA students, alumni, and researchers for shared critiques, conversations, and group activities that make your studio life feel collaborative rather than competitive.
Specialist workshops on the Lauriston Campus, giving you access to wood, metal, casting, model-making, and fabrication spaces for both analogue and digital making.
Digital + physical methods, from hand-drawing and model building to laser cutting and digital 3D modelling, helping you express ideas in multiple formats.
Field visits and building tours around Edinburgh, letting you study interiors, exhibitions, and architectural spaces directly rather than from photos.
Public exhibitions and events where your project work is showcased within ECA — a great chance to build confidence and meet peers, practitioners, and visitors.
Dedicated studios and library access, including postgraduate workspaces and ECA’s two specialist libraries, plus the broader University of Edinburgh library system.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of this master’s often step straight into creative, impactful design careers — working with interior design studios, architectural firms, or even starting their own spatial practice. With strong conceptual grounding and hands-on project experience, you're set for roles like Interior Designer, Spatial Strategist, Architectural Consultant, or Installation / Exhibition Designer.

Here’s how Edinburgh supports you — and what your career could look like:

University Support for Employment
- The Careers Service offers tailored support for postgraduate students: help with CVs, portfolio reviews, job-search strategies, and interview prep.
- You’ll also access the student-alumni network, connecting you with established designers and past graduates for mentoring and job leads.
Employment Outcomes & Earnings
- A significant proportion of graduates move into “highly skilled” roles within 15 months of finishing the programme.
- According to available data, the median salary for alumni around 15 months post-graduation is approximately £27,500, rising further with experience.
University–Industry Connections
- Through the Interior Lab, students work directly on real-world design projects in Edinburgh — collaborating with heritage bodies, community organisations, and design firms.
- The programme’s “city as laboratory” model lets you test and develop spatial ideas in live, built-environment sites, helping you build professional networks and relevant experience.
Accreditation & Long-Term Value
- While not tied to a specific professional accreditation like RIBA, the degree comes from Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) and the Edinburgh School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture, institutions highly respected worldwide.
- This reputation lends strong credibility to your degree — beneficial whether you work in the UK, Europe, or globally.
Career Paths & Outcomes
- Graduates go on to roles in interior design firms, architecture offices, and creative studios.
- Some alumni launch their own design practices or consultancies.
- A number also enter academia or research, leveraging their design and spatial expertise.

Further Academic Progression:
After completing this MA, you could pursue a PhD in Design, Architecture, or Spatial Practice, either at Edinburgh or elsewhere. You might also specialize with additional postgraduate study in fields like urban design, heritage conservation, sustainable architecture, or design research, building on your strong conceptual and practical base.