When you settle into your new home, one question lingers: How can I arrange everything to make my space beautiful? The answer lies in Interior Design—the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building, including your own home, to make it both visually appealing and conducive to a healthy lifestyle. At the heart of this creative process is the interior designer, responsible for bringing ideas to life through planning, conceptualization, and execution.

Interior Design is a fascinating and interdisciplinary field that spans various aspects such as planning, site inspections, stakeholder meetings, and thorough research. As an interior designer, the satisfaction of seeing tangible results is unparalleled. Studying interior design in the UK is a highly sought-after opportunity for those interested in this captivating profession.

Now, let's delve into the details that you should know before planning to study interior design in the UK!

WHY CHOOSE THE UNITED KINGDOM?

Located in the United Kingdom are many of the world’s top universities. The UK is one of the top destinations to study abroad, worldwide. There is a growing global demand for interior designers, thanks to the increasing amount of commercial as well as residential spaces. People want their living spaces to reflect their personalities and interior designers can help you do exactly that.

The UK is a multicultural country where you will find people from more than 100 countries living, working and studying there. It’s a melting pot of creativity, imagination and innovation which makes it the perfect place to study interior design.

INTERIOR DESIGN PROGRAMS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

The UK has some of the world’s top universities and many of them offer interior design courses. Here’s a list of top universities in the UK that offer interior design courses.

QS Rankings 2023: Art and Design

ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS FOR MASTERS IN INTERIOR DESIGN

Generally, most interior design courses across the UK have a similar set of admissions requirements for a Masters in Interior Design. These include:

• BA (Hons) degree or equivalent academic qualifications. Your Bachelor’s degree doesn’t necessarily have to be in interior design, though you should have minimal design experience.
• Alternative qualifications and work experience can also be taken into consideration depending on the quality of your application
• A short personal statement, usually between 500 - 1000 words, explaining your reasoning behind choosing interior design at that specific university
• A portfolio of your design-related work, which will allow you to demonstrate your creativity alongside your academic performance. The portfolio can be in any form and can include a video component as well
• English language tests: If you are an international student, you are generally required to submit proof of your English language qualification by taking English Language Exams such as the IELTS, TOEFL iBT, PTE, CAE and more. Universities can have specific scoring requirements to be met, based on the course that you are selecting.

The application process also tends to be similar across UK universities as you generally log into an online application portal, upload all the required details and submit your application. The application portal can be easily accessed by going to the individual course pages.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND FINANCIAL AID

Scholarships are one of the many fees in which you can fund your education in the UK. Universities offer a variety of scholarships, ranging from tuition, residential, and sports-based to portfolio-based scholarships. You may be automatically considered for these scholarships or you may have to submit a separate application, alongside your main application.

The Vice Chancellor’s Achievement Scholarship:

This International scholarship supports academic excellence by rewarding talented applicants with the highest scoring portfolios on application to RCA at Round 1 and Round 2 of applications, with a partial fee scholarship.

Value: Scholarships of £2,500 each to be offset against fees
No separate application required

UAL International Postgraduate £7,000 Scholarships:

This scholarship provides a tuition fee waiver for a full-time, part-time or online-taught master's course at one of UAL's Colleges and Institutes. You must be an international student and must hold an offer to study a full-time, part-time or online-taught master's course at one of UAL's Colleges and Institutes.

Value: £7,000 tuition fee waiver
Apply through an online application portal

Goldsmiths International Postgraduate Scholarships:

Open to international postgraduate offer holders across a variety of eligible programmes.

Value: awards of £2,000 and £4,000
Apply through an online application portal

Andrew Grant Postgraduate Scholarships:

This scholarship is awarded to new applicants who have applied for admission in a postgraduate taught/masters by research course. These awards will be tenable for one academic year and will be automatically deducted from your tuition fee with any remaining funds being awarded towards living costs. All scholarship award holders are expected to be energetic members of the postgraduate community and will engage with opportunities to present their work to the wider student and staff body during the period covered by their award. The University offers our postgraduates a range of training and development opportunities appropriate to their programme of study.

Value: £10,500
Apply through an online application portal

International scholarships:

A small number of scholarships for newly enrolled Postgraduate students. We are looking for enthusiastic champions who can represent Kingston and support us with our recruitment and marketing work. You will need to create a video profile as part of your application.

Value: £5,000 towards the first year of study
Apply through an online application portal

COST OF LIVING IN THE UK

The cost of living in the UK may be high, but it is very manageable. It will differ from person to person and will be based on your lifestyle. Before you leave for study in the UK, you should make a rough estimate/budget of your cost of living.

Rent:

Your rent is dependent on your location i.e. if you’re close to the city center, or staying in the suburbs or if you are staying on campus. Average on-campus accommodation costs can range from £120 - £450, with utilities all included. Average private accommodation costs can range from anywhere between £160 - £500, depending on whether or not you are living in a share-house, one-bedroom apartment or a studio.

Utilities may or may not be included:

Transport:

For your transport, to and from the university, you can arrange for a student Oyster Card in London, which costs an average of £52 per week. You may also be able to attain student discounts on other means of transport.

Phone Bill:

The average costs of phone bills in the UK can range from £15-£50 based on the type of package you purchase (inclusive of mobile data). Some phone companies might offer specific packages catered towards students at relatively lower costs.

Groceries:

The cost of groceries and food items can range from anywhere between £40 to £130 per week.

Entertainment and Miscellaneous Costs:

Costs for things such as gym memberships, sports memberships, watching movies or going to concerts can range from anywhere between £25-£60 a week. You can also find discount offers that are specifically catered towards students.

VISA REQUIREMENTS

You can apply for a Student visa to study in the UK if you’re 16 or over and you:

• have been offered a place on a course by a licensed student sponsor
• have enough money to support yourself and pay for your course - the amount will vary depending on your circumstances
• can speak, read, write and understand English

When you apply for your Student visa you must provide:

• a current passport or other valid travel documentation
• a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from your course provider

You may also need to provide:

• proof you have enough money to support yourself and pay for your course - this will vary depending on your circumstances
• a valid ATAS certificate if your course and nationality require it
• proof of parental or other legal guardian consent if you’re under 18
• proof of your relationship to your parent or guardian if you’re under 18
• your tuberculosis test results
• written consent for your application from your financial sponsor if you’ve received sponsorship for your course fees and living costs in the last 12 months

As part of your application, you’ll need to prove your identity. How you do this depends on where you’re from and what type of passport you have.

• You’ll either give your fingerprints and a photograph (biometric information) at a visa application centre
• use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan your identity document - you’ll also create or sign into your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account

You’ll usually get a decision within 3 weeks. However, you may be able to pay to get a faster decision.

Career Prospects after Interior Design Degrees

After completing your degree in interior design, you will have many opportunities to get your career started in the field. You can undertake many design-related jobs, such as:

• Interior Designer
• Production Designer
• Kitchen Designer
• Exhibition Designer
• Design Consultant
• Project Manager
• Design Teacher

Conclusion

Interior Design will always be a growing field as people continue to buy new homes and start their own businesses. As an interior designer, you can help these people create the perfect and stunning reflection of their personality in their living spaces. Interior Design degrees in the UK are the perfect way to tap into your creativity and imagination, and let it go wild with the possibilities. With abundant career opportunities available post your degree, the UK is one of the best places to study Interior Design.

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