Interiors are challenging to define. They take shape through multiple roles, functions and relationships, responding to changing sites, situations and communities. They can be porous, have blurred edges and extend well beyond the physical boundaries of buildings. To practise interior making therefore demands curiosity, adaptability and the confidence to work across disciplines, scales and contexts.
The MA Interior, Architectural and Spatial Design programme supports you in developing your own position within this expanding field. Through design research, critical enquiry and creative experimentation, you will establish an individual approach to understanding and shaping interior space while laying the foundations for your future practice.
Throughout the programme, you will engage with contemporary theories, histories and debates alongside experimental design methods to produce imaginative, technically resolved design proposals. Projects move fluidly between detailed interventions at the scale of the body and building, and strategic thinking at the scale of neighbourhoods and cities, exploring how interiors connect with wider social, cultural and environmental conditions.
You will work across a range of media - including drawing, writing, physical making, digital modelling and exhibition - to test ideas, communicate proposals and develop your own design language. These approaches encourage you to think critically, experiment confidently and engage with the diverse practices that shape contemporary interior, architectural and spatial design.
Each year, the programme is centred on a specific site, institution or community within Edinburgh. Whether working with a historic building, a changing organisation or a local neighbourhood, you will undertake in-depth site-based research to reveal the unique opportunities and challenges of each context. Teaching is informed by the research and professional practices of the academic team, creating a collaborative studio environment where inquiry, experimentation and making are closely connected.
As part of the programme, you will also become a member of Interior Lab - a vibrant community of staff, students, researchers and alumni. Through talks, exhibitions, workshops and collaborative events, Interior Lab connects postgraduate students with undergraduate programmes, doctoral researchers and professional practitioners, fostering an environment of exchange, critical discussion and creative collaboration.
Thinking about studying MA Interior, Architectural and Spatial Design at Edinburgh College of Art? Discover the programme, how you'll be taught, and hear from our students about their study experiences with us.
A UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent, in a relevant subject such as architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, product design and 3D design.
If you do not meet the academic entry requirements you may still be considered on the basis of your portfolio and/or relevant professional experience.
You must submit a portfolio as part of your application. You can find out more about the portfolio requirements in the Applying section.
To find international equivalent qualifications, select where you studied from the country or region list.