Career opportunities within this creative industry can vary depending on the sector in which graduates might choose to work in. Potential careers include:
- Interior designer
- Studio designer
- Design manager
- Creative stylist
Research, experiment and deepen your knowledge and understanding of interiors, on UCA's new MA Interior Decoration and Styling degree, based in the Canterbury School of Architecture and Design.
During the course you will be exposed to rich variations of interior contexts, such as retail and commercial, aspirational domestic, and heritage vernacular, as avenues of investigation. You'll formulate an individualised approach to style design, using our extensive facilities including advanced forms of fabrication and testing, the latest scanning and VR technology, and a suite of traditional craft-based workshops, photography studios, and print facilities, all of which will allow you to bring your design proposals to life.
You will have the freedom to establish your own unique specialisms, such as materials specification and performance, or brand-led style composition and photography, and you will develop your own highly individualised design identity and style. Specialist areas you might choose to focus on in your projects could include sustainable material choices for retail interiors, lighting and visual spectacle, or style innovation through digital experiences. You can work with interesting material and sustainability questions, engaging with both contemporary technology and traditional production crafts throughout your studies.
You will be taught through one-to-one tuition, seminars and self-directed study in our dedicated studio spaces and workshops, engaging with practitioners and academics who offer expert industry and research intelligence. The course includes regular reviews with visiting critics from across relevant industry sectors and international study visits.
The content of the course may be subject to change. Curriculum content is provided as a guide.
For our students coming from a non-UK educational background, UCA has launched an Integrated International Pre-Masters year, which is based at UCA Farnham.
On this course you’ll prepare for postgraduate study with a mix of online and face-to-face learning that will give you the study skills required to complete a Master’s, and you’ll also improve your English for academic study.
Launch
This intensive week of study is to help you get ready for starting your course, and getting to know your course staff, peer group and the school community in greater depth. Activities include a multi-story guest lecture super session, an all staff pecha kucher, Canterbury and surroundings walking orientation tours and a studio launch collaborative making project.
Experimentation and Innovation
A space for orientation, adventure, and exploration of your subject and practice, this unit provides opportunities to develop and discover new perspectives on design, analytical techniques and production methods. In so doing it will situate your current and future practice, expanding your critical framework for the units ahead.
Research and Professional Contexts 1
Designed to help you develop advanced skills in research, conceptual understanding, appropriate analysis techniques and application of knowledge, this unit will help position you within the contextual foundations which support the past and future of your discipline.
Opportunity
Opportunity Week is an intensive week of activity conceived and undertaken in collaboration with an external partner(s). Typically, this will sit outside the your subject areas, and could cover topics including politics, economics, business, culture or philosophy.
Studio Practice
Studio Practice’ extends your research and development from term one and acts as a design accelerator unit. In the early stages, in collaboration with your specialist tutor, you will formulate a research and project proposal to be carried out through the remainder of your studies. This unit is an intensive, fast paced, and productive “engine” of your course, the outcome of which will be a comprehensive and sophisticated project that demonstrates a developing mastery of your practice.
Research and Professional Contexts 2
Research and Professional Contexts 2 further extends and focuses your research, critical analysis, and communication skills through two components.
The first is a contextual practice presentation, in support of the development of your individual project. This should demonstrate your ability to situate your research, experimentation, and knowledge in a wider field, and express your comprehension of the impact of your work on that field.
The second can be either a:
Final Realisation
The culmination of your Masters course, this unit gathers all of your prior research, experimentation, concept development, and contextual analysis into a focused synoptic outcome. The project is a natural continuation and resolution of the work you began and the goals that you set yourself in Studio Practice and includes the dissemination of your work to external audiences.
Please note, syllabus content indicated is provided as a guide. The content of the course may be subject to change in line with our Student Terms and Conditions for example, as required by external professional bodies or to improve the quality of the course.
Tuition fees - 2024/25 entry
UK students:
EU students:
International students:
Further information
The fees listed here are correct for the stated academic year only. For more detailed information about our course fees and any financial support you may be entitled to please see our fees and finance pages.
Financial support
There are lots of ways you can access additional financial support to help you fund your studies - both from UCA and from external sources.
Discover what support you might qualify for please see our financial support information
UCA scholarships and fee discounts
At UCA we have a number of scholarships and fee discounts available to assist you with the cost of your studies.
You'll find everything you need to know for your level of study on our scholarships page.
Additional course costs
In addition to the tuition fees there may be other costs for your course. The things that you are likely to need to budget for to get the most out of a creative arts education will include books, printing costs, occasional or optional study trips and/or project materials.
These costs will vary according to the nature of your project work and the individual choices that you make. Please see the Additional Course Costs section of your Course Information for details of the costs you may incur.
Dedicated postgraduate open plan studio spaces, used for group tutorials and personal working. 3D workshop with machines for working in wood, metals, plastics and ceramics. Fully-equipped computer studio with Macs and PCs programmed with the latest software for design and animation. Laser cutters, 3D printers and virtual reality lab on campus.
View 360 virtual tourArchitecture studios, UCA Canterbury
Architecture Digital Media studios, UCA Canterbury
Fabrication Lab, UCA Canterbury
3D workshop, UCA Canterbury
Career opportunities within this creative industry can vary depending on the sector in which graduates might choose to work in. Potential careers include:
You may also wish to progress onto a PhD or MPhil research degree.
Each year, we’re privileged to be able to share our graduates’ incredible work with the world. And now’s your chance to take a look.
Visit the online showcaseMA course
and/or
Consideration will also be given to applicants who can make a strong case for admission in relation to a particular project and can demonstrate their potential to satisfactorily complete the course.
Portfolio requirements
For this course we will need to see your portfolio for review. We’ll invite you to attend an Applicant Day so you can have your portfolio review in person, meet the course team and learn more about your course. Further information will be provided once you have applied.
MA course
The entry requirements will depend on the country your qualifications are from, please check the equivalent qualifications for your country:
Any additional entry requirements listed in the UK requirements section, e.g., subject requirements, work experience or professional qualifications, also apply to international applicants applying with equivalent qualifications.
Portfolio requirements
For this course we will need to see your portfolio for review. We’ll invite you to attend an Applicant Day so you can have your portfolio review in person, meet the course team and learn more about your course. Further information will be provided once you have applied.
MA course with Integrated International Pre-Masters course
Any additional entry requirements listed in the UK requirements section, e.g., subject requirements, work experience or professional qualifications, also apply to international applicants applying with equivalent qualifications.
Portfolio requirements
For this course we will need to see your portfolio for review. We’ll invite you to attend an Applicant Day so you can have your portfolio review in person, meet the course team and learn more about your course. Further information will be provided once you have applied.
English language requirements
To study at UCA, you'll need to have a certain level of English language skill. And so, to make sure you meet the requirements of your course, we ask for evidence of your English language ability, please chcek the level of English language required:
Don't meet the international entry requirements or English language requirements?
You may be able to enter the course through the following entry pathways: