Program

Interior Architecture (Hons) - 3256

Program Summary

Faculty: Built Environment

Contact: Built Environment

Campus: Sydney

Career: Undergraduate

Typical Duration: 4 Years  

Typical UOC Per Semester: 24

Min UOC Per Semester: 6

Max UOC Per Semester: 24

Min UOC For Award: 192

UAC Code: 423400

Domestic Entry Requirements: See Domestic Entry Requirements

International Entry Requirements: See International Entry Requirements

Award(s):

Bachelor of Interior Architecture (Honours)

View program information for previous years

Program Description

Interior Architecture at UNSW is positioned as a research-led creative practice which focuses on the design and agency of the inhabited interiors of the built environment, from the scale of the room to the scale of the city, from permanent to temporary spaces.

Our agenda is to imagine, debate and test the contemporary interior as a key agent in the production of the built environment. We consider the interior as a dynamic and open-ended conceptual space through which the human scale and experiences inherent in the private and public spaces of our urban environments can be interrogated and projected.

Through a focus on material and spatial assembly, agency and affect, we foster an agile and critical approach to design enquiry, underpinned by an informed appreciation of the environmental, cultural and historic contexts of interior architecture and design. We value an expansive approach in the speculation and projection of the contemporary interior, underpinned by rigour and creative risk taking.

Our goal is to produce industry leaders with the ethical, collaborative and creative skills that will allow them to effectively respond to the multi-disciplinary, global demands inherent in the reshaping of our future interiorscapes.

Program Objectives and Graduate Attributes

BIA graduates will be scholars who are:
  • Understanding of the material and spatial assembly, agency and affect of interior environments.
  • Capable of independent and collaborative research-led design enquiry underpinned by rigorous analysis, critique and reflection.
  • Understanding of the discipline of Interior Architecture in its environmental, cultural, historical and interdisciplinary context.
  • Able to apply their knowledge and skills to solving design problems.
  • Ethical design practitioners.
  • Capable of effective communication.
  • Enterprising, innovative and creative.
  • Capable of initiating as well as embracing change.
  • Collaborative team workers.
  • Capable of applying the discipline of Interior Architecture in local, national and international contexts.
  • Culturally aware and capable of respecting diversity and acting in socially and environmental just / responsible ways.
  • Capable of independent, self-directed practice.

Program Structure

Interior Architecture video

Year 1

Semester 1

Semester 2

Year 2

Semester 1

Semester 2

Year 3

Semester 1
  • General Education (6uoc)
  • Interdisciplinary Learning Course* (6uoc)

Semester 2
  • General Education (6uoc)
  • Interdisciplinary Learning Course* (6uoc)

Year 4

Semester 1
  • Open Elective (6uoc)
  • BE Elective (6uoc)

Semester 2
  • BE Elective (6uoc)
  • Open Elective (6uoc)
NOTE: The 12uoc of Interdisciplinary Learning Courses can be undertaken at any stage from the end of Year 2 to the end of Year 4 including summer sessions.

Additionally, students are not required to undertake the other elective and general education requirements in the exact order as indicated in the above program structure. This structure provides a suggested order for the completion of these elective and general education requirements, however a student can choose to do them in a different sequence. For example, a student may choose to complete a Select Elective in S1 of Yr 3 and undertake the 6uoc of general education in Yr 4.

A list of 2016 Interdisciplinary Learning Courses is below:

Summer Semester:
Semester 1:
Semester 2:
Students are required to choose 2 courses from the suite of Built Environment Interdisciplinary courses to complete a minimum of 12uoc of BEIL courses.

Honours

Honours Calculation:

The calculation of an honours award is based on an algorithm that addresses the accumulation of embedded honours criteria across the 4 years of the degree.
Emphasis is built into the algorithm to reflect the amplification of a student’s skills in the final capstone year.

Honours Score Weightings:

INTA2401 & INTA2402 (capstone year core courses) = 40%

INTA2301 & INTA2302 (year 3 core courses) = 30%

Overall WAM = 30%

The degree of Bachelor of Interior Architecture (Honours) is awarded at Class 1, Class 2.1 and Class 2.2

Honours Class 1 Honours Score 80-100

Honours Class 2 Division 1 Honours Score 78-79

Honours Class 2 Division 2 Honours Score 75-77

Students who do not meet the requirements for award of class will be awarded a Bachelor of Interior Architecture (Honours) without mention of a class.

Academic Rules

To fulfil requirements, students must complete:

Depth Component:
  • 144 units of core courses, being all those prescribed in the Faculty regulations for this program
  • 24 units of FBE electives (see below) 12uoc of which must be taken from the list of Interdisciplinary Learning Courses (as listed above)
Breadth Component:
  • 12 units of open (free) electives, selected in accordance with the Faculty regulations for undergraduate study in the Faculty of the Built Environment (see below)
  • 12 units of General Education courses in accordance with University requirements (see below)
The standard duration of the program is 4 years consisting of 8 semesters of full-time study (24 units of credit per semester) and 192uoc.

General Education courses may not be taken before a student enters Year 2 of the Program.

Open Elective:

Open Elective can be chosen from any course offered by any Faculty at UNSW for which the student meets pre-requisite or other enrolment requirements.
The exception being specific General Education GEN prefix course/s which cannot be counted as open elective. Open elective do not need to be taken outside the Faculty, students can choose FBE electives as open electives.

BE Elective:

BE Elective are elective courses offered by the Faculty and are generally denoted by a BENV prefix. Electives from outside the Faculty cannot be counted as FBE electives.

General Education Requirement:

12 units of General Education courses in accordance with University requirements.
Refer to: General Education

Fees

For information regarding fees for UNSW programs, please refer to the following website:  UNSW Fee Website.

Professional Recognition

The UNSW degree of Bachelor of Interior Architecture (Honours) is recognised by the Design Institute of Australia (DIA - the professional body representing Interior Architecture/Interior Design in Australia) and the International Federation of Interior Architects (IFI). Students enrolled in the program are eligible to apply for Student membership of the DIA and Associate membership upon graduation. Full membership requires two years of approved professional experience after graduation.

The BIA program at UNSW is also a member of IDEA (Interior Design/Interior Architecture Educators Association) representing all 4 year university degree programs in the discipline in the region.

Area(s) of Specialisation