Interior, Architectural and Spatial Design MA (eca)

Level: Postgraduate taught

Subject: Architecture and Landscape Architecture

Year of entry: 2027

Study options

Mode of study

On campus

Full-time
  • MA (eca) | 1 year | Start date: September 2027

Key facts

School

Edinburgh College of Art

College

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme website
Study location

Lauriston campus

Apply now

ECA Open Day

Join us for our postgraduate taught and research open day on Saturday 7 November from 10 AM - 1 PM

Reserve your spot

About the degree programme

What – and where – is interior?

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.

Programme benefits

  • Define the Interior: Develop your own position within the evolving field of interior, architectural and spatial design through critical enquiry, creative experimentation and design research.
  • City as Laboratory: Engage with the historic and contemporary buildings, communities and institutions of Edinburgh, using the city as a living laboratory for site-based design research and experimentation.
  • Across Scales: Work fluidly from detailed material interventions and construction to strategic urban thinking, exploring how interiors connect with buildings, landscapes and cities.
  • Theory Through Practice: Generate ideas by moving between writing, drawing, making, debate, analogue processes and digital technologies. We see theory and practice as mutually informing ways of thinking and designing.
  • Interior Lab: Become part of our international community of students, researchers, alumni and practitioners. Through collaborative projects, exhibitions, talks and workshops, Interior Lab creates opportunities to exchange ideas across cultures, disciplines and generations of practice.

Tuition fees

Tuition fees by award and duration

Tuition fees for full-time and part-time options are listed for one academic year.

Full-time

Graduate discount

If you are a University of Edinburgh graduate, you will be eligible for a 10% discount on your tuition fees for this programme. You may also be eligible if you were a visiting undergraduate student.

Find out how to receive your graduate discount

Deposit

You do not have to pay a deposit to secure your place on this programme.

Costs

Additional programme costs

To fully participate in the programme, we recommend budgeting approximately £300 in addition to tuition fees to cover personal project expenses and optional activities. 
Travel and Accommodation
Optional field trips and study visits may involve additional travel costs. Where these take place, students are responsible for the cost of travel and, where necessary, accommodation. 
Equipment and software
Most specialist equipment, workshops and software are provided by the School. However, you will need access to a suitable laptop and may be required to purchase personal items such as headphones, SD cards or USB storage devices. 
Materials

You should budget for general art and design materials, including sketchbooks, paper and drawing materials, as well as any specialist materials required for your individual projects.

Teaching staff will support you in achieving the learning outcomes while keeping material costs to a minimum, encouraging sustainable and responsible sourcing through initiatives such as the Free Use Hub. Any additional material expenditure will depend on the nature and ambition of your own project work. 

Printing
You should allow for occasional printing and binding costs throughout the programme. Standard and large-format printing facilities are available within the School, including a range of paper sizes and specialist media.

Accommodation and living costs

You will need to pay for your accommodation and living costs (such as rent, food and utility bills) for the duration of your programme.

For 2026-2027, we estimate that it will cost an average of £18,504 each year (£1,542 each month) to live in Edinburgh as a postgraduate.

The exact amount you spend will depend on different factors, especially the accommodation you choose.

Living costs: estimates explained 

Funding opportunities

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

  • borrowing money
    • taking out a loan
    • family support
  • personal savings
  • income from work
  • employer sponsorship
  • scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

Search for other funding opportunities

You can find scholarships, bursaries and other funding you might be eligible for on our Scholarships and Student Funding site.

Postgraduate funding opportunities

These entry requirements are for the 2027-28 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2028-29 academic year will be published in early Oct 2027.

Qualifications

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.

International equivalent qualifications

To find international equivalent qualifications, select where you studied from the country or region list.

English language requirements

You must prove that your English language abilities are at a high enough level to study this degree programme.

This is the case for all applicants, including UK nationals.

You can meet our English language requirements with one of the following:

  • an English language test (restrictions apply)
  • a degree that was taught and assessed in English (restrictions apply)
  • certain professional qualifications

English language tests we accept

We accept any of the following English language tests, at the specified grade or higher:

  • IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition) before 21 January 2026: total 100 with at least 20 in each component We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition) from 21 January 2026: total 5.0 with at least 4.0 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 169 in each component.
  • Oxford ELLT: total 8 with at least 6 in each component. We do not accept Oxford ELLT Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced: total 155 with at least 135 in each component.
How old your English language tests can be
Tests no more than two years old

The following English language tests must be no more than two years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality:

  • IELTS Academic
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition)
  • Oxford ELLT
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced
Tests no more than three and a half years old

All other English language tests must be no more than three and a half years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality.   

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English-speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration.

UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English-speaking countries (non-MESC).

Approved universities in non-MESC

How old your degree can be

If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts.

This time limit does not apply to your degree if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country.

Find out more about our English language requirements

Find out about other English language qualifications we accept, including professional qualifications.

English language requirements

What you will study

The MA Interior, Architectural and Spatial Design is a full-time programme delivered over three consecutive semesters (180 credits), combining core studio courses with opportunities to pursue elective study across the University. 

Semester 1

The first semester establishes the conceptual and practical foundations of the programme through two core courses: 

  • Reading Interiors: Explore how interiors can be understood through critical observation, theory and site-based research, developing analytical methods for interpreting spatial, cultural and material conditions.
  • Adapting Interiors: Develop creative and technically resolved design responses that transform existing buildings and environments through experimentation, making and material engagement.

Alongside these courses, you will choose a 20-credit elective from a selection of courses offered across ESALA.

Semester 2

The second semester centres on the core course: 

  • Connecting Interiors: Investigate how interiors relate to wider architectural, urban and social contexts, developing proposals that work across multiple scales, from detailed interventions to strategic spatial thinking.

You will also take a 20-credit elective, selected from across the University of Edinburgh. We encourage you to explore subjects beyond interiors, broadening your perspectives and enriching your design practice. 

Summer semester

The final semester is centred on the 60-credit Intersections course, which brings together everything you have developed throughout the programme. It comprises three interconnected elements:

  • an independent design research project pursuing a direction of your own choosing
  • a collaborative group project that shares the work of the programme with public and professional audiences
  • a reflective portfolio documenting your learning and articulating the future direction of your practice 

Images from Interior, Architectural and Spatial Design MA

Find courses for this programme

Find out what courses you can study on this programme and how each of them are taught and assessed.

The courses on offer may change from year to year, but the course information will give you an idea of what to expect on this programme.

Full-time

We link to the latest information available. This may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Field trips

Our studio projects are rooted in place. We think of Edinburgh as a living laboratory - a city whose buildings, communities and institutions provide opportunities to investigate, question and reimagine the role of interior, architectural and spatial design.

Each core course begins with an in-depth exploration of a specific site, situation or organisation. Through visits, site-based research and engagement with local communities and stakeholders, you will develop proposals that respond directly to the social, cultural and material conditions of each project. Previous project sites have included:

  • Former Edinburgh Royal Infirmary
  • Edinburgh Freemasons' Hall
  • Summerhall Arts
  • Leith Custom House

Alongside these core projects, we organise visits to buildings, exhibitions and cultural events that enrich studio teaching and broaden your understanding of contemporary design practice. Recent field trips have included: 

  • Hill House, Helensburgh 
  • Perth Theatre 
  • Perth Museum 
  • The Tolbooth, Stirling 
  • The Scottish Parliament 
  • Stirling Castle 
  • Edinburgh Castle 

Throughout the programme, you will present and share your work with the people, organisations and communities connected to your projects. This may take the form of exhibitions, installations, publications, digital media or public events, ensuring that your work extends beyond the studio and contributes to wider conversations about the future of interior space.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

Teaching is centred on our studio, a collaborative environment where students and staff work alongside one another to develop ideas through discussion, experimentation and design. 

As a postgraduate student, you will take increasing ownership of your learning. Rather than following a prescribed approach, you will be encouraged to define your own questions, methods and design position. Our role is to challenge, support and guide your development, helping you build an independent and critically informed practice.

Alongside self-directed study, weekly studio teaching brings together staff and students through a range of learning activities, including:

  • lectures and seminars
  • individual and group design tutorials
  • workshops and making sessions
  • intensive design charrettes and studio reviews 

Through the core studio projects, you will investigate buildings, places and communities across a range of scales - from detailed material interventions to strategic urban proposals. Along the way, you will develop practical and analytical skills in areas including site analysis, building surveying, construction detailing, representation, spatial strategy and community engagement.

In the final semester, you will bring these experiences together in an independent design research project. Working with increasing autonomy, you will develop a body of work that reflects your own interests, ambitions and future direction as a designer.

Assessment

We have designed our core assessments to reflect and reward a continuous and student-centred model of creative learning. To complete each core course you will produce a portfolio of work summarising and reflecting on your learning journey, as well as the resolution of completed design work.

Along the way, you will produce specific pieces of work for interim review, including drawings, physical models, short pieces of writing, digital animations, and temporary installations.

Support for your studies

You will have access to a range of support services if you need them throughout your degree.

We will assign you to a student adviser, and this should be the first person to contact if you need help. They can guide you to other University service teams depending on what support you need.  

How we support you

Our academic staff

Staff on the programme include: 

Where you will study

Study location

Our base is a studio in ECA’s Lauriston Campus, in the heart of Edinburgh. This is where you will have a place to draw, make models, meet your classmates for social and group sessions, and attend classes and seminars.

The Lauriston campus is 10 minutes’ walk from the University of Edinburgh’s central campus, with its libraries, museums and social spaces.

In addition Scotland’s national galleries, museum, opera house and parliament – all examples of exceptional design, both ancient and modern - are all within 30 minutes’ walk.

ECA are excited to be undertaking a capital redevelopment of ECA’s Lauriston Campus over the next 3 years, due to finish in April 2027.

The project aims to maximise the use of existing space, improve accessibility, and create a vibrant campus that fosters collaboration and innovation.

The project involves refurbishing and repurposing various spaces across the Lauriston campus, including technical facilities, student and teaching spaces, and the relocation of the Reid School of Music from Alison House to the Lauriston Campus. New social spaces, seminar rooms, and studios are being created to accommodate our growing community.

You can find more about the project at the below link:

Building work starts at ECA’s Lauriston Campus: Edinburgh College of Art

Academic facilities

The ECA campus is well-furnished with diverse workshops facilitating digital and analogue methods. We encourage you to use these, and you can access them with short induction courses. It also has two art and architecture libraries, and numerous spaces to encounter your fellow students and their work.

Career opportunities

We have a strong track record of graduates working in interior design and architectural practices both here in the UK and overseas, or setting up their own businesses once they have completed the programme.

Graduates have also gone on to further academic study at masters or PhD level in various institutions around the world.

Further study

After completing this programme, you may wish to consider applying for a PhD or other research programme.

Applying for research degrees

Moving on to a PhD (advice from the University's Careers Service)

Graduate profiles

Samson Pau

Samson Pau Profile Image

Degree: MA Interior, Architectural and Spatial Design

Year of graduation: 2022

Current work: Interior Architecture Design

Studying in Edinburgh not only enriched my academic knowledge but also exposed me to a different way of life - an invaluable experience for any designer. I aspire to bring the positive aspects and aesthetics I encountered in Edinburgh back to Hong Kong, infusing them into my work.

Alumni Profile: Samson Pau

Careers Service

Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals. 

The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies. 

With the Careers Service, you can: 

  • access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengths
  • try different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you develop
  • get help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobs
  • attend careers events and practice interviews
  • get information and advice to help you make informed decisions 

Visit the Careers Service website 

How to apply

You apply online for this programme. After you read the application guidance, select your preferred programme, then choose 'Start your application' to begin.

If you are considering applying to more than one programme, you should be aware that we cannot consider more than 5 applications from the same applicant.

When to apply

Programme start date Application deadline
13 September 2027 2 August 2027

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible so that we have sufficient time to process your application. This is particularly important if you are also applying for funding or will require a visa. Applications may close earlier than published deadlines if there is exceptionally high demand. 

For an application to be reviewed, it must be a complete application by the application deadline with all supporting documentation uploaded, including your transcripts. 

If you already have evidence that you meet the English language entry requirements, such as via an approved English language test, please upload this evidence at the time of your application. If you have not already met your English language requirements, we will still review your application and issue a decision providing it is otherwise complete. 

We aim to issue decisions within 6-8 weeks of receiving your completed application. During peak times it may take us slightly longer to issue your decision but please be assured we will confirm a decision as soon as we can.

Application fee

There is no fee to apply to this programme.

What you need to apply

As part of your online application, you will need to provide: 

You will also need to submit some or all of the following supporting documents:

When you start your application, you will be able to see the full list of documents you need to provide.

References 

You do not need to provide a reference when you submit your application for this programme.

There may be certain circumstances when a reference will be required, for example if we need to verify work experience. If that is the case, we will contact you after we have reviewed your application to request a reference.

Portfolio

You need to submit a digital portfolio as part of your application.

You should start planning your portfolio as soon as you decide to apply.

If you do not submit your portfolio, your application will be unsuccessful.

Portfolio format
  • 1 PDF containing up to 15 pages.
  • The file should be a maximum of 50MB (any resolution).
  • Each page of your PDF can contain multiple images and text.
What to include in your portfolio
  • Completed interior, architectural, spatial or landscape projects undertaken individually or as part of a group. You must state your role in the group projects.
  • Evidence of key creative and design skills required for participation in the programme, including:
    • hand drawing
    • sketching
    • model making (physical and digital)
    • orthographic and technical drawing, as well as rendered visuals and perspective illustrations
  • Evidence of engagement with materials and detailing, showing an understanding and appreciation of how objects and interiors are fabricated or constructed.
  • Evidence of the research you did to support projects and inform lines of enquiry and decision making.
  • You must show design and creative process as well as final outcomes, demonstrating experimentation, iteration and exploring or sketching out concepts and ideas which lead to the conclusion of a project.
  • We welcome applicants from a range of academic and professional backgrounds and expect portfolios to demonstrate a direct engagement with the interior and the adaptive reuse of existing buildings, as sited within relevant architectural and spatial contexts.

Personal video

You need to submit a personal video as part of your application.

The video must be no more than 2 minutes long.

What to include in your personal video
  • Talk about your best project or piece of creative work, providing insight into your design process and decision making, as well as any specific challenges you encountered and how you overcame them.
  • Describe your ambitions as a practitioner within the context of interior, architectural and spatial design, and what you consider those disciplines to define.

Uploading your portfolio and personal video

A few days after submitting your application, you will receive an email asking you to upload your portfolio. This email will contain details of how and where to upload your portfolio.

The application portal's capacity limit is 4MB per document. If your portfolio is larger than this, please follow the below steps:

  1. Upload the portfolio to an online sharing website (such as Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive).
  2. Upload your personal video to a suitable online platform (such as YouTube, Google Drive, Dropbox).
  3. Copy and paste the links to your portfolio and personal video into a Word document. Ensure the link is not password protected.
  4. Upload the Word document containing the portfolio and personal video links to your application.

All portfolios must be uploaded as a single file in the Applicant Hub. Do not provide multiple separate portfolio files.

We do not accept password protected files or links, nor platforms that require an account to access the document.

Once the application is complete and is under consideration, you can no longer make changes to the portfolio or provide a new version.

Apply

Select the award, duration and delivery mode you want to study. Then select the start date you want to apply for.

After you apply

Once you have applied for this programme, you will be able to track the progress of your application and accept or decline any offers.

Checking the status of your application

We will notify you by email once we have made a decision. Due to the large number of applications we receive, it might take a while until you hear from us.

Receiving our decision

What to do if you receive an offer:

What our students say

What is it really like to study here? Our students share their experiences on our social media. 

You can find out what a day in the life is like for an Edinburgh College of Art student, from late nights in the library to their favourite walks around the city! 

Instagram: Edinburgh College of Art

Our community

At Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) we bring together creative practices that shape the world around us.

We deliver innovative teaching, research and public engagement in an inclusive and sustainable environment with outstanding services and facilities to support your ambitions.

With degrees in Art, History of Art, Music, Architecture and Landscape Architecture, and Design, you’ll be joining a diverse community of artists, art historians, designers, academics, researchers, architects, landscape architects and musicians.

ECA is a rich, textured, and inclusive learning environment. Diverse practices coexist as the embodiments of an individual and collective pursuit of knowledge, for the betterment of humankind and our planet.

Our approach is explicitly inclusive, future facing and interdisciplinary, embracing of bold innovation and continuous enhancement.

Find out more about the Edinburgh College of Art community

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single postgraduate taught students from outside the UK and new, single postgraduate research (typically PhD) students who:

  • apply for accommodation by 31 July in the year when you start your programme
  • accept an unconditional firm offer to study at the University by 31 July
  • study at the University for the whole of the academic year starting in September

University accommodation website

Accommodation guarantee criteria

We also offer accommodation options for couples and families.

Accommodation for couples and families

If you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.

Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place

Societies and clubs

Our societies and sports clubs will help you develop your interests, meet like-minded people, find a new hobby or simply socialise.

Societies

Sport Clubs

The city of Edinburgh

Scotland's inspiring capital will form the background to your studies — a city with an irresistible blend of history, natural beauty and modern city life. 

Find out more about living in Edinburgh

Our vibrant capital is a blend of culture, history, nature and modern city life. A fantastic place to live, it is also the perfect location to study interior, architectural and spatial design. 

Edinburgh’s dynamic cultural scene boasts the largest collection of historic buildings, museums, art galleries and theatres of any city in Scotland. 

The University of Edinburgh’s museums and galleries include: 

  • the Talbot Rice Gallery
  • the Centre for Research Collections
  • St Cecilia’s Hall: Concert Room and Music Museum 

Edinburgh is home to several major annual festivals, each bringing talent from around the world to our streets and stages, making the celebration of diversity an intrinsic part of the city’s culture. These include the: 

  • Festival Fringe
  • Film Festival
  • Art Festival
  • Book Festival
  • Jazz and Blues Festival 

Some of our students even participate in our annual festivals. 

Health and wellbeing support

You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.

The support services we offer include: 

  • a student counselling service
  • a health centre (doctor's surgery)
  • support if you're living in University accommodation
  • dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustments

Health and wellbeing support services 

Disability and Learning Support

General enquiries

Contact our enquiry team about your eligibility or how to apply.

Contact us

Academic contact

Dr Dave Loder

Programme Director

  • Edinburgh College of Art
  • College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
  • University of Edinburgh

Contact details

Chat to our students on Unibuddy

Related degree programmes

You may also be interested in