Bachelor of Interior Architecture

Degree Level Undergraduate

Years

Australian students

Start Date
February
July

Campus
City West

Duration
4 year(s) full-time

Mode
On-campus

Program Code
DBIR

SATAC Code
424081 (Internal)

Study as
Full-time or part-time

Fees
Commonwealth Supported

Entry Requirements
Selection Rank (Internal): 66.00 (for 2024)
Selection Rank (Guaranteed): 66.00 (for 2025)
TAFE/RTO (Guaranteed): DIP
View full entry requirements

Prerequisites
None

Assumed Knowledge
None

Entry requirements

Admission criteria

The admission criteria have been grouped to assist you to easily find the information most relevant to your circumstances. However, you may fit into more than one and the university will consider applicants against each of the relevant criteria.

Certain conditions apply. For more information refer to Appendix 4 of the University's Selection and Entry policy.

Applicants are required to meet one of the following criteria with a competitive result, and demonstrate that they fulfil any prerequisite requirements and essential requirements for admission:

Recent secondary education
Meet any prerequisite requirements with a minimum grade of C- or equivalent
AND
- Qualify for the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE), and achieved a competitive Selection Rank (ATAR), or
- Complete secondary qualifications equivalent to SACE, or
- Complete the International Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum score of 24 points
Applicants who have not achieved the Selection Rank required for automatic selection may be selected for any remaining places based on the grades of their year 12 subjects.

OR
Higher education study
- Complete or partly complete a recognised higher education program at a recognised higher education institution, or
- Complete at least four Open Universities Australia (OUA) courses at undergraduate level or above
OR
Vocational Education and Training (VET)
- Complete an award from a registered training organisation at Certificate IV or above
OR
Work and life experience
- Qualify for Special Entry, or
- Complete a 12-month UniSA Foundation Studies program or equivalent, or
- Hold completed secondary qualifications equivalent to SACE obtained more than 2 years in the past
Essential requirements for admission
Prerequisites
None

Assumed Knowledge
None
View full entry requirements Hide full entry requirements

Aim

The Bachelor of Interior Architecture qualifies individuals who are capable of designing and managing socially and environmentally responsive interior environments which sustain healthy human existence. The program will provide a pathway for further learning.

Content & Structure

Graduates of a Bachelor of Interior Architecture will have a broad and coherent body of knowledge, with depth in the underlying interior architecture and design principles and concepts that serve as a basis for involvement through various stages of a design or building project, from its conceptual design and documentation through to its production and beyond.

Graduates will develop research and methodological skills to integrate theoretical, technological, behavioural, environmental and ethical issues within interior design practice; cognitive and creative skills to develop the design of interior fit outs and facilities of a range of scales and complexities in their environmental, social and cultural context; verbal, written and graphic communication skills including traditional drawing methods and computer based representation; cognitive and technical skills to demonstrate a broad understanding of knowledge in contemporary design culture, with an emphasis on current interior architectural practice internationally and in Australia.

Graduates of the Bachelor of Interior Architecture will demonstrate the application of knowledge and skills to research, plan, implement and evaluate broad aspects of creative practice and contexts relating to interior architecture, to make informed independent judgements in a range of design based, technical and management functions in all fields of interior architecture and with personal responsibility and accountability for ethical and sustainable design outputs in consideration of others, their functions and occupational needs.

The students will complete 144 units of study with Year 1 establishing basic skills and concepts in design creativity, research, environmental awareness, materials and technologies and communication; Year 2 proficiencies in representation, construction, documentation and detailing; Year 3 developing competence in research and sustainable design issues and Year 4 professional management and mastering design and research in social, cultural and physical contexts.

Study at the new Adelaide University in 2026

The University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia are combining their strengths to create a new university for the future, Adelaide University, opening in January 2026.

From 4 August 2025, the University of Adelaide and University of South Australia will no longer be accepting applications for new students.

Apply now to study with Adelaide University in 2026.

What courses you'll study

Course name	Area and cat no.	Units	Reference
Course name
FIRST YEAR
First Semester (Study Period 2)
Design Studio (Foundation)	ARCH 1034	9	Note(s): 3
Interior Architecture Construction Principles	BUIL 1019	4.5
Design, Culture and Environment	ARCH 1021	4.5
Second Semester (Study Period 5)
Interior Architecture Studies	ARCH 1031	4.5
Interior Construction and Materials	BUIL 1020	4.5
Second Semester (Study Period 6)
Interior Architecture Studio 2 (Materials and Practices)	ARCH 1035	9	Note(s): 3
SECOND YEAR
First Semester (Study Period 2)
Theory of the Modern Interior	ARCH 2056	4.5
Digital Representation	COMP 2029	4.5
First Semester (Study Period 3)
Interior Architecture Studio 3 (Multi Media)	ARCH 2047	9	Note(s): 3
Second Semester (Study Period 5)
Interior Detailing	BUIL 3005	4.5
Digital Documentation	COMP 2016	4.5
Second Semester (Study Period 6)
Interior Architecture Studio 4 (Detail)	ARCH 2057	9	Note(s): 3
THIRD YEAR
First Semester (Study Period 2)
Interior Architecture Workplacement 1	ARCH 2058	0	Note(s): 1
Interior Architecture Research Studies	ARCH 3057	4.5
Elective		4.5	Note(s): 2
First Semester (Study Period 3)
Interior Architecture Studio 5 (Multidisciplinary)	ARCH 3047	9	Note(s): 3
Second Semester (Study Period 5)
Interior Technologies	ARCH 3059	4.5
Professional Management	ARCH 4016	4.5
Second Semester (Study Period 6)
Interior Architecture Studio 6 (Workplace Environments)	ARCH 3058	9	Note(s): 3
FOURTH YEAR
First Semester (Study Period 2)
Interior Architecture Workplacement 2	ARCH 3060	0	Note(s): 1
Interior Architecture Research Studies Advanced	ARCH 4007	4.5
Elective		4.5	Note(s): 2
First Semester (Study Period 3)
Interior Architecture Studio 7: Atmospheres	ARCH 4011	9	Note(s): 3
Second Semester (Study Period 5)
Design Studio Research	ARCH 4051	4.5
Elective		4.5	Note(s): 2
Second Semester (Study Period 6)
Interior Architecture Studio 8: Advanced (Social Sustainability)	ARCH 4012	9	Note(s): 3
FOURTH YEAR (Honours)			Note(s): 4
First Semester (Study Period 2)
Interior Architecture Workplacement 2	ARCH 3060	0	Note(s): 1
Research Methods (Creative)	CREA 4004	4.5	Note(s): 4
Research Practices (Creative)	CREA 5001	4.5	Note(s): 4
Honours Research 1 (Creative)	CREA 4001	9	Note(s): 4
Second Semester (Study Period 5)
Honours Research 2 (Creative)	CREA 4002	9	Note(s): 4
Honours Research 3 (Creative)	CREA 4003	9	Note(s): 4

Electives

Course name	Area and cat no.	Units
Aboriginal Cultures
Aboriginal Cultures	HUMS 1035	4.5
Communication and Reciprocity	COMM 2060	4.5
Caring for Country	ENVT 1017	4.5
Event Management
Foundations of Event Management	TOUR 2009	4.5
Eventful Cities and Event Leveraging	TOUR 2012	4.5
Service Management in Tourism, Events and Hospitality	TOUR 2011	4.5
Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Creativity and Innovation	BUSS 2066	4.5
Entrepreneurship for Social and Market Impact	BUSS 2085	4.5
Small Business for Professionals	BUSS 2040	4.5
Gallery, Library, Archives and Museum (GLAM)
UO Introduction to the GLAM sector - Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums	HUMS 1058	4.5
UO Innovative Curatorial Studies	HUMS 2042	4.5
UO Narrating Objects, Art and Archives	HUMS 3052	4.5
Cultural Studies
Understanding Popular Culture	HUMS 2045	4.5
Introduction to Cultural Studies	HUMS 1054	4.5
Everyday Cultures Now and Then	HUMS 2037	4.5
Construction Management
Introduction to Construction Management	BUIL 1007	4.5
Introduction to Contract Administration	BUIL 2019	4.5
Construction Materials	CIVE 1003	4.5
Drawing
Alternative Drawing Processes	VSAR 2046	4.5
Life Drawing	VSAR 2049	4.5
Drawing for Product Design	GRAP 1022	4.5
Materials
Etching and Intaglio Printmaking	VSAR 2057	4.5
Textiles: Fibre and Structure	VSAR 2023	4.5
Ceramic Vessels	VSAR 2078	4.5
Communication and Media
Public Relations Theory and Practice	COMM 1057	4.5
Professional and Technical Communication	COMM 1065	4.5
Content Creation for Media	COMM 2079	4.5

Rules & notes

Rules

1. Students progress through the program by years. With the permission of the Program Director, students may carry one course failure only (other than a Design Studio or Interior Architecture Studio) forward to the next year.

2. Any variations to the sequence of study requires approval from the Program Director

3. This program requires students to purchase additional materials at their own cost as part of their Program Materials Kit. Information regarding the program kit will be provided to students during their Program Orientation and should be purchased at the earliest opportunity.

4. Students are not permitted to enrol in two Design Studios or Interior Architecture Studios concurrently.

Notes

1. 120 hours of work experience placements shall be undertaken in Years 3 and 4 as part of Interior Architecture Workplacement 1 and 2. Other prior work experience of comparable duration may be used as the basis for assessment of this component with the permission of the Program Director. Fourth year honours students may either enrol in ARCH 3060 or may elect to embed work integrated learning and research as an alternative at the discretion of the DBIR Program Director.

2. Students are required to complete three electives and are encouraged to select from the electives list below. The streams are designed to extend and expand abilities in core and cognate areas of the curriculum and to provide scope for individual development in particular areas of interest. Electives may be studied in any Study Period (1 - 7), not necessarily as specified in the above program schedule. Students who have a Grade Point Average of 4.5 or more and wish to independently pursue a topic of interest not available in the electives offered in any one study period may choose either a research or project-based individual elective with the approval of the Program Director. If none of the listed electives are suitable or of interest, students may choose any University-wide elective from any discipline.

3. Each interior architecture studio will require students to demonstrate an ability to integrate strand course areas of the program into the design process.

4. Students with an overall GPA of 5.0 or above at the end of the third year of the program of study will be invited into the 36 unit honours strand. Students who take up the honours option will take the five honours courses in place of their final year of the program.

Professional accreditation and recognition

Graduates of this program are eligible for Graduate Membership of the Design Institute of Australia. The Bachelor of Interior Architecture does not confer qualifications in Architecture and the South Australian Architectural Practice Act legislation (2009) restricts the use of the title `Architect' to those registered by the Architectural Practice Board of South Australia.