Rethinking space, developing scenery or mobile micro-galleries, but also designing and building a piece of furniture: The Bachelor's degree programme in Interior Design at the BURG addresses new fields of activity as well as traditional ones and provides scope for the requirements of the constantly changing job profile.

Designing people’s immediate environments

The education and training offered in the Interior Architecture course consists of a varied range of forward-looking elements. Accordingly, a broad spectrum of new areas of activity have been included in recent years in order to keep pace with the changing professional profile of interior architects.  

These include the design of presentations and events, participation in the development of corporate design strategies, and the design of virtual spaces. However, the traditional area of activity for interior architects remains at the core of this training: the immediate environment of people, of individuals. The development of furniture is just as much a part of this as are the planning and implementation of temporary structures, e.g. at trade fairs and exhibitions. Despite the varied nature of these new and traditional tasks, the interior architect remains an architect and, in particular, one specialised in interior spaces. 

The course leads to the degree of Bachelor of Arts and is documented by an individual portfolio that illustrates the student’s development path and the skills acquired. Ideally, the strong statement made by this document will support graduates in their next career step – whether in professional practice or in subsequent studies at a university in Germany or abroad. With this bachelor’s degree, the graduate can register on the Architects’ Chamber’s list of interior architects after two years of professional experience in an architect's office and thus becomes entitled to use the title of ‘Freier Innenarchitekt (free interior architect)’.

The degree programme concludes with the title Bachelor of Arts. The individual study course and the skills acquired are documented in an individual portfolio. This meaningful documentation ideally supports the graduate's next step: either the start of professional practice or further studies at BURG or a university in Germany or abroad.

After two years of professional experience in an interior design office, graduates with a Bachelor's degree can register with the Chamber of Architects' list of interior designers. This authorises him or her to use the title of freelance interior designer. A minimum of eight semesters of study is required nationwide.

Aim of the course

With its university-like structure, the art school’s format allows students to identify and express their individual strengths and goals. The main concern here is the nurturing of visions. The goal is to give graduates the ability to identify design challenges and to meet these in an independent, flexible and open-minded manner. In so doing, graduates will focus on the tools of their discipline during their studies and will acquire a mastery of these tools.

Teaching content

The profession of the interior architect is broadly based. Alongside the design of interior layouts, it also includes the design of furniture and the conception of temporary structures (e.g. design of trade fair stands and planning of exhibition layouts), right through to the management of complex conversion and extension projects. The Interior Architecture course prepares graduates for this field of professional activity. Learning takes place in small groups. The department offers cooperation projects, workshops and exchange periods abroad with the goal of encouraging interdisciplinary work.

Course of study

In the first two years of the bachelor’s cause, the focus is on the acquisition of the subject-specific, design and artistic fundamentals – particularly in the development of attractive interiors and the systematic development of furniture designs. In contrast, project studies form the core of the last two years of the bachelor’s course, with design projects linking up with the master’s course in peripheral areas. The course elements offered in the Design faculty are structured into five module areas. These modules are taught in both course-specific and, at the same time, broader manners. .

Prerequisites

General qualification for university entrance, and artistic suitability. Six-month pre-university practical experience period in construction or furniture joinery, shopfitting or construction craft trades (construction finishing trades). If vocational training has been completed, the following areas will be recognised as a pre-university practical experience period: furniture joinery, construction and furniture joinery, construction craft trades (construction finishing trades in particular), shopfitting. Six months must have been completed by the start of the course. Upon request, the IA Examining Board will decide upon recognition of and credit for other practical experience. Exceptions: The general qualification for university entrance can be waived in cases of exceptional talent combined with professional experience.

Degree

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)