Bachelor of Design (Interior Architecture) (Honours)

General Information

Overview

Learn how the environments in which we spend our lives are formed and fabricated in our Bachelor of Design (Interior Architecture) (Honours). Apply conceptual processes, creative tools, management strategies and develop research skills to design a variety of public and private interior and spatial projects. Plus, flex the tech by constructing indoor and outdoor 3D spaces.

Study structure

Successful completion of the Bachelor of Design (Interior Architecture) (Honours) requires students to complete units of study to the value of 400 credit points. All units of study are valued at 12.5 credit points unless otherwise stated.

Full-time study: 100 credit points/eight standard units of study per year
Part-time study: 50 credit points/four standard units of study per year
One credit point is equivalent to one hour of study per week per semester (including contact hours and private study)
See the course planner for an example degree structure.

Full-time study: 100 credit points/eight standard units of study per year
One credit point is equivalent to one hour of study per week per semester (including contact hours and private study)
See the course planner for an example degree structure.

Core units

200 credit points

Units of study	Unit code
Core units
Introductory Design Studio Core unit , 12.5 credit points	DDD10006
Construction 1: Building Systems and Materials Core unit , 12.5 credit points	DIA10001
Interior Architecture Communication Core unit , 12.5 credit points	DIA10005
Twentieth Century Design Core unit , 12.5 credit points	DDD10001
Interior Architecture Studio 1 - Space, Form & Human Occupation Core unit , 12.5 credit points	DIA10006
History of Interior Architecture Core unit , 12.5 credit points	DIA10004
Interior Architecture Digital Documentation 1 Core unit , 12.5 credit points	DIA20003
Contemporary Design Issues Core unit , 12.5 credit points	DDD20004
Major units
Interior Architecture Studio 2: Place, Space and Human Experience Major unit , 12.5 credit points	DIA20004
Construction 2: Building Services and Documentation Packages Major unit , 12.5 credit points	DIA20001
Interior Architecture Digital Documentation 2 Major unit , 12.5 credit points	DIA30002
Interior Architecture Studio 3: Design Exploration Major unit , 12.5 credit points	DIA20005
Interior Architecture Studio 4 - Sustainability Major unit , 12.5 credit points	DIA30004
Philosophy of Interior Architecture Major unit , 12.5 credit points	DIA30005
Interior Architecture Entrepreneurship and Professional Development Major unit , 12.5 credit points	DIA30003
Construction 3: Sustainability Major unit , 12.5 credit points	DIA30001

Honours units

100 credit points

Year four (Honours)

100 credit points

Units of study	Unit code
Design Factory Melbourne Honours Stream
Studio 1: Methods for Design Research Honours unit, 25.0 credit points	DDD40001
DFM: Applied Innovation Studio 1 Honours unit, 25.0 credit points	DDD60030
Project Management and Practice Honours unit, 12.5 credit points	DDD30038
Professional Attributes for Design Honours unit, 12.5 credit points	DDD30036
DFM: Applied Innovation Studio 2 Honours unit, 25.0 credit points	DDD70031
or
Interior Architecture Honours Stream
Studio 1: Methods for Design Research Honours unit, 25.0 credit points	DDD40001
Capstone: Interior Architecture Practice 1 Honours unit, 25.0 credit points	DIA40001
Project Management and Practice Honours unit, 12.5 credit points	DDD30038
Professional Attributes for Design Honours unit, 12.5 credit points	DDD30036
Capstone: Interior Architecture Practice 2 Honours unit, 25.0 credit points	DIA40002

Choose from a combination of the following course components to complete 100 credit points of other study. Students may also select elective units (12.5 credit points each).

Co-majors

100 credit points

A co-major is a major in a field of study outside this course. You can choose one in addition to a first major. Co-majors will not be named on your testamur certificate however, they will be shown on your transcript of results.

Accounting
Advertising
Animation
Biotechnology
Business Analysis
Business Analytics and Analysis
Cinema and Screen Studies
Climate and Social Justice
Computer Science
Creative Writing and Literature
Criminology
Data Analytics
Digital Advertising Technology
Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Environmental Science
Environmental Sustainability
Ethics and Technology
Finance
Financial Planning
Games and Interactivity
Global Studies
History
Human Resource Management
Indigenous Studies
Information Systems
Journalism
Logistics and Supply Chain Management
Management
Marketing
Media Industries
Neuroscience
Perspectives on Globalisation
Philosophy
Politics and International Relations
Politics, Power and Technology
Professional and Creative Writing
Professional Writing and Editing
Psychology
Public Relations
Screen Production
Screen Studies and Popular Culture
Social Media
Space Technology

View co-major units

Advanced minors

50 credit points

Advanced minors are a structured set of 4 units or 50 credit points in a field of study which builds upon your first major. Advanced minors can only be taken in conjunction with specific majors - more information will be available soon.

3D Modelling and Animation Advanced

Architecture Advanced Minor

Minors

50 credit points

Minors are a structured set of 4 units or 50 credit points and may be chosen from any field of study.

Accounting
Communication Design
Entrepreneurship
Indigenous Studies
Industrial Design
Information and Communication Technology
Innovation
Management
Marketing
Motion Design
Photomedia
Web Development

View minor units

Recommended elective units

These recommended elective units can deepen your understanding of your chosen major or an area of interest. A full list of available elective units can be found upon enrolment.

ANI10001 Introduction to Animation
ANI10003 History of Animation
ANI10004 Introduction to Character and Environment Design
DDD20003 Exhibition Design
DDD30004 Furniture Design
DES20057 Toolbox for Prototyping and Interdisciplinary Collaboration
DID10001 Product Visualisation 1: Hand Sketching
ENT10001 Entrepreneurship and Opportunity
ENT20006 Lean Startup Springboard
ENT20008 Startup Funding and Investment
MDA20018 Popular Culture of Asia
MGT10009 Contemporary Management Principles
MGT10010 Ethics of Innovation
MKT10009 Marketing and the Consumer Experience
MKT20019 Marketing Research and Analytics
MKT20021 Integrated Marketing Communication
MKT20025 Consumer Behaviour
MKT20031 Marketing and Innovation
MKT20032 Frontiers in Digital Marketing
MKT30016 Marketing Strategy and Planning
MKT30017 Innovative Branding

Find more detail about elective units

Outcomes and course rules

Learning outcomes

Graduates of a Bachelor of Design (Interior Architecture) (Honours) acquire coherent and advanced theoretical and technical knowledge of the underlying principles and concepts of Interior Architecture and of research, principles and methods.

Graduates of the degree possess initiative and judgement in Interior Architecture professional practice and/ or scholarship, the capacity to adapt their knowledge and skills to diverse contexts, responsibility and accountability for their own learning and practice, the capacity to plan and execute project work, and the ability to conduct independent research.

On successful completion of the Bachelor of Design (Interior Architecture) (Honours), graduates will be able to:

curate the relevant knowledge to meet the professional and/or scholarship requirements of stakeholders in differing contexts and are inclusive of Indigenous principles and practices
use cognitive and technical design skills, based on knowledge of interior architecture history, materials and construction technology and spatial development in the contexts to which this knowledge and skills are applied
apply cognitive and creative skills to exercise critical thinking, initiative, and judgment in identifying and solving Interior Architecture problems independently and/or collaboratively, taking responsibility and accountability for their own learning and professional practice
communicate a clear, coherent, and independent exposition of knowledge and ideas about Interior Architecture to diverse audiences and stakeholders
articulate design solutions that incorporate Indigenous principles and practices, ethical and socio-ecological frameworks, respect, and inclusivity towards diverse audiences

Career opportunities

The variety of interior architecture design projects that Swinburne students undertake reflects the vast range of career paths graduates are able to stream into. Among other possibilities, graduates of Interior Architecture may pursue careers in: exhibition, furniture, set design, retail, education, hospitality, residential, commercial, high-rise tenancies, community and urban projects.

Graduates are also eligible to apply for entry into the Master of Design or a PhD program.

Professional recognition

Graduates are eligible to apply to become members of the Design Institute of Australia.

Course rules

To qualify for the award of Bachelor of Design (Interior Architecture) (Honours), students must complete 400 credit points comprising of:

eight (8) Core units of study (100 credit points)
eight (8) Interior Architecture Major units (100 credit points
eight (8) units of study (100 credit points) comprising Industry Placement, co-major, minor(s) and/or electives
one (1) Honours stream (100 credit points). Choose one of:
stream 1 - Interior Architecture
stream 2 – Design Factory Melbourne

In the fourth, final year of the degree, students choose between three elective streams. Stream 1 is offered in Semester 1 only and provides a highly focused set of research methods and capstone units in Interior Architecture. Stream 2 offers the opportunity to participate in either local or global projects with Design Factory Melbourne - a multidisciplinary platform for research and development working with industry clients.

Please note that Stream 2 (for local projects) begins in Semester 1 only. Design Factory Melbourne (local projects) consists of 25 out of the 100 credit points students earn in their Honours year, while Design Factory Melbourne (global projects) comprises 87.5 out of the 100 final year credit points earned. Find out more about local and global projects at Design Factory Melbourne.

Honours merit calculation

An honours merit calculation will be based on the averaged results of the last 100 credits in the final year of the course with the following descriptive outcomes:

BDes (IA) (Hons) with High Distinction; for students who achieve ≥ 80
BDes (IA) (Hons) with Distinction; for students who achieve 70 – 79
BDes (IA) (Hons) with Credit; for students who achieve 60 – 69
BDes (IA) (Hons); for students who achieve < 60.

For students who enter with exempted credits, a minimum of at least 150 credits within the Major is required to be eligible for an award and for an honours merit calculation. At least 75 out of the last 100 credits comply with AQF level 8.

This honours merit calculation will be based only on units completed at Swinburne. If a student has not completed the specified units, they will graduate with a BDes (IA) (Hons) as an award title, but not be eligible for a merit based honours description.

The following units will be used in the Honours merit calculation:

4th year - Stream 1 - Interior Architecture

DDD30036 Professional Attributes for Design
DDD30038 Project Management and Practice
DDD40001 Methods for Design Research
DIA40001 Capstone: Interior Architecture Practice 1
DIA40002 Capstone: Interior Architecture Practice 2

4th year - Stream 2– Design Factory Melbourne

DDD30036 Professional Attributes for Design
DDD30038 Project Management and Practice
DDD40001 Studio 1: Methods for Design Research
DDD60030 DFM: Applied Innovation Studio 1
DDD70031 DFM: Applied Innovation Studio 2

Maximum Academic Credit

The maximum level of credit that can be granted for the Bachelor of Design (Interior Architecture) (Honours) is 250 credit points (normally 20 units).

Admission criteria

Information about Swinburne's general admission criteria can be found at Admissions at Swinburne - Higher Education webpage.

Entry requirements

A. Applicants with recent secondary education (within past three years)

ATAR

This course uses the ATAR as part of its selection considerations.

Guaranteed ATAR: if you receive an ATAR of 70 or higher and meet all the essential requirements for this course, you will be guaranteed an offer.

Educational history

An applicant's entire academic history, including ATAR results, will be considered for entry into this course.

Selection rank adjustments

Selection ranks for this course will be calculated based on your ATAR with adjustments to overall study scores based on subjects studied, location of your home address, SEAS application, and participation In Swinburne's Early Leaders program. For further details about selection rank adjustments, see Admissions at Swinburne.

Subject Adjustments

A study score of 25 in Art, Applied Fashion Design and Technology B, Product Design and Technology, Engineering Studies (VCE VET), Furnishing B, Furnishing C, Furnishing D, Furnishing E, any Mathematics, Studio Arts or Visual Communication Design equals 4 aggregate points per study. Overall maximum of 15 points.

Meeting course prerequisites

VCE Units 3 and 4: a minimum study score of 25 in any English (except EAL) or 30 in English as Alternate Language (EAL) or equivalent; and

Units 3 and 4: satisfactory completion in one of Art Creative Practice, Product Design And Technology, Media, Creative And Digital Media (VCE VET) I, Art Making And Exhibiting or Visual Communication Design

Meeting the minimum entry requirements for the course does not guarantee offer of a place. See Admissions at Swinburne, for general information about admission process

ATAR profile for those offered places wholly or partly on the basis of ATAR in Semester 1 2024

ATAR-Based offers only, across all offer rounds	ATAR Excluding adjustment factors	Selection Rank ATAR + any adjustment factors
Highest rank to receive an offer	94.35	97.85
Median rank to receive an offer	71.65	80.65
Lowest rank to receive an offer	59.55	68.15

B. Applicants with higher education study

Educational history

An applicant's entire academic history, including results from previous higher education study will be considered for entry into this course. If previous higher education qualifications are incomplete, results must have been obtained in the last seven years.

Meeting course prerequisites

As for Year 12 or equivalent.

STAT/Bridging courses

Applicants who do not meet the English prerequisites can sit STAT Written English. STAT results are valid for two years.

C. Applicants with vocational education and training (VET) study

Educational history

An applicant's entire academic history from the past seven years, including complete and/or incomplete post-secondary VET studies, will be considered for entry into this course. Only graded results will be considered.

Meeting course prerequisites

As for Year 12 or equivalent.

STAT/Bridging courses

Applicants who do not meet the English prerequisites can sit STAT Written English. STAT results are valid for two years.

D. Applicants with work and life experience

Entire academic record

This course uses an applicant's entire academic record as part of its selection considerations, including an applicant's ATAR results from the last seven years can be considered for entry into this course.

Meeting course prerequisites

As for Year 12 or equivalent.

STAT/Bridging courses

Applicants who do not meet the English prerequisites can sit STAT Written English. STAT results are valid for two years.

Student profile

The table below gives an indication of the likely peer cohort for new students in this course. It provides data on students who commenced in this course in the most relevant recent intake period, including those admitted through all offer rounds and international students studying in Australia.

Student Profile table

Applicant background	Number of students	Percentage of all students
	Semester 1, 2024
(A) Higher education study (includes a bridging or enabling course)	9	14%
(B) Vocational education and training (VET) study	<5	<5
(C) Work and life experience (admitted on the basis of previous achievement not in the other three categories)	<5	<5
(D) Recent secondary education:
Admitted solely on the basis of ATAR (regardless of whether this includes the consideration of adjustment factors such as equity or subject bonus points)	20	32%
Admitted where both ATAR and additional criteria were N/A considered (e.g. portfolio, audition, extra test, early offer conditional on minimum ATAR)	N/A	N/A
Admitted on the basis of other criteria only and ATAR was N/A not a factor (e.g. special consideration, audition alone, schools recommendation scheme with no minimum ATAR requirement)	15	13%
International students	14	322%
All students	63	100%

Note:
N/A – Students not accepted in this category.

Interested in the Bachelor of Design (Interior Architecture) (Honours)?

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