Study interior design in Ireland with a clear, honest picture of every option — interior design, interior architecture and spatial design. Compare each CAO course, its portfolio entry, level and fees, see the further-education and European routes, and understand where the degree actually leads. Built for Leaving Cert students, parents and career changers.
In Ireland these titles overlap heavily and you will see the same career at the end of most of them. As a rough guide: Interior Design leans toward atmosphere, materials, lighting and how a finished space feels; Interior Architecture leans toward structure, spatial planning, adaptive reuse and building technology; and Spatial Design is the broadest term, covering interiors, exhibitions, retail, events and public space. Look past the course title to the module list and the studio culture. Note too that in Ireland the title "Architect" is legally protected by the RIAI – an interior architecture degree does not make you a registered architect, and that is a different (five-year) route.
| UNIVERSITY | CAO CODE | PROGRAMME | AWARD | YEARS | 2025 R1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TU Dublin | TU975 | Interior Design | BA (Hons) | 3 | Portfolio |
| TUS (LSAD) | US811 | Interior Design | BA (Hons) | 4 | #846 |
| MTU (CIT) | MT860 | Interior Architecture | BSc (Hons) | 4 | Portfolio |
| Griffith College | GC489 | Interior Architecture | BA (Hons) | 3 | Portfolio |
| ATU Sligo | AU820 | Interior Architecture & Design | BA | 3 | Portfolio |
| MTU (CIT) | MT760 | Interior Architecture | BSc | 3 | Portfolio |
| Griffith College | GC490 | Interior Architecture & Design | BA | 3 | Portfolio |
Almost every interior/spatial programme in Ireland is portfolio-assessed (the # symbol on the CAO list), so a single points number rarely tells the whole story – your folder of work matters as much as your Leaving Cert. TUS US811 came in at #846 in 2025 R1 (portfolio-ranked). Verify all figures at cao.ie/points. Public programmes are covered by the Free Fees Initiative if you are eligible; Griffith College is a private provider (fees apply).
Beyond the honours-degree tier there are strong Level 7 and private-college options. A Level 7 ordinary degree is not a lesser qualification – it is a genuine route into the profession, and most colleges let you top up to a Level 8 honours degree afterwards.
Interior and spatial design is not a licensed profession in Ireland, so no single degree is a legal gatekeeper. What employers and clients actually look at is your portfolio, your command of industry software (AutoCAD, Revit, SketchUp, Adobe Suite, Twinmotion, Enscape), and your work experience. A distinctive folder of work from a Level 7 course will beat a thin folder from a "higher-points" one every time. Professional recognition comes from bodies like the Institute of Designers in Ireland (IDI), The Interiors Association (IA) and the European Council of Interior Architects (ECIA), not from a registration exam.
2025 R1 entry to all of these is portfolio-assessed. Griffith College is a private provider and its fees are not covered by the Free Fees Initiative – check current tuition directly with the college. ATU Sligo and MTU are public and Free-Fees-eligible.
Because entry is portfolio-led, a strong folder can get you in almost anywhere – and a Level 7 start with a great graduate project can lead to exactly the same career as a "higher" course. Employers hire the work, not the points score. If you did not get the offer you wanted this year, a QQI Level 5/6 art-and-design year builds the portfolio that gets you in next time.
The CAO is not the only door. Because this field values a portfolio above a points score, the further-education and transfer routes are genuinely strong here – and often produce the most job-ready graduates.
A one-year QQI Level 5 (or two-year Level 5+6) in Interior Design or Interior Architecture builds a portfolio and links, via the Higher Education Links Scheme, straight into the CAO degrees.
Many art-and-design schools run a broad first year, then let you specialise. This is a lower-risk way in if you are torn between interiors, product, furniture or architecture.
If you are 23 or over on 1 January of entry year, you can apply as a mature student – usually via a portfolio and interview rather than fresh Leaving Cert points. Interior design attracts many career-changers from construction, retail, staging and the trades, and their life experience is an asset in the studio. Apply through the CAO by 1 February (public colleges) or directly to Griffith College. Life and work experience genuinely count here.
Already hold a degree in another field? A taught postgraduate is a fast conversion into the profession. TU Dublin runs a full-time MA/MSc Interior Design (TU382), and ATU Sligo offers a Master's in Interior Architecture through Creative Practice. These suit graduates of architecture, art, product design or the humanities who want a professional interiors qualification without starting an undergraduate degree from scratch.
A designer who came through a PLC and a Level 7 degree, and one who walked straight into a four-year honours course, end up doing the same job in the same practice. What separates them at interview is the strength of their portfolio and how well they use the software – not which door they came in through.
Ireland has a limited number of interior/spatial places, and all are portfolio-restricted. If you want more choice, lower tuition, and an international studio culture, mainland Europe is worth a serious look – the Netherlands especially teaches many design degrees fully in English.
Interior and spatial design is not statutorily licensed in Ireland, so there is no registration exam to worry about coming home. The thing to verify is recognition: will Irish employers and postgraduate courses accept the degree, and is it accredited by a body such as the European Council of Interior Architects (ECIA) or the Institute of Designers in Ireland (IDI)? For any EU qualification you can ask Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI/NARIC) for a comparability statement. A recognised European degree plus a strong portfolio travels perfectly well back to Ireland.
As an EU citizen you pay local rates – often around €2,000–€4,000 a year in the Netherlands, well below private-college fees at home.
Dutch, Belgian and Nordic design schools run full English-taught interior and spatial programmes – no second language needed to start.
You graduate with a European network and cross-border studio experience – a real advantage in a design market that hires internationally.
Italy (Milan is the design capital of the world), Denmark and Finland are outstanding for interiors and furniture, though English provision at undergraduate level is thinner. If you are drawn to a specific design culture, an Erasmus semester during an Irish degree can be a lower-commitment way to taste it before you consider a full move.
Interior and spatial design is not a licensed profession – there is no registration exam. Instead you specialise through the projects you choose, the software you master and the sector you build a portfolio in. Here is where the degree opens out.
Homes, renovations, private clients
Offices, hospitality, retail fit-outs
Museums, brand spaces, set & staging
Retrofitting existing buildings, low-impact design
Rendering, BIM, virtual walkthroughs
Bespoke furniture, lighting, materials
None of these is a legal requirement, but each strengthens your employability. Employers hire on demonstrated skill, so proof that you can produce work matters more than any single certificate.
A Level 8 honours degree opens Level 9 Master's options at TU Dublin (Interior Design), ATU Sligo (Interior Architecture through Creative Practice) and abroad. A Master's is optional, not required – but it can be a strong route into specialist, academic or international practice, or a conversion for graduates of other disciplines.
Junior roles in design studios, architectural practices or fit-out companies. Building your portfolio and software speed is the priority in these first years.
Mid-career designers running projects and clients. Commercial and workplace specialists tend to sit at the upper end of this range.
Design directors, studio owners and established freelancers. Self-employed earnings vary widely with client base and reputation.
Interior design consultancies, architectural practices and fit-out contractors on residential, retail and workplace projects.
In-house teams in retail, hospitality, property and exhibition companies designing brand and customer spaces.
Self-employed practice, plus visualisation, set design, styling, furniture design and CAD/BIM technician roles.
Salary figures are indicative ranges drawn from Irish design-sector recruitment listings and industry salary guides, and vary by employer, location, sector and experience. Always sense-check against current job adverts.
Because interior and spatial courses are restricted and portfolio-assessed, the 1 February deadline and your portfolio prep matter more here than for most CAO courses. Start the folder early.
Start a sketchbook and gather work. Visit graduate showcases (LSAD, Griffith Creative, NCAD). Try open days and taster days. Keep any drawing, model, photography or design work – it becomes portfolio material.
The CAO opens for applications. List your interior/spatial courses. Note that these are restricted courses – they must be on your application by 1 February.
The discounted CAO application fee deadline. Apply now to save money and avoid the February rush.
The hard deadline for restricted courses. Interior/spatial courses must be on your CAO list by 5pm on 1 February – late Change-of-Mind cannot add them. Mature applicants must also apply by this date. Portfolio submission windows open around now.
Submit your portfolio and attend any interview. Each college has its own guidelines and upload platform – follow them exactly. This is where your place is really decided.
You can reorder your choices free of charge until 1 July – but you cannot add a restricted course you did not list by 1 February. Reorder your interior courses if your preferences shift.
Leaving Cert results, then CAO Round 1 offers. Portfolio-assessed offers combine your Leaving Cert with your portfolio score. Accept before the deadline; further rounds follow.
Graduate with a strong final-year project and showcase. From here: a first design role, freelance practice, a Level 8 top-up, or a Master's. Your portfolio, not your points, carries you into the job.
Read the module lists, not the titles. If you are drawn to atmosphere, materials, colour and how a space feels, an Interior Design course (TU975, US811) fits. If you love spatial planning, adaptive reuse and building technology, lean toward Interior Architecture (MTU, Griffith GC489). Both lead to overlapping careers.
Every Irish course here is portfolio-restricted, so your folder decides your place. Start it in TY or 5th Year, follow each college's guidelines exactly, and show range: drawing, observation, model-making and ideas. A great portfolio matters more than a few extra points.
TU Dublin, TUS, MTU and ATU are public and Free-Fees-eligible. Griffith College is private, with tuition fees to budget for – but offers evening/access options and industry-body recognition. Weigh the cost against location, format and studio culture.
A Level 7 ordinary degree is a real route in, and MTU (MT760→MT860) and ATU (AU820→AU926) let you add the honours year. If you are unsure of your points or portfolio this year, a Level 7 start or a QQI year loses you nothing in the long run.
There is no single "best" interior or spatial design school in Ireland. In a portfolio-led, unlicensed profession, what separates graduates is not where they studied but what they made while they were there, how well they use the software, and the work they keep producing after they leave. Pick the studio culture, city and format that will bring your best work out of you – then build a folder that speaks for itself.