Interior Architecture as a profession
Interior architecture is a young profession that is being practised independently and professionally for some fifty years now. Just like many other design professions it is constantly in development. The growing awareness of the quality of our surroundings has also led to more focus on and regulation in the area of working conditions, building techniques, safety, health and sustainability, all aspects that concern interior architects in their own practice as well as in their work for clients. Also, clients have become increasingly critical in their choice of interior architect and conditions and fees have become more negotiable, together with more emphasis on responsibility and liability.
On the one hand interior architects are generalists, while on the other hand they are supposed to have very specific knowledge of many things. They are entrepreneurs who are firmly rooted in cultural and social reality and play a part in it.
The title of “Interior Architect” is legally protected and this is regulated on behalf of the Minister for Education & Culture by the SBA (=Stichting Bureau Architectenregister) in The Hague. The Master course Interior Architecture is geared to the starting qualifications of the profession as defined by the SBA. Graduates with two years of professional experience can register with the SBA.
Positioning of the Master programme
The Master programme Interior Architecture is a new programme, necessitated by a change in the law. This means that the existing Bachelor course Interior Architecture no longer qualifies students for registering with the Architects’ Registry. For the new Master programme a validated educational profile has been formulated by a platform that consisted of representatives of art schools, the BNI (Professional Association of Dutch Interior Architects) and the SBA. The Master programme trains students for the profession of interior architect as described in the profile.
This programme is offered by AKV|St.Joost – Avans Academy in collaboration with the Fontys Academy for Architecture and Urban Planning (AAS) in Tilburg.
The Master programme Interior Architecture is a course that:
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starting from a broad orientation on the specialist professional options of interior architecture, enables students to specialise individually, based on a sound insight into their own ambitions and possibilities (student-oriented approach).
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meets the demands of the professional practice, and
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offers deepening of knowledge and research on a level that is at least equivalent to that of other Master courses offered internationally.
Positioning with regard to the Bachelor programme
Graduates obtain a MA degree, and registering with the SBA becomes possible after two years of relevant professional experience.
The Master programme collaborates with the other Master programmes in art or design of both our institutes:
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Master of Fine Art
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Master of Photography
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Master of Graphic Design
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Master of Animation
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Master of Architecture
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Master of Urban Planning
The facilities and know-how of these institutes on the Bachelor and Master levels support the programme, which is one of the reasons why the various study programmes are constructed in a similar way.
The Master programme offers a deepening and broadening of knowledge compared to the Bachelor programme Spatial Design. This knowledge concerns:
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technique, regulation and (project) management
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contemporary art theory with an emphasis on (interior) architecture
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design qualities of the students, aimed at defining their own position within the artistic domain
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research skills, aimed at the innovation of the professional practice
The programme has an international outlook.
Application
Do you want to apply for a master course? Click here.
Accreditation by NVAO
All Master degrees of AKV|St.Joost are recognised bij NVAO (Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders).
To learn more about the international value of a Master degree check: http://nvao.com/home.html and http://www.nuffic.nl/international-students
