Interior Design Schools and Programs in Spain

Interior Design Studies in Spain

Interior design (interiorismo in Spanish) is about designing spaces people live and work in: homes, shops, offices, hotels and temporary spaces such as exhibition stands. Students learn drawing and representation systems, 3D design, materials, building services, lighting, construction and the history of furniture, and work on projects from the first year. In Spain there are several routes into the field, with qualifications of different levels and recognition; this directory lists 19 schools that teach the subject, nearly half of them in the Madrid region.

How interior design studies are organised in Spain

There are three main routes to an official qualification:

• University bachelor's degree in Interior Design: taught at public and private universities and listed in the Registro de Universidades, Centros y Títulos (RUCT). Royal Decree 822/2021 sets "Grados de 240 créditos, Másteres de 60, 90 y 120 créditos", so a bachelor's degree (grado) normally has 240 ECTS credits over four years.
• Título de Grado en Enseñanzas Artísticas Superiores de Diseño: taught at higher schools of design, public or authorised private. According to IED, it is equivalent to an official university bachelor's degree within the European Higher Education Area and gives access to official master's degrees. Entry requires the Bachiller (upper-secondary certificate) or equivalent and a specific entrance test.
• Higher-level cycle in Artes Plásticas y Diseño: vocational arts training that awards the title of técnico superior. The interior design family includes cycles such as Arquitectura Efímera (temporary architecture) and Amueblamiento (furnishing).

Many schools and online academies also offer courses, school-own qualifications and non-official master's programmes. They can be useful for specialising, but check in the RUCT whether a programme is an official degree or a certificate of the school itself.

Where to study interior design in Spain

Madrid has most of the options. Some examples from this directory:

• Universidad Europea de Madrid teaches the official bachelor's degree in Interior Design at its Creative Campus in central Madrid: four years and 240 ECTS credits, with classes in Spanish or English, in collaboration with IADE, Escuela de Diseño.
• Universidad Camilo José Cela has an official four-year, 240 ECTS bachelor's degree in Interior Design, taught on site in Spanish at the Castellana campus, with internships from the third year.
• Universidad Antonio de Nebrija also has a bachelor's degree in Interior Design registered in the RUCT.
• IED Madrid, the Madrid centre of the Istituto Europeo di Design, has an interior and spatial design area, with Títulos de Grado en Enseñanzas Artísticas Superiores de Diseño and higher-level vocational cycles.
• Marbella Design Academy, a private school in Monda (Málaga), teaches the BA (Hons) in Interior Architecture & Design in English, a three-year UK degree (180 ECTS) validated and awarded by the University of Bedfordshire.
• Escuela de Arte de Oviedo offers higher-level cycles in the interior design family, such as Arquitectura Efímera and Amueblamiento.

Outside Madrid there are schools in cities such as Seville, Barcelona, Salamanca and Zaragoza.

Admission, language and costs

To enter a university bachelor's degree with a foreign secondary-school qualification, students usually apply for accreditation through UNEDasiss, the UNED service that "evalúa los expedientes académicos de los estudiantes internacionales y les realiza las pruebas necesarias para acceder a estudios de grado en las universidades españolas". They then apply to each university, which may have its own admission process. Higher arts education also requires the specific entrance test, and at IED Madrid the programmes taught in English ask for a B2 level.

Most programmes are taught in Spanish, although the offer in English is growing. At Marbella Design Academy, for example, applicants need English at B2 level and the fee is €15,000 per academic year, according to the school. Prices at private schools vary widely, so check each school's current fees.

Recognition of the qualification and careers

If you already hold a foreign university degree and want to continue studying in Spain, the ministry distinguishes between homologation, which "habilita para el ejercicio de una profesión regulada en España", the declaration of equivalence, which certifies the academic level of a bachelor's or master's degree, and the convalidation of subjects. If you plan to work in another country after studying in Spain, find out how the Spanish qualification is recognised there.

Interior design graduates work as interior designers in design studios, furniture companies, retail, hospitality and construction, as designers of commercial and temporary spaces, or as freelancers.

Frequently asked questions

How long does an interior design degree take in Spain?

A university bachelor's degree takes four years and 240 ECTS credits. UK degrees taught by some private schools, such as the BA (Hons) at Marbella Design Academy, take three years.

Can I study interior design in English in Spain?

Yes. The Universidad Europea de Madrid offers its degree in Spanish or English, and Marbella Design Academy teaches its whole programme in English, with a B2 English requirement.

What is the difference between a university degree and a higher design qualification?

The university degree is taught at universities; the Título de Grado en Enseñanzas Artísticas Superiores de Diseño is taught at higher schools of design and requires a specific entrance test. Both are official qualifications at bachelor's level and give access to an official master's degree.

How do I know whether an interior design course is official?

Official university bachelor's and master's degrees are listed in the ministry's RUCT. Courses and school-own qualifications from academies or online schools are not official degrees, although they can be useful as additional training.