Faculty of Interior Design

The main field of interest in the educational process is broadly understood space design. Consequently, the curriculum of the Faculty of Interior Design is rich and diverse. It focuses on providing complex, specialized knowledge and developing the competencies necessary to practice the profession of interior designer. It teaches that the workshop of a designer working with interiors, furniture, exhibitions, and public spaces is complex and multi-faceted.

„We try to make design tasks to be individualized and to enable each student to develop creatively and personally. At the same time, we emphasize the importance of teamwork. An essential element of education is awareness of the classical interdependence between architecture and other disciplines of visual arts. An important feature that distinguishes our faculty is the parallel – significantly expanded – aspect of general visual arts studies with painting, sculpture, drawing, textiles, and intermedia.” – Dr Bazyli Krasulak, Associate Professor, Dean of the Faculty of Interior Design

The Faculty of Interior Design of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw is the heir to a tradition dating back to 1905 when the Department of Applied Art was established at the Warsaw School of Fine Arts. Since then, with a break during World War II, we have continued our teaching, artistic, and scientific activities. We operated under several changing names (due to numerous mergers and divisions), but „interior architecture” appeared in the early 1920s.

From 2023/24, the Faculty offers long – cycle full – time master’s studies as well as part – time first – cycle bachelor’s studies, and part – time second – cycle master’s studies. Full – time first – cycle bachelor’s studies and full – time second – cycle master’s studies will be phased out. Interior Design is a discipline integrating elements from the areas of art, humanities, science, and technology; this determines the goals of the Faculty’s activities and the concept of educating future designers – interior architects. Full – time studies are free of charge, while part – time studies (created primarily for working people) are chargeable.

The studies last 5 years (10 semesters) and end with the master’s thesis defence and the honour of a master’s degree. During these 5 years, students acquire the knowledge necessary to practice the profession of an interior designer while developing their profile as artists, whether in painting, sculpture, photography, or interdisciplinary activities.

Part – time first – cycle studies last three and a half years (seven semesters) and end with the honour of the professional Bachelor of Arts. Bachelor’s studies prepare for the profession of an interior designer at a basic level. They enable further studies and professional development. They provide the necessary, elementary basis for professional education while considering the creative and ethical aspects of a designer’s work. A bachelor’s degree graduates have the artistic and technical qualifications necessary to work independently. It is also characterized by a suitable level of mastering specialized workshops. They can work independently or in a team. They should have the ability to use specialized language in the field of interior design.

Full – time and part – time second – cycle studies in interior design last two years (four semesters) and end with the honour of a professional master of the art. The master’s studies develop a creative and ethical foundation and prepare for the profession of an interior designer. They enable further studies (doctoral studies) and professional development. The graduate of second – cycle master’s studies acquire advanced knowledge and skills in the field of interior design.

The integration of all artistic and technical disciplines relevant to modern design, a focus on the comprehensive intellectual development of students, and an awareness that the Faculty of Interior Design traces its roots to the Academy of Fine Arts – these are the principles on which our mission is based. The idea behind the currently implemented didactics is the belief that the Faculty’s graduates should not only be professional specialists – designers but also constitute the elite of national culture. The graduates of the Faculty should have a real, practical impact on the level of culture in our society, they should be convinced of the mission of creating better and friendlier living conditions for people, regardless of their financial status.

Aesthetics, function, technology, economics, psychology. A design that does not consider at least one of the above – mentioned elements is incomplete and defective. Therefore, our educational programme includes these elements in the right proportions. The qualifications of a graduate in Interior Design depend on the speciality that was the subject of study (interior design, exhibition design, furniture design, and design in public spaces).

Graduates of the Faculty of Interior Design have the artistic, professional, and technical qualifications necessary to effectively perform their profession. They have fundamental knowledge and skills in the field of interior design. They are characterized by an appropriate level of mastery of professional skills, enriched with acquired humanistic knowledge and experience of artistic activities. The graduates are prepared to shape a person’s immediate environment consciously and responsibly. They are qualified for individual or team project work and organizational work. They know a foreign language at the B2+ level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Language skills and can use a specialized language in the field of interior design.

Graduates acquire advanced knowledge and skills in the field of interior design. Thanks to this, they can solve various, complex design tasks. They have high artistic, professional, and technical qualifications necessary to practice their profession. The graduates are prepared for design work in the full range of the interior design discipline. This applies to both independent professional practice and work in project and interdisciplinary teams. The graduate can also undertake artistic, research, popularization, and organizational work popularising cultural values. They are comprehensively prepared for creative work in the Republic of Poland and throughout the European Union. Based on the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts diploma, the graduate can apply for active participation in professional organizations and creative unions associated with interior designers.

Personal contact between the Faculty lecturers and graduates shows that most graduates are equipped with high professional artistic competencies, allowing them to undertake independent work in the fields that were the subject of their studies. Graduates easily find employment in design studios, and many of them run a thriving, independent design practice both in the country and abroad. The educational programme of the Faculty of Interior Design of the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts aims to provide knowledge, skills, and social competencies enabling conscious, creative, and efficient functioning as an artist-designer around broadly understood culture. It prepares them to undertake individual and team creative design activities in the field of interior design, to be involved in tasks in various areas of culture, and social life, and to build broad professional competencies in the future. The indirect goal is the aesthetic education of society achieved through the implementation and promotion of design ideas and the dissemination of artistic culture. The education of students in the Faculty of Interior Design is related to the economic needs of the country – interior designs developed by employees and graduates of the faculty, often concern the headquarters of companies conducting significant economic activity, for which creating an appropriate office interior space is an important element that proves the importance of the company.

The qualifications of a graduate in „Interior Architecture” depend on the speciality that was the subject of study. For bachelor’s studies, it is interior design and exhibition design and for master’s studies, it is interior design, exhibition design, and furniture design. The focus of the Faculty is broadly understood space design. We try to achieve the right results by finding a balance between design assumptions, the used artistic means, and functional and technical solutions.

The programme of the Faculty of Interior Design focuses on providing complex, interdisciplinary knowledge as well as education and experience in workshop skills necessary for practising the profession of interior designer. Students become familiar with the multi – threaded issues that constitute the workshop of a designer dealing with interiors, furniture, and exhibitions. We try to ensure that design tasks are individualized and enable the creative development of each student. At the same time, we draw attention to the importance of teamwork. We make sure to show contemporary design trends, and technical and material possibilities while being aware of historical achievements.

Projects are made using a variety of tools – from traditional techniques to computer and multimedia tools. An important element of education is awareness of the classical connections between architecture and other art disciplines. An important distinguishing feature of our Faculty is the thread of general art studies parallel to design studies. It lasts from the first semester until the master’s diploma.