Are you interested in studying interior design in Italy? Being a hub for fashion and design, Italy is renowned for its design schools that offer interior design programs. The good news is that many of these universities/design schools offer interior design courses in English making them perfect for international students.
These courses are available as undergraduate, graduate, and other short-term and summer programs. The most popular interior design schools in Italy are IED Istituto Europeo di Design, Domus Academy, Istituto Superiore di Architettura e Design, Florence Design Academy, Accademia Italiana arte moda design, and Florence Institute of Design. In this article, we have covered undergraduate, postgraduate, and other short-term courses in interior design in Italy, along with tuition fees. Students who lack formal education for a bachelor’s in interior design can opt for foundation courses. Foundation courses by IED Istituto Europeo di Design and Accademia Italiana arte moda design are quite popular in Italy.
Highlights: Interior Design Universities in Italy
| Popular interior design universities in Italy | IED Istituto Europeo di Design, Domus Academy, Istituto Superiore di Architettura e Design, Florence Design Academy, Accademia Italiana arte moda design, and Florence Institute of Design |
| Courses offered | Undergraduate, postgraduate, foundation, short-term diplomas, and summer programs |
| Duration | 3-4 years (undergraduate), 1-2 years (postgraduate) |
| Annual fees | 7,000 to 15,000 EUR (undergraduate) and 7,000 to 25,000 EUR (postgraduate) |
Best Interior Design Universities in Italy
IED Istituto Europeo di Design
This international group of design schools was founded in Milan in 1966 by Francesco Morelli. It is located in 3 countries, Italy, Spain, and Brazil, and has 11 campuses in Milan, Rome, Turin, Florence, Como, Cagliari, Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro. There are over 10,000 students from about 100 different countries studying at IED. Since its beginnings, the university has upheld a multicultural orientation and a strong Italian cultural foundation.
It has partnered with ERASMUS+, ELIA, CUMULUS, etc. to offer global opportunities to its students. It is one of the top design schools in Italy and ranks #101-150 in QS WUR Ranking By Subject (Design and Art) 2023. IED offers 100+ undergraduate and over 300+ graduate courses in design, fashion, visual arts, communication, and art restoration. Students can also pursue foundation, specialized and summer courses at IED. In the field of interior design, IED provides 19 English-taught courses.
| Course Name | Type | Duration | Fees in EUR |
| Interior Design | Undergraduate | 4 years | 15,100 |
| Interior Design | Undergraduate | 3 years | 15,100 |
| Interior and Furniture Design | Undergraduate | 3 years | 15,100 |
| Interior Design | Master’s | 1 year | 20,100 |
| Interior Design for Commercial Spaces and Retail | Master’s | 11 months | 15,100 |
| Interior Design for Hospitality | Master’s | 1 year | 19,200 |
| Interior Design and Decoration – Junior | Summer course | 40 hours | 1,200 |
| Interior and Showroom Design | Summer course | 3 weeks | 2,600 |
Students who lack the academic qualifications to enroll in an undergraduate interior design program at IED may apply for the 9-month foundation course called Global Design. The course costs 15,100 EUR and teaches students basics in interior design, fashion design, product design, and graphic design.
Domus Academy
Recognized as one of the leading postgraduate design schools in Italy, Domus Academy was established in 1982 as Italy’s first postgraduate design school. It provides master’s or MA courses, semester courses, and short courses in the fields of design, business, and fashion.
| Course Name | Type | Duration | Fees in EUR |
| Interior & Living Design | Academic master’s | 11 months | 25,700 |
| Interior & Living Design | Double award master’s | 14 months | 29,700 |
| Interior & Living Design | Semester course | 15 weeks | 8,500 |
The Italian Ministry of Education accredits the academic master’s programs at Domus Academy and is awarded by NABA, Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti. Whereas the double-award master’s has international UK validation from Regent’s University in London and accreditation from the Italian Ministry of Education. Both are five-module programs that include an internship and a final project. Students of the double-award master’s program get to spend a week at Regent’s University in London.
Istituto Superiore di Architettura e Design
The history of ISAD (Istituto Superiore di Architettura e Design) dates back to 1980 when a group of Italian architects came together to form an Italian school dedicated to interior architecture. It offers courses in the field of design and architecture.
| Course Name | Type | Duration | Fees in EUR |
| Interior Design (European Bachelor of Science in Design) | Bachelor’s | 3 years | Not mentioned |
| Interior Design (European Master of Science in Design) | Master’s | 1 year | Not mentioned |
The European Accreditation Board of Higher Education Schools (EABHES), which awards ECTS credits, accredits both courses. The European Bachelor of Science in Design course has 180 ECTS credits, whereas the European Master of Science in Design course has 60 ECTS credits.
Florence Design Academy
FDA (Florence Design Academy) is a private design school in Florence, Italy. It is one of the most renowned schools in Italy offering programs in interior design, graphic design, and industrial design.
| Course Name | Type | Duration | Fees in EUR |
| Interior Design | Undergraduate | 1, 2, or 3 years | 6,950 |
| Master of Interior Design | Master’s | 1 year | 6,950 |
| (Dual) Master of Interior Design and Graphic Design or Industrial Design | Dual master’s | 1 year | 10,950 |
All students at FDA are offered a free Italian language course. For all the programs, students can choose to learn either via traditional classes or online classes. The online classes let the student interact with the teachers via a live stream or watch the lesson later.
Accademia Italiana arte moda design
Accademia Italiana is a university-level institution located in Florence and Rome. It came into existence in 1984 to offer courses in design, fashion, and photography. Accademia Italiana is the first private design and fashion school in Italy to obtain the Italian Ministry of Education (MIUR) authorization. It is also accredited by the European Accreditation Board of Higher Education Schools to offer 3 year long undergraduate programs. The school is highly international and multiethnic, with twenty to twenty-five students in each class so that lecturers can provide individual attention.
| Course Name | Type | Duration | Fees in EUR |
| Interior and Product Design (Bachelor of Arts | Bachelor’s | 3 years | 8,900 |
| Interior Design (Master of Fine Arts) | Master’s | 2 years | 8,400 |
| Foundation Year | Preparatory course | 9 months | 6,000 |
| One-year Course in Interior Design | Professional diploma | 1 year | 4,630 |
| Summer Course in Interior Design | Summer course | 1 month | 1,000 |
Accademia Italiana offers early bird incentives to students who complete their enrollment before a set date, as mentioned on the website. For a bachelor’s course in interior design, students receive a discount of 900 EUR on tuition fees, and for a master’s course, 600 EUR.
Florence Institute of Design
Florence Institute is an interior design school in Florence, Italy that offers diplomas, bachelor’s, and master’s programs in interior design. All of these courses are taught in the English language.
| Course Name | Type | Duration | Fees in EUR/Year |
| Academic course | Diploma | 1 or 2 years | 8,120 |
| Bachelor of Arts Degree, BA (Hons) in Design | Bachelor’s | 3 years | 8,120 |
| Master of Interior Design | Master’s | 1-year | 8,120 |
Admission Requirements to Study at Interior Design Universities in Italy
Undergraduate Admissions
Academic qualifications: A high school diploma with 12 years of previous schooling background. Students who do not meet the requirements can opt for foundational programs.
English language proficiency: English language proficiency is needed for the English language taught programs. Students can produce scores of IELTS or TOEFL as proof of language proficiency.
Admission test: Many Italian design universities ask students to take an admission test that evaluates the student’s academics, English language skills, and portfolio, followed by an interview.
Postgraduate Admissions
Academic qualifications: A first-level degree and/or professional experience in interior design, product design, architecture, engineering, visual arts, or other related disciplines.
English language proficiency: Since the abovementioned courses are taught in English, students need to provide proof of English language proficiency in the form of IELTS 5.0 to 5.5, TOEFL, etc., scores.
Admission test: Few Italian design schools ask students to take an admission test consisting of an evaluation of school records and/or work experience, English language skills, portfolio, and admission interview.
Portfolio: Students must submit a portfolio showcasing their creative work in interior design.
Note: International students also need to have a valid Italian student visa to study in Italy.
Career After an Interior Design Degree in Italy
The field of interior design offers a wide variety of careers. Graduates of interior design can find employment in the fields of architecture, interior design, event planning, hospitality, furniture design, etc. They usually work as
- Interior designers
- Lighting designers
- Living designers
- Space planners
- Exhibition designers
The average salary for interior designers in Italy is 45,335 EUR per year, which amounts to 22 EUR per hour. They can also expect to earn 1,424 EUR in bonuses (source: ERI Economic Research Institute).
Conclusion
Italy is one of the best places to study design-related programs like interior design, fashion design, architecture, etc. IED Istituto Europeo di Design, Domus Academy, Istituto Superiore di Architettura e Design, Florence Design Academy, Accademia Italiana arte moda design, and Florence Institute of Design are some of the best interior design universities in Italy. They offer courses taught in English ranging from undergraduate, and postgraduate to short-term diplomas and summer programs. The bachelor’s courses in interior design in Italy last 3 to 4 years whereas master’s courses last 1-2 years. Summer programs and short-term courses are also available.
Students wishing to apply for courses at any of these universities can apply through the university website. Since the application process for Italian universities is quite complex, we recommend you opt for Gyanberry at Gyanberry admission services. The Gyanberry platform is a platform designed to apply to multiple universities at the same time. This will double your chances of getting admission to the best interior design schools in Italy. For more information contact us by filling out this form.
Also check out the articles: Cost of living in Italy for international students, scholarships in Italy, cheap universities in Italy, and top student cities in Italy.
