The International Master of Interior-Architectural Design is a master's program with an international profile. In four semesters, students gain a deeper understanding of the potential and quality of spaces in which we are spending an average of 90 percent of our time with living, working and recreational activities, in order to take responsibility for the design of the built environment with their own ideas. The place of study in the first and third semester is Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences. In the second semester, you will study at one of our partner universities. Each year, all partners are meeting between the second and third semester for an international workshop at one of the university locations. The teaching ties in with the contents and learning objectives of space-related bachelor's degree programs and deepens design teaching so that independent answers to complex design tasks can be found and developed in terms of design and construction. Individual interests for future focus can be explored in elective courses.

Application deadline

May 4th until June 15th

Study time

4 semesters

Study title

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Study

IM

At IMIAD we are living openness to other cultures. Semesters abroad, international themes, teams and workshops form the core of your studies with the goal of promoting your personal development and the acquisition of further skills. IMIAD offers the opportunity to build an international network of friends and professional contacts.

IA

On the basis of a space-related bachelor's degree, our master's program creates the prerequisites for future work as an interior designer in a position of project responsibility or as a freelancer. As preparation for the leap into professional life, we support you in expanding your specialist knowledge and skills and in gaining design confidence.

D!

The design of spaces is at the center of our thinking. In the studio, we discuss, develop, and define qualities of the built environment. Here we negotiate what a world we want to live in under changing conditions might be like. Alongside the voices and impulses of our teaching assistants, professors are offering a complementary spectrum of experience.

International Teams

Semester
1

Semester Abroad

Semester
2

International Workshop

Semester

Consolidation and Preparation

Semester
3

Master-Thesis

Semester
4

Reference to Practice

Semester
1-4

Projects

Excursions

International

At the beginning of the first semester, you and your fellow students will decide which partner university you want to study at in the second semester. In preparation for the semester abroad, you will improve your English from the very beginning in lectures, presentations and in communication with students from our American partner university, the University of Cincinnati. To find out which study abroad program will best support your personal development, we recommend taking a look at our partner universities.

After the semester abroad, all students meet again at an international workshop and get to know students and professors from the partner universities. The content of the workshop combines cultural characteristics of the location with current topics of interior design discourse. In preparation of your Master's thesis, you have the opportunity to conduct research abroad or to apply for professors from our partner universities as mentors. And even after graduation, you can benefit from the IMIAD network that you build up during your studies. It is up to you to take advantage of the opportunities to network with the world and stay in touch with other alumni. Our graduates have contacts and friends all over the world - on a personal and professional level.

Partner Universities

BEST OF

Digital annual exhibition of the faculty

Application

Admission

Application period approx. May 7th to June 15th

Application interviews end of June / beginning of July

Start of studies Admission for the winter semester; courses are starting at the end of September

Online Application

The application for a study place is done exclusively via the online procedure.

All required documents for enrollment must be submitted by the deadline and exclusively online.

Selection Process

Applicants who meet all admission requirements and whose application documents (submitted on time and complete) are rated at least good, will receive an invitation to a personal interview. The detailed procedure of the selection process can be found in the IMIAD Admission and Selection Rules.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about the application:

Do I have to pay tuition fees as a foreign applicant?
Since the winter semester 2017/18, tuition fees are being charged from international students (outside the EU) for consecutive Master's programs in Baden-Württemberg. This fee is € 1,500 per semester plus semester contribution. For international students from the EU, these additional tuition fees do not apply.

How can I have my foreign degree certificate recognized?
Prospective foreign students with foreign citizenship must have their university entrance qualification ("Hochschulzugangsberechtigung" = HZB) recognized by Studienkolleg Konstanz.
Prospective foreign students with German citizenship have to have their certificate of higher education entrance qualification recognized at Regierungspräsidium Stuttgart-Vaihingen.

The languages of instruction at IMIAD are English and German. Only in the second semester is study entirely in English at a partner university. For this reason, each international student applicant must prove German language skills by means of a recognized language certificate. The language skills must at least correspond to DSH level 2 or TestDaF level 4. Further requirements for foreign applicants at HFT can be found here.

No, it is a full-time, face-to-face course of study in Stuttgart.

HFT Stuttgart does not offer any study-preparatory language courses, i.e. with study-qualifying certification DSH or TestDaF. Our language courses are exclusively offered to international students from our partner universities. Students must therefore first register with suitable study-preparatory private language schools in order to fulfill the language requirements necessary for admission to the HFT. After the course fee has been paid in advance, they will issue a certificate for the acquisition of the language school visa.

Language schools in Stuttgart:
Deutschkolleg www.deutschkurs-stuttgart.de
Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations www.ifa.de

Course fee per language level approx. € 700 (duration approx. 6 weeks per course) - normally required are A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 & examination Test-DaF)

If the student is admitted to a university, the residence permit can be converted into a student visa - without the need for a new visa application in the home country and the associated departure and re-entry.

No, the HFT Stuttgart can not issue a provisional admission.

In the IMIAD admission procedure, we check whether the applicant's professional knowledge is sufficient as a basis for a master's degree in interior design. The space-related course of study and the projects demonstrated in the portfolio should indicate a clear focus on interior design topics.

If an applicant is admitted to the IMIAD program but does not take up his or her place, he or she must re-enter the procedure in order to take up the program at a later date. A deferral is only permitted by law in the Bachelor procedures and there only if the applicant does not take up the study place due to an FSJ (voluntary social year) or similar.

FAQ - frequently asked questions about studying

The study program is accredited by the Accreditation Agency for Study Programs in Engineering, Computer Science, Natural Sciences and Mathematics e.V. (ASIIN).

For registration and entry in the interior architects list of the Chamber of Architects in Germany, a minimum of 8 semesters of interior architecture studies are required. For students who have completed a space-related bachelor's degree program other than interior design, the registration committees of the chambers reserve the right for an "examination of individual cases".

In the first semester, most courses are attended with guest students from the University of Cincinnati and are taught in English. In the second semester, courses are taught entirely in English at one of our partner universities. The courses in the third semester are mostly in German and the Master's thesis in the fourth semester can be completed independently in either German or English. Since international guest critics are also invited to the final presentation of the Master's theses, the theses are presented and discussed in English according to the study examination regulations.

According to the study examination regulations, all students at IMIAD are required to spend the second semester at one of our partner universities. It is not possible to remain at HFT Stuttgart during this period.

Due to the international orientation of IMIAD, there are costs for international cooperation, workshops and exchange semesters. These can vary depending on the location, but it is advisable to expect expenses of approximately € 5,000 for the two-year program.

Contact & Downloads

Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences
Faculty of Architecture and Design
International Master of Interior-Architectural Design (IMIAD)
Building 8 / Room 3.04
Schellingstraße 24
70174 Stuttgart

Secretary of the study program
Barbara Rosenhart
Telefon +49 (0) 711 8926 2635

imiad(at)hft-stuttgart.de

Academic Associate
Dipl.-Des. Melissa Acker
Phone +49 (0) 711 8926 2883

Dean of Studies
Prof. Andreas Kretzer

Instagram
@innenarchitektur_hft_stuttgart

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