The Master of Arts in Interior Architecture (MAIA) teaches students to explore design at the intersection of space, ecology and media. Taking the interior as the defining space of the contemporary era—a hub where these dimensions converge—the program examines how architecture engages with climate change, multispecies coexistence and digital mediation across various scales and technologies.

Rather than treating interiors as autonomous spheres, students are encouraged to rethink them as complex ecologies in which human and nonhuman actors are entangled at broader planetary scales, from material to virtual and from local to global.

Interior design is viewed as multidimensional, bringing together the diverse environments and species that shape reality across these fields. The professional dimension of the program includes full-scale project realizations, multidisciplinary training and research-driven design that explore new interior ecologies.

The Master in Interior Architecture (MAIA) is structured across four complementary dimensions:

Curriculum – Interior Ecologies

Across four semesters, MAIA explores interior ecologies through Glossaries, Assemblages, Investigations and the Diploma. Studios and seminars address ecological concepts, material and virtual environments, curatorial practices and design politics. The curriculum progresses from foundational inquiry to independent research, culminating in a graduation project that prepares students for professional life.

Professional Projects

Professional projects connect students with cultural institutions and industry partners, developing conceptual, technical and administrative skills through practice. Collaborations include presentations at Milan Design Week and similar venues, expanding students’ international exposure. Graduates may also apply for registration on the Professional Register of Swiss Architects (REG A, Interior Architecture).

Academic and Research Partners

Practice and research come together to open professional pathways across design, curatorial and editorial practices. Students regularly contribute to ongoing research projects such as Scènes de Nuit, Forced Reuse and The Future of Humanitarian Design. Collaborations with the Joint Master of Architecture in Geneva, Fribourg and Burgdorf, as well as École Camondo in Toulon, connect education with national and international partners.

HEAD – Genève, International Community

HEAD – Genève brings MAIA students together with designers, architects, curators, researchers and experts from a wide range of disciplines. Multidisciplinarity is central to this international learning environment, with collaborations across departments—including cinema, fashion and media design—bringing diverse methods, knowledge and creative practices into dialogue. Throughout the four semesters, these exchanges broaden perspectives on interior architecture and support the program’s ambitions.

MAIA graduates will be able to:

• Master the professional aspects of interior architecture and explore the public, private and commercial spheres of contemporary spaces, with particular emphasis on ecology, circularity and digital innovation.
• Conceive interiors that integrate the plurality of bodies and multispecies relationships, taking into account both animal and plant life.
• Address contemporary environmental and societal challenges by integrating the objects, technologies and media that shape contemporary interiors.
• Lead design initiatives concerning new interior ecologies and post-carbon futures, drawing on research at various levels, including theoretical and editorial production.
• Translate acquired skills into career paths in interior architecture across all its professional dimensions—space design, product design, new media, research and curatorial practices.

MAIA alumni have pursued careers in interior architecture, design, research and curatorial practices, particularly in the following fields:

• Interior designers, working independently or within design studios across various sectors (residential, commercial, institutional and cultural)
• Scenographers, specializing in exhibition, event and set design
• Furniture and object designers
• Consultants in spatial strategy and design
• Design curators and professionals working in exhibition-related fields
• Researchers and lecturers in architecture and design

The program is structured over two consecutive years. The first three semesters focus on design, research, and the development of technical and professional practices in interior architecture. The second year culminates in the Master’s Thesis, which combines theoretical research with a practical degree project.

Admission to the Master in Interior Architecture requires:

• a university-level or UAS (HES) Bachelor's degree, or an equivalent foreign qualification
• a degree with a specialization in the relevant field, or one year of recent, documented professional experience in the field of study concerned
• English level B2

If you do not hold the required qualification, you may apply for admission under special conditions. The applicable terms are set out in the Admission Requirements section.