Finding the right interior design course can be tricky. There are so many options out there! Here at the National Design Academy, we offer two different ways to learn at Diploma level. You can either study online or you can join one of our interior design studio courses. But what’s the difference? Which will suit you? Here we cover the basic differences between the two options.
Qualify as a Professional Interior Designer in 12 Weeks or 12 Months
The In-Studio course offers the opportunity to study either in our interior design studio in Nottingham or with our team in Dubai. You will start your course with 5 days of intensive training, covering all the basics so that when you return home, you’ll be able to hit the ground running. After five weeks of studying from home, you’ll then return to the studio for a further five days where you’ll see the same tutors and students you first studied with. This is also where you realise that you’ve made friends along the way, if you hadn’t before! The shared experience of the studio course is without doubt one of the best things. A group of like-minded people can help you to share ideas, challenges and provide a support network that you don’t get, outside of our tutors, when you study purely from home.
After the final week in studio, you return home to complete your Interior Design Diploma over a further five weeks. This brings the total course duration down to only 12 weeks. The online interior design course can be studied over a period of 12 months which, for those with full-time jobs, can make life easier.
Choose the Interior Design Studio Course if:
You want to complete Interior Design Diploma in the shortest time possible and can be away from home or commute to Nottingham or Dubai for five days, twice.
Fitting Your Interior Design Course in Around Your Current Life
Whether you are returning to education, just leaving school or looking for a new career, choosing the right interior design course can depend a lot on your home life. Our interior design courses have been specifically designed to fit in around busy lives, allowing you to continue to work, care for your children and other family members or even study other courses.
Both the Online and In-Studio Interior Design Diploma offer flexible learning options. Our Virtual Learning Studio holds all of our course resources. Unlike many, even online, interior design courses, you can start your Professional Design Diploma anytime with the NDA and you can start your modules at a time to suite you. There’s no mass email with each assignment at strict intervals. Your learning journey can be paced to fit in with your way of learning and other commitments.
Our interior design studio course is a ‘blended learning’ option which means that you get the best of both worlds – hands-on, practical lessons with a tutor and online assignments to complete at home. Both our online and in-studio courses are studied part time, but you have full time access to all of our resources via the Virtual Learning Studio and our tutors are always on hand for advice and guidance via Skype, email and phone.
Choose the Interior Design Studio Course if:
You have a little more flexibility in your home life and want to be a little more hands-on
The Human Element
Although you still get a personal tutor and regular contact with them with the online interior design course, studying the in-studio option means that you actually get to put a face to the name. The in-studio interior design course in Nottingham is taught by a different tutor each day, depending on the subject being studied. From Technical Drawing to Colour Theory, our tutors make each subject come alive in their own special way depending on their specialism. It also gives you the ability to ask questions as you go along, rather than waiting until you’re stuck to ask a question via email or call a tutor. Our interior design courses in Dubai are a little more fluid – the team of tutors is smaller which means that you get to build a more personal relationship as you go through the week.
There’s also nothing better than being in a room full of like-minded people. Studying interior design in-studio offers the ability to bounce ideas of other students, share similar passions and create friendships which often last way after the course has ended.
Choose the In-Studio Interior Design course if:
You prefer being around other people, rather than working solo and you’d like to meet your tutors face-to-face.
Choose Your Interior Design Course Carefully!
Finding the right interior design course for you is really important if you’re going to stick at it and make the most of the opportunity. If you have small children, it can be difficult to be away from them for as long as five days so online interior design courses may suit you better. The same if you work full time. That said, if you can commute or take time off from work, the in-studio Diploma is a great way to meet a brilliant bunch of people with similar interests, get hands-on in the first week of learning and fast-track your qualification. Whichever you choose, you will qualify as a design professional, having been given all the skills and tools you need to either start your own design practice or begin a rewarding new career!
We offer in-studio options for the following courses:
Professional Interior Design Diploma – Nottingham, UK
Professional Interior Design Diploma – Dubai, UAE
Professional Garden Design & Landscaping – Nottingham, UK
Professional Soft Furnishings & Curtain Making – Nottingham, UK
You can find out the next dates of our in-studio courses on each page.
If you’d like to know more about studying in studio with the NDA contact us for information or use our Live Chat facility.
2 responses
Do you provide masters in interior design?
Hi Charvi, absolutely! Our MA Interior Design is studied 100% online. You can apply and start anytime which means you don’t need to wait for a term or semester to start. You can also study from anywhere in the world 🙂 For more information on our Master’s Programme please click here: https://www.nda.ac.uk/study/courses/ma/interior-design/ If you have any further questions please email to support@nda.ac.uk Kind regards Bella.