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Interior Design is not a regulated industry in the UK, although in some countries it is a licensed profession and the NDA Diploma is approved in these countries as it is an accredited qualification. Although anyone can call themselves an interior designer, by undertaking our Diploma, students will gain the relevant knowledge and skills in order to work professionally. When advertising your design services, potential clients will want to see that you are a trained and qualified interior designer.
Many NDA Diploma students start their own small business as an interior designer, curtain maker or Garden Designer.
Degree graduates can also start their own business or become an interior designer with a design or architectural practice or as a show home designer with a construction company. Vacancies for placements and career opportunities from practices who are looking for designers are posted on the VLS.
All Degree students will receive a NUS card through our academic partnership with DMU. They will also free access to the DMU library (on line or on campus) plus all other UK university libraries.
AIM Qualifications is the awarding body that accredits the NDA Diplomas.
No, students receive the same certificate of achievement as ‘on-campus’ students and is accredited either by an awarding body or University.
The NDA delivers its courses online through our Virtual Learning Studio (VLS). Our studio based courses also use the VLS to hold you course material, assignments and to record your progress.
Therefore in order to access the VLS you will need a computer (PC or Mac) or laptop and it is recommended that you use a browser such as (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge etc.) We do not recommend that you use a tablet or phone for full time study although the course material is fully responsive for these devices for short periods of study such as your lunch break or when you travel etc.
On our Diploma course, you will learn how to sketch layouts and produce floor plans and elevations to scale. Step by step instructions are given with video tutorials.
We do not teach technical drawing by hand on our degree courses as students will usually have this experience. If you have studied a design-related subject at A-Level or Diploma standard and have not studied technical drawing, you will be referred to the video tutorials on the VLS so you can gain these skills when you start your degree. Every NDA student is given a free license for AutoCAD and students may also use other programs such as SketchUp and Photoshop.
You will need basic sewing skills and access to a sewing machine. To complete your samples for assessment there is an Equipment & Fabric List – all of which is available in a handy kit from the NDA Art Shop.
No, you do not need to attend the NDA as our courses are designed to be studied entirely online. You will only need to attend if you study a studio course in Nottingham (UK) or in Knowledge Park (Dubai), or you wish to arrange a one-to-one tutorial with your tutor.
Online (Flexible) Diploma courses have a maximum study time of 10 months, (12 months for Professional Soft Furnishings & Curtain Making) your end date can be extended for a small cost. Online (Fast-Track) Diploma courses are completed in 14 weeks and In-Studio courses (2 x 5 weekdays or 10 x Sundays) blended with home study are completed in 12 weeks.
Degree course modules have a generous maximum time allocation but because there may be times when students require extra time, a holiday or a break from study we offer flexible options in line with external regulations from our academic partner De Montfort University Leicester. The majority of NDA students complete each level of their degree in approximately one year but some may require less time or take longer to complete.
No, all assignments are project based and are assessed by your tutor and moderated by our university academic partner, De Montfort University Leicester (DMU).
Assignments are uploaded simply through the VLS. The VLS accepts many file types such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Photoshop, and AutoCAD files, as well as the common image/document types of JPEG, TIFF, PNG or PDF. It is highly recommended that all work is submitted as zipped (compressed) PDF files as this will retain the original quality of your work.
Please note, if you do submit your work manually through the post, unfortunately we will not be able to return this to you.
The estimated study time may seem high but this is not just the time you spend completing your assignments. It also includes the following tasks which can be completed flexibly around your lifestyle:
For Professional Diploma students: Weekly study time is dependent on your chosen study method:
Online (flexible) – Approx. 6.5 hours per week over 40 weeks (10 months total).
In-Studio Fast-Track – 10 days (60 hrs) in studio, plus approx. 16hrs per week home study for 10 weeks (12 weeks total).
Online Fast-Track (zoom) – Approx. 18 hrs per week, including a mix of home study and 20 x 2.5hr scheduled live Zoom sessions. (14 weeks total).
For Degree students: recommended study hours is based on the number of credits included in each module. For 30 credit modules, the recommended time is 300 hours of study time over a 3-4 month period and for 15 or 60 credit modules, the time is pro-rata.
We understand that there are some circumstances that may prevent you from submitting an assignment on time. For Diploma courses, you can add a short extension to each unit through the VLS yourself.
If you are studying one of our Degree courses, it is important that you contact your tutor or student support as soon as possible so they can discuss the various options for an extension.
Anyone who lives in the UK will qualify for funding. You simply pay your contribution (approximately 50%) towards the course fee in one payment or monthly payments (online or in-studio) and when you complete the course the balance of the fee is paid by funding direct to NDA.
Yes, if you are aged 19 years+ when you start your course (online or in-studio) and have lived in England for the past 3 years you will be eligible for an Advanced Learner Loan, they are not means tested and will pay your entire course fee. You just pay a £50 administration fee on enrolment which will be refunded when you complete your course.
After you have enrolled NDA will send you a short Student Profile form to complete. We will then provide you with a letter offering you a place on your course and assist you with the simple ALL online application. After you have received confirmation of your loan (usually less than 2 weeks) you can start your course.
Repayments are low and they do not start until after you have completed your course and only then if you earn £25,000+ per year. If you never earn more than £25,000 you will never be asked to repay the loan. Find out more here.
A Degree Level is equivalent to a university year. However, as part-time flexible students a level may take you longer or less than a year to complete. Your tuition fees are due at the start of each level. A BA (Hons) consists of 3 levels, a BA (Hons) Top-Up Degree is one level and a Master’s Degree is also one level.
If you have been living in England or Wales for 3 years you can apply online for a Government Backed student loan to cover the entire cost of your degree. (Scotland & NI have different arrangements.) NDA will assist you with your application once you have enrolled and been accepted. Repayments are low and only start in the April after you have completed your degree and only if you are earning £25,000+. Find out more here.
If you have been living in England or Wales for 3 years you can apply online for a Government Backed Post Graduate Student Loan up to £12,167. (Scotland & NI have different arrangements.) This will be paid directly to you in regular payments throughout your Master’s Degree. NDA will assist you with your application once you have enrolled and been accepted. Find out more here.
You can pay the tuition fees in one payment on enrolment or spread the cost with monthly payments which include an administration fee.
You have 14 days from the date of your online enrolment in which to change your mind, please email admissions@nda.ac.uk to confirm. Please see our Enrolment Terms for further information.
Our courses are taught in English therefore you will need a basic level of English to study a Diploma Course. For a degree course if English is not your first language or if your lessons have not been taught in English at school, college or university a good standard of written English will be required. Usually IELTS average 6.5 or TOEFL score of 550 or equivalent, although all students are considered on an individual basis.
No. Students can apply for a Diploma Course from 16+ years and there is no upper age limit. However, there is an upper age limit of 60 for those who may wish to apply for a student loan.
Our Diploma courses are designed for those without previous experience, just enthusiasm for their chosen design subject.
There are entry requirements for our Degree courses which are listed on each degree course page of this website. You can apply to study a degree by clicking Apply Now on the website and completing a short application form listing your previous qualifications or CV of professional experience. You can upload your certificates with your application or later, after you have been offered a place.
All successful NDA Professional Diploma students are offered a guaranteed place on one of our degree courses.
UK students pay approximately 50% of the full course fee – the balance is funded by the UK Government’s Adult education budget (AEB).
The National Design Academy is the only design school to be able to offer this funding as our Diplomas are all fully accredited by AIM Qualifications.