NDA UK
NDA DUBAI
NDA UK
NDA DUBAI
APPLY ONLINE
My VLS

Online (via Zoom)
Fast-Track Diploma

Professional
Interior Design

Online (via Zoom)
Fast-Track Diploma

Professional
Interior Design

As a not-for-profit foundation, we are so confident in the price of our Diploma’s
that if you can find the same level of education for less, we will match it!

Entry Requirements

No previous qualifications required, just an interest & enthusiasm for interior design

Course Duration

12 weeks of home study
& weekly online lectures
(Via Zoom)

Next Course Date

28th February - 26th May
(2 week break after Unit 6 & 1 week after Unit 7)
10am - 12.30pm UK Time
Monday & Thursday

More Dates

Assessment

No exams!
Tutor assessment only

Course Summary

With twice weekly live Zoom classes, the Online Fast-Tracked Diploma combines the intensive pace of the ‘In-Studio Fast-Track’ Diploma and the convenience of the ‘Online Flexible’ Diploma. This 12-week course is ideal for those students wanting to study from home and speed up their learning in a live environment. 

The Level 3 Diploma in Professional Interior Design provides you with the skills and qualification to work professionally as an interior designer… without having to go back to school full-time allowing you to balance the demands of work and family life.

The skills you’ll learn can help you carry out design projects for yourself or for family and friends, prepare you for work as a designer, or enable you to pursue further studies in the subject.

This course is Ofqual Level 3 accredited and globally recognised, meaning you can work legally as an interior designer or gain enough educational credits to study a Bachelors Degree if you so choose.

COURSE FEES
ENROL NOW
We have over 30 years of experience in teaching interior design and over 35,000 alumni, this course is a trusted way to help you pursue your passion and kick-start your career as an interior designer

Why Learn Online?

For students who want all the benefits of remote online learning, but are also looking for more structure and live interaction with tutors and peers, the ‘Online Fast-Track’ course offers an ideal mix.

Because the course is delivered fully online, it means students can study from anywhere in the world without the need to travel or commute and attend a full-time course. But it also adds the valuable element of live lectures online with tutors and other students, to cover key content and enable discussions.

  • Study part-time from anywhere in the world
  • Get a recognised professional UK qualification
  • Talk to and interact with tutors and peers
  • Feel motivated and part of a live learning community
  • Complete the course in as little as 12 weeks

What Will I Study?

You will study ten dedicated Units during this Professional Diploma

  • Unit 1
  • Unit 2
  • Unit 3
  • Unit 4
  • Unit 5
  • Unit 6
  • Unit 7
  • Unit 8
  • Unit 9
  • Unit 10

Interior Design In Context

This unit defines the term ‘Interior Design’ and the fundamental principles adopted by Professional Interior Designers today. What you learn in this unit will provide an essential foundation that will underpin your future designs. This unit also includes:-

  • The 7 design elements of good design
  • Professional presentation boards
  • How to write a short design report
  • The history of interior design
  • Identifying key designs from a historical period

Design Inspiration & Designers Role

This unit focuses on the role of the Interior Designer today and teaches you how to work with clients and the stages of developing design concepts. This unit also includes:

  • Understanding a design brief
  • Developing a concept
  • Communicate concepts through professional presentation boards
  • Keeping up with trends in interior design
  • The role and function of the interior designer

Colour for Interior Design

This unit will spark your creativity by giving you the opportunity to play with colour. You’ll explore practical colour theory to enable you to design both historical and contemporary colour schemes. This unit also includes.

  • Create your own Colour wheel
  • Understanding Primary, Secondary and Tertiary colours
  • Exploring Tints, Tones and Shades
  • Presentation boards for historical and contemporary colour schemes
  • The psychological importance of colour in an interior space

Drawing Plans & Elevations

In this unit you will learn the key skills essential to any interior designer; how to draw plans and elevations. This can be achieved one step at a time and will provide you with all the skills you need to communicate your interior design schemes. This unit also includes:

  • How to draw using scale
  • Producing a floor plan
  • Producing a wall elevation drawing
  • Using industry recognised drawing conventions

Space Planning

This unit shows you how to plan the space for a room design. After a few initial sketches you will produce a furniture plan for a room to meet a client brief. This unit also includes:

  • Determining the function of a room
  • How to use development sketches – even if you can’t draw!
  • Producing room furniture layouts
  • Traffic flow for interior design
  • Producing a furniture plan to meet a client brief

Wall & Floor Finishes

This unit covers the wide and exciting range of wall and floor finishes now available to create beautiful interiors. Understand their properties and design a scheme to incorporate these finishes. This unit also includes:

  • Recognising the properties of Wall & Floor finishes
  • Designing a scheme to incorporate these finishes
  • Creating a presentation board and specifying appropriate samples
  • Explaining the use of responsible products within your scheme

Soft Furnishings

Soft Furnishings add the final touches to many interior design schemes. In this unit you will learn how to design soft furnishings schemes to complement your designs. This unit also includes:

  • Choosing suitable fabrics & linings for soft furnishings schemes
  • Calculating fabric quantities
  • Correct methods for fitting curtains
  • Designing a soft furnishings scheme for a client brief
  • Creating a rendered visual of your chosen design

Furniture Styles & Accessories

This unit will show you how to understand and source the limitless range of furniture and accessories available to the interior designer. Also, how to design a piece of bespoke furniture to meet a design brief. This unit also includes:

  • Understanding different furniture styles, historical & contemporary
  • Choosing & sourcing furniture
  • Designing bespoke furniture to meet a design brief
  • Understanding & dealing with suppliers
  • Creating an accessories board to meet the client brief

Creative Lighting

This unit will show you how to understand the huge range of lighting products and the manufacturers who produce them. How to choose lighting for your schemes and dealing with suppliers. This unit also includes:

  • Understanding different lighting products & manufacturers
  • Task, ambient and decorative lighting
  • Lighting levels for room designs
  • Cool and warm lighting
  • Creating a lighting scheme for a furniture layout
  • Applying symbols appropriate to industry lighting plans
  • Developing a lighting plan to meet a client brief

Professional Practice

This unit contains everything you need to know to help you set up your own interior design business. It also helps you identify other career opportunities within Interior Design, such as working within an established design practice or studying for a degree. This unit also includes:

  • How to set up an interior design business
  • How to charge for your design service
  • Different marketing methods
  • Sourcing suppliers and using trade accounts
  • Identifying other career opportunities within interior design
  • Working within a design practice
  • Studying for a degree
DOWNLOAD COURSE GUIDE

Interior Design In Context

This unit defines the term ‘Interior Design’ and the fundamental principles adopted by Professional Interior Designers today. What you learn in this unit will provide an essential foundation that will underpin your future designs. This unit also includes:-

  • The 7 design elements of good design
  • Professional presentation boards
  • How to write a short design report
  • The history of interior design
  • Identifying key designs from a historical period

Design Inspiration & Designers Role

This unit focuses on the role of the Interior Designer today and teaches you how to work with clients and the stages of developing design concepts. This unit also includes:

  • Understanding a design brief
  • Developing a concept
  • Communicate concepts through professional presentation boards
  • Keeping up with trends in interior design
  • The role and function of the interior designer

Colour for Interior Design

This unit will spark your creativity by giving you the opportunity to play with colour. You’ll explore practical colour theory to enable you to design both historical and contemporary colour schemes. This unit also includes.

  • Create your own Colour wheel
  • Understanding Primary, Secondary and Tertiary colours
  • Exploring Tints, Tones and Shades
  • Presentation boards for historical and contemporary colour schemes
  • The psychological importance of colour in an interior space

Drawing Plans & Elevations

In this unit you will learn the key skills essential to any interior designer; how to draw plans and elevations. This can be achieved one step at a time and will provide you with all the skills you need to communicate your interior design schemes. This unit also includes:

  • How to draw using scale
  • Producing a floor plan
  • Producing a wall elevation drawing
  • Using industry recognised drawing conventions

Space Planning

This unit shows you how to plan the space for a room design. After a few initial sketches you will produce a furniture plan for a room to meet a client brief. This unit also includes:

  • Determining the function of a room
  • How to use development sketches – even if you can’t draw!
  • Producing room furniture layouts
  • Traffic flow for interior design
  • Producing a furniture plan to meet a client brief

Wall & Floor Finishes

This unit covers the wide and exciting range of wall and floor finishes now available to create beautiful interiors. Understand their properties and design a scheme to incorporate these finishes. This unit also includes:

  • Recognising the properties of Wall & Floor finishes
  • Designing a scheme to incorporate these finishes
  • Creating a presentation board and specifying appropriate samples
  • Explaining the use of responsible products within your scheme

Soft Furnishings

Soft Furnishings add the final touches to many interior design schemes. In this unit you will learn how to design soft furnishings schemes to complement your designs. This unit also includes:

  • Choosing suitable fabrics & linings for soft furnishings schemes
  • Calculating fabric quantities
  • Correct methods for fitting curtains
  • Designing a soft furnishings scheme for a client brief
  • Creating a rendered visual of your chosen design

Furniture Styles & Accessories

This unit will show you how to understand and source the limitless range of furniture and accessories available to the interior designer. Also, how to design a piece of bespoke furniture to meet a design brief. This unit also includes:

  • Understanding different furniture styles, historical & contemporary
  • Choosing & sourcing furniture
  • Designing bespoke furniture to meet a design brief
  • Understanding & dealing with suppliers
  • Creating an accessories board to meet the client brief

Creative Lighting

This unit will show you how to understand the huge range of lighting products and the manufacturers who produce them. How to choose lighting for your schemes and dealing with suppliers. This unit also includes:

  • Understanding different lighting products & manufacturers
  • Task, ambient and decorative lighting
  • Lighting levels for room designs
  • Cool and warm lighting
  • Creating a lighting scheme for a furniture layout
  • Applying symbols appropriate to industry lighting plans
  • Developing a lighting plan to meet a client brief

Professional Practice

This unit contains everything you need to know to help you set up your own interior design business. It also helps you identify other career opportunities within Interior Design, such as working within an established design practice or studying for a degree. This unit also includes:

  • How to set up an interior design business
  • How to charge for your design service
  • Different marketing methods
  • Sourcing suppliers and using trade accounts
  • Identifying other career opportunities within interior design
  • Working within a design practice
  • Studying for a degree
DOWNLOAD COURSE GUIDE

Student Gallery

A sample of work completed by our talented interior design students

Previous
Next

How Is The Course Run?

The course consists of a 10-week study period that covers each of the 10 subject units in the Diploma course, one unit per week

Weekly Course Schedule

  • At the start of each week, students are provided access to course content for the relevant subject unit
  • A 2.5 hour live lecture is held by the tutor to cover key points in the unit
  • Students are given 2 to 3 days to go through the unit content and start their assignments in their own time
  • A 2.5 hour live lecture is held towards the middle of the week to allow time for discussions, questions and a review of progress made on assignments
  • All assignments relating to the unit are completed by end of the week
  • 2.5hr live lectures are organised two days per week for 10 weeks.
  • You will have an extra two weeks within the duration of your course to complete any unfinished work.
Please Note: This is an intensive, fast-track course. If you are unable to commit to the course schedule, other study options are available.
MORE STUDY OPTIONS

Available Course Dates

International students (non-UK) – Please check the timings of each course in your country, using our handy Timezone Converter below. All courses are listed in UK (London) Timezone.

  • 31st January - 28th April
    FULLY BOOKED
Morning
  • 28th February - 26th May
    (2 week break after Unit 6 & 1 week after Unit 7)
    10am - 12.30pm UK Time
    Monday & Thursday
Morning
  • 21st March - 16th June
    (1 week break after each of Units 4, 5 & 8)
    12.30pm - 3pm UK Time
    Monday & Thursday
Afternoon
  • 22nd March - 10th June
    (1 week break after Unit 3 & 9)
    3.30pm - 6pm UK Time
    Tuesday & Friday
Afternoon
  • 29th March - 17th June
    (1 week break after Unit 2 & 8)
    6pm - 8.30pm UK Time
    Tuesday & Friday
Evening
Timezone Converter
Choose Date & Time:
- :
From Timezone:
To Timezone:
Converted Time:

enrol now
Timezone Converter
Choose Date & Time:
- :
From Timezone:
To Timezone:
Converted Time:

A Recognised Qualification

Accreditation

At the National Design Academy, we fully believe in the importance of accreditation. After all, what value is there in investing time and money into a course if it doesn’t offer a recognized qualification? The Diploma course is accredited by AIM Qualifications, an independent accrediting body for UK courses, and is recognised globally. It offers a level-3 UK qualification that allows to you work as a professional interior designer or start your own design business.

LEARN MORE
  • UK Government Funding (Diploma)
UK residents pay approximately 50% course fees and funding from the UK government will pay the rest.
  • UK Government Student Loan (Diploma)
No upfront course fees to find. If you are aged 19+ and have lived in England for 3+ years you are eligible.

Online Fast-Track Diploma Course Fees

UK Students

Non-Funded
Full Course Fee £1,800
Less
UK Government Funding
NDA Funded Course Fee £1,200

There are three ways for UK students to pay for their Online Fast-Track Diploma:

One Payment

£ 1,200 On Enrolment
  •  
Enrol Now
Most Popular

3 x Monthly Payments

£ 450 Per Month*
  • £1,350 in total
Enrol Now

UK Student Loan

COVERS FULL COURSE FEE
£ 50 ADMIN FEE
  • refunded on completion
FIND OUT MORE
* Monthly payments include admin fee.

International Students

There are two ways for International students to pay for their Online Fast-Track Diploma:

One Payment

$ 2,425 ON ENROLMENT
  • Save $250 by paying in full
  • Limited spaces available!!
Enrol Now

3 x Monthly Payments

$ 2,675 IN TOTAL*
  • $1,125 on enrolment
  • + 2 x $775 monthly payments
Enrol Now

* Monthly payments include admin fee.

All International fees in US Dollars.

What Will I Need To Study?

Alongside a computer and an internet connection, there is also essential and recommended design equipment and resources required to complete your NDA Course, the majority are available through the online NDA Art Shop at student prices!

FIND OUT MORE

What's Next?

Higher Education
You can choose to continue your studies and enrol onto our Bachelor’s Degree in Interior Design (BA Hons) this is studied online in the same way as your Diploma. As a Diploma graduate, you are also automatically eligible to join this course. The Bachelor’s Degree equips you with a higher skill level and a more in-depth understanding of the interior design industry, while adding an impressive qualification to your CV.
Careers

The Diploma course provides you with the practical skills needed to start working as a designer. With a professional qualification in hand, you can look for internship or employment opportunities to launch your design career and build industry experience.

Alternatively, you can look at starting your own interior design business and building your own client base.

Student Success Stories...

More Success Stories

Ready to pursue your passion for Interior Design?

enrol now

What Our Students Say...

Hear what past and present students have to say about studying at the NDA

It has been so enjoyable and informative, I have gained a world of information with regards to Interior Design. Yes it was a bit challenging at times with my busy schedule but all in all it was a fantastic experience. The amount of information supplied by the NDA for every unit was very informative, enlightening and more than sufficient for the subject at hand. My Tutor's conduct, experience, humor, unbiased views and superb teaching was excellent in every sphere of Interior Design.
Jade Persaud-Kanick Diploma - Professional Interior Design
Because it was my first experience in Interior Design, I was very surprised of how many factors and Interior Designer has to take in consideration to plan and do a good Interior. In my opinion the course was well organized. I think that the course was very good, the tutors always motivated us and they created a sense of community. Everything was perfect.
Fast-Track StudentDiploma - Professional Interior Design
NDA has projected a superb and comprehensive layout for the Diploma course. The VLS is very user friendly and the resources and gallery sections are very detailed and informative. The front desk staff of the NDA have also been very helpful and friendly - overall the NDA has really proven to be an all round superior learning institution for the world of Interior Design.
Jade Persaud-Kanick Diploma - Professional Interior Design
I chose to study the Interior Design Diploma at the NDA primarily because of its AIM Awards accreditation. The distance learning was of great importance because of my other commitments and meant that I could achieve a good balance between work, personal life and study.
Anita BrownDiploma - Professional Interior Design
It was an easy decision to study with the NDA. One of the things that made the whole process so much easier was the VLS platform. It's a great method of communication between student and tutor but also in terms of receiving work and submitting feedback.
John NivenDiploma - Professional Interior Design
I would recommend anybody with a willingness to study Interior Design to consider the National Design Academy. The tutor support is fantastic and it is a great way to gain qualifications without having to put the rest of your life on hold.
Amy JohnsonDiploma - Professional Interior Design
It is an amazing course which exceeded my expectations as I thought it would be less informative instead I learned more than I expected to learn and the assignments were more challenging than I imagined. Thanks for the amazing course!
Lolowa Al MazroueiDiploma - Professional Interior Design
I have enjoyed the course immensely. Not only have I gained some knowledge into the interior design world but my main gain is in my confidence which has really grown during the course, which has been noticed by friends and colleagues…
Linda AstonDiploma - Professional Interior Design
I chose to study Interior Design because I’ve always thought that I’d be good at it. I started by doing the Diploma course at the NDA just to see if I had ‘it’ and if I enjoyed the subject, and I loved it! So much so that I jumped straight from that course to the Degree.
Damian MayhewDiploma - Professional Interior Design
Previous
Next

Questions? Request a Call Back

Our admissions team will be happy to discuss your options.

Call Me Back

COPYRIGHT © NATIONAL DESIGN ACADEMY

Terms of Use

Privacy Policy