A Level Results? We're Open For Clearing  -  BA (Hons) Interior Design Places Available  –  Study Online  -  Choose Any Start Date!  -  Earn While You Learn  –  Low Tuition Fees  -  Full UK Student Loans Available  -  
A Level Results? We're Open For Clearing  -  BA (Hons) Interior Design Places Available  –  Study Online  -  Choose Any Start Date!  -  Earn While You Learn  –  Low Tuition Fees  -  Full UK Student Loans Available  -  
A Level Results? We're Open For Clearing  -  BA (Hons) Interior Design Places Available  –  Study Online  -  Choose Any Start Date!  -  Earn While You Learn  –  Low Tuition Fees  -  Full UK Student Loans Available  -  
A Level Results? We're Open For Clearing  -  BA (Hons) Interior Design Places Available  –  Study Online  -  Choose Any Start Date!  -  Earn While You Learn  –  Low Tuition Fees  -  Full UK Student Loans Available  -  

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

14 weeks of home study
including 20 x bi-weekly
online sessions (via Zoom)

Next Course Date

10th January - 22nd April
6pm - 8.30pm (UK Time)
Tuesdays & Fridays

More Dates

UK Student Loans

No up front fees to pay!
If you are aged 19+ and have lived in England for 3+ years you are eligible.

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 14 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.

UK Fees
NON-UK Fees
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We have over 35 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 14 weeks

What Will I Study?

You will study eight dedicated Units during this Professional Diploma

Interior Design & the Role of the Designer

This unit introduces you to the fundamental elements and principles that are common within a successful design scheme and how they are adopted by Professional Interior Designers today. You’ll learn how and why interior design has changed over time and to identify key interior design trends. What you learn in this unit will provide an essential foundation to underpin your future designs. This unit also includes:-

  • The 7 design elements of good design
  • Interior Design history and contemporary practice
  • The role of an Interior Designer and different project types
  • Professional presentation boards
  • How to write a short design report

Using Colour in 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:-

  • Basic colour principles and terminology
  • The impact of colour in a design scheme
  • The psychological importance of colour in an interior space
  • Historical and contemporary colour trends
  • Creating a successful interior design colour scheme

Exploring Surface Finishes in Interior Design

This unit covers the wide and exciting range of surface finishes now available to create fabulous interiors. You’ll explore the versatility and impact of materials for walls, floors and soft furnishings and how to use them to create an effective design scheme. This unit also includes:-

  • The characteristics and suitability of different materials
  • Sourcing and using materials to develop a design scheme
  • Practical skills to represent colour, pattern and texture
  • How to visually present your design ideas

Plans and Space Planning in a Professional Context

This unit shows you how to plan the space for a room design. From initial sketches to final layouts, you will visualise and present design solutions to meet a client brief. This unit also includes:-

  • Understanding the space and the client brief
  • Traffic flow and zoning of space
  • Developing floor plans by hand
  • Creating elevations by hand
  • Practical sketching and hand drawing techniques

Furniture & Accessories in Interior Design

This unit focusses on the limitless range of furniture and accessories available to the Interior Designer. You’ll learn to recognise key styles in furniture and accessory design and how to select and source appropriate furniture and accessories to meet a client brief. This unit also includes:-

  • Understanding of different furniture and accessory styles, historical and contemporary
  • Influential practitioners and design movements
  • The characteristics and suitability of furniture and accessories
  • Choosing and sourcing items
  • Producing furniture layouts

Creative Lighting in Interior Design

This unit explores the potential of creative lighting in interiors and develops your knowledge of lighting design, including traditional and contemporary products. You’ll learn how to choose lighting for your schemes and how to deal with suppliers. This unit also includes:-

  • Understanding different lighting products and lamps
  • Task, ambient and decorative lighting
  • Lighting levels for room design
  • 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 in Interior Design

This unit explores the diverse possibilities for a career in the Interior design industry and helps prepare you to work successfully in the professional environment, whether this be in an established practice or setting up an interior design business. With a focus on your personal and professional development, you will consider the steps you should take to achieve your own progression ambitions. This unit also includes:-

  • Being employed, self-employed and setting up an interior design service
  • Portfolio development
  • Working with others in a professional environment
  • Effective marketing and promotion
  • How to charge for your design service
  • Studying for a degree
online interior design courses

Professional Interior Design Project

For this final unit of the course, you bring together all your newly learned skill by producing conceptual designs to create a wonderful interior design scheme for a new client. When complete, your work will form an asset to your developing portfolio to show future clients. This unit also includes:-

  • Developing a design concept
  • Creating a colour scheme
  • Selecting surface finishes
  • Space planning, including furniture and accessory arrangements
  • Creating a lighting plan
  • Professional presentation techniques
DIPLOMA COURSE GUIDE
Unit 1

Interior Design & the Role of the Designer

This unit introduces you to the fundamental elements and principles that are common within a successful design scheme and how they are adopted by Professional Interior Designers today. You’ll learn how and why interior design has changed over time and to identify key interior design trends. What you learn in this unit will provide an essential foundation to underpin your future designs. This unit also includes:-

  • The 7 design elements of good design
  • Interior Design history and contemporary practice
  • The role of an Interior Designer and different project types
  • Professional presentation boards
  • How to write a short design report
Unit 2

Using Colour in 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:-

  • Basic colour principles and terminology
  • The impact of colour in a design scheme
  • The psychological importance of colour in an interior space
  • Historical and contemporary colour trends
  • Creating a successful interior design colour scheme
Unit 3

Exploring Surface Finishes in Interior Design

This unit covers the wide and exciting range of surface finishes now available to create fabulous interiors. You’ll explore the versatility and impact of materials for walls, floors and soft furnishings and how to use them to create an effective design scheme. This unit also includes:-

  • The characteristics and suitability of different materials
  • Sourcing and using materials to develop a design scheme
  • Practical skills to represent colour, pattern and texture
  • How to visually present your design ideas
Unit 4

Plans and Space Planning in a Professional Context

This unit shows you how to plan the space for a room design. From initial sketches to final layouts, you will visualise and present design solutions to meet a client brief. This unit also includes:-

  • Understanding the space and the client brief
  • Traffic flow and zoning of space
  • Developing floor plans by hand
  • Creating elevations by hand
  • Practical sketching and hand drawing techniques
Unit 5

Furniture & Accessories in Interior Design

This unit focusses on the limitless range of furniture and accessories available to the Interior Designer. You’ll learn to recognise key styles in furniture and accessory design and how to select and source appropriate furniture and accessories to meet a client brief. This unit also includes:-

  • Understanding of different furniture and accessory styles, historical and contemporary
  • Influential practitioners and design movements
  • The characteristics and suitability of furniture and accessories
  • Choosing and sourcing items
  • Producing furniture layouts
Unit 6

Creative Lighting in Interior Design

This unit explores the potential of creative lighting in interiors and develops your knowledge of lighting design, including traditional and contemporary products. You’ll learn how to choose lighting for your schemes and how to deal with suppliers. This unit also includes:-

  • Understanding different lighting products and lamps
  • Task, ambient and decorative lighting
  • Lighting levels for room design
  • 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
Unit 7

Professional Practice in Interior Design

This unit explores the diverse possibilities for a career in the Interior design industry and helps prepare you to work successfully in the professional environment, whether this be in an established practice or setting up an interior design business. With a focus on your personal and professional development, you will consider the steps you should take to achieve your own progression ambitions. This unit also includes:-

  • Being employed, self-employed and setting up an interior design service
  • Portfolio development
  • Working with others in a professional environment
  • Effective marketing and promotion
  • How to charge for your design service
  • Studying for a degree
Unit 8
online interior design courses

Professional Interior Design Project

For this final unit of the course, you bring together all your newly learned skill by producing conceptual designs to create a wonderful interior design scheme for a new client. When complete, your work will form an asset to your developing portfolio to show future clients. This unit also includes:-

  • Developing a design concept
  • Creating a colour scheme
  • Selecting surface finishes
  • Space planning, including furniture and accessory arrangements
  • Creating a lighting plan
  • Professional presentation techniques
DIPLOMA COURSE GUIDE

Student Gallery

A sample of work completed by our talented interior design students

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How Is The Course Run?

The 14 week course consists of a 8-week study period that covers each of the 8 subject units in the Diploma course, one unit per week. Also upto 4 ‘Independent Study’ weeks within the duration to allow students to complete assignments.

Study Week Course Schedule

  • At the start of each study 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 or a following 'Independent Study' week
  • 1hr live zoom induction to the Virtual Learning Studio (VLS) and to meet your course Tutor before study weeks begin.
  • 2.5hr live zoom lectures are organised two days per week for an 8 week study period.
  • 2.5hr live zoom Q&A sessions are organised two days per week for the final 2 weeks.
  • Up to 4 'Independent Study' weeks within the duration of your course to complete any unfinished assignments.
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.

  • 10th January - 22nd April
    6pm - 8.30pm (UK Time)
    Tuesdays & Fridays
VIEW FULL SCHEDULE
  • 23rd January - 5th May
    12.30pm - 3pm (UK Time)
    Monday & Thursday
VIEW FULL SCHEDULE
  • 6th February - 19th May
    10am - 12.30pm (UK Time)
    Monday & Thursday
VIEW FULL SCHEDULE
  • 13th March - 23rd June
    6pm - 8.30pm (UK Time)
    Monday & Thursday
VIEW FULL SCHEDULE
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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.

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Fees & Funding...

  • UK Government Funding (Diploma)

UK residents pay approximately 50% course fees and funding from the UK government will pay the rest.

  • UK Government Student Loans (Diploma)

No up front fees to pay! If you are aged 19+ and have lived in England for 3+ years you are eligible.

LOANS EXPLAINED
UK Fees
NON-UK Fees

What Will I Need To Study?

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

FIND OUT MORE

What's Next?

Higher Education

Successful completion of your NDA Diploma provides a guaranteed place on one of our online BA (Hons) degrees with a generous Progression Scholarship. Degrees are validated by De Montfort University (DMU).

For those who wish to continue their study at an on campus university, all NDA Professional Diplomas carry a UCAS tariff point value. You can top up any existing UCAS points you may have with points from an NDA Diploma. 

Diploma in Professional Interior Design = 24 UCAS tariff points.

Find out more

Careers

The NDA Diploma in Professional Interior Design is designed to help you start your own Interior Design business. Like the Diploma course itself, you can work flexibly for your clients around your family commitments and gradually expand your business.

Many of our Diploma students start their own business and study for their degree flexibly alongside their client projects.

Student Success Stories...

More Success Stories

Ready to pursue your passion for Interior Design?

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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
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