Diploma of Interior Design

Key points:

  • This is a very hands on and practical course, all students graduate with a professional portfolio
  • After completion students can enter directly into the 2nd year of the Bachelor of Interior Design or come back at a later time to enter the 2nd year of the Bachelor
  • Learn from industry professionals
    • Your teachers are industry professionals who still work as professional designers, some have their own interior design studio and teach to share their passion with you. For this reason, most only teach part-time so that they can continue to share with you the latest industry trends and software. This is a VERY important point to consider when choosing a college. Nobody wants to spend their hard earned money learning how to use software that is now outdated.
  • Intense course which will give you the skills and confidence to begin your career in design

Who is this course for?

  • For those who were always re-arranging their bedrooms and wanted to make a career out of designing interior spaces. Yes, there are theoretical concepts to learn however this course focuses on teaching you practical skills
  • Those who enjoy designing into the early hours of the morning. Welcome to the real world of Design where being able to quickly produce quality work can make the different between winning or losing a client.  
  • For those who want a career in Interior Design, Colour Consulting, Interior Styling, furnishing coordinator, Set/Stage design, Events Designer
  • Those who are unsure whether a Bachelor is for them and may not be ready to commit to 3 years of study can chose the Diploma to get a taste of what the Bachelor is like before deciding to continue into 2nd year of the Bachelor

Cost: 

  • $25,000 (separate payments at commencement of each trimester)

*Note that tuition fees are subject to change each year

Duration: 

  • 1 year (3 trimesters of 12 weeks each)

Start Dates:

  • 20 February, 5 June, 18 September

Campus:

  • Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne

Entry Requirements:

  • Successful completion of High School year 12
  • IELTS Academic 5.5 overall with a minimum 5.0 in each skill or equivalent

 

What will I learn?

Subjects listed below:

  • Design Process
  • Graphic Communication
  •  Design Drawing
  • Product Knowledge
  • Residential Decoration
  • Colour and Lighting
  • Construction and CAD
  • Materials and Finishes
  • Furniture and Architectural Styles
  • Professional Practice
  • CAD Models & Documentation
  • Interior Built Environment
  • Commercial Design

Download a course guide to receive a PDF with subject descriptions and detailed information on this course     

How will I learn?

  • Learn by doing! Preparing you for the real world. For example, you will have the opportunity to work on real projects.

  • Online access to learning portal. Access your reading materials, assignments and grades online. If you didn't have time to take all the notes in class, access the learning portal to cover the parts you didn't understand.

  • No lectures of 100+ students, only small tutorial style classes of 20-25 students.

  • No Exams. You will be assessed by demonstrating that you have learnt the skills and knowledge. This is done through practical and written projects as well as presentations to the class

Jobs after this course

Interior Design is a competitive industry however with the right skills and knowledge on how to sell your skills most students seek work as junior interior designer or stylist to commence their career.

When going to a design job interview, one of the first questions you will be asked is, "Can I see your portfolio?". A portfolio is the equivalent of a business persons Resume or CV and shows an employer your skills, experience with different projects and maturity as a designer. As a graduate of this course you can confidently answer "yes" to this question and show your professional portfolio.

Areas where graduates find work:

  • Interior Styling

  • Design consultancy decorator

  • IKEA

  • David Jones

  • Billabong

  • Coco Republic

  • Dreamworld

  • Saatchi & Saatchi

  • Blue Marline

  • Basis Advertising

 

Bachelor of Interior Design

Key points:

  • Includes an Internship in final year! Graduate with work experience - often the very first question you will be asked in a job interview is "Do you have work experience?"
  • ·Choose to specialise in either Commercial Design or Residential Design
  • This course combines theoretical and technical knowledge so that you can apply these to real world design problems
  • Graduate with a professional portfolio
  • Learn from industry professionals. Your teachers are industry professionals who still work as professional designer, some have their own design studio and teach to share their passion with you. For this reason, they only teach part-time so that they can continue to share with you the latest industry trends and software. This is a VERY important point to consider when choosing a college. Nobody wants to spend their hard earned money learning how to use software that is now outdated.
  • Intense course which will give you the skills and confidence to begin your career in design
  • This is a three year course which therefore qualifies for a Post-Study Work visa (485 visa) allowing students to apply for a two year work visa after graduation. *Note that this government policy can change whilst you are studying. Other requirements as set by the department of immigration must also be met, please contact us for more information. More details can be found on the department of immigration’s 

Who is this course for?

  • For those looking for a comprehensive design course that combines theory, with technical knowledge all using a practical approach
  • For Commercial Interior Design roles such as Retail Designer, Branded Environment Designer, Restaurant Designer, Workplace Designer.
  • For Residential Interior Design roles such as Home Interior Designer, Luxury private residence design, Public Housing Government Designer, Homelessness Solutions Designer.
  • People who want to change the world through design.   Not sure how? See how Interior Designers at IKEA created an award winning refugee shelter in partnership with UNHCR that can be constructed in 4 hrs!   
  • For those who were always scribbling drawings of their perfect bedroom or rearranging their bedroom. There are theoretical concepts to learn however this course focuses on teaching you practical skills
  • Those who enjoy designing into the early hours of the morning. Welcome to the real world of Design where being able to quickly produce quality work can make the different between winning or losing a client. 

Cost: 

  • $73,700 (9 separate payments at commencement of each trimester over 3 years)
            *Note that tuition fees are subject to change each year

Duration: 

  • 3 years (9 trimesters of 12 weeks each)

Start Dates:

  • 20 February, 5 June, 18 September

Campus:

  • Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne

Entry Requirements:

  • Successful completion of High School year 12
  • IELTS Academic 6.0 overall with a minimum 5.5 in each skill or equivalent
  • This course does not require a design portfolio as the fundamentals of design is taught in the first year. 

What will I learn?

Core Subject list below:

  • Interior Design Practice
  • The Culture of Design
  • Ideas and Innovation in Design
  • Communication System in Design
  • Environmental Design
  • Design Systems and Planning
  • Emerging Design Technologies
  • Scheduling Interiors
  • Systems and Documentation (contract management)
  • Industry and Portfolio

There are also many Elective subjects to choose from, including other design or even business courses.

For a full list of all the subjects and their detailed descriptions please click below and we will send you a detailed course guide.

How will I learn?

  • Learn by doing! Preparing you for the real world. For example, you will have the opportunity to work on real projects.
  • Online access to learning portal. Access your reading materials, assignments and grades online. If you didn't have time to take all the notes in class, access the learning portal to cover the parts you didn't understand.
  • Flipped classroom approach. Rather than spending your valuable class time covering textbook and reading material, students are provided access to reading materials online and it is expected that they read this before class. Class time is then used to ensure you understand the topic through real-life examples, discussions and guest speakers.
  • No lectures of 100+ students, only small tutorial style classes of 20-25 students.
  • No Exams. You will be assessed by demonstrating that you have learnt the skills and knowledge. This is done through practical and written projects as well as presentations to the class

Jobs after this course

Design is a competitive industry however with the right skills and knowledge on how to sell your skills most students seek work as junior designers to commence their career. It is also common for students to work for themselves as freelance designers or start a design studio or business.

When going to a design job interview, one of the first questions you will be asked is, "Can I see your portfolio?". A portfolio is the equivalent of a business persons Resume or CV and shows an employer your skills, experience with different projects and maturity as a designer. As a graduate of this course you can confidently answer "yes" to this question and show your professional portfolio.

On top of this, in the Bachelor you can select to complete an Internship as part of your subject selection. This is another advantage of the Bachelor course in comparison to the Diploma which does not include an internship.

Areas where graduates find work:

  • Producer
  • Resort Designer
  • Retail Designer
  • Home Interior Designer
  • Branded Environment Designer
  • Virtual Designer
  • Game Environment Designer
  • Hassell Studio
  • Traffik
  • Freemantle Media
  •  Inochi Design Life
  •  Edge Interior Design