Interior Design Foundation Course | Study Online

This exciting course has a strong hands-on focus, developing not just knowledge and understanding of interior design and design theory, but also professional design skills. The interior design course has been carefully curated to give students professional design practice as well as practical skills.

Successful graduates earn a Foundation Diploma qualification that is equal to 3 A Levels and is nationally accredited by the UK’s largest vocational awarding body, SEG ABC Awards.

Equally valuable, graduates achieve a specialist portfolio that expresses their personal brand of interior design, enabling access to top universities and employment as a professionally qualified interior designer.

Entry requirements

To enrol in our online Foundation Interior Design course, students must meet the following criteria:

Be aged 16 years or over
Hold 5 GCSEs / IGCSEs including Maths, English and Art or Photography (or have a strong portfolio), or equivalent international qualifications
Mature students do not need to have an exam qualification. You will need some ability to draw and paint, and have a desire to succeed. Please send an example of your work if unsure of the level.

Our foundation interior design course is taken completely online, as such, students must have access to a strong internet connection as well as basic art materials to complete the course.

Study Options

Become a qualified interior designer in a way that suits you:

Part-time programmes (2 years): available all year around – enrolling now
Full-time programmes (1 year): start December to January and September to October. Exceptions may apply.

Accreditations and UCAS Points

Our online foundation interior design course is accredited by SEG ABC, one of the nation’s leading education awards. Graduates finish the course with a full recognised interior design qualification.

Accreditation: SEG ABC Awards
OFQUAL Regulated: Yes (Ofqual number 500/8476/8)
UCAS Tariff: up to 112 points – equivalent to two A Levels at A* grade – university entry requires 80 -100 UCAS points
UCAS application supported: Yes

Additional Course Information

Portfolio support: Yes
Tuition: Face to face, one to one – unlimited
Progression: to any University / BA Honours Degree

Level 3 or Level 4?

The qualification that students will receive is a Level 3 Diploma. Level 3 qualifications are FE (further education) and prepare for University. LEAs fund students up to this level and the qualification carries UCAS points for entry into HE (higher education).

There is a final graded unit which is actually a Level 4 unit, which helps students prepare for HE, as it gives experience at this slightly higher level. This unit shows on your transcript for the qualification (the sheet that breaks down all units, credits and grade) as a Level 4 unit. However, the qualification is awarded as a Level 3 qualification overall.

The exam board do offer a Level 4 foundation diploma, but it does not carry any UCAS points whatsoever, so it is unlikely to be useful to any of our students. (This is because Level 4 is seen as HE and not FE.) If students want to go for a Level 4 version of the course, they can, but this is to be discussed once enrolled, as it will mean no UCAS points! The degree that students go on to study will be level 4+, so there is no need to gain a Level 4 qualification at this stage.

As an online student of OCAD's Foundation Interior Design course, you'll be given access to your own virtual studio where you can work through your units and assignments at your own pace. The course materials include a variety of resources, video tutorials, and step-by-step guides to help you develop your skills and perfect your craft.

To ensure continuous progress, you'll be able to upload photographs of your completed work to your college e-portfolio for assessment. You will receive constructive, friendly written feedback on your progress, and will be invited to discuss your progress with an experienced and qualified personal tutor who will provide you with verbal feedback, encouragement, and support.

You may also benefit from the relationships with your fellow online students as you can view their profiles and comment on each other's work if you wish. This provides a great opportunity to gain insights and inspiration from your peers.

Our online foundation Interior Design course is comprised of 3 stages: the Exploratory stage, the Pathway stage, and the Confirmatory stage. Each stage lasts 12 to 24 weeks, depending on whether you are studying full-time or part-time and can be extended if needed.

The Exploratory stage

The Exploratory stage of the course provides an opportunity for you to gain a deeper understanding of what art and design is. During this stage, you will use a range of materials and processes, working in a variety of disciplines whilst learning the importance of drawing and photography as a foundation for your work.

You'll have the option to choose from five different project areas, of which you'll study three:

Photography (mandatory)
Fine Art
Graphic Design and Illustration
3D (Architecture, 3D Design, Sculpture)
Fashion and Textiles
Animation

The Pathway stage

The Pathway stage gives students the opportunity to delve deeper into a particular field of study. The choice is completely yours, guidance will be provided by the tutors based on your work from the Exploratory stage to help find the subject that best aligns with your interests and goals.

The Confirmatory stage

The Confirmatory stage marks the end of the foundation interior design diploma and is the determining factor for your final grade. During this stage, students will work on a practical final major project of their own choosing. This can take the form of a show reel, a piece of clothing, a series of photographs, a painting, an animation, an interior design plan, an architectural design, or a video game, among other possibilities. Your tutor will be available to assist with determining the best format for the project based on your particular abilities and strengths.