Interior Design Careers Education

For a formal education in interior design, it is best to go to an accredited College or University. You must ask about this because some schools are not accredited and you will walk away from that school with a piece of paper that says that you took the course, but you will still not have the proper credentials. Therefore, you will not be a licensed designer. Here is a list of some of the courses you can expect to take if you choose to get certified as a designer.

 • Drawing
 • Building construction
 • Drafting
 • History of design
 • Furniture design
 • Architecture
 • Auto CAD
 • Project management
 • Design
 • Computer aided Design

Of course there are many more courses that are a part of becoming a certified designer, but this at least gives you an idea of where you might start. You will also have to have certain high school courses to your credit before you should consider going to college or university to study design. These are:

 • Mathematics 4 years
 • English 4 years
 • Physics 1 year
 • History/Social studies 1 year
 • Computer Science 1 year
 • Architectural Drawing 1 year
 • Shop class 1 year

Tuition at any one of these schools can be quite expensive. You can expect to spend anywhere between $8,000 a year to $15,000 a year. A general certification course will run for four years. Getting certified could cost you anywhere from $32,000 to $60,000. Of course, financial aid is always available for those that need assistance.
 
If these numbers and time frames scare you don’t worry, there are alternatives to this type of formal schooling. There are also cheaper alternatives to getting certified. You can try any of the following:

Trade Schools

There are many trade schools out there that offer Interior Design as a course. Some of these schools are accredited and can give you the certification that you need. (Know that your credentials will not be as high or recognizable as those from a College or University) These schools do offer many of the same courses but they are condensed, and blended together to suit a shorter course duration.

You can generally expect the entire course to last from one year or two. The tuition is generally half of what you could expect to pay at a College or University. Your tuition could cost as little as $8,000 for two years or $4,000 for one. Materials are generally included in the tuition, and financial aid is also available.

Some Trade Schools do not have a set schedule for the finish of a program. Some will let you go at your own pace and finish as quickly or slowly as you need to. If you chose to go this route, be sure to check to see that it is an accredited school, and ask what is included in your tuition. Also ask what type of certification you will receive.

Online Design Programs

Not everyone is comfortable with the idea of going to a school for Interior Design. Some may prefer to learn how to do it from the comfort of their own home. This method is not recommended if you are trying to become certified, but if you just want to get the basic knowledge that you are required to know, this method is fine.

There are literally thousands upon thousands of courses for interior design that are offered online. Finding one that has the right information you will want to learn will require some research on your part, but it’s not that difficult. Course prices for internet schools of design can start as low as $19.00 and go as high as $500.00.

Some online courses that are offered through legitimate Colleges and Universities are much cheaper than campus courses and offer the correct certification that you will need. Generally, these courses require that you take your exams on campus or in a monitored way of some sort. Again, research is needed to ensure that you are not being scammed.

There are some alternatives to taking any formal courses at all. This called “self teaching”. This is where you will study the necessary information that you will need to do Interior Design as a profession, but you will not be certified.