Online or on campus?
LEARN INTERIOR DESIGN IN A STUDIO, NOT ON A SCREEN.
Looking at online Interior Design courses? Every Whitehouse course is taught on campus, because drawing, materials and feedback work best in the room. Here's what that changes, and how to fit it around work and life.
QUESTIONS TO ASK ANY COURSE
Online or on campus, these are the things that shape the designer you become. Here's how we answer them.
ASK
WHITEHOUSE, ON CAMPUS
How many live hours with a tutor each week?
20+ hours of face-to-face studio time a week when you study the Diploma, Associate Degree or Bachelor full-time.
Who checks your drawings, and how quickly?
A tutor in the studio with you, while the drawing is still on your desk.
Do you handle real materials and finishes?
Yes. Supplier brands, material samples, and kitchen and bathroom showroom excursions.
How do you learn SketchUp and Revit?
In class: SketchUp from your first trimester, Autodesk Revit in the Bachelor. Interior students get free access to both while they study.
Do you present your work to anyone?
You pitch each trimester's project to a review panel. A trimester is a 12-week study period, with three a year. Bachelor projects end at the annual Graduate Exhibition.
What qualification do you finish with?
A Diploma of Design (AQF 5), Associate Degree of Design (AQF 6) or Bachelor of Design (AQF 7), with FEE-HELP available.
Who do you study alongside?
Classmates in the same studio, working on the same briefs, in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane.
WHAT YOU ONLY LEARN IN THE ROOM
Feedback while you draw
Your tutor sees the line weight, the scale, the awkward corner, and works through it with you at the desk.
Real materials
Stone, timber and fabric read differently in your hand than on a screen. You build sample boards from real finishes and specify them into a schedule.
Industry in the room
Showroom excursions, real supplier brands, and a review panel at the end of every trimester's project.
20+
hours a week of face-to-face studio time in full-time undergraduate study.
Whitehouse Bachelor of Design: 1,728 contact hours over two years
#1
for skills development, with a 92.1% rating from our students.
QILT Student Experience Survey 2025, compared with institutions offering creative arts and design courses
7 in 10
Australian interior designers hold a bachelor degree, diploma or advanced diploma.
Jobs and Skills Australia, Interior Designers (2021 Census)
ON CAMPUS, AROUND YOUR LIFE
Most people look online for flexibility. Here's how to get it and keep the studio.
Part-time
The Diploma, Associate Degree and Bachelor of Design can all be studied part-time.
1.5 days a week
The Undergraduate Certificate of Design runs for one 12-week trimester, 1.5 days a week.
Three intakes a year
Start in February, June or September. The Undergraduate Certificate also has a January Summer School.
Three cities
Campuses in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
No ATAR, no upfront fees
No ATAR required. FEE-HELP is available on every course except the Certificate III, so eligible domestic students can defer tuition.
Try it first
Short workshops run throughout the year, so you can test the studio before you commit. Workshops and short courses
WHERE TO START
Alexander BainBachelor of Design, Interior DesignBachelor of DesignInterior Design2 years full-time (accelerated), or part-time. Projects build from residential to commercial.
Claudia CaronnaBachelor of Design, Interior DesignDiploma of DesignInterior DesignTwo trimesters (7 months) of residential projects. No portfolio needed.
Mikayla JohnstonBachelor of Design, Interior DesignUndergraduate Certificate of DesignDesign foundations12 weeks, 1.5 days a week. No portfolio needed, with credit towards the Diploma or Bachelor.Also taught on campus: Fashion Design and Creative Direction & Styling.
FAQS
Still weighing up online against on campus? Call 1300 551 433 or book a time with a Future Student Advisor.
BOOK A CALLCan I study Interior Design online at Whitehouse?
No. Every Whitehouse course is taught on campus in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Interior Design is learned by drawing, handling materials and presenting to people, so we keep it in the studio.
I work full-time. How can I study on campus?
The Diploma, Associate Degree and Bachelor of Design can all be studied part-time, and the Undergraduate Certificate of Design runs 1.5 days a week. A Future Student Advisor can help you plan a timetable that fits.
Is interior styling the same as interior design?
Interior styling sits under Interior Design at Whitehouse, but it's not just picking cushion covers. You learn space planning, drafting, colour and materials, and how to specify furniture, fixtures and finishes, so a styled room rests on a design that works.
What will my portfolio show when I finish?
Technical drawings, specified materials and finished projects you've pitched to a review panel. Diploma graduates leave with two residential projects. Bachelor graduates complete six, from residential through to commercial, ending with a Signature Graduate Project.
Do I need an ATAR or a portfolio?
No ATAR required. The Diploma of Design and Undergraduate Certificate of Design don't need a portfolio, and Whitehouse runs short workshops through the year to help you build one for the Bachelor.
Do you teach Fashion Design or Creative Direction & Styling online?
No. Fashion Design and Creative Direction & Styling are also taught on campus only, in studios set up for each discipline, including professional photography studios.
NEXT STEPS
Book a call
Talk through your course, portfolio and start date with a Future Student Advisor.
Book a Call