Bachelor of Arts (Interior Design)

Collarts' Bachelor of Arts (Interior Design) is a two-year accelerated degree that gets you designing spaces from the start. Instead of the three years a standard bachelor degree takes, this course packs the same AQF level 7 qualification into two years of full-time study. You'll study how people move through and use interiors, homes, retail, hospitality, workplaces, exhibition spaces, and learn to shape those environments with drawing, model-making, materials, lighting and digital design tools.

What you'll study

The course is built around units of study, each worth credit points, delivered across trimesters. You'll cover design studio units where you work on real briefs, technical units on construction and documentation, and history and theory units that give you the language to talk about why a space works. Later units focus on professional practice, how to pitch, cost and deliver a project, and you'll finish with a capstone design project where you take a space from concept to resolved design. Assessment is mostly project-based: you present your work to tutors and peers, the way designers do in practice.

Skills you'll gain

You'll learn to read a site, develop a concept, and communicate it through sketches, 3D models, renders and technical drawings. You'll get hands-on with materials and finishes, and understand building codes and sustainability basics that apply to interior projects in Australia. You'll also build a portfolio that shows employers what you can do, not just what you know.

Who it suits

This degree suits people who want to work in interior design and are ready for an intensive two-year run. It's a good fit if you're creative but practical, enjoy solving spatial problems, and want to enter the workforce sooner. It also suits career changers, the compressed structure means you're not out of the workforce for three years. International students should note that while studying in Australia, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight. After graduating, you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream, which lets you stay and work in Australia. Check the official CRICOS page and Collarts' website for current details on units, fees and English requirements.

Graduates work as interior designers, design assistants and spatial designers across a range of Australian industries. Typical roles include:

• Interior designer in architecture and design practices
• Retail and hospitality design consultant
• Workplace and commercial interiors specialist
• Set and exhibition designer for events, film and museums
• Furniture, fixture and finishes specifier
• Design assistant or draftsperson in building and construction firms
• Self-employed designer running your own studio

Employers include architecture firms, interior design studios, shopfitting companies, property developers, retail chains, hospitality groups, and government or cultural organisations with public spaces to design. Some graduates go on to further study or specialise in areas like sustainable design or heritage interiors.