Learn interior design in twelve weeks
Interior Designers Institute’s Avocational Certificate Course, for designers of all levels:
Fourteen lectures, eight studios and two field trips, taught by working designers on IDI’s campus in Newport Beach, or live online in the evenings.
A real design college
2019 ACCSC School of Excellence
Live classes, not self-taught modules
1061 Camelback Street, Newport Beach
What you’ll learn
In small classes led by working professionals, fourteen lectures, eight studio workshops and two field trips teach design and business skills.
Lectures
- Beautiful Kitchens
- The Luxury Bathroom
- Great Windows and Walls
- Magic of Color
- The Natural and Healthy Home
- History of the Chair
- Outdoor Spaces
- The High-Tech Home
- Indoor Plantscaping
- Design Resources
- Floors That Rock
- Home Staging
- Principles & Elements of Design
- Planning the Space
Studio workshops
- Tools and Equipment
- Drafting and Spaceplanning
- Color Systems and Solutions
- Furniture Specifications
- Textile Specifications
- Concept Development
- Finalizing the Concept
- Design Concept
Field trips
- Stonemill Design Center
- Laguna Design Center
Your week
You take one lecture and one studio a week. Pick a day and time for each, morning in Newport Beach or evening online, and mix the two any way you like.
Lecture pick one
Tuesday 9:00–11:30 a.m.
In person, Newport Beach
Thursday 6:00–8:30 p.m.
Live online
Studio pick one
Wednesday 9:00–11:30 a.m.
In person, Newport Beach
Tuesday 6:00–8:30 p.m.
Live online
Online studio requires a portable drafting table (minimum 20" × 26") with parallel bar or straightedge.
Twelve weeks, January 11 – April 5, 2027.
You earn the Certificate of Completion once you successfully complete both the lectures and the studios.
What it costs
$2,795 for twelve weeks, supply kit included.
- Lectures
- $1,200
- Studio workshops
- $1,200
- Tuition
- $2,400
- Registration fee, non-refundable
- $95
- Supply kit, due with first payment
- $300
- Total
- $2,795
Or pay tuition in three monthly payments of $800.
The Avocational Certificate Course is not eligible for federal financial aid.
Taking the studio online? You’ll need a portable drafting table (minimum 20" × 26") with parallel bar or straightedge. Amazon, Engineer Supply, Drafting Supplies and Utrecht Art all carry one.
Reserve my seat for JanuaryQuestions
Do I need design experience?
No. The Avocational Certificate Course is designed for beginners with no prior design experience.
In person, online, or both?
Any of the three. Lectures meet in person on Tuesday 9:00–11:30 a.m. or online on Thursday 6:00–8:30 p.m. Studios meet in person on Wednesday 9:00–11:30 a.m. or online on Tuesday 6:00–8:30 p.m. Pick one lecture time and one studio time, in either format. Online classes are live.
Is financial aid available?
The Avocational Certificate Course is not eligible for federal financial aid. You can pay tuition in three monthly payments of $800.
What do I need to buy?
The $300 supply kit is part of the $2,795. If you take the studio online, you also need a portable drafting table (minimum 20" × 26") with parallel bar or straightedge, from Amazon, Engineer Supply, Drafting Supplies or Utrecht Art.
What do I get at the end?
A Certificate of Completion, once you successfully complete both the lectures and the studios.
What happens after I apply?
Admissions contacts you within 1–2 business days. The $95 registration fee is due upon enrollment.
Can this lead to a degree?
IDI also offers an AA and a BA in Interior Design and a Master of Interior Architecture. See the degrees below.
Go further with a degree
Not sure the certificate is enough? See IDI’s degrees.
AA and BA in Interior Design
The Associate of Arts is two years of drafting, codes, construction and residential projects, working in CAD, Revit, Design Manager, Photoshop, InDesign, SketchUp, 3D printing and Bluebeam. The Bachelor of Arts carries on to hospitality, healthcare and workplace design, and is CIDA accredited. Certificate graduates who go on to the AA receive eight quarter units of credit. See the AA and BA
Master of Interior Architecture
Twelve to fifteen months of graduate study in interior architecture: nine courses, led by research and ending in an original thesis. For designers aiming at design director roles, complex projects from concept to completion, or teaching. See the Master’s
Reserve your seat for January
January 11 – April 5, 2027, in person or online, $2,795.
- Admissions contacts you within 1–2 business days.
- The $95 registration fee is due upon enrollment.
Not ready yet? Talk to admissions at (949) 675-4451.
