A course for students with grand designs

UCOL Wairarapa is launching an interior design course for the first time at its Masterton campus.

Rachel Hoskin, head of the UCOL School of Photography, Arts and Design, said the Diploma in Interior Design Level 5 course will start at the Masterton campus on April 8.

The course will cover all aspects of residential interior design, Ms Hoskin said, including colour, the history of interior design, furnishings, drafting, CAD, design theory, ergonomics, kitchen and bathroom design, building technology, materials, finishes and lighting.

"Students will also learn about what's involved in a professional design practice. Graduates may find work as self-employed design consultants, as consultants in retail outlets or as a consultant for architects, spec-house builders and kitchen designers," she said.

"For this first programme at UCOL Wairarapa, we will spread the programme over two years, with block courses and evening classes to fit in with people who may be working."

Ms Hoskin expects strong interest in the programme, which she said was an opportunity for prospective students "to turn that interest into a career".

"This is a region with a lot of civic and home-making pride and a strong interest in design. The programme should appeal to school leavers with a flair for design, people who run their own business or who want to run their own business, and people employed in the industry."

Ms Hoskin said the programme has support from industry representatives in Wairarapa who were consulted by UCOL, with some companies planning to use the programme to upskill their own staff.

Enrolments are now open for the Diploma in Interior Design programme.

Go to www.ucol.ac.nz or phone 0800 GOUCOL for more information.