Interior Design Diploma is a diploma in Interior Design programme offered by British Columbia Institute of Technology in Burnaby, Canada. The programme runs for 9 months, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition is CAD 6,500 per total for local students.
This diploma prepares students for residential and commercial interior design careers, with particular focus on commercial settings such as hospitality, offices, and retail. Coursework spans architectural millwork, construction drawings, critical reading and writing, advanced 2D and 3D visual communication, design history, lighting, codes and barrier-free compliance, sustainability practices, commercial space planning, and advanced design theory, supported by hands-on work in the joinery shop covering millwork details and assembly. Completing this diploma is a required step before continuing into the Bachelor of Interior Design.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Open to both domestic and international applicants, though BCIT states the program is not Post-Graduation Work Permit eligible. Entry is described as highly competitive and runs in three steps. STEP 1 — academic: the BCIT Certificate in Interior Design Fundamentals with at least 65% in every INTD course and COMM 1120 Communication 1 at 70%, plus ENGL 1177 Academic Writing at 50%. STEP 2 — submissions: a self-assessment form and a portfolio of seven pieces showing a range of skills, with a current résumé, delivered as a single PDF on an 11 by 17 inch base size. No more than three pieces may come from BCIT coursework; the remainder may include photography, fashion design, painting, drawing or sculpture. STEP 3 — entrance project: the Interior Design Entrance Project runs on the first Sunday in May from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm and attendance is mandatory. Selection weighs academic standing, the portfolio and the entrance project, with preference for grades above the minimum and outstanding portfolio content.
Application Details
Start Date:September each year.
Application Deadline:September intake only: applications are accepted from 1 October to 15 April (next business day if the date falls on a weekend). Shortlisting also requires the mandatory Interior Design Entrance Project, held on the first Sunday in May from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, and attendance is compulsory. International applicants are accepted, though the program is not PGWP-eligible.
