RHODEC International

Rhodec International was established in 1960 with the aim of offering home study programmes to adults interested in the subject of Interior Design. Now, Rhodec is one of the largest colleges in the world specializing in the subject, with students and graduates
working in some 100 countries. We offer three study programmes, tailored to suit almost every educational need:

The Associate Diploma Course provides a detailed introduction to the subject, and offers the great flexibility of teaching to a standard sufficient to enable you to consider taking on small commissions or to advise friends and family.

The Diploma Course This three-year course is recognized as the most comprehensive and rigorous distance learning Interior Design course in the world. It will teach you to professional standards and, on successful completion, will lead to the award of the Rhodec International Diploma. This Diploma is highly regarded in the professional world and is recognized as a passport to a rewarding and potentially lucrative career in interior design.

The Bachelor of Arts is an option available only to Rhodec Diploma holders.

The Associate Diploma Course in Interior Design (One Year)

Introduction:
This course is a thorough introduction to the subject, comprising 12 detailed lessons with accompanying assignments and some 30 Worksheets, and consisting of around 150,000 well-chosen words and over 250 colour illustrations. You will have the opportunity to gain a thorough grounding in the subject, more than sufficient to enable you to consider taking on small commissions or to advise friends and family; and the flexibility of being able to continue to the more comprehensive course should you wish to do so at a later date.

Please note, however, that it is NOT necessary to complete the Associate Diploma Course prior to Diploma Course enrolment.

Course Modules:
Subjects covered include: elements and principles of design, detailed colour theory, including full development of colour schemes; materials such as wood, stone, metal, glass, etc.; how to present sample boards; measuring rooms and estimating materials
quantities; simple plans and elevations; decorative paint finishes; planning rooms; soft furnishings - textiles, window treatments, upholstery, carpets; internal fittings; lighting; making the most of your time when you visit exhibitions; professional practice; and
much more besides.

Award:
Successful graduates will receive a Rhodec International Associate Diploma.

The Diploma Course in Interior Design

The course materials have been prepared by many qualified specialists, and comprise some 350,000 words and over 1,000 illustrations, including hundreds in colour.

Course Modules:
Unit RD1: Materials
Unit RD2: A History of Interior Design
Unit RD3: Drafting for the Interior Designer
Unit RD4: Design
Unit RD5: Colour
Unit RD6: Furniture and Fittings, Part One
Unit RD7: Furniture and Fittings, Part Two
Unit RD8: Construction of Interiors
Unit RD9: Professional Practice
Unit RD10: Final Test

The Diploma:
All grades are awarded on the basis of the grades achieved during the course in conjunction with the standard of the Final Test. The Ordinary Diploma is awarded to students who have satisfactorily completed the Diploma Course including the Final Test. The Diploma with Merit is awarded to students who have satisfactorily completed the Diploma Course including the Final Test but who are deemed above average in design methodology, technical ability and presentation. Depending on the standard, a Lower Merit or an Upper Merit will be awarded. The Diploma with Distinction is awarded to students who have
produced exceptional work.

Diploma holders may use the designation RIDipl, RIDipl(Merit) or RIDipl(Dist) as appropriate.

Award:
Successful graduates will receive a Rhodec Diploma.

The Rhodec Diploma Course (Three Years)

Introduction:
The Diploma Course Trains you to know, understand and put into practice the prime essentials of successful interior design. There is great scope for the trained interior designer, now recognized by a public that wants, more and more, authoritative advice on the correct use of space, arrangement of furniture, lighting and the selection of colours. Not only homes; the business world has also realized that efficiency increases and sales can soar when people are working in the right environment. Freelance designers have a wonderful opportunity in designing for shops, offices, hotels and banks. The interior designer’s life can be fascinating, and financially and socially rewarding, drawing on a mixture of artistic skills and practical abilities. The interior designer’s profession is also a complex one, relying on knowledge of a number of differing subjects, some of which may at first glance look slightly daunting to the prospective student. However, you should remember that Rhodec’s course curriculum has been created by leading designers and educators and closely fulfils the criteria recommended by professional and educational organizations involved in the subject. The possession of such comprehensive knowledge could well lead to success, and we at Rhodec do everything in our power to make training as easy as possible.

The personal nature of the training is particularly helpful, and your studies with our fully illustrated instruction books should be highly enjoyable.

Assessment:
Your success in the Diploma Course will be measured partly by continuous assessment of your work during the course and partly by the Final Test. This will evaluate your achievement over the whole course. We do not anticipate that you will memorize all the material you read in our courses. Interior design work does not depend on how much information you can cram into your memory, but on whether you can apply the principles involved in any future design. Nor do we believe that interior design is a subject in which a student should be examined behind the closed doors of an examination room. We want to simulate as far as possible the conditions under which a designer will work, and the Final Test, therefore, is based on design projects which will be carried out under office conditions (in your own office or your home used as an office) and will then be submitted to Rhodec representing the client. In this way you will be gaining practical experience of how work is carried out in a professional design studio, and any problems you encounter in running an office can be unravelled with our help.

Reference Material:
We strongly encourage evidence of additional research, and maintain a large stock of useful reference books, drawing equipment and supplies for sale by mail order to students who may wish to add to their personal collections. No title is compulsory course reading, but some students who have limited library facilities may wish to collect extra reading materials in this manner. Details of these items are supplied on enrolment, and on our website page www.rhodec.edu/booksetc.htm.