Interior design courses in India

Pervin Malhotra

Q. I will be now moving to Class XII (non-med). I am very interested in pursuing a career in interior design. But I am a bit confused about how to proceed and future prospects of this field. Some say that my higher study prospects abroad may be negatively impacted if I do my bachelor’s in India — is that true? If not, then please guide me about the better courses available after Class XII. —Jaisal Bhagat

A.A bachelor’s degree in India is as good as a similar degree anywhere if you wish to pursue higher studies abroad. 

We have this tendency to denigrate and under-value our own institutions and education. But let me also inform you that our IITs and several other engineering and medical colleges are rated amongst the best in the world. So if you’re pursuing a field of study that’s best suited to your personality and interests, your future is as bright as you choose to make it.

Although aspects of interior design are taught in the bachelor’s level courses in architecture (BArch), it’s offered as a specialisation at the MArch level.

Of course we now have a number of full-fledged BDes programmes in interior design as well as in interior design & architecture. 

In addition, interior design is also offered in the form of diploma courses that you can pursue along with your bachelor’s degree.

The eligibility for most of the shorter duration diploma-level courses in interior design offered at polytechnics and schools of design is a pass in Class XII. It doesn’t matter what subjects you have taken, as long you are reasonably good at drawing and have a feel for colour and design.

But if you want to join the Centre for Environmental Planning & Technology (CEPT), Ahmedabad’s School of Interior Design, which offers one of the finest five-year courses in the subject which is integrated with the fundamentals of architecture, then you, need to have taken maths as a subject in Class XI.

For details regarding the eligibility and selection for CEPT’s courses, log on to:  www.cept.ac.in

Incidentally, CEPT also offers a PG course in interior architecture

There are several other good institutes like NID (Ahmedabad), Sir JJ School of Art (Mumbai), Srishti (Bengaluru), Pearl Academy, Apeejay Stya University’s Institute of Design (Delhi), Rachna Sansad (Mumbai), Sushant School of Design (Ansal Univ), Gurgaon, Arch Academy (Jaipur), IIAD, Delhi (with Kingston Univ, UK) and the World Univ of Design (Sonipat) among others that offer full-fledged BDes courses in interior design. Do explore these and their offerings in the months ahead.

Don’t lose focus

Q.Although I did MBA in finance, my experience has essentially been in marketing. I am actually interested in working in HR or admin as a mid-level executive but most of the jobs available to me are in marketing in which I’m not too interested now. What should I do? I have a total experience of four years in marketing. —Vinit Ganju

A.It appears that you’ve lost focus. MBA Finance to Marketing… and applying for jobs in HR and admin…? I suggest you focus on finance or marketing of financial products etc. To do this, apply for finance-based openings. Change the focus of your resume to reflect your interest in this area. Plan and prepare for interviews to present finance as your key skill area.

Being on wait list doesn’t mean rejection

Q. I’ve been working for the past three-and-a-half years in the FMCG sector. I have been waitlisted at one of the top 20 B-schools in the US. Does that mean a polite rejection? I am feeling very disheartened, as I worked so hard for it alongside my job and raising a family. —Mehul Srivastav 

A.Often people assume that being put on the wait list is the same as not being accepted, and they give up. But let me assure you, lots of wait-listed applicants do get admitted. 

If you’ve ended up on the wait list, make the most of it. There’s an art to it. If your GMAT score was relatively low, take the test again. Send another recommendation or two, if you can. If the B-school wants you to come in for an interview, do that. And keep in touch with the admissions committee. You don’t want to hound them, but it’s perfectly okay to send a letter if you get promoted or if you’re working on a ‘stretch’ assignment that broadens your skills, suggest those who’ve managed to convert it into a pucca acceptance. 

At the best of times, getting accepted into a top B-school is an arduous, time-consuming process, with plenty of potential pitfalls along the way. 

As you must be aware, the most prestigious and selective B-schools — Harvard, Wharton, Stanford, and their ilk — accept about 10 per cent of all those who apply, which incidentally, is a lot better score than that of our own IIMs and the like.

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