The question of how to pick an online interior design school holds quite a bit of relevance today as the world moves more and more to online education. A person who is looking at online interior design schools has many of the same questions as the student looking at a traditional school. However, he or she will also have questions that the traditional student will not have to think about, including inquiries about the technology requirements for the degree and networking opportunities in the non-traditional setting.
Level of Education
It is important to know if the online school offers degree programs, diplomas or just a certificate. The online interior design school you choose should offer an interior design program with the program level that you want to pursue, whether that’s an associate degree program, bachelors program, masters program or simply just a certificate.
Tuition Cost
Regardless of whether a person attends an interior design school online or in person, the sticker price for the education often plays a key role. An accredited school with an online degree program often costs the same amount for the traditional student studying at the school’s brick and mortar facility. If the reputation of the school makes it worth the cost, then the online student should consider the school. However, many schools that have online programs are cheaper because they don’t require the same kinds of facilities that the traditional school does, which can save interior design students money.
However, there is another hidden cost that students should think about–their own technology requirements. For example, AutoCAD is a standard interior design program. Online interior design schools should teach the program so that the students are prepared for the real world challenges and expectations they’ll face. However, whereas most schools have a computer lab with these programs so that the student won’t have to pay for this software, the online student will have to bear the cost of these tools. 
Networking Opportunities
One of the key reasons that many people attend school—in addition to learning the practical skills required for their future profession—is to make business contacts. Many schools have a reputation in industry and for the aspiring interior designer, a good school with good business world contacts is a key factor in a person opting for that school. Online interior design schools should offer their students some kind of access to the same sorts of business contacts and possibly even have some pull when it comes to internships. In the “real” world, this is often a meet and greet or a set up for a job interview. For an online school, it might mean an invitation to a professional webinar, which could later lead to an interview, a summer internship, or an introduction to an alumni network.
Class Time
Educational technology is the future of education. Learning tools like games and simulations, real-time webinars, online scavenger hunts and other online tools are par for the course. Students should find out what career-related technology the school teaches AND what kind of educational technology the school uses to teach these with. Most programs that are adept at training students online have worked out these issues ahead of time. They will also have educational technologists on board to help instructors design their courseware so that it works in an online format.
Conclusion
Knowing how to pick an online interior design school requires that potential students look at many factors while making their decisions. In addition to the traditional questions students ask about accreditation, faculty-to-student ratios, faculty experience, types of degrees and certificates, and school reputation, they must also ask questions about how the use of online technology will affect their interior design degree. All of these questions must be answered in order to find the right online interior design school for each individual student.
