Why do all our courses have deadlines?
Research has repeatedly shown that there is a significantly higher rate of successful completion on courses where students are given a deadline versus when they are allowed unlimited time. Our course deadlines are very generous and allow maximum flexibility, which is one of the major reasons why people choose home study. In addition to this, they provide the additional motivation you may need to schedule regular time for course work, so that you can build momentum and become actively engaged in the course process. If you want to really learn valuable new skills and knowledge that can change the direction of your future, then you have to be prepared to put aside a little time each week. At the end of each course description in this prospectus, we provide details of how much time you should expect to set aside.

How quickly will I receive my course materials?
All courses are dispatched on the last Friday of each calendar month. We use a courier service and delivery should not take longer than 2-3 days unless you are in a particularly remote area. Please allow up to one week for delivery as delays can occur for a number of reasons. If you would like to receive your course materials sooner, you may prefer to download our electronic version and save the cost of postage and packaging.

How quickly will I receive feedback from my tutor?
All assignments are graded and returned within one week at most, from the time we receive your assignment at our office. Your assignment will be returned to you with a detailed feedback sheet, indicating your strengths and weaknesses. Feedback sheets are e-mailed to overseas students to speed up the process and special arrangements are also in place for e-mailing assignments on some courses.

Is there an exam?
Design is unlike traditional academic subjects and examinations of the conventional kind are not appropriate for testing these types of skills and knowledge. On completion of all course assignments, you will be given a Final Project that incorporates everything you will have learned throughout the course into one complete assignment. The project question will be a typical job requirement or client brief, so that you gain experience and are confident in your ability and can apply your knowledge in practical scenarios. You must pass both the coursework AND the Final Project in order to receive your award and the grading criteria are explained in detail in the student handbook that accompanies each course.By the time you have completed the coursework, you should know what is expected in the Final Project, and the grades you will have been receiving on your coursework will give you a strong indication of the final grade you are most likely to receive. At that point, it is very unlikely that you will fail to achieve the standard required on the Final Project. In the event that your project does fail, you will be given the opportunity to re-submit once for a nominal fee.

What happens if I fail?
Each course assignment is returned to you with detailed feedback to tell you exactly what you what your strengths and weaknesses are so that you can continually improve your work to meet the standards required. If any of your course assignments are below standard, they will be returned to you by your tutor and you will be asked to re-submit the assignment, taking on board the tutor’s comments and feedback. This doesn’t happen often, but even so, it’s all part of the learning process and that is what any course is essentially all about.

Who will be my tutor?
All our tutors are practising designers and professionals who are actively working in the industry, who teach on a part-time basis. When you send in your first assignment, you will receive details of the tutor who has been assigned to you and how you can contact them.

Are there any additional costs not included within the course fee?
Our course fees represent excellent value for money, and everything is included in the price, we stress that there are no hidden costs. All of our course manuals have been specifically written for each program, they are very thorough and contain all the information needed to complete the course. Additional reading lists are provided to students who wish to conduct further research but it should be re-iterated that the course materials have been specifically created to be the best guide available and the manuals provided take the place of any “essential reading” list.