Offers of Admission

Basic Requirements for Admission
The primary criterion for admission to OCAD University is a portfolio assessment. All applicants will be scheduled for a portfolio assessment. A $30 fee, payable in advance to OCAD University, is required to cover the cost of the portfolio reviews.  

All offers of admission are conditional upon meeting the minimum academic requirements. Ontario secondary school students must successfully complete an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) including the following:

• Six 4U/M courses with an overall final average of 70%
• 4U English (ENG4U) with a minimum final grade of 70%

An applicant whose native language is not English and who has not completed four full years of study in an English school system is required to provide additional documentation of English proficiency. For more information please visit: www.ocadu.ca/prospective_students/admission_requirements/english_proficiency.htm.

Failed and Repeated Courses
If a course has been taken more than once, the highest reported successful grade will be considered.

Timing and Process for Admission Decisions
The only entry point for all programs is September. All applications must be received by February 1, 2013.

In order to facilitate making offers of admission in a timely fashion, the majority of the portfolio reviews will be held during OCAD University's Study Week, February 19 to 22, 2013.

OCAD University will begin making offers in April based on the results of the portfolio assessment.

Additional Admission, Application and Program Information
Applicants may only apply to one program and are required to choose the Faculty of Art, the Faculty of Design or Interdisciplinary Studies. While applicants are required to make this choice so that they can focus their studies in one area of interest, they will still have the opportunity to learn a broad range of concepts, skills and knowledge that are common to all programs.

The Faculty of Art offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree with majors in Criticism & Curatorial Practice, Drawing & Painting, Integrated Media, Material Art & Design (fibre, metalsmithing/jewellery), Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture/Installation. The area of major interest must be indicated on the application. Students admitted to the First Year Art program will officially request entry to majors during the first year of study at OCAD University. Starting in 2012, first-year applicants indicating Drawing & Painting as the area of major interest may be admitted directly into this program. Further information can be found online at: www.ocadu.ca/programs/art/.

The Faculty of Design offers the Bachelor of Design (BDes) degree with majors in Advertising, Environmental Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, Industrial Design, and Material Art & Design (fibre, metalsmithing/jewellery). The subject of major interest is declared on the application through the appropriate first‑year program, 2D design or 3D design. Further information can be found online at
www.ocadu.ca/programs/design/.

New Interdisciplinary Options
The Bachelor of Fine Arts program in Aboriginal Visual Culture (ABVC) combines contemporary and traditional Aboriginal aesthetic and social studies with a comprehensive studio-based art education. The program prepares students to engage in complex and evolving global discourses in Aboriginal history, art history, and contemporary art practice across a range of expressions, materials and media. ABVC combines practice-specific and interdisciplinary studio courses in the Faculty of Art and the Faculty of Design with concentrations in the visual, cultural, social and political history of Aboriginal peoples from the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences. This unique curriculum is designed to develop Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students’ critical and aesthetic responses and practical expertise in Aboriginal cultural and artistic practices. Further information can be found online at: www.ocadu.ca/programs/aboriginal_visual_culture_program. 

The Digital Futures: Technology/Innovation/Design/Art (DF: TIDA) is an interdisciplinary undergraduate program at OCAD University that links digital technology and innovation with design and art studio practice. DF: TIDA combines such diverse fields as computation, physical computing, data visualization, screen-based media, gaming, and business to create a rich, forward–thinking program that positions students to work across the burgeoning and varied fields of digital media. Focused on linking multiple studio-based digital media concentrations in the Faculty of Art and Faculty of Design, the existing curriculum will be augmented with new courses that reflect the expertise and skills of our faculty currently engaged in digital research and practice. Students will graduate with either a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) or a Bachelor of Design (BDes), with a specialization in digital media and related technologies. Further information can be found online at: www.ocadu.ca/programs/interdisciplinary_studies/df-tida-program-overview. 

The Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences and School of Interdisciplinary Studies offers courses that form the academic core of every program at OCAD University including English; Humanities; Social Sciences; Science, Math or Technology; and Visual Culture. For more information, visit: www.ocadu.ca/programs/liberal_studies.

For more detailed information about OCAD University's programs and the admissions process please visit: www.ocadu.ca/prospective_students.htm.