Application Requirements

Transcripts are a record of your studies at an institution that include a list of courses completed, grades obtained, and indicate the conferral of your degree. Unofficial transcripts (i.e. scanned copies of your transcript or printouts of your student record) from every post-secondary institution you have attended must be uploaded as part of your online application. Post-secondary institutions are institutions attended after you have completed your secondary school or high school education, typically universities or colleges. Do not include transcripts for continuing education courses. 

If your transcript does not clearly state that your degree was conferred, upload a copy of your degree certificate along with your transcript. 

Scanned transcripts must conform to the following presentation standards: 

• One copy of the legend/grading scale information (normally found on the reverse of each transcript) must be included. 

• PDF format (.pdf extension); unprotected 

• Must be scanned as a single document 

• Transcript text orientation should be upright (if possible) and must be readable on a computer monitor without any adjustment by the viewer 

Documents from non-English speaking institutions must be accompanied by a certified translation to English or a World Education Services (WES) course-by-course assessment of the credential. 

If you are unable to obtain or provide transcripts, upload a document explaining the circumstances. 

If you are offered admission to one of our programs, this offer will be conditional upon receiving official transcripts from all previously attended post-secondary institutions. These transcripts must be sent directly from the institution in unopened, sealed envelopes. We cannot accept unsealed, opened, photocopied, faxed, or scanned transcripts as official transcripts. 

If an appropriate WES course-by-course assessment is not provided for an international credential, OCAD University reserves the right to require the provision of a credential assessment by the applicant at any point during the application or admissions process. 

All program applications require three (3) reference letters. 

Referees must complete their reference letter directly through the Graduate Application Portal. Contact information for your referees must be entered into the application portal before your application is submitted. It is your responsibility to ensure that your referees complete this step in a timely manner. We encourage you to contact your referees as early as possible, as review of your application may be delayed until all reference letters are received. 

A good referee is someone who can speak to your post-secondary performance, capacity for research, and potential for academic study at the graduate level. 

The application fee is $110 CAD, payable through the Graduate Application Portal. 

Application fees are non-refundable and charged for each program for which you apply. 

The official language of instruction at OCAD U is English. To demonstrate English language proficiency at a graduate level, you must meet one of the following criteria: 

1. Completion of a bachelor’s or higher degree from an institution where the language of instruction was English;  

• Applicants should provide official documentation from the institution stating that the degree was taught in English, in one of the following ways:  
• A transcript that includes information on language of instruction; 
• A document issued by the institution stating that the language of instruction for the degree was English  

2. Your first language is English; 

3. Completion of an English language test within the 24 months prior to the application deadline, meeting the below minimum test scores:  

• TOEFL iBT or TOEFL iBT Home Edition
• Overall: 90  
• Reading: 22  
• Listening : 20  
• Writing: 22  
• Speaking: 22  
• IELTS (Academic)  
• Overall: 7 
• Reading: 7 
• Listening: 7 
• Writing: 7 
• Speaking: 7  
• Duolingo English Test  
• Overall: 120
• (OCAD U is temporarily accepting Duolingo English Test scores for Fall 2023 applicants to our graduate programs.)

Applicants who are required to provide TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo test scores are encouraged to schedule their test date as soon as possible to ensure that test scores are available prior to the application deadline. You will not be able to submit your application until you provide English language test scores. 

If you are offered admission, we will verify your English language test results with the testing body. You may be asked to provide additional information (e.g. IELTS test report form number, or TOEFL registration number) at this point. When registering for your English language test, please make sure you select OCAD University as a score recipient. 

OCAD University reserves the right to require an applicant to take the TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo test, or to provide documentation proving that the language of instruction at an institution attended was English, at any point during the application or admissions process. 

Application for admission into the MA in Contemporary Art, Design and New Media Art Histories is competitive. Applicants must hold a BA, BFA, BDes, or comparable honours degree/certification with an average of 75 per cent (B+) or better during the last two years of study, or must demonstrate exceptional related experience/expertise as a practising art or design professional. All applicants must demonstrate creative and conceptual competence at a high level.  

For consideration by the admissions committee, and in addition to the basic application requirements, applicants need to complete and submit the following through the Graduate Application Portal:  

• Research Proposal: Maximum 500-word statement that clearly describes your research interests for graduate work in the Contemporary Art, Design and New Media Art Histories program. Briefly indicate why you are proposing to undertake this research, and the fit of your research with the graduate program in CADN at OCAD University. Bibliography and illustrations may be included. 

• Curriculum Vitae: Applicants should include an updated copy of their curriculum vitae (PDF only). 

• Writing Sample: The writing sample should reflect recent work and demonstrate scholarly writing abilities related to the fields of contemporary art, design, and new media art histories. Examples of writing samples may be term papers in art history or a related field, published articles, or a combination of several shorter critical pieces up to 20 pages in length. Applicants are encouraged to provide samples that emphasize and best demonstrate their skills in critical thinking and analysis while highlighting the originality of their research and their ability to express ideas in written form. 

Application for admission into the MFA in Criticism & Curatorial Practice at OCAD U is a highly competitive process. Applicants must hold a BA, BFA, BDes, or comparable honours degree/certification with an average of 75 per cent (B+) or better during the last two years of study, or must demonstrate exceptional experience/expertise as a practising artist, designer, critic or curator. All applicants must demonstrate creative and conceptual competence at a high level.  

For consideration by the admissions committee, and in addition to the basic application requirements, applicants need to complete and submit the following through the Graduate Application Portal:  

• Statement of Intent: Use this letter to introduce yourself in a way that supports an understanding of your past and/or proposed work in criticism and curatorial practices. Briefly indicate why you are proposing to undertake this research, and the fit of your research with the graduate program in Criticism and Curatorial Practices at OCAD University. 

• Research Proposal: Applicants should clearly describe their research interest or theme for their graduate work in the program, specifically indicating its relationship and unique contribution to criticism and curatorial practices. Appendices including bibliography and examples of visual work may be included if appropriate. The proposal must be typed and should not exceed 500 words. 

• Curriculum Vitae: Please upload an updated copy of your CV (PDF format only). 

Application for admission into the Master’s in Design for Health is competitive. Applicants must hold a bachelor degree in a design field, such as BA (in design studies), B.Arch., BED, BID, BDes, BSc, BEng or comparable honours degree/certification with a GPA of 75% (B+) or better during the last two years of study, or must demonstrate exceptional experience and expertise as a practitioner in a relevant discipline. All applicants must demonstrate creative and conceptual competence at a high level, as well as the clear potential for acquiring a sufficient level of expertise in the diverse disciplines relevant to this degree. 

For consideration by the admissions committee, and in addition to the basic application requirements, applicants need to complete and submit the following through the Graduate Application Portal: 

• Statement of Intent: Describe your key areas of interest in the health sector, detailing how your academic background and professional experience relate to your interests, and how your intended practice and research align with the objectives of the program. The proposal must be 750 words in length. 

• Design Portfolio: You must submit samples of relevant student or professional work produced in the last five years. Visual work, analytic reports, proposal documents etc. may be included. You are expected to demonstrate proficiency in your primary design discipline(s). Your best work should be represented. 

• Alternative Portfolio (for non-design applicants): A limited number of candidates with ‘non- design’ qualifications and backgrounds such as engineering, computer science, public health and medicine may be considered for entry on a case-by-case basis, considering criteria such as professional and personal experience within the area of design for health. Requirements for applicants with non-design undergraduate degrees are the same as for design degree graduates, except that the portfolio should focus on providing sufficient documentation of experience relevant to health innovation. 

• CV: Applicants should include an updated copy of their curriculum vitae. 

• Program-Specific Questions: Applicants will be asked to provide responses to a series of questions specific to the program. 

Applicants must hold a BA, BFA, BDes, BComm, BSc, BEng or comparable honours degree/certification with an average of 75 per cent (B+) or better during the last two years of study, or must demonstrate impressive experience and expertise as a practitioner in a relevant discipline. All applicants must demonstrate creative and conceptual competence at a good level, as well as the clear potential for acquiring a practical knowledge in the diverse disciplines relevant to this graduate program to create an innovative and implementable thesis project. 

For consideration by the admissions committee, and in addition to the basic application requirements, applicants need to complete and submit the following through the Graduate Application Portal: 

• Research Proposal (800 to 1,000 words): Applicants must provide an initial proposal for a research creation project that they are interested in pursuing in the program. This should include:

1. title
2. the idea – what you want to research/do/make
3. the context - your proposed field of study including any relevant theories, methodologies, art or design works, or technologies
4. the rationale for the research - why you want to do this and what is the significance
5. the rationale behind this program - why do you believe Digital Futures at OCAD U is the best place for you to pursue this research creation work?
6. technology, media, or tools that will be used to create the work
7. expected outcome(s) in terms of realized creative work
8. the relevance of the applicant’s background and experience
9. any reference sources used in the proposal
10. bibliography of relevant sources

• Samples of Work: You must submit samples of relevant student and/or professional work produced in the last five years. Visual work, analysis reports and proposal documents may be included. You are expected to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of your primary area of interest. 

• CV: Applicants should include an updated copy of their curriculum vitae. 

• Program-Specific Questions: Applicants will be asked to provide responses to a series of questions specific to the program. 

Note: admission to the degree program is contingent on the availability of an appropriate Principal Advisor in the student’s declared area of research interest. 

The application process for admission into the Master of Design in Inclusive Design at OCAD U is highly competitive. Applicants must hold a BA, BDes, BComm, BEng, BSc, BFA or comparable honours degree/certification in a program that provides a foundational grounding in information and communication systems and practices (e.g., Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Studies, Culture and Technology or similar field) with an average of 75 per cent (B+) or better during the last two years of study, or must demonstrate exceptional experience/expertise as a practitioner in a relevant discipline. All applicants must demonstrate creative, technical and conceptual competence at a high level, as well as the clear potential for acquiring a sufficient level of expertise in the diverse disciplines relevant to this degree to create a truly innovative, germane and implementable project at the master’s level. 

For consideration by the admissions committee, and in addition to the basic application requirements, applicants need to complete and submit the following through the Graduate Application Portal: 

• Statement of Intent: Applicants should provide further information about themselves by addressing the following questions in their Statement of Intent (maximum 1000 words):
  • How does your academic background and/or professional experience relate to this program?
  • What other unique perspectives do you bring that would contribute to the program’s diverse learning community?
  • What are some questions that you hope to explore during your time in the Inclusive Design program?
  • How do the questions that you hope to explore in the program align with the objectives and values of the Inclusive Design program?
  • How do you envision the Inclusive Design program contributing to your future? How do you envision contributing to the collective community after completing the program?

• Samples of Work: The samples of work should include representative samples of relevant student or professional work produced in the last five years. Software, user-experience designs, analysis reports, proposal documents, web applications and websites, may be included. 

• CV: Applicants should include an updated copy of their curriculum vitae. 

• Program-Specific Questions: Applicants will be asked to provide responses to a series of questions specific to the program. 

Application for admission into the Interdisciplinary Master’s in Art, Media & Design at OCAD U is a highly competitive process. Applicants must hold a BA, BFA, BDes, or comparable honours degree/certification with an average of 80 per cent (A-) or better during the last two years of study, or must demonstrate exceptional experience/expertise as a practicing artist, designer or scholar. 

All applicants must demonstrate creative and conceptual competence at a high level, as well as the clear potential for acquiring a sufficient level of expertise in a secondary discipline to create an integrated interdisciplinary thesis project at the Master’s level. 

For consideration by the admissions committee, and in addition to the basic application requirements, applicants need to complete and submit the following through the Graduate Application Portal: 

• Statement of Intent: Applicants should clearly outline their background in their areas of expertise and describe their interdisciplinary research interests or theme for their graduate work in the program. One of these areas of expertise must be in studio art, media or design. The statement should be a maximum of 500 words (not including bibliography or other appendices). A bibliography must be included. Other appendices and examples of visual work may also be included.

• Portfolio: The portfolio should represent the applicant’s best work (formally, conceptually, and contextually resolved) and relate to areas discussed in the artist/designer statement. Applicants must submit a minimum of 5, maximum of 15 media items representing no more than five bodies of work. Time-based files should not exceed three minutes in length. Applicants are expected to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of their primary area of concentration. A significant number of media items should represent work produced within the last 12 months.

• Artist/designer statement: The portfolio must be accompanied by an artist/designer statement of no more than 250 words. The statement should speak to recent work and explain its relevance to the statement of intent. It is suggested you discuss the discursive vectors of your practice, your existing expertise and how you would like to grow your practice in an interdisciplinary way during your graduate studies.

• Curriculum Vitae: Please upload an updated copy of your CV (PDF format only).

Application for admission into the Master of Design in Strategic Foresight and Innovation at OCAD U is a competitive process. Applicants must hold a BA, BFA, BDes, BComm, BEng or comparable honours degree/certification with an average of 75 per cent (B+) or better during the last two years of study, or must demonstrate exceptional experience/expertise as a practitioner in a relevant discipline. 

All applicants must demonstrate creative and conceptual competence at a high level, as well as the clear potential to create a truly innovative, germane and implementable project at the master’s level. Short-listed candidates will be invited for an interview. 

For consideration by the admissions committee, and in addition to the basic application requirements, applicants need to complete and submit the following through the Graduate Application Portal: 

• Statement of Intent: 1,000 to 1200 words that describe why you are interested in the program, and how it will help you achieve an envisioned outcome, a major purpose, or your professional and/or personal goals. Please provide a brief description of a topic area or challenge for which you might be interested in conducting research, including a rationale for its potential value. You may always change the research topic prior to embarking on the major research topic. A bibliography and relevant examples of work may be included. In your statement, please also briefly tell us about significant personal or professional experiences which have shaped your vision or goals, how the program can support you in meeting those goals, and why you are a potential change-maker and what you see as change.

• Samples of Work/Portfolio: The portfolio submission should consist of 5-10 samples of professional and/or student work (accomplished individually or in work contexts). This work must have been produced in the last five years. Choose samples that you believe are applicable to the SFI program. Applicants are encouraged to include the best examples of work that are typical of the variety of work they have done. Your portfolio should reflect the range of experience included on your CV. Visual work, analysis reports and proposal documents may be included. Applicants are expected to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of their disciplinary/professional work. 

• CV: Applicants should include an updated copy of their curriculum vitae. 

• Program-Specific Questions: Applicants will be asked to provide responses to a series of questions specific to the program.