The Sharp Centre for Design, a black-and-white box held high above McCaul Street on coloured legs, is the building everyone in Toronto recognises. OCAD University has taught art and design here since 1876, next door to the Art Gallery of Ontario and Grange Park. It's Canada's largest art and design university. Programmes run from drawing and painting to industrial design, digital futures and strategic foresight.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Official website: ocadu.ca
1876
Public art and design university
McCaul Street, next to the AGO
CA$30,000 – CA$36,000
International students, undergraduate degrees, approximate
CA$20,000 – CA$26,000
Rent, food and local transport
Approximate figures for 2026-27, please verify. Fees change every year and vary by course, so check the latest amount on ocadu.ca before you apply.
BDes Graphic Design
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Sep
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 84
BDes Industrial Design
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Sep
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 84
BFA Drawing and Painting
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Sep
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 84
BDes Digital Futures
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Sep
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 84
MDes Strategic Foresight and Innovation
Masters DegreeDuration
20 Months
Intake
Sep
Exam Score
IELTS: 7.0, TOEFL: 94
MDes Inclusive Design
Masters DegreeDuration
20 Months
Intake
Sep
Exam Score
IELTS: 7.0, TOEFL: 94
The Sharp Centre for Design above McCaul Street.
Canada's largest art and design university.
Graduate programmes in foresight and inclusive design.
Graduates work in Toronto's design agencies, studios, media and tech firms.
Foresight graduates join strategy and innovation teams in banks and government.
University graduates can apply for a post-graduation work permit.
Undergrad
OUAC, mid-January
Postgrad
Winter deadline
The campus is in the Grange Park area, beside the AGO and a short walk from Queen Street West and Kensington Market. The Queen and Dundas streetcars run nearby.
Toronto is Canada's biggest city and its rent is high. Many students share flats or live further out along the subway.
Letter of acceptance from OCAD University
Ontario provincial attestation letter
Proof of funds for tuition and living
Online IRCC study permit application
Medical exam, if requested
Valid passport and biometrics
Undergraduates apply through OUAC, ideally by mid-January, and then submit a portfolio. Graduate deadlines are mostly in winter for September entry.
Programmes start in September.
Study permit, applied for through IRCC. You'll upload the acceptance letter from OCAD University, an attestation letter if your programme needs one, proof you can pay tuition and living costs, and then give biometrics.
Graphic design, industrial design, drawing and painting, digital futures and the master's programmes in foresight and inclusive design are popular. Undergraduates need secondary school results, a portfolio and IELTS 6.5; master's programmes need a bachelor's degree and IELTS 7.0.
OCAD U offers some entrance scholarships to international students, often based on the portfolio. Check current awards when you apply.
