OCAD University
Programs
17
Range spans
—
With co-op
0
The Ontario College of Art and Design University, branded as OCAD University or OCAD U (OH-kad), is a public art university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its main campus is located within Toronto's Grange Park and Entertainment District neighbourhoods.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
How OCAD actually handles things
From the OUAC’s Guidance Dialogues Resource Guide (Spring 2026), which OUAC publishes for guidance counsellors rather than students. Read the original. Policies change — confirm anything you’re about to act on.
- If you repeat a course
We will use the highest grade to calculate the final entrance average.
- Summer school, night school, e-learning and private school
Provided that the course is completed at a Ministryinspected and -approved institution, we will accept Grade 12 U/M courses regardless of how or where students take them. Final official documents are due in July or August each year.
- Your Grade 11 marks
In general, we do not consider Grade 11 grades in admission decisions.
- Whether your OUAC ranking matters
We consider all applicants and applications equally, regardless of the ordered choice on the OUAC application.
- If you don't get your first choice
In general, we do not make alternative offers of admission.
- Supplementary applications
A writing sample based on an assigned topic and statement of intent are required for admission consideration for our Visual and Critical Studies program.
A writing portfolio is required for admission consideration for our Creative Writing program.
All other programs require a portfolio submission for admission consideration. Portfolio requirements may vary by program.
- Automatic entrance scholarships
We do not offer guaranteed entrance scholarships.
- Scholarships you have to apply for
We offer a limited number of entrance scholarships and awards and will consider all applicants based on portfolio or supplemental materials and academic merit. https://admissions.ocadu.ca/afford/funding-options
- Bursaries
Bursaries are available based on financial need once a student is enrolled at the University. https://admissions.ocadu.ca/afford/funding-options
- Special consideration
We make every effort to help facilitate the application process for applicants who require special consideration or assistance.
Email admissions@ocadu.ca for further details.
- Deferring your offer
We generally grant deferrals only in cases of extenuating circumstances.
Email admissions@ocadu.ca for more details.
- When offers go out
We make the majority of offers of admission by the beginning of April based on the portfolio submission (for studio-based programs) or writing assignments (for the Bachelor of Arts program).
All offers of admission are conditional upon meeting minimum academic entrance requirements.
The deadline to respond to offers of admission is June 1, 2026.
- Tuition deposit
A non-refundable admission confirmation deposit is required by June 8, 2026. Deposit amounts may vary.
- AP and IB
Applicants who have completed AP credits with a final score of 4 or higher may be eligible for transfer credit if applicable to program requirements. Official score reports and transfer credit request forms are required. Applicants must also meet minimum academic entrance requirements, based on high school transcripts.
We will consider applicants who have successfully completed the IB diploma with at least 6 subjects, including IB English and 3 courses at the Higher Level, with a minimum final grade total of 24, for admission.
We may consider individual IB Higher Level courses with a grade of 5 or better for transfer credit if applicable to program requirements. Official results from IB and transfer credit request forms are required.
https://admissions.ocadu.ca/apply/academic-requirements
- Changing programs
Flow: Curricular Transformation is an initiative to renew our curriculum. It has created a more open, inclusive, interdisciplinary and learner-directed educational experience for our students. All undergraduate programs have been renewed.
- Transfer credit
Details on our transfer pathways, transfer credit policies, upper-year entry consideration, articulation agreements and other requirements are available at: https://admissions.ocadu.ca/apply/transfer-options.
- English proficiency
In general, applicants with a first language other than English are required to submit English-language proficiency test results in addition to satisfying minimum academic entrance requirements.
We accept results from the following tests: o CAEL o Duolingo o IELTS o PTE o TOEFL
We encourage applicants to complete English-language proficiency tests by March 2, 2026 (past).
Applicants who attended a high school where English is the primary language of instruction for 4 consecutive years of full-time studies immediately prior to their attendance at OCAD U may be eligible for an exemption from the English-language test requirement at the discretion of the admissions office.
Details about our English-language proficiency requirements, acceptable tests, minimum score requirements, acceptable pathway programs and test exemptions are available at: https://admissions.ocadu.ca/apply/english-language-proficiency.
Which mark they use when you take a course twice.
Whether courses taken outside your regular day school are treated the same.
Whether they look at Grade 11, and when.
Does the order you list programs in change anything?
Whether they'll offer you a related program instead.
Whether this university wants more than marks.
Money you get for your average without applying for it.
Awards beyond the automatic ones.
If something happened that affected your marks.
Taking a year before you start.
OCAD's GPA scale — the percentage scale you are graded on once you arrive, from the registrar
OCAD acceptance rate — why there isn’t one, and the published bars that decide instead
OCAD entrance scholarships — all 13, and what your average is worth
How OCAD is set up
Not a ranking — the structural facts that shape what a year here feels like, computed from OCAD’s own listings. Universities list at different grain (OCAD lists 17), so read the counts rather than comparing percentages between campuses.
0%
of programs offer co-op
0 of 17 listings. Almost everyone here is on campus for the whole degree.
Living there
No residence
first-year residence
OCAD U doesn’t have its own residence. It points students to nearby private student residences, co-op housing, rentals and home-sharing.
Source: admissions.ocadu.ca · checked September 11, 2026
4,286
full-time undergraduates
Fall 2025 count.
Source: Council of Ontario Universities (Ministry data, which counts diploma and certificate students too) · checked September 11, 2026
Compare first-year residence at every Ontario campus
OCAD open house 2026
Where it is
Open in Google Maps · Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
All 17 programs
show
- —AdvertisingOUAC HAD· supp. app
- —Creative WritingOUAC HWC· supp. app
- —Criticism & Curatorial PracticeOUAC HCP· supp. app
- —Digital FuturesOUAC HDF· supp. app
- —Drawing & PaintingOUAC HDP· supp. app
- —Environmental DesignOUAC HED· supp. app
- —Experimental AnimationOUAC HXN· supp. app
- —Graphic DesignOUAC HGD· supp. app
- —IllustrationOUAC HIL· supp. app
- —Indigenous Visual CultureOUAC HIG· supp. app
- —Industrial DesignOUAC HID· supp. app
- —Integrated MediaOUAC HIM· supp. app
- —Material Art & Design (Jewellery/Textiles)OUAC HMD· supp. app
- —PhotographyOUAC HPT· supp. app
- —Printmaking & PublicationsOUAC HPB· supp. app
- —Sculpture/InstallationOUAC HSI· supp. app
- —Visual and Critical Studies (Art History)OUAC HVC· supp. app