Design Colleges in Canada

We see a number of things on a daily basis that fascinates us. Ever wondered, what is so special about them? Whether a building, a car or simply a gadget, we use the word ‘design’ to describe its appearance. Design is the primary feature that catches our attention. A good design or a bad one determines the popularity of any product. Just like, a phone with a classy design and features is likely to have more buyers than the one with poor design. If you are artistic and have a love for aesthetic details, then a career in Design is all you need, to showcase your talent and creativity. When it comes to studying abroad, there are a number of Design colleges in Canada offering comprehensive and world-class degrees in the domain. In this blog, we will walk you through some of the key aspects of pursuing a degree in Design from Canada, a nation that developed from a colonial outpost to a vibrant and multicultural society.

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Also Read: Cost of Studying in Canada

Design as a Career

Design is to create something intently considering the purpose, appearance and aesthetics of the product. The purpose of design is to improve and make a product look appealing. The field of design is so vast that it is vital in almost every aspect. It offers countless opportunities to work in almost every industry along with lucrative salary packages. If you want to pursue a career that has possibilities for growth, learning and improvement in a country with dynamic work culture, then courses from  Design colleges in Canada is something you should consider.

Let’s have a look at some of the fields where design is fundamental.

• Automotive Designing
• Web Designing
• Product Designing
• Fashion Designing
• Animation
• Naval Architecture
• Aeronautical Engineering
• Game Development
• Architecture
• Leather Designing
• Painting

Degree Courses and Specializations

The Canadian design colleges offer a range of courses in design. Most of the universities provide both bachelors and masters degree in design. The degrees offer a high-paying job. However, the possibility of finding a better job increases with the Masters degree of design. Huge hikes in salaries are noticed for students with degrees in higher courses.

The different degree courses for design studies provided by Canada are mentioned below:

• Diploma and certificate courses usually last from six months to 1 year.
• The Bachelor’s degree or undergraduate course such as bachelor of arts, bachelor of fine arts, bachelor of design or some of the courses offered for a three-year or 4 year program.
• The Masters degree for the post graduate course such as Master of Art and design, master in fine arts, Master of design, and I am a degree or available in Canada. This course lasts for around two years maximum. Some of the popular design colleges in Canada also offer specialized design courses.
• Doctorate degree: PhD

Also Read: Diploma Courses in Canada

Eligibility 

Some of the popular design colleges in Canada also offer specialised design courses. 

Eligibility criteria for Bachelors course in design

The basic requirements to earn a bachelor‘s degree from a Canadian institute are mentioned below

• Students should have school certificate or 10+2 passing score of 70%
• English language proficiency proof through exams such as TOEFL, IELTS, PTE
• Complete application forms for admission
• Letters of recommendation, Transcripts, financial proof, health insurance, and similar documents

Eligibility criteria for Masters course in design

The basic requirement to earn a master’s degree from a Canadian institute are mentioned below

• A bachelor’s degree with minimum of 75% marks
• English proficiency proof through IELTS, TOEFL, PTE
• Academic transcripts
• Resume
• Letters of recommendation, at least three
• Proof of experience in the field of design

Eligibility criteria for Doctoral degree in design

The basic requirements to pursue the PhD programme in design in Canada are mentioned below in details

• A postgraduate degree with a minimum of 3 to 3.5 GPA
• English proficiency proof with TOEFL or IELTS
• Three letters of recommendation
• Academic transcripts
• Resume
• Working experience and research publications

Fees and Costs

Bachelor’s degree: The average cost of studying in a bachelors course in design in Canada is about 79,200 CAD to 159,000 CAD (INR 46 Lakh to 93 Lakh). 

Masters degree: The average cost of studying in a Masters course in design in Canada is about 25,900 CAD to 49,000 CAD (INR 15 Lakh to 30 Lakh). In addition to this, students need to pay 18,000 CAD (INR 11 Lakh) annually for accommodation and meal expenses.

Doctoral degree: The average cost of studying in design in Canada for a PhD program costs around 33,088 CAD to 60,600 CAD (INR 20 Lakh to 35 Lakh).

Different scholarship programs are available for the undergraduate students, Postgraduate students, and doctoral degree students in design degrees.

Also read: Upcoming Intakes in Canada for 2021-2022

Top 5 Design Universities in Canada

There are hundreds of universities and colleges in Canada with leading Art and Design Schools, to study design courses. Below is a brief about some of the prominent institutes for students to consider taking admission in design courses:

1. Emily Carr University of Art and Design

One of the oldest universities renowned for Arts and Design, Emily Carr University specializes in imparting education in Arts, Design and Media. Offering a Master of Fine Arts and a Master of Design, ECU has a reputation of being the leader in excellence in the field of Arts and Design. At the bachelor’s level, the university provides a range of specialization in areas such as Drawing, Painting, Ceramics, Photography and other courses with each spanning over a 3-year duration.

2. University of Alberta

Ranked among the leading 5 universities in Canada and falling in the list of top 100 universities in the world, the University of Alberta offers a comprehensive 4-year bachelor’s degrees in various sub-disciplines of Art and Design like Drawing, Sculpture, Industrial Design, to name a few. The university also offers a number of courses in Design for students at the master’s level.

3. Concordia University

The Faculty of Fine Arts at Concordia University offers a variety of courses in Arts and Design at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Some of the prominent courses offered by the university include Game Design, Design for Theatre and Animation, Design and Computation Arts, etc.

4. University of Manitoba

Among the top universities in Canada, the University of Manitoba has an unmatched reputation in offering extensive programs in Design. The Faculty of Architecture at the university has comprehensive courses in Interior Design, Landscape Architecture and City Planning.

5. Ryerson University

Ryerson University has one of the richest design schools in the world. Its Faculty of Communication and Design offers a range of courses in Design and Arts. At the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, the university offers intensive courses for design enthusiasts.

Also Read: Canada Student Visa IELTS Band Requirements

Other Design Colleges in Canada

Besides the top universities in Art and Design, there are other colleges as well that are revered for offering exciting courses in Design.

Here’s a table below to help you understand the different Design colleges in Canada along with their popular Design courses:

Canadian College	Popular Design Course	Duration
Centennial College	Product Design and Development	3-year
Humber College	Bachelor of Design	4-year
Fanshawe College	Design Foundations	1-year
Mohawk College	Advanced Diploma in Graphics Design	3-year
George Brown College	Honours Bachelor of Digital Experience Design	4-year
Niagara College	Art and Design Foundation	1-year
Conestoga College	Bachelor of Design (Honours)	4-year
St. Clair College	Interior Design	3-years
Canadore College	Advanced Diploma in graphics Design	3 years

Top Design Colleges in Canada for Masters

Few of the renowned universities offering Masters in Design in Canada: 

• University of Alberta
• York University
• Concordia University 
• OCAD University
• Emily Carr University of Art and Design 
• Carleton University
• Nova Scotia College of Art and Design

Fashion Designing Colleges in Canada

Following are the top-notch institutes for the Product, Fashion & Textile Design courses in Canada: 

• Humber College
• Kwantlen Polytechnic University
• Emily Carr University
• Centennial College
• George Brown College 
• St. Claire College (South Campus)
• Ryerson University School of Fashion 
• COCO Fashion Design Institute 
• Lasalle College
• Richard Robinson Fashion Design Academy 

Interior Design Colleges in Canada

Find out below some first-rate institutes of Interior design colleges in Canada: 

• Ryerson University
• Georgian University
• University of Manitoba
• Humber College
• Algonquin College Ottawa
• Dalhousie University
• Bow Valley College, Calgary 
• Fanshawe College
• University of Calgary
• Conestoga College Kitchener 

Graphic Design Colleges in Canada

Here’s a sneak peek of Graphic Design courses in Canadian institutes: 

• M College
• George Brown College
• OCAD University
• Toronto Film School
• College Universal 
• SAIT Polytechnic
• Northern Alberta Institute of Technology 
• University of the Fraser Valley
• Fleming College
• British Columbia Institute of Technology 

Scholarships

Some of the prominent scholarships provided in Canada are mentioned below:

• In study scholarship: Provided by the OCAD University. The amount is variable and eligible for graduate international students.
• Concordia international tuition award of excellence: Provided by Concordia University. It provides a discount on tuition fees and is available for graduate international students.
• Vanier Canada graduate scholarship programs: The scholarship amount is around 50,000 CAD and provided to the doctoral candidates in design in Canada.
• Alberta graduate excellence scholarships: It is provided by the Alberta University. An amount of 12,000 CAD is provided to students of all levels.
• Entrance scholarship: It is provided by NSCAT University. The amount varies between 500 to 6000 CAD. All the students are eligible to apply for this at all levels.
• Arts Council of survey scholarships: It is provided by Emily Carr University of Art and design. The amount is variable and only exclusive for students of visual arts.

Also read: Scholarships in Canada

Jobs and Scope

The corporate world needs designing students in their forms. There are potential jobs available with a decent starting pay of 47,400 CAD per year. A graduate in design can earn up to 171,000 CAD every year depending upon their specialisation degree and years of experience.

It is highly likely that females have a high chance of employment as soon as they get their design degrees in Canada. Popular firms that provide jobs to design graduates in Canada include the following big names:

• Critical mass
• Figure 3
• KPMG LLP
• Groupe dynamite

A career in design has a wider scope for specialization in a number of sub-disciplines. You can choose a course, specific to your interest with higher job prospects. You can also take a Psychometric Test at Leverage Edu to identify your ideal destination amongst a list of Design colleges in Canada.