Mohawk College offers Cert in Art and Design Foundations, a certificate in Arts, Design & Architecture programme in Hamilton, Canada. The programme runs for 1 year, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition for international students is CAD 15,268 per year (CAD 1,354 per year for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Certificate
Field:Arts, Design & Architecture
Duration: 1 year
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
Local tuition: CAD 1,354 / year
International tuition: CAD 15,268 / year
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
Gain hands-on experience in art, digital arts, photography, graphic design, typography, and visual communications. Build essential skills that prepares you for advanced programs in Photography, Graphic Design, Animation, or Game Design. Program Highlights Explore a variety of creative disciplines, including photography, animation, graphic design, game design, and print, to discover your passion and potential career path.Get introduced to the fundamentals of game design, including concept development, character creation, and visual storytelling for interactive media.Develop your skills through both traditional illustration and cutting-edge digital design projects, using industry-standard tools and techniques.Benefit from expert instruction and mentorship from experienced faculty who are active in the creative industries.Seamlessly transition from high school or the workforce to a college-level diploma program, with personalized guidance and support every step of the way.What you'll learnMaster the fundamentals of traditional art, digital arts, applied design, game design, and visual communications.Understand the principles and workflow of art and design, from concept development to final presentation—including the basics of designing for interactive and gaming environments.Create a range of traditional and digital projects to kickstart your visual arts, graphic design, and game design portfolio.Plan, design, and present compelling visual communications across multiple media platforms, including those used in animation and game development.Gain essential skills in drawing, colour theory, printing technology, still photography, and the visual elements that bring games and interactive media to life.Learn how digital concepts and designs are transformed into polished, professional print and digital products. Program Length1 academic year (period of 8 months)Note: Students who start Semester 1 in January will enter Semester 2 in Spring/Summer.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Entry requires an OSSD or equivalent (Mohawk Academic Upgrading or GED accepted), with Grade 12 English at C or U level or equivalent. Applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate proficiency through TOEFL 550 (80 internet-based), IELTS Academic 6.0 overall with no band below 5.5, Duolingo 105-110 (no band below 100), or completion of Mohawk's GAS-English for Academic Purposes program; international applicants are directed to Mohawk's separate International Admission Requirements page for further accepted certificates. Mature-applicant pathways are available. The program's Admission Requirements section states no portfolio, interview or work-experience condition.
Application Details
Start Date:Starts Mohawk lists on this program’s own page, checked 6 September 2026. Domestic applicants: September 2026 at Fennell Campus (FF). Mohawk’s page lists no international intake table for this program, so international applicants should confirm with Mohawk International that the program is open to them before applying. Mohawk runs a Fall term from September, a Winter term from January and a Spring/Summer term from May; not every program runs every term, and the seat status shown beside a start (open, waitlist, closed) moves as intakes fill.
Application Deadline:Mohawk publishes no deadline unique to this program; the dates below are the college-wide ones.
DOMESTIC APPLICANTS (Canadian citizens and permanent residents) apply through ontariocolleges.ca. Equal consideration date: 1 February for a September start. Applications that reach Ontario Colleges by then are read together in the first round of offers. Applying afterwards is still allowed, but remaining seats go first-come, first-served, and a competitive program is usually full by that point. Where a program draws more qualified applicants than it has seats, Mohawk ranks them on the average of their highest senior-level final grades in the required courses, and offers go to Ontario permanent residents first, then residents of other Canadian provinces and territories, then international applicants.
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS (citizens of another country without Canadian permanent residence) do not use the equal consideration dates. Mohawk lists no international intake for this program at the time of writing, so there is no international deadline to quote; contact Mohawk International before assuming a seat exists.
