Hons in Advertising is a honours degree in Advertising & Digital Marketing programme taught at OCAD University in Toronto, Canada. The programme runs for 4 years. Tuition for international students is CAD 32,000 per year (CAD 8,900 per year for local students).
This program leads to an Honours Bachelor of Design over four years at the Toronto campus. It covers graphic design, branding, creative copywriting, advertising strategy, and concept development, opening with foundational courses in typography, drawing, colour, design fundamentals, and design history before moving into digital advertising design, photography, advertising research, persuasion, storytelling, copywriting, retail advertising, and user experience. In the fourth year, students take part in advertising boot camps that involve producing campaigns for real clients and complete an independent thesis project. The curriculum also includes short experiential-learning placements, in-class projects with industry partners, summer internships, and freelance opportunities intended to build professional connections within the advertising industry. It suits students interested in advertising, marketing, creative direction, and design-focused careers who want to combine conceptual thinking with hands-on studio work and client-facing experience gained before graduation.
Requirements
Minimum GPA:70.00 / %
Admission Requirements: OCAD University's Advertising program page adds only a portfolio and a Statement of Intent to the university's general undergraduate admission requirements, so the baseline comes from OCAD's own academic requirements and English proficiency pages. Ontario high school applicants need the OSSD with Grade 12 U English (ENG4U/EWC4U/ETS4U/EAE4U/EAC4U/EAL4U) at a minimum of 70%, six Grade 12 U/M courses, and a 70% overall academic average; applicants from other Canadian provinces need a 70% average in university-preparatory courses including senior-level English at 70% or equivalent; international applicants need an equivalent secondary credential with a B/70% in English, or a minimum of 24 points on the IB. Applicants whose first language is not English, or who have not completed four consecutive years of English-medium schooling, must submit an approved test: IELTS Academic 6.5 overall (6.0 minimum per band), TOEFL iBT 84 overall (Reading 20, Listening 19, Speaking 22, Writing 20), PTE Academic 58 (56 per section), Duolingo 110 (105 Production), or CAEL 70 (60 per band). Advertising itself asks for a portfolio, prepared per OCAD's portfolio guidance, and a Statement of Intent. Admission is competitive; meeting the minimums does not guarantee a seat.
Application Details
Start Date:September
Application Deadline:OCAD University admits only in September each year through OUAC, and as of September 2026 it has not yet posted specific dates for fall 2027 entry; the most recently published cycle, fall 2026, set a recommended application deadline of February 1, 2026 and a portfolio-submission deadline of February 10, 2026, with applications opening in early October 2025. OCAD applies the same recommended deadline to domestic and international applicants alike and does not publish a separate international date. The university describes admission as continuing on a rolling basis after the recommended deadline while space remains, rather than as a hard cutoff. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
