Hons in Photography is a honours degree in Photography programme taught at OCAD University in Toronto, Canada. The programme runs for 4 years, delivered on campus. Tuition for international students is CAD 32,000 per year (CAD 7,800 per year for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Honours Degree
Field:Photography
Duration: 4 years
Delivery: On Campus
Local tuition: CAD 7,800 / year
International tuition: CAD 32,000 / year
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
This program leads to a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) over four years, delivered in person through studio and seminar courses at the Toronto campus. It builds technical, creative, and critical skills across analogue, digital, and emerging image-making approaches, with core coursework in colour photography, black-and-white darkroom work, digital imaging and printing, studio lighting, photography history and theory, and experimental processes. The first year provides foundational art training before specialization, the third year emphasizes advanced studio work and professional development, and the fourth year centres on an independent, self-directed Senior Studio practice shown at the university's graduate exhibition, GradEx. Students work in digital labs, darkrooms, film-processing stations, and studios, and can access experiential-learning placements, industry-partner projects, and summer internships. The program suits students interested in photographic arts, curation, editing, art education, or other creative professions who want technical training paired with critical artistic engagement.
Requirements
Minimum GPA:70.00 / %
Admission Requirements: OCAD University's Photography 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). Photography 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.
