MA/MS in Inclusive Design is a master's degree in Applied Design programme taught at OCAD University in Toronto, Canada. The programme runs for 2 years, delivered in a hybrid format. Tuition for international students is CAD 6,991 per semester (CAD 3,149 per semester for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Master's Degree
Field:Applied Design
Duration: 2 years
Delivery: Hybrid
Local tuition: CAD 3,149 / semester
International tuition: CAD 6,991 / semester
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
This graduate program leads to a Master of Design over two years of full-time study, offered in a hybrid format that is available both online and in person from OCAD University's downtown Toronto location, combining group projects, online forums, and guest experts. It is built around five interrelated components: foundation courses, theory courses, research methods, and a laboratory stream, through which students examine equity and access issues using iterative design and inclusive digital technologies. The program culminates in a Major Research Project, and students take part in a second-year colloquium open to the public as well as a graduate symposium and festival. Students have access to the Inclusive Design Research Centre, an international community of open-source developers, designers, researchers, and educators. It suits students aiming at careers in digital media and ICT systems, public-sector policy, the built environment, arts and culture, healthcare, or graphic and communication design, as well as those preparing for doctoral study.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Inclusive Design's own program page states no admission requirements beyond a link to OCAD University's general graduate admission requirements, published on the graduate admissions site, which this program follows. Applicants need a BA, BFA, BDes, or comparable honours degree from a recognized post-secondary institution; unofficial transcripts from every post-secondary institution attended are required with the application, with official sealed transcripts due only on admission. Two letters of recommendation submitted directly by referees through the Graduate Application Portal, and a $110 CAD non-refundable application fee, are required of every applicant. Applicants whose prior education was not completed in English must submit an approved language test: IELTS Academic 7.0 overall with no band below 7.0, TOEFL iBT 90 overall (Reading 22, Listening 20, Speaking 22, Writing 22), or Duolingo 120. Program-specific materials commonly include a statement of intent (500-1,200 words), a CV, and 3-7 work samples; Inclusive Design has not published further specifics of its own.
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.
