Diploma in Graphic Design - Creative Practice is a diploma in Visual Arts programme taught at Sheridan College in Oakville, Canada. The programme runs for 2 years, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition for international students is CAD 18,756 per year (CAD 5,335 per year for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Diploma
Field:Visual Arts
Duration: 2 years
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
Local tuition: CAD 5,335 / year
International tuition: CAD 18,756 / year
Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
Graphic Design - Creative Practice is a two-year Ontario College Diploma offered at Sheridan College's Trafalgar Campus in Oakville. The program combines studio-based lectures with self-directed design work to build practical skills in areas such as branding and typography, with later semesters focused on building a professional portfolio through industry-relevant projects intended to prepare graduates for roles across private, public, and non-profit sector design work. The curriculum incorporates design strategy, trend forecasting, and emerging technologies, and places particular emphasis on human-centred and ethical design practices, teaching students to create inclusive and sustainable design solutions. Students who wish to continue their studies can transfer into Sheridan's related three-year Graphic Design - Creative Strategies advanced diploma by speaking with their program coordinator, without needing to reapply externally. The program is Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) aligned for eligible international students. It suits students seeking a shorter, practice-focused entry point into graphic design with a direct path to further study, rather than students seeking the more strategy-heavy advanced diploma from the outset.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Direct entry requires an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent including English, Grade 12 at the C or U level, or mature-student status for applicants aged 19 or older who lack it. Selection ranks the average of an applicant's six highest Grade 12 (U or M) credits, including the required course. No portfolio or interview is required for admission. Mature students missing standard prerequisites may complete assessment testing or Sheridan's free Academic Upgrading program. Sheridan's institution-wide English proficiency requirement for certificate and diploma programs applies to applicants whose first language is not English: IELTS Academic 6.0 overall with no band below 5.5, TOEFL iBT 80 with no section below 20 (a redesigned iBT scale applies from 2026), PTE Academic 58 with no section below 49, Duolingo English Test 105 with no subscore below 85, or CAEL 60 with no section below 50.
Application Details
Start Date:Sheridan runs three terms a year - Fall starting in September, Winter in January and Spring/Summer in May. For 2026-27 the Fall term ran 8 September to 18 December 2026, Winter runs 6 January to 16 April 2027, and Spring/Summer runs 3 May to 13 August 2027. On 6 September 2026 this program's own page listed a single intake, September 2026, at the Trafalgar Campus in Oakville. Sheridan's Start date table also carries a separate Domestic and International status for each intake (Available, Waitlisted or Closed) that changes as seats fill, so check this program's page on sheridancollege.ca before you apply.
Application Deadline:Sheridan publishes no deadline of its own for this program; the dates below are the college-wide ones. DOMESTIC APPLICANTS (Canadian citizens and permanent residents) apply through ontariocolleges.ca, which opened the Fall 2027 application on 26 September 2026 - Sheridan says it starts receiving those applications in early October for the academic year that follows. The equal consideration date is 1 February: apply on or before it and your file is weighed alongside every other one received by then for a Fall-term start, so for the cycle now open that means 1 February 2027 for entry in September 2027. Sheridan still accepts applications after that date wherever a program has not filled, but they are handled in the order they arrive, which leaves little room in high-demand programs. First offers for a September start may go out from 1 November; programs that require a portfolio, audition or resume begin issuing decisions later in March, and offers for the Winter and Spring/Summer intakes are made on a rolling basis. Confirm a Fall offer at ontariocolleges.ca by 1 May, or by the date printed on an offer issued after that, then pay the tuition deposit three months before the term begins. INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS apply instead through Sheridan's own International Application Portal, and Sheridan publishes no deadline for them - its Important Dates table carries only a note that the international dates are still to be posted. What limits an international application in practice is space: Sheridan tells international applicants to check that a program still has room before applying, and every program page shows a separate International status for each intake. Apply as early as you can and leave time for a study permit. Confirm the current dates at sheridancollege.ca and ontariocolleges.ca before you apply.
