How to Apply to Design at Seneca Polytechnic: A Four-Year Honours Bachelor of Design in Interactive Media at Seneca@York, Admitted on High School Grades with No Portfolio and a Mandatory Work Term, with Requirements and Timeline for Chinese and Canadian High School Students and Transfer Students

Seneca Polytechnic is in Toronto, Ontario, and offers diplomas, degrees and other programs. Its art and design degree is currently the Honours Bachelor of Design in Interactive Media (BDI) in the School of Creative Arts & Animation. Here is what you need to know, based on Seneca’s official information, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver) and transfer students.

1. The degree

• Length and format: 8 semesters (4 years), full-time, starting in September, at Seneca@York, in a hybrid format (some coursework online and some in person; some courses in Seneca’s flexible format, taught in class and streamed at the same time).
• What you study: user experience (UX), combining design, technical and business skills to create interactive experiences in video games, mobile apps and other online environments. Skills include UX design, digital media production, imaging and graphics, 3D modelling and animation, creative coding, scripting and entrepreneurship. In fourth year you complete a capstone project on launching an idea.
• Mandatory work term: at least 420 hours, similar in length to a semester, paid or unpaid. The search is student-driven and a position is not guaranteed, though Seneca offers coaching. Programs with a mandatory work term have additional fees.
• PGWP: Seneca says the program meets Post-Graduation Work Permit eligibility requirements. International students applying for a PGWP must attend flexible-format courses in person; studying online will affect eligibility.
• Related diplomas: Animation, Graphic Design, Interactive Media Design, Visual Content Creation and Virtual Production – Unity are diploma programs and are not covered here.

2. How and when to apply

• Availability: the program page shows September 2027 at Seneca@York as open for Canadian applicants; the international column currently lists only September 2026 (closed), and September 2027 seats for international students are not yet listed.
• International applicants: apply through Seneca’s International Online Application, choosing up to three programs, and pay a CAD 90 fee by credit card. It is credited back to your student account after you are accepted and pay your first-semester fees. Upload all required documents with the application.
• Canadian applicants: the program’s apply page, in its advanced entry section, says Canadian applicants select “Degree Completion” on OntarioColleges.ca.
• Deadlines: no application deadline was shown on the pages read; check in the application system whether the program is still open.

3. Portfolio

The admission requirements do not list a portfolio, interview or assignment. Seneca notes that, although not required, some courses in art, design or computer studies are recommended.

4. Admission requirements

Ontario students: an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, or mature applicant status, with six Grade 12 U or M courses and an overall average of at least 65%, including ENG4U at 65% or higher.

BC students: Seneca lists only “OSSD or equivalent”; how BC courses such as English Studies 12 are matched is not published, so check with Seneca admissions.

Students from China: the country requirements on the program page ask for 75% or B in six major subjects in the final year, including program-required subjects, and one of the following with final grades clearly shown: three-year senior high school transcripts, academic proficiency test (xueye shuiping ceshi) or huikao results, or gaokao results.

English (international applicants): for degree programs, IELTS Academic 6.5 (no skill below 6.0), TOEFL with no skill below 4.5 out of 6 (or 21 out of 30), Duolingo 115 to 120, PTE 60, CAEL 70 (writing at least 60) or Cambridge English 176 (no skill below 169), taken within two years. Two years of full-time study in a school and country where English is the primary language also qualifies. Seneca notes these are minimums and competitive programs admit the most highly qualified applicants first.

Transfer and advanced entry: graduates of Ontario Interactive Media Design diploma or advanced diploma programs with a GPA of 65% or higher may apply for advanced entry and finish faster. The pathways page lists arrangements for diplomas at Algonquin, Durham, Fanshawe and Humber colleges (Interactive Media Design, Multimedia Design and Development, Web Development). Without a pathway, you may enter Level 1 and apply for transfer credit after admission.

5. Costs and scholarships

• Fees (2026/27, first semester): tuition and ancillary fees are CAD 4,063.67 for Canadian students and CAD 11,127.52 for international students (including CAD 9,647 tuition and CAD 934.72 health insurance). Books and supplies are about CAD 600 per semester. Seneca says these are first-semester costs for a September start with a full course load.
• Scholarships: the program page says students in any degree program may qualify for a renewable scholarship of up to CAD 1,000 a year. Eligibility details are on Seneca’s student site, which this guide did not read, so whether international students qualify is not confirmed here.

6. Checklist

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC):

• Apply early once September 2027 is open; Ontario students need six Grade 12 U/M courses (65% average) and 65% in ENG4U
• BC students: confirm with Seneca how BC courses are assessed; no portfolio is required

Students at high schools in China:

• 75% or B in six major final-year subjects; submit three-year transcripts, huikao or gaokao results (one of these)
• IELTS 6.5 (6.0 in each) or equivalent; apply through the international system (CAD 90); watch for September 2027 international availability

Transfer students:

• Interactive Media Design diploma graduates (GPA 65%) can apply for advanced entry; graduates of similar diplomas elsewhere should check the pathways page

Sources: Seneca Polytechnic, Honours Bachelor of Design in Interactive Media; Admission requirements (including by country); Costs; Pathways; Apply now; International: how to apply; International English requirements. Fees are for 2026/27; application deadlines were not shown on the pages read. Check Seneca Polytechnic's website for the latest.