How to apply to design at Mount Royal University: the Calgary Bachelor of Interior Design admits on grades plus a department-directed portfolio by 1 February, and the Information Design degree lists no portfolio; portfolio requirements and timelines for students in China, Canadian high school students and transfer students

Mount Royal University (MRU) is an undergraduate-focused university in Calgary, Alberta. Its program list has two four-year design degrees: the Bachelor of Interior Design (BID) in the Faculty of Arts and the Bachelor of Communication — Information Design (BCMM) in the Faculty of Communications. Both are on MRU's list of designated learning programs for study permit holders. This guide sets out fall 2027 entry for students at Canadian high schools (including BC and the Vancouver area), students at high schools in China, and transfer students, based on MRU's website.

1. The two design degrees

• Bachelor of Interior Design: four years, accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA). It is rooted in design theory, building systems and emerging technologies, taught largely through studio projects, and includes a 450-hour paid internship with an interior design or architecture firm.
• Bachelor of Communication — Information Design: four years covering design thinking, technical communication, interactivity, systems thinking and visual storytelling, with projects such as websites, signage, exhibits and data visualisation, plus a work placement; study abroad and field schools are available. Careers include UI/UX design, visual design, information architecture and publication design.
• Your MRU application lets you add a second program at no extra cost, and MRU recommends choosing a back-up.

2. Interior Design: grades plus a directed portfolio

• Program requirements (Alberta courses): English Language Arts 30-1 at 65% and Mathematics 30-1 or 30-2 at 50%. High school applicants submit five Grade 12 courses that include these.
• Department-directed portfolio: competitively qualified applicants who meet the academic requirements complete a portfolio set by the department, which may include hand drawings and composition, creative exploration exercises and written reflection. It is used with your grades to decide admission. The program page does not give the exact tasks, number of pieces or submission method.
• Deadline: applications open 1 October 2026 and close 1 February 2027.
• Document deadline: two statements differ. The how-to-apply page says Interior Design and three other programs have a final document deadline of 1 February; the dates page says the early admission document deadline for programs that closed on 1 February is 16 February 2027. Both are on MRU's site; follow what MRU tells you after you apply.
• The program page notes that interior design is technical and students should be comfortable with basic computer skills such as word processing.

3. Information Design: admission on grades

• Program requirement: English Language Arts 30-1 at 60%. The program page lists no portfolio or interview.
• Deadlines: early admission runs 1 October 2026 to 1 February 2027; from 2 February admission continues by space until the program is full. International applicants apply by 1 May 2027 and submit documents by 15 May.
• MRU says all early admission applications are treated as received at the same time and all competitively qualified applicants are accommodated; most programs fill during early admission.

4. Students at Canadian high schools

• MRU states requirements in Alberta courses. BC and other out-of-province students use the provincial equivalency chart to see which courses match English Language Arts 30-1 and Mathematics 30-1/30-2. The chart loads from a third-party spreadsheet and was not read for this guide; check MRU's provincial equivalencies page or ask admissions.
• Grade 12 students self-report predicted grades, which cannot be changed after submission. Finish the high school courses used for admission by 30 June 2027 and send final transcripts by 1 August.
• No competitive admission average is published on the program pages.

5. Students at high schools in China

• Credentials: MRU's international credentials chart lists, for China, the Senior Middle School Graduation Certificate and three-year high school transcript, plus University Entrance Examination (Gaokao) results if completed. No Gaokao score requirement is published.
• Applying: domestic and international applicants use different systems, reached from MRU's Apply page. The application fee is CAD 100, non-refundable, by credit card.
• International deadlines: Interior Design closes on 1 February; for Information Design and other programs, international applicants apply by 1 May and submit documents by 15 May (US citizens follow domestic dates). Non-English transcripts need certified translations.
• Fall 2027 classes start on 9 September.

6. English requirements

• If English is not your first language, you must meet two requirements: complete the program's required English course (such as English Language Arts 30-1 or equivalent) and meet MRU's English Language Proficiency requirement.
• Tests: IELTS Academic 6.5 (no band below 5.5); TOEFL iBT 86 (at least 20 in each section), or 4.5 (no band below 4.0) after 21 January 2026; PTE 58 (at least 55 in each area); Duolingo 120; CAEL 70 (at least 60 in each band).
• Without a test: two years of full-time study in English in an English-speaking country plus English Language Arts 30-1 or 30-2 (or equivalent) meets the requirement; Canada is on MRU's list.

7. Tuition and scholarships

• International tuition (2026-27 fall/winter schedule): CAD 2,427.78 per full course; full-time students also pay general fees of CAD 865.75 and student association and other fees of CAD 350.59 per semester.
• MRU's tuition page lists the Bachelor of Interior Design among programs with a unique tuition structure, so check the tuition schedules or the first-year budget estimator for its actual cost.
• Scholarships: to be eligible for scholarships and bursaries you must apply during early admission (1 October to 1 February); scholarship applications run from 1 November to 1 March. MRU awards over CAD 5 million a year. The program pages do not say which awards international students can receive.

8. Transfer students

• Applicants with college or university study apply in the post-secondary transfer category. MRU says the courses and GPA needed depend on the program; the transfer GPA for Interior Design and Information Design is not on the program pages, so ask admissions.

Checklist

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and the Vancouver area):

• Apply during early admission, 1 October 2026 to 1 February 2027, and add a second program
• Interior Design: the equivalent of English Language Arts 30-1 at 65% and Mathematics 30-1/30-2 at 50% (check BC equivalents), then the directed portfolio once you qualify
• Information Design: the equivalent of English Language Arts 30-1 at 60%

Students at high schools in China:

• Submit your graduation certificate, three-year transcript and Gaokao results (if completed), with certified translations
• IELTS 6.5 (5.5 bands), TOEFL 86 or Duolingo 120
• Interior Design by 1 February; Information Design international applications by 1 May and documents by 15 May

Transfer students:

• Apply in the post-secondary transfer category and confirm the GPA requirement with admissions

Sources: Mount Royal University, Bachelor of Interior Design; Bachelor of Communication — Information Design; International designated programs; How to apply; Dates and deadlines; English language proficiency; International credentials; Provincial equivalencies; Tuition and fees; 2026-27 international tuition schedule. Information is for fall 2027 entry (2027/28). Check MRU for the latest details.