How to Apply to Art and Design at Concordia University: 15–20 Works for the Studio Arts BFAs and up to 15 for the Design BFA, with Portfolio Requirements and Timeline for Chinese and Canadian High School Students and Transfer Students

Concordia University is in Montreal. Its art and design degrees are offered by the Faculty of Fine Arts at the downtown Sir George Williams campus, and they are all Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degrees. This guide covers two departments: Studio Arts and Design and Computation Arts. Programs in both require a portfolio and letter of intent after you apply. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on Concordia’s official information, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver), and transfer students.

1. Programs

• Studio Arts BFAs: Ceramics, Fibres and Material Practices, Intermedia (Video, Performance and Electronic Arts), Painting and Drawing, Photography, Print Media, Sculpture and Studio Arts.
• Design and Computation Arts BFAs: Design, Computation Arts, and Computation Arts – Computer Science.
• The faculty also offers Art History, Art Education, Film Animation, Film Production and other BFAs, not covered here.
• Length: a BFA takes three to four years full-time (90–120 credits), depending on your background. The Studio Art major is 60 credits and the Design major 66 credits; see the department program guides and the Undergraduate Calendar for courses.
• Entry: Studio Arts and Design programs admit for fall only.
• Upper-level Design students can do independent studies and internships, and Concordia offers the C.Edge paid internship option (full-time, at least 35 hours a week, 12–17 weeks).

2. How to apply

• Step 1: complete Concordia’s online admission application; you need a valid Concordia ID before submitting a portfolio.
• Step 2: submit the portfolio and letter of intent directly to the department through its SlideRoom application, not by email or other websites. If you apply to two Fine Arts programs, submit a separate portfolio for each; departments do not share portfolios.
• Deadline: fall entry March 1, 2027 (the Studio Arts page lists March 1 for new applicants and degree transfers, and February 1 for internal transfers and double majors). US and international applicants should apply by February 1 to allow time for immigration documents. Concordia may close a program at any time after the official deadline.
• SAT and ACT are not required.

3. Portfolio and letter of intent

Studio Arts programs:

• 15 to 20 works, each as a single digital file, either recently completed or in progress.
• Show a variety of media in two and three dimensions, such as drawing, painting, prints, collage, sculpture, ceramics and fibres; photography, animation, video, audio and performance documentation are also welcome. Show both technical skill and conceptual development; basic abilities in drawing, composition and colour must be demonstrated.
• Tailor the portfolio to the program; applying to two Studio Arts programs (for example Studio Arts and Photography) also means two portfolios.
• Letter of intent: no longer than one page, in English or French, covering your reasons for applying, educational background and relevant experience, and expectations.

Design (BFA):

• Up to 15 works from two or more categories: visual communication (illustration, graphic design, typography, photography, animation and so on), multimedia and digital media (web, 3D modelling, programming), built environment (furniture, models, clothing, textiles, sculpture, jewellery), and design or media studies and sustainability (collaborative projects, essays, community work).
• Combine them in one PDF with a table of contents as the first page; label each work with a number, your name, title, date, size and medium (duration for time-based work). Animation, video and audio files can be uploaded separately, up to 60 MB; embed a portfolio website link in a PDF page.
• Letter of intent: one page (500 words) naming the program, your reasons, interests and goals, technical and software skills, and your understanding of the program.
• Reference letters and a CV are optional. Computation Arts has its own guidelines (up to 10 works, with emphasis on programming, web and 3D); see the department page.

4. Students at Canadian high schools (including BC)

• Minimum: the high school cut-off for both Studio Arts and Design is C+. Concordia says cut-offs are indicators that may change with the applicant pool, and meeting them does not guarantee admission.
• BC: a high school diploma with at least four approved Grade 12 academic subjects, including English 12, English Studies 12 or English 12 First Peoples; BFA programs (except Computation Arts – Computer Science) have no specific course requirements.
• Grade conversion: on Concordia’s scale a C+ is 67–72% in BC, and 67–69% in Ontario and several other provinces.
• Quebec CEGEP: the DEC.

5. Students at high schools in China

• Diploma: Concordia lists the Senior Middle School Graduation Certificate as the Chinese equivalent; it does not mention the Gaokao.
• IB Diploma: 26 points.
• British system: at least two A-Levels at DD for Studio Art or CD for Design; or at least four AS-Levels with equivalent results; or a related BTEC Level 3 Diploma.

6. English requirements

• Exemptions: for example, at least three full years at an accredited secondary or post-secondary institution where English is the sole language of instruction; the last four years of high school in Quebec in English or French; or IB English A. Canada is not on Concordia’s country list, so students at English-language schools in Canada should rely on the three-year condition and confirm with admissions if unsure.
• Test scores: TOEFL iBT 70, or 4.0 on the new scale from January 2026 (no section below 3.5); IELTS Academic 6.0 (no component below 5.5); Duolingo 105 (no subscore below 90); PTE 50. These Fine Arts programs are not on the list of programs needing higher scores.

7. Tuition and scholarships

• International tuition (fall 2026): fine arts CAD 1,010 per credit.
• Non-Quebec Canadians (newly admitted from fall 2024): CAD 432.85 per credit; Quebec residents pay a lower rate.
• Undergraduate Excellence Award: a guaranteed CAD 4,000, automatic, for Canadian citizens and permanent residents admitted for fall 2027 or winter 2028 who are completing Grade 12, CEGEP, the IB or the French Baccalaureate in Canada, with an A or A+ high school average (IB 35+). Concordia does not list an entrance award amount for international students on these pages.

8. Transfer students

• From another institution: a university transfer cut-off of C for both Studio Arts and Design, plus Concordia’s minimum requirements, with the same portfolio and letter of intent.
• Within Concordia: students in other faculties can request a degree transfer, double major or minor; Design lists a March 1 deadline, while Studio Arts lists March 1 for degree transfers and February 1 for internal program transfers and double majors, submitted with the portfolio.

Checklist

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

• At least four Grade 12 academic courses including English, with a C+ average (about 67–72% in BC) or higher
• Studio Arts: 15–20 works; Design: up to 15 works in one PDF; plus a one-page letter of intent through SlideRoom by March 1
• Canadian citizens and permanent residents with an A average get the automatic CAD 4,000 Excellence Award

Students at high schools in China:

• Senior Middle School Graduation Certificate; IB 26, or two A-Levels at DD (Studio Art) or CD (Design)
• IELTS 6.0 (5.5 each), TOEFL 70 or Duolingo 105
• Apply by February 1 and submit the portfolio and letter early

Transfer students:

• University average of C, with the same portfolio and letter of intent; fall deadline March 1

Sources: Concordia University, Faculty of Fine Arts undergraduate programs; Studio Art (BFA); Studio Arts portfolio submission; Design (BFA); Design and Computation Arts: how to apply; Canadian requirements and grading scales; International requirements; English language proficiency; Undergraduate tuition; Undergraduate Excellence Awards. Information is for fall 2027 entry; cut-offs are minimums and tuition is the fall 2026 rate. Check Concordia for the latest details.