How to apply to art and design at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU): Fashion (BDes), Interior Design (BFA) and Photography Media Arts (BFA) require portfolios and other non-academic materials, while New Media (BFA) is grades only; portfolio requirements and timelines for students in China, Canadian high school students and transfer students

At Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU, formerly Ryerson University), art and design degrees sit in The Creative School. As with our other art guides, this one covers four fine art and design degrees: Fashion (Bachelor of Design), Interior Design (BFA), Image Arts: Photography Media Arts (BFA) and New Media (BFA). It sets out September 2027 entry for students at Canadian high schools (especially BC and Vancouver), students at high schools in China, and transfer students, based on TMU's website.

1. The four degrees

• Fashion BDes: four years; a mandatory 250-hour internship; concentrations in Design Leadership, Fashion Communication, Fashion Design, Fashion Studies, and Textile and Material Practices. Previous grade range 70–75%.
• Interior Design BFA: four-year or five-year co-op format; internship mandatory. Previous grade range 75–80%.
• Photography Media Arts BFA: four years, in the School of Image Arts. Previous grade range 70–75%.
• New Media BFA: four years. Previous grade range 70–75%.
• The first three are Grades-Plus programs: decisions use grades plus non-academic requirements such as portfolios and essays, and TMU says your ability to follow the requirements is part of the assessment. New Media is Grades-Only, with no portfolio.
• The Creative School also offers Image Arts: Film (BFA), Graphic Communications Management (BTech), Creative Industries (BA) and others, which this guide does not cover in detail.
• Program pages say grade ranges reflect previous years and change with applications and spaces; meeting the minimum does not guarantee admission.

2. How to apply, deadlines and fees

• Forms: most applicants use the OUAC form, whose base fee covers the first three choices (see OUAC for the amount). International students may apply directly on the TMU International Application (fee CAD 150); international students at Ontario high schools applying for September must use OUAC.
• Fall 2027: 1 February 2027 is the guaranteed consideration date for complete applications and amendments; after that, review depends on space and programs may close early. Check program availability before applying.
• Non-academic requirements: for Fashion, Interior Design and Photography Media Arts, due 1 February 2027 or 10 business days after you submit your application, whichever is later. You submit them after you apply, receive your nine-digit TMU Student Number and activate your account.
• Assessment fee: CAD 50, paid through eForms in the ChooseTMU Applicant Portal; unpaid submissions are not reviewed.
• January entry: open to international students only. The January 2027 guaranteed consideration date was 15 October 2026; the international program list shows Fashion and New Media as open for January, but not Interior Design or Photography Media Arts.

3. Fashion BDes: four pieces and a 500-word statement

• Platform: portfolio and statement both go through SlideRoom, with your TMU Student Number in each file name.
• Portfolio: four examples of your best creative work from school, personal projects, extracurriculars, community involvement or jobs; visual, written or both. TMU says it does not expect professional-level fashion skills.
• Process work: recommended for at least one piece (sketches, research notes, material tests, drafts, work-in-progress photos); you do not need to recreate process you did not document.
• What can go in: garments and wearables, accessories and textiles, visual communication (graphic design, branding, fashion illustration, photography, publications, websites, social media content), fine art (drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, mixed media, installation), writing and research, fashion business, events and community projects, or your own choice. Photograph garments on a dress form or body, front, back and details, with a short description.
• Statement of intent: about 500 words on something that influenced how you think about fashion, why it matters to you, what it reveals about fashion today, and how it shaped your interest in the BDes; cite any sources.
• Files: images up to 10 MB and at least 1024 × 1024 px (PNG or JPG recommended); video up to 500 MB, audio 60 MB, PDF 20 MB; YouTube, Vimeo or SoundCloud links allowed; no working files (.ai, .psd, .indd, .docx).
• Assessment: creativity and originality, development and communication of ideas, exploration and process, technical execution appropriate to the work, and presentation.
• Authenticity: submitting confirms the work is your own; plagiarism or misrepresentation found later can lead to admission being revoked.

4. Interior Design BFA: one PDF with a hand-drawn "chair and figure"

• Platform: upload everything as one PDF in the ChooseTMU Applicant Portal.
• Title page (manual drawing required): in pencil, ink, charcoal or other analog media, draw a chair and a human figure interacting. TMU says drawing is still core to design education and shows how you observe space, proportion and the body.
• Written statement: first page, 250 words maximum, on why you want to study design in depth and how your portfolio reflects your interests and aspirations.
• Work: up to 10 pages, one project in depth or several; drawings, models, photos, paintings, digital compositions and more. Videos and external links are not reviewed.
• Captions: each image needs a description of up to 50 words covering concept, process and materials or tools.
• Manual work: include at least two manually created images if you can (drawing, painting, collage, printmaking, hand-built models); work need not be about architecture or design.

5. Photography Media Arts BFA: 12 works, a statement and a résumé

• Platform: the ChooseTMU Applicant Portal; the 12 works go in one PDF (for example, pasted into Word and exported). If you cannot use the portal, contact the School of Image Arts.
• Part 1: six images on one theme of your choice (for example colour, childhood, street photography, protest or memory), in any lens-based media, possibly combined with text, sound, video, collage or interactivity, introduced by a statement of up to 250 words; a cover page is encouraged.
• Part 2: your best six visual works in any media (photography, video, painting, drawing, 3D graphics, sculpture, installation and so on), showing a range of skills.
• Sizing: no larger than 2000 × 1500 px at 150 dpi. Across both parts, up to three videos, hosted on Vimeo with links pasted into the PDF; if you password-protect them, use the password given on the program page.
• Written statement: up to 250 words on your interest in photography, what you hope to gain and your goals in photography and media art.
• Résumé: up to two pages covering education, creative experience, software, work and volunteering, and awards.

6. New Media BFA: grades only

• No portfolio. Ontario students need the OSSD, six Grade 12 U/M courses averaging 70%, and Grade 12 U English at 70%; other provinces and international students are assessed on equivalents.

7. Students at Canadian high schools

• British Columbia (all four programs): high school diploma with five academic Grade 12 courses, including one of English Studies 12, English 12 First Peoples or Literary Studies 12.
• BC, Interior Design adds: one of Foundations of Math 11 or 12, Pre-Calculus 11 or 12, Geometry 12, Statistics 12 or Calculus 12.
• BC courses not accepted: TMU lists several, including Art Metal and Jewellery 12, Drafting 12, Woodwork 12 and Industrial Coding and Design 12; career and workplace experience, co-op courses and challenge exams also do not count.
• Grades: the out-of-province page says subject grades are normally in the 65–75% range unless noted; the BC page gives no separate figure, so see the program ranges in section 1. Grade 11 results may be used for early admission, and requirements are normally completed by 30 June.
• Self-reported grades: Grade 12 students in provinces other than Ontario and Quebec complete section 2 of the TMU supplementary form.
• Ontario: OSSD, six Grade 12 U/M courses averaging 70%, Grade 12 U English (ENG4U preferred) at 70%; Interior Design adds Grade 11 U/M or Grade 12 U math at 60% (one of MCF3M, MCR3U, MHF4U, MCV4U, MDM4U); art and sewing courses are recommended for Fashion.
• IB: grades of 4 or higher in three HL and three SL subjects with a total of 28 or more. AP: scores of 4 or higher may earn transfer credit.

8. Students at high schools in China

• Qualifications: Senior High School Graduation Diploma; at least five Senior 3 academic courses including prerequisites; 80% overall and 80% in each prerequisite, possibly higher for competitive programs.
• Documents: current students send Senior 1 and 2 results and any Senior 3 mid-year results with the grading scale and a school profile if available; after graduating, the school sends the final transcript directly, and you submit the CSSD verification report of your graduation certificate.
• International curricula: students at international schools or international divisions send transcripts and a school profile, plus a recognised Chinese diploma or proof of graduation from an accredited international school permitted to operate in China; SAT or ACT cannot replace these.
• Gaokao: the China page does not mention Gaokao results, so whether they are used is not published.
• SAT, ACT, AP: submit them if you have them.
• Prerequisites: all applicants need Grade 12 (or equivalent) English; see each program page and the prerequisites-by-faculty page for others.

9. English requirements

• Exemption: four years of full-time high school in Canada (or a listed English-speaking country), or at a school where English is the main language of instruction.
• Scores for art and design programs: IELTS Academic 6.5; TOEFL 92 for tests before 21 January 2026 or 4.5 on the new scale; Duolingo 120; PTE 60; CAEL 70. TMU uses overall scores only, with no band minimums.
• Deadline: test scores for fall 2027 are due by 1 April 2027; applications are incomplete without them.
• IB English A at 4, AP English at 4 and similar qualifications also meet the requirement.

10. Tuition and scholarships

• 2026–2027 tuition ranges (the same for all four programs): Ontario CAD 7,466–8,018; out of province, including BC, CAD 9,266–9,851; international CAD 38,733–39,209. 2027–28 figures are not yet published.
• Guaranteed renewable entrance scholarships (2027–28 entry): for full-time students at Canadian high schools with a final average of 86% or higher, awarded automatically by average: 95%+ CAD 3,000 a year (up to 12,000 over four years); 90–94.99% CAD 1,500 a year (up to 6,000); 86–89.99% CAD 750 a year (up to 3,000). Renewal depends on CGPA. International students are eligible if they attend a Canadian high school; a correct, complete application must be in by 1 September 2027.
• Students at high schools in China do not meet the "Canadian secondary school" condition; see the scholarships page for other awards.

11. Transfer students

• TMU's formal transfer pathways (for example nursing, social work and early childhood studies) do not include these four art and design programs; without a pathway you apply under the general transfer requirements.
• TMU looks at your overall post-secondary record and program prerequisites; the CGPA needed varies by program and year, and no figure is published.
• Transfer applicants to Fashion, Interior Design and Photography Media Arts also submit the non-academic requirements.
• Transfer credit: apply through MyServiceHub after admission; before applying you can check ONTransfer; courses from other Canadian provinces, including BC, can be checked in TMU's database; courses from outside Canada are assessed from course outlines after you accept an offer.

Checklist

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

• Apply through OUAC by 1 February 2027, after checking the program is still open
• BC: five academic Grade 12 courses including English Studies 12 (or English 12 First Peoples or Literary Studies 12); add a Grade 11 or 12 math for Interior Design
• Once you have your student number, submit non-academic requirements by 1 February (or 10 business days after applying) and pay the CAD 50 fee
• Self-report Grade 12 grades in section 2 of the supplementary form

Students at high schools in China:

• Apply on the TMU International Application (CAD 150) by 1 February
• At least five Senior 3 academic courses, 80% overall and 80% in each prerequisite
• Prepare the program's portfolio, statement and résumé and submit by the deadline
• IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 92 or 4.5 on the new scale, or Duolingo 120, received by 1 April

Transfer students:

• Apply under the general transfer requirements, submit the non-academic materials, and apply for transfer credit after admission

Sources: Toronto Metropolitan University, Fashion (BDes); Interior Design (BFA); Image Arts: Photography Media Arts (BFA); New Media (BFA); British Columbia secondary school students; Canadian secondary school students; International secondary school students; English language requirements; Application dates; Applications and related forms; International: how to apply; International program status; Scholarships and awards; Transfer students. Information is for September 2027 entry (2027/28); tuition figures are for 2026–27. Check TMU for the latest details.