Master of Design - Design for Health

Academic Requirements

For the Master of Design in Design for Health program at OCAD University, applicants must meet the following Academic Requirements:

• Minimum GPA: Applicants must hold a bachelor degree in a design field with a GPA of 75% (B+) or better during the last two years of study.
• Educational Background: Acceptable degrees include BA (in design studies), B.Arch., BED, BID, BDes, BSc, BEng, or comparable honours degree/certification.
• Experience: Alternatively, applicants may demonstrate exceptional experience and expertise as a practitioner in a relevant discipline.
• Creative Competence: All applicants must demonstrate creative and conceptual competence at a high level, as well as the potential for acquiring expertise in diverse disciplines relevant to this degree.
• Statement of Intent: A proposal (750 to 1000 words) for a project related to healthcare innovation and sustainable change must be submitted. This should include the title, idea, context, rationale, expected outcomes, and bibliography.
• Samples of Work: Applicants should provide 3-5 samples of professional and/or student work that reflect their experience and relevance to the Design for Health program.
• Curriculum Vitae: An updated CV must be included with the application.
• Program-Specific Questions: Responses to a series of questions specific to the program are required.

Transcripts may be required to be evaluated by WES in some cases.

For any clarification and support, please contact LOA Portal's advisors.

Language Requirements

The official language of instruction at OCAD U is English. To demonstrate English language proficiency at a graduate level, you must meet one of the following criteria:

• Completion of a Bachelor's, Master's, or doctoral degree (or equivalent) where the language of instruction was English.
• Your first language is English.
• Completion of an English language test within the 24 months prior to the application deadline, meeting the below minimum test scores:

• TOEFL iBT or TOEFL iBT Home Edition
  • Overall: 90
  • Reading: 22
  • Listening: 20
  • Writing: 22
  • Speaking: 22
• IELTS (Academic)
  • Overall: 7
  • Reading: 7
  • Listening: 7
  • Writing: 7
  • Speaking: 7
• Duolingo English Test
  • Overall: 120
  • (OCAD U will continue to accept Duolingo English Test scores for Fall 2025 applicants to our graduate programs.)

Applicants who are required to provide TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo test scores are encouraged to schedule their test date as soon as possible to ensure that test scores are available prior to the application deadline. You will not be able to submit your application until you provide English language test scores.

OCAD University reserves the right to require an applicant to take the TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo test, or to provide documentation proving that the language of instruction at an institution attended was English, at any point during the application or admissions process.

Please check with our team for more details.

Master of Design - Design for Health

The application for admission into the Master’s in Design for Health is competitive. Applicants must hold a bachelor degree in a design field, such as BA (in design studies), B.Arch., BED, BID, BDes, BSc, BEng or comparable honours degree/certification with a GPA of 75% (B+) or better during the last two years of study, or must demonstrate exceptional experience and expertise as a practitioner in a relevant discipline. All applicants must demonstrate creative and conceptual competence at a high level, as well as the clear potential for acquiring a sufficient level of expertise in the diverse disciplines relevant to this degree.

For consideration by the admissions committee, and in addition to the basic application requirements, applicants need to complete and submit the following through the Graduate Application Portal:

• Statement of Intent (750 to 1000 words): Applicants must provide an initial proposal for a project that they are interested in pursuing in the program, related to healthcare innovation and sustainable change. This should include:
  1. Title
  2. The idea - what you want to research/do/make
  3. The context of the idea, including relevant theories, methodologies, art or design works, or technologies
  4. The rationale - why you want to do this and what is the significance
  5. The rationale behind this program - why do you believe Design for Health at OCAD U is the best place for you to pursue this work?
  6. Technology, media, or tools that will be used to create the work
  7. Expected outcome(s) in terms of work
  8. The relevance of the applicant's background and experience
  9. Bibliography of relevant sources/citations used in the statement of intent must be provided in the format of your choosing (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.)
• Samples of Work: Your samples of work should consist of 3-5 samples of professional and/or student work (accomplished individually or in work contexts). Choose samples that you believe are applicable to the Design for Health program. Applicants are encouraged to include the best examples of work that are typical of the variety of work they have done. Your portfolio should reflect the range of experience included on your CV. Visual work, analytic reports, proposal documents, service or program development etc. may be included. Applicants are expected to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of their disciplinary/professional work. For healthcare professionals, we do not require a full samples of work submission; please include a one-page description of how your professional experience is relevant to the program.
• CV: Applicants should include an updated copy of their curriculum vitae.
• Program-Specific Questions: Applicants will be asked to provide responses to a series of questions specific to the program.

DISCLAIMER: The information above is subject to change. For the latest updates, please contact LOA Portal's advisors. The listed minimum requirements are a guideline and do not guarantee admission. Do not worry, we will notify you of any changes during the application process.