Canada · Current published requirements
OCAD U studio portfolio statement of intent
First-year applicants to OCAD U's studio-based Bachelor of Design and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees submit a statement of intent in SlideRoom alongside a portfolio. The statement introduces the applicant's practice and explains their interest in the chosen program; it is separate from the BA in Visual and Critical Studies writing assignment.
Writing format
Up to 300 words with a digital BDes or BFA portfolio
What to prepare
- 1Explain your interest in the exact BDes or BFA program you selected, using an artistic or design question you are already exploring.
- 2Identify a person, work, material, or experience that influences your work and show its effect on a portfolio piece.
- 3Describe what you want to explore next and how your submitted process work shows the direction of that inquiry.
How to approach the writing
- Stay within the first-year 300-word maximum; the longer upper-year portfolio guidance applies to a different applicant route.
- Use the portfolio's 8–10 finished pieces and process material to show the work, then use the statement to explain choices that images alone cannot convey.
Before you submit
OCAD U emails SlideRoom access and the applicable deadline after processing the application. Check any extra portfolio instructions for your chosen studio program.
Read OCAD U first-year portfolio guidelines ↗Official source checked 2026-09-25.