Graphic design courses are some of the most common and exciting academic learning programs you can take in Canada, and there are a huge range of creative courses students can apply to in order to earn qualifications and work in the graphic design industry.
There are a huge number of different programs you can choose from, as graphic design has become a very widespread degree recently. This is due in part to graphic design careers taking you anywhere, both creatively and location wise.
This has lead to a very competitive industry, which many different facets. This guide will aim to help condense all of the options into an easy to read article, and help you review options when it comes to a graphic design course and potential career!
OCAD University Toronto: Bachelor of Design in Graphic Design
- Course type — Full time
- Qualification level — Bachelor's degree
- Course duration — Four years
- Study format — On campus
- Languages — English
- Entry requirements — 70% average
- Portfolio required? — Yes
OCAD University in Toronto offers a very well respected graphic design course, and one that consistently produces excellent students who go on to have illustrious and fascinating careers.
One notable focus is that as well as graphic design in a professional business setting, OCAD U encourages students to explore graphic design as an art form.
While exploring graphic design as part of technology or digital advertising is interesting on its own, learning the skills from a more creative perspective can be very useful as well!
There are other options to study Graphic Design in Toronto in case you want something different.
Centennial College Toronto: Diploma in Graphic Design
- Course type — Full time
- Qualification level — Diploma
- Course duration — Five semesters
- Study format — On campus
- Languages — English
- Entry requirements — High school diploma
- Portfolio required? — Yes
Relatively short at only 5 semesters, this Centennial College qualification gives you the opportunity to get a media diploma relatively fast. However, that doesn't mean it holds any less value!
This diploma will train your skills with a variety of hands on services, fostering both creativity and visual problem-solving to set you up for a career that will make use of both. This course has slightly less of a focus on digital design, instead spreading it across design in many mediums.
So if what you want is a broad reaching and relatively fast but well respected qualification, then this Centennial College course may be for you!
LaSalle College Vancouver: Diploma in Graphic Design
- Course type — Full time
- Qualification level — Diploma
- Course duration — One year
- Study format — On campus
- Languages — English
- Entry requirements — Information on request
- Portfolio required? — Yes
This one year diploma course from the LaSalle College Vancouver is designed to help students with experience in graphic design to master their skills. It aims to provide tuition across a single year that will bring your skills up to the requirements of most high-end major business positions.
The course aims to help foster a creative centre in students that can tell a story, using graphic design as both a marketing tool and service.
Of course, by virtue of being a very short course, it does assume a level of experience slightly above the standard high school entry point, but if that's what you need, it's more focused nature may make it the perfect course for you. Especially since you save on fees by doing a more concise course!
If Vancouver is your area, it might be useful to explore all the options for Graphic Design.
The Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology Ottowa: Advanced Diploma in Graphic Design
- Course type — Full time
- Qualification level — Advanced diploma
- Course duration — Three years
- Study format — On campus
- Languages — English
- Entry requirements — English, Grade 12 (ENG4C or equivalent)
- Portfolio required? — Yes
This advanced diploma level qualification is perfect for people looking to go directly into a career with graphic design, focusing mostly on training students with skills that will help in future job application.
They do this by training you with international level services and programs that are requirements to work in graphic design. There is a heavy focus on hands on learning with these programs that form the backbone of a professional graphic design career.
This course also includes a six-week field work placement within the graphic design industry, which is not only an excellent way to work on your professional skills, but also allows you to form valuable business connections.
LaSalle College Montreal: Diploma in Graphic Design
- Course type — Full time
- Qualification level — Diploma
- Course duration — One year
- Study format — On campus
- Languages — French, English
- Entry requirements — Information on request
- Portfolio required? — Yes
As one of the leading colleges in Montreal, the LaSalle College Montreal is a great place to get your graphic design diploma, especially if you want to work in areas of Canada where French is more commonly spoken.
Since they offer the course in both English and French, this course is ideal for either those wanting to learn in their native language or to learn the other language in parallel.
Of course, the option to learn in English or French doesn't take away from the quality of the education you will receive, as their resources and teaching staff are excellent in both English and French.
In both languages, this course aims to focus more on the professional skills of becoming a graphic designer to best prepare you for work in the industry.
George Brown College Toronto: Advanced Diploma in Graphic Design
- Course type - Full time
- Qualification level — Advanced diploma
- Course duration — Three years
- Study format — On campus
- Languages — English
- Entry requirements — Information on request
- Portfolio required? — Yes
This slightly longer advanced diploma course aims to teach you both the basics and fundamentals of the skills you will need to succeed in the graphic design world.
There is also an option for a field placement with this diploma, although that depends on your grade achievements throughout the course.
The course aims to cover the full process between your career in high school as an academic towards your career in the working world of business as a career graphic designer.
As well as this, completing this diploma affords you registration to the Association of Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario as part of your studies.
This is a huge advantage for those wanting to work as freelance graphic designers, as it adds a level of authenticity to your portfolio for clients to have confidence in!
There are also schools where you can learn about Graphic Design in Halifax, if you prefer that city.
Fanshawe College Toronto: Advanced Diploma in Graphic Design
- Course type — Full time
- Qualification level — Advanced diploma
- Course duration — Three years
- Study format — On campus, Distance learning
- Languages — English
- Entry requirements — English, Grade 12 (ENG4C or equivalent)
- Portfolio required? — Yes
As a three-year advanced diploma program, this program is best suited for those who are serious about pursuing graphic design as a professional career and want to gain experience, skills, and connections to achieve this.
Compared to some other programs, this course has a very high number of opportunities for industry experience with three semesters of co-op work.
As well as this, the course focuses on teaching students industry standard software and procedures, as well as the more creative and artistic side of design work.
The course is regularly reviewed and refreshed to ensure it stays as relevant as possible in the ever evolving digital workplace.
Calgary is a beautiful place that might inspire you in during your course as it has multiple options for schools.
Georgian College Barrie: Diploma in Graphic Design Production
- Course type — Full time
- Qualification level — Diploma
- Course duration — Two years
- Study format — On campus
- Languages — English
- Entry requirements — English, Grade 12 (ENG4C or equivalent)
- Portfolio required? — Yes
The Georgian College Diploma in Graphic Design Production is an example of a graphic design degree taking a slightly different approach when it comes to what it incorporates into the course content.
By leaning more into the production side of things, the course gives you a wider skillset than comparable courses that focus only on learning graphic design itself.
This in turn makes you a more employable prospect to future business employers, and gives you more career paths with a more varied set of skills.
There are a great many options you can go down to take graphic design classes to prepare you for the professional world, and the reality is that there is unlikely to be one single course that is perfect for you.
However, as with all degrees, it is the further work that you do outside of your degree itself that will really mark what you get out of it! In the case of graphic design, this is no different.
While this can be personal projects or further reading, one of the best ways to focus your time is to work on your practical and artistic skills with an expert tutor, like those found here on Superprof.
There is a wide range of tutors to choose from, each with their own experiences and skills in graphic design that they can pass on to you. So why not take your education to an even higher level with a Superprof graphic design tutor today?
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