The Bachelor of Design program balances and integrates general education requirements with the academic and studio requirements specific to design.
If you are new to art or design studio courses or are not currently working as an artist or designer, you may need to complete most of the studio credits through classroom courses from other recognized post-secondary institutions and then transfer the credit to the Bachelor of Design program.
Use the credits you attain in this program toward admission requirements for a graduate program, increase your employability, or simply enjoy the experience of post-secondary education.
Residency requirements
A minimum of 15 TRU credits (distance or on-campus)
Degree requirements
120 credits, with a grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 or higher over all courses required for this credential, as follows:
General education requirements (27 credits)
These may be met with lower- or upper-level university courses; refer to the General Education requirements for arts and science degree programs:
Six credits in English (university-level composition and literature), excluding technical- and business-writing courses
Six credits in humanities, other than art history and English
Six credits in mathematics (including statistics) and/or science
Six credits in social science
Three elective credits in any approved academic discipline (may include art history)
History and theory of art requirements (18 credits)
Suggested courses are in parentheses.
18 credits in historical or theoretical approaches to art, including 9 upper-level credits, such as VISA 1111, VISA 1121, VISA 3991
Studio requirements (75 credits)
75 credits in studio work, including 36 upper-level credits
*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please
September 2025
TRU programs generally require BC high school graduation or equivalent.
English Language Proficiency Requirements: TOEFL iBT - 88+ with no section below 20; TOEFL paper-based - 570+ TWE 4.5+; TOEFL Computer-Based - 230+ Essay 4.5+; IELTS - 6.5+ with no bands below 6.0; MELAB - 81+; CanTEST - 4.5+ with no component score below 4.0; CAEL - Overall 70+ No subtest below 60.
Deadlines for students of pre-assessment eligible nationalities (Bangladesh, Ghana, India, Iran and Nigeria): Fall: February 15, 2024. Deadlines for students of all other nationalities: Fall: March 1, 2024; Winter 2025: September 1, 2024.
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.
Located in Canada, TRU offers international students a diverse, inclusive and empowering space to learn, live and thrive in.