Established in 1876 by the Ontario Society of Artists, the university was originally known as the Ontario School of Art, and was renamed the OCAD University in 2010.OCAD U was the first school in Canada dedicated exclusively to the education of professional artists in fine and commercial art. Today, OCAD University is the third largest of the approximately 40 professional art and design universities in North America. OCAD U delivers art and design education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, integrating studio-based education with historical, critical and scientific inquiry. This unique learning environment draws from its high quality and diverse research practice, which is undertaken with extensive outreach and partnerships. OCAD U students have the opportunity to learn in what is best understood as a creative “hothouse,” a one-of-a-kind environment dedicated exclusively to visual culture. Innovation and creative work is further inspired by a vibrant community life, situated in a dynamic campus facility. As Canada’s “university of the imagination,” OCAD U will lead in art and design education and research, contributing significantly to the fields of art and design, as well as local and global cultural initiatives and knowledge and invention across a wide range of disciplines.

The Illustration program provides you with the knowledge and skills to create effective and artful images that function as a complement to the written word. Based on strong draftsmanship, conceptual thinking and deeply held personal convictions, you discover your individual artistic voice while working in a variety of media and techniques, both traditional and digital. You work closely with a faculty of practicing illustrators and with visiting professionals, completing assignments that cover a wide range of illustrative applications and acquiring the necessary principles of business and entrepreneurship. After graduation you may work, as most illustrators do, as an independent freelancer in a variety of areas, such as editorial publications, advertising and graphic design firms.