Program Overview
The Art and Design Fundamentals program will nurture your artistic talents, and develop your creative, practical and entrepreneurial skills in visual art and design — whatever your level of expertise.
Practicing artists and designers, who will help you to gain competencies in traditional, digital and multimedia, will deliver the studio-based, hands-on Art and Design Fundamentals curriculum. The program's goal is to help you prepare a portfolio of artwork required for admission to specialized programs and to open up new possibilities and career choices in the diverse visual arts industry.
In this art program, you'll:
- Get hands-on exposure to drawing, design, colour, 3D modelling and design, visual culture, video making, digital illustration, photography and rapid prototyping.
- Build a comprehensive portfolio of artwork while working one-on-one with faculty.
Once you complete the program, you'll be prepared to succeed in a variety of post-secondary communication arts and design diploma and degree program areas including animation, game art, digital visual effects, product design, industrial design, architecture, interior design, fashion design, illustration, graphic design, digital media art, art direction, art management, creative advertising and fine arts.
Program Highlights
- Leading practicing artists, designers and educators have crafted and teach in the Art and Design Fundamentals program.
- Small class sizes and a dynamic working relationship between you and faculty will allow for lots of one-on-one instruction and feedback.
- In the Portfolio Development course, with individual guidance from instructors, you'll work on self-directed projects that will focus on your future career. The Professional Practice course, meanwhile, will include client-based community projects that will emphasize experiential learning and assit in helping you to develop your entrepreneurial skills. And, through the Collaboration Studio course, you'll work on collaborative projects with other students at the Story Arts Centre to gain real-world experience.
- Artists and professionals looking to improve or update their skills in art, design and digital multimedia will benefit from a flexible curriculum, if class size allows.
Career Options, Academic Pathways and Partners
Career Outlook
- Animator
- Game artist
- Digital visual effects artist
- Product designer
- Industrial designer
- Interior designer
- Fashion designer
- Illustrator
- Graphic designer
- Digital media artist
- Art director
- Arts manager
- Fine artist
Admission Requirements
Academic Requirements
- Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, or mature student status (19 years or older)
- English Grade 12 C or U, or equivalent (minimum grade required) or Centennial College English Skills Assessment for Admission
Note: If you apply to, but don’t meet the admission requirements for Centennial’s Graphic Design Media, Fine Arts Studio, Game Art and Design, or Digital Animation programs, you may receive an alternate offer to the Art and Design Fundamentals program.
Additional Requirements
Note: After applying, applicants will receive a letter with instructions on how to book a program admission session.
How to Apply
1. Apply Online
Domestic Students
If you are applying through the Second Career Strategy, please apply at the Employment Training Centre for Second Career (Progress Campus). Second Career Strategy is a funding initiative for those who have been laid-off and are in need of training. For more information go to Second Career Strategy.
If you have previously attended a full-time program at Centennial College, you may be eligible for a Program Transfer. Visit
Enrolment Services at any Campus for information.
All other applicants must apply online at Ontariocolleges.ca. A non-refundable application fee of $95 must accompany applications. The fee is payable online, by telephone, online banking, by mail, or in-person to Ontariocolleges.ca. For more information go to Ontariocolleges.ca Application Fees.
International Students
Apply directly to Centennial College here.
2. Submit Documents
Domestic Students
Current Ontario high school students and graduates from Ontario high schools: Notify your guidance counsellor that you have applied to college and your school will forward transcripts to Centennial College via Ontariocolleges.ca.
Graduates of college/university, or high school outside Ontario but within Canada: You are responsible for requesting that your educational institute sends any required documents and transcripts to Ontariocolleges.ca.
International Students
If you are submitting transcripts to meet admission requirements, you must have the transcripts assessed by an independent credential assessment agency such as World Education Services (WES) or International Credential Assessment Service (ICAS).
For more information go to Submitting your Transcripts.
3. Confirm Your Offer of Admission
Offers of Admission are sent by mail to eligible applicants. When you receive your offer, you must login to your account at Ontariocolleges.ca and confirm before the Deadline to Confirm noted in your offer letter.
You may confirm only one college and one program offer at a time.
You must confirm your offer by the Deadline to Confirm noted in your Offer of Admission letter or your seat may be given to another applicant.
When you confirm your Offer of Admission at Centennial College you are given access to your personal myCentennial account where you can check your email, grades, register for courses, pay tuition fees, and see your class timetable.
4. Pay Fees
Centennial fees statements are sent by email to your personal email account and to your myCentennial email account. Fees statements are not mailed.
You must make a minimum payment by the Fees Deadline noted in your Fees Statement or your seat may be given to another applicant.
5. Build Your Timetable (Register for Courses)
Build your timetable (web-register for courses) at my.centennialcollege.ca.
Fall registration begins mid-July
January registration begins mid-December
May registration begins mid-April
Your web-registration will not open if:
You have not submitted your minimum fee payment by the deadline
You received a Conditional Offer of Admission and you have not met the conditions of your offer.
Once you have paid your fees or have made appropriate arrangements, register for your courses online through myCentennial.
Tuition and Fees
Fees noted below are estimates only. Tuition is based on two semesters, beginning Fall 2020.
Student |
Tuition (2 Semesters) |
Ancillary Fees |
Total |
Canadian |
$2,721.00 |
$1,016.54 |
$3,737.54 |
International |
$14,937.50 |
$1,525.54 |
$16,463.04 |