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Fashion - BDes
Fashion - BDes
Degree: Bachelor of Design
Faculty: The Creative School
Requirements: Grades-Plus
Grade range: High 70s1
Experiential learning: Internship mandatory
Full-time format: 4 Year
Is this degree for you?
Named by Forbes as one of the best schools in 2021 that are shaping the future of fashion, TMU’s Fashion degree program is an interdisciplinary degree program that inspires students to reimagine fashion in bold, new ways.
In response to the rapidly shifting landscape of fashion, you’ll be encouraged to hone your creativity and design thinking skills around inclusive, decolonized and sustainable perspectives. The program prepares you to become a leader in fashion, locally and globally.
Ranked in Best Colleges That Are Shaping The Future Of Fashion (external link, opens in new window) by Forbes.
Concentrations:
- Design Leadership
- Fashion Communication
- Fashion Design
- Fashion Studies
- Textile and Material Practices
Student spotlight
Mass Exodus attracts over 600 people across three runway shows
From RTA Media to Professional Music to Fashion, students from various disciplines within The Creative School came together to produce Mass Exodus: an annual runway show and exhibit showcasing the creations of fourth-year Fashion students. Coordinated by students enrolled in the Live Events Supercourse, the course was centred around planning, producing and executing the event on a large scale with multiple stakeholders in mind.
Read more: Over 80 students across The Creative School produce flagship fashion show
After you graduate with this degree
🎓 Further education:
- Art history
- Communication
- Cultural studies
- Design
- Fashion (MA)
Career possibilities:
- Art/creative direction
- Buying
- Fashion design
- Social and environmental advocacy
- Textile and surface design
💼 Employer possibilities:
- Aritzia
- Harry Rosen
- Holt Renfrew
- Lululemon
- Roots
Tuition and fees range 2024-2025
For detailed fees information, visit tuition and fees by program.
Full-time format:
Ontario students: $7,305 - $7,798
Out-of-province students: $8,481 - $8,995
International students: $35,102 - $35,521
First-year courses
Here is a preview of first-year courses based on the available undergraduate calendar information.
1st Semester
CORE ELECTIVE: One course from Table I (opens in new window)
LIBERAL STUDIES: One course from Table A - Lower Level Liberal Studies (opens in new window)
2nd Semester
CORE ELECTIVE:
Two courses from Table I (opens in new window)
The Creative School
The Creative School stands as a beacon of innovation. Here, creativity isn't just a skill—it's the core of everything we do, transforming learning and expanding the boundaries of what’s possible. We offer a truly transdisciplinary education that immerses students in a creative ecosystem and encourages collaboration across faculties and around the globe.
The Creative School degree programs
Thinking of applying? Make sure the program is still accepting applications.
Academic requirements
Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent with a minimum of six Grade 12 U or M courses including the following program specific requirements.
Typically, a minimum overall average of 70% establishes eligibility for admission consideration; subject to competition individual programs may require higher prerequisite grades and/or higher overall averages:
- A minimum grade of 70% or higher will be required in Grade 12 U English/anglais (ENG4U/EAE4U preferred)
- Recommended: art/visual arts and sewing courses, if available.
Academic admission requirements for all other applicants are available on the admission requirements page.
This is a Grades-Plus program. Admission decisions for Grades-Plus programs are based on academic performance plus non-academic criteria such as interviews, auditions, essays and portfolios. Your ability to follow and adhere to the requirements is part of the assessment of your application.
Questions? Contact fashion.admission@torontomu.ca with questions about the portfolio.
Fall 2025 non-academic requirement due date:
February 1, 2025 or 10 business days from your application submission date, whichever comes later.
Winter 2026 non-academic requirement due date:
August 1, 2025 or 10 business days from your application submission date, whichever comes later. SlideRoom (external link, opens in new window) will open and be available for you to submit your non-academic requirements in late April 2025.
The portfolio is an essential part of your application and it represents an opportunity to display your creativity, exploratory research and technical skills. It is the place to showcase your concepts and critical thinking and express your interest in Fashion. Your portfolio contains a combination of visual and written work, including both process and finished pieces.
Four portfolio pieces:
Submit four (4) finished pieces of your best creative work or samples of writing that display your skills and interest in Fashion. We really want to see how your ideas develop and so you are encouraged to also submit process work along with the finished pieces to demonstrate the evolution of your ideas. Be sure to label your process work accordingly.
Your process may be demonstrated through:
- sketching multiple concepts
- material exploration
- photos of work in progress
- credited images of inspiration
- notes and related research
Portfolio content options
Some suggested portfolio items are listed below, but you may also choose to submit work that is not listed here. We suggest choosing multiple categories to represent your skills and creativity. If you choose to submit multiple items from the same category show us different skills.
Clothing & accessories
- Sewn garment: From a commercial pattern or your original design
- Creative reuse: Upcycled garment or accessory
Notes: Display on a dress form or body. Photograph front, back and detail views. Include a short description.
Graphic design
- Branding: Design a logo and advertisement using your original imagery and text
- Social media campaign: Promote an idea through a social platform of your choice. Include graphics and a written description of your strategy
Fine art
- Traditional art media: Painting, printmaking, sculpture, etc.
- Illustration/drawing: Fashion figure and garment design, accessory, or product illustration
- Photography: Abstract, editorial or product-focused
Accessory or textile design
- Accessory design: An illustration, computer rendering or photographs of a physical prototype of your design for jewellery, hat, purse, etc. Include a short description along with images showing the overall design and details
- Textile design: Your original block print, digital design, weaving, embroidery etc. Include a short description along with sketches, prints or photographs showing the overall design and details
Writing
- Academic writing: An essay demonstrating your skills in research and writing
- Creative writing: An example of fiction, non-fiction, or poetry
- Fashion journalism: An article you’ve written for a blog, print etc.
Fashion business
- New business or product idea: Include a 1-2 page description and concept sketches or photos
- Marketing plan for a fashion brand: Include a 1-2 page description and concept sketches or photos
Fashion event
- Describe your role or contribution to a Fashion event that you planned, coordinated, or participated in. Include a 1-2 page description plus photographs and other related materials
Your own choice
- The categories listed above are just suggestions. You are welcome to submit any work that represents your skills and creativity!
Drawing upon your personal experiences, tell us about:
- Your interest in Fashion
- Why you want to pursue a Bachelor of Design in Fashion
Please consider an important issue affecting Fashion and its potential solutions, such as:
- Cultural appropriation
- Diversity and inclusion
- Fashion activism
- Sustainability
- Or any other issue of your choice
Submission requirements:
- 500 word essay
- All work must be your own
- Visual work should be carefully photographed or scanned and prepared
- Written work should be carefully proofread
- Portfolio submissions will be assessed on their originality, creativity, level of complexity, technical proficiency and neatness
- Non-academic requirements including portfolios are only accepted online. No physical submissions will be accepted
- Ensure that all guidelines have been followed
- Only complete submissions will be accepted and reviewed
- You will not be permitted to re-submit missing or incomplete work
Your non-academic submission will be retained by the School of Fashion for the purpose of verifying authenticity. There will be no exceptions to this policy. Upon admission and registration in the program, if any element of the portfolio or statement of intent is found to be plagiarized (not wholly your own), your admission/registration in the program will be cancelled.
The non-academic requirements assessment fee is $50 CAD and must be paid in order for your submission to be reviewed. Here’s how to pay:
-
Access your ChooseTMU Applicant Portal account (instructions to access the portal can be found below under Submission Instructions).
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Click on the button to link to the eForms Centre.
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Next, click on the eForms Center tile.
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Then click on the Non-Academic Fee Form link.
Do not submit non-academic material until after you have submitted your application for admission. You will receive an email acknowledgement of your application that will include your TMU Student Number. Please include your TMU Student Number on all materials you submit.
You are required to submit your portfolio and statement of intent via SlideRoom.
Go to SlideRoom (external link, opens in new window) and create an account (or sign in if you already have one).
File preparation
SlideRoom recommends:
- 1024 x 1024 px at 72 ppi is a good standard to use as a general guideline for browser based-viewing
- Images larger than 1280 x 1280 at 72 ppi will be resized in SlideRoom
- Images (up to 10MB each)
- Video (up to 500MB each)
- Audio (up to 60MB each)
- PDFs (up to 20MB each)
- You may also link to media from YouTube, Vimeo and SoundCloud
- Use PDFs where possible for multi-page documents
- Process Work is recommended as a multi-page PDF
- PNGs are great for preserving the quality of your work
- Do not submit working files (.ai, .psd, .indd, .docx)
Submission instructions
Label all portfolio pieces so that it is clear which pieces belong together.
Use the following format for labelling your pieces:
- Portfolio_Piece1*_TMU Student Number [*replace the number for each piece (2,3,4)]
For additional uploads related to the same portfolio piece:
- Portfolio_Piece1a_TMU Student Number
- Portfolio_Piece1b_TMU Student Number
Label all process work.
Use the following format for labelling your process work:
- Process_1* _TMU Student Number [replace the number for each piece (2,3,4)]
For additional uploads related to the same process work:
- Process_1a_TMU Student Number
- Process_1b_TMU Student Number
Continue to review your ChooseTMU Applicant Portal account for updates about your application.
If you are applying for readmission or reinstatement, you are not required to submit non-academic requirements. You must inform the program department of your intentions.
Email fashion.admission@torontomu.ca by February 1, 2025, or 10 business days from your application submission date (whichever comes later).
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The Ring
Indigenous acknowledgement — Gould Plaza
Urban Farm
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Notes:
- Actual minimum grade ranges required for fall 2025 admission/wait list consideration will be determined based on grades and qualifications presented by the applicant pool as they become available. Required grade ranges may fluctuate from year to year (up or down) as a result of competition. Applicants not educated in Ontario may present the equivalent of the Ontario requirements. TMU reserves the right to determine equivalency at its sole discretion.
Disclaimer:
While every effort is made to ensure accuracy on this site, in the event of a discrepancy, TMU's current Undergraduate Calendar is the official reference.