Grants and Writing Resources for OCAD University

A smart vest supported by an independent study in OCAD U's Industrial Design program made its designers, both 2025 graduates, Canada's national winners of the 2026 James Dyson Award. When its skin sensors pick up signs of rising stress, the vest inflates air bladders to give a calming, hug-like pressure. The same day, OCAD U reported that one of its students had won the Association of Registered Graphic Designers' 2026 Student Award for Motion Design for an animated video titled Why do you love creating?

Writing Support at the WLC

The Writing & Learning Centre works with undergraduate and graduate students from orientation through graduation, in person and online, one-on-one with a tutor or writing consultant or in groups. Part of its work is teaching the language and vocabulary of art and design.

Under the Centre for Learning & Teaching, Student Writing, Communication and Learning Support books individual consultations with writing consultants and peer tutors about any course assignment. It also offers support for multilingual students, and instructors can ask its consultants to run in-class workshops on writing for art and design.

Graduate Funding

OCAD U graduate students can apply for project and travel grants of up to $2,000 a year for practice, research, and travel. Second-year students can also apply for MRP and thesis grants, which support research and creation for the final project. Full-time applicants can opt in to internal entrance scholarships when they apply, and eligible full-time master's students can hold the Ontario Graduate Scholarship, worth $5,000 per term for two or three consecutive terms.

GradEx

Every spring the graduating class shows its work at GradEx, OCAD U's annual graduate exhibition, which reached its 111th edition with the class of 2026. Work fills several floors of 100 and 115 McCaul. Student medal winners are celebrated at the opening night party, and visitors vote for the Parkside People's Choice Award, which carries a $1,000 prize sponsored by Parkside Student Residence.

Theses and Open Research

Master's theses from OCAD U appear in the university's Open Research Repository, which also holds conference papers from the RSD7 and RSD11 proceedings. To help students plan, the School of Graduate Studies has run an online Graduate Thesis Info Session on the thesis process and finding an advisor.

For a final edit before submission, our PhD-level editors work with OCAD U students at every level. See our OCAD University dissertation and thesis editing and OCAD University essay editing pages, or write to editors@editorsforstudents.com.

From Our Writing Guides

• ESL Academic Writing: Overcoming Common Grammar Habits
• The Secret to Better Grades: Starting Your Writing Process Early
• Writing the Abstract and Title: First Impressions Matter