Photography Schools and Programs in Canada

Photography Studies in Canada

You can study photography in Canada at York University.

Photography in Canada is taught mainly inside fine arts and visual arts degrees, where it is one studio discipline next to painting, printmaking and sculpture. A few universities offer a degree centred on photography, and private institutes run short courses that do not lead to a degree. Education is the responsibility of the provinces, so each institution designs its own programme and sets its own entry requirements.

SpainExchange lists three schools in Canada for photography: one in Toronto, one in Sackville (New Brunswick) and one in Montreal.

How photography degrees are organised

The usual qualification is the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA). According to the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC), a bachelor's degree normally takes three or four years of full-time study, depending on the province.

• Mount Allison University in Sackville was, by its own account, the first university in Canada to award a BFA in the visual arts, in 1941. Its Fine Arts programme has studio courses in drawing, painting, analogue and digital photography, printmaking, sculpture and open media. The BFA has 120 credits: 72 in fine arts, 24 in art history and 24 electives. Students who want a broader degree can take a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Fine Arts, with 60 credits in the subject. Among the photography courses is one on medium and large format cameras for landscape and studio work. The department is housed in the Purdy Crawford Centre for the Arts, opened in 2014, and students have access to the university's Owens Art Gallery, open to the public since 1895.
• York University in Toronto offers a BFA in Visual Arts - Studio at its School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design. After a common first year, students specialise in one or more areas, which range from painting and sculpture to photography and print media. The university lists professional photography studios among the facilities.
• A dedicated degree. Outside the schools listed on this site, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) offers a four-year BFA in Image Arts: Photography Media Arts, covering still, moving and digital images.

Creative Boost, an art and design institute in Montreal, is listed on this site with photography courses and workshops rather than degrees. Its website could not be consulted for this page, so the current course offer should be checked with the school.

Admission and portfolio

Each university sets its own admission requirements. For studio programmes there is normally a second step in addition to school grades:

• At Mount Allison, applicants to Fine Arts send the general university application, a separate Fine Arts application and a portfolio. The Fine Arts deadline is 15 February.
• York requires a supplementary evaluation after the application. For entry in autumn 2027 the supplementary application deadline is 5 February 2027.
• TMU asks for a portfolio of 12 examples of visual work, due by 1 February 2027 for autumn 2027 entry.

Teaching at these universities is in English. York's programmes at the Keele campus, where Visual Arts is taught, are offered in English, and its general minimum for applicants who need a language test is 6.5 in IELTS Academic. Other universities set their own scores. Canada also has French-language and bilingual universities.

Costs and study permit

Tuition fees vary by region, programme and school. EduCanada puts average university tuition for international undergraduate students at $41,746 per year (Statistics Canada, 2026). Photography students should also budget for a camera, lenses, printing and materials; the schools consulted do not publish a figure for these.

Most foreign nationals need a study permit, which costs CAN$150. The application normally requires a letter of acceptance, a provincial or territorial attestation letter obtained through the school and proof of funds. For applications from 1 September 2026, a single student outside Quebec must show CAN$23,448 for a year of living costs, on top of tuition and travel. Students going to Quebec need a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ). Eligible students can work off campus up to 24 hours per week during term. A study permit is issued for study at a designated learning institution (DLI), so applicants for a short course at a private institute should check the school's status first.

Careers

A fine arts degree with photography leads to work as an artist and to jobs around the image. York lists artist, curator, gallery director, art teacher and arts administrator as possible paths for its Visual Arts graduates. TMU lists commercial photography, art direction and design, curating and exhibitions, and arts administration for its photography degree. No official employment figures were used for this page.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a degree only in photography in Canada?

Few. Most universities teach photography within a Bachelor of Fine Arts in visual arts, as Mount Allison University and York University do. Toronto Metropolitan University has a four-year BFA focused on photography.

Do I need a portfolio to be admitted?

Yes, at the universities consulted. Mount Allison asks for a portfolio with its Fine Arts application, York requires a supplementary evaluation and TMU asks for 12 examples of visual work.

How long is a photography degree in Canada?

The BFA at Mount Allison has 120 credits and the TMU degree takes four years full-time. In general, bachelor's degrees in Canada take three or four years depending on the province.

In which language are photography degrees taught?

The programmes described here are taught in English. Applicants who need a language test must reach the score set by each university, for example 6.5 in IELTS Academic at York.