Applicants who have completed Advanced Placement Courses and/or the International Baccalaureate can find more information about admissions by following the link below:
The McEwen School of Architecture’s undergraduate Bachelor of Architectural Studies (BAS) is a limited enrolment program that admits approximately 70 new students each year. Selection is based upon overall admission requirements, and not solely on grade point averages. In addition to meeting the academic requirements, applicants must also submit an MSoA application package that includes a portfolio and a statement of interest (see MSoA Application Package and Required Profile below for more information). All documents can be submitted either in English or in French.
You can browse through the following two sections or download the document (PDF) below to learn more about the admission requirements:
Ontario High School applicants must have a minimum overall average of 75% in the 6 best Grade 12 U/M courses and successfully complete:
Applicants who have completed Advanced Placement Courses and/or the International Baccalaureate can find more information about admissions by following the link below:
Applicants from outside an Ontario High School must follow the links below to learn more about academic requirements:
The following two documents are mandatory for all applicants and must be directly submitted to the BAS Submission Platform via the MSoA’s website (scroll to Application and deadlines to learn more about the submission process):
The purpose of the portfolio is to demonstrate your creativity, skills and interests. All work presented in your portfolio must be your own. The portfolio is an essential part of the application; you will not be considered for admission unless you submit one. The design and layout of the portfolio should allow you to present your work with clarity, and to display your graphic design abilities.
Each year, the MSoA selection committee bestows between five and ten Portfolio Awards (including a $500 scholarship) to the most impressive portfolios.
What to include in the portfolio:
Any work you feel that best demonstrates a wide range of your creative skills and abilities. It should contain a minimum of 10 individual pieces (original pieces and/or good quality photographs). Every piece should be accompanied by a descriptive label indicating its title, the year of creation and a brief description of the conceptual thinking and/or realization process. You may include a few images or photographs per piece (to show details or the process, for example). Possible pieces may include (but are not limited to):
We only accept electronic versions of portfolios in order to speed up the processing of your application. The portfolio must be submitted in PDF format (max 50 MB) to the BAS Submission Platform via the MSoA’s website. Horizontal format (16:9 ratio) is recommended to be easily viewed on screen, but the size and layout of the portfolio is up to you.
Additionally, each applicant must provide a portfolio sponsor. The sponsor is a person like a teacher or guidance counsellor (not a family member) that has looked at the work in the portfolio and who can vouch for the fact that the content is indeed your own work and that it is original work (collaborative projects must be properly credited, the use of artificial intelligence is forbidden, and plagiarism is not acceptable). Failure to comply may result in the dismissal of your application. Applicants will provide the name, role/position, and email address for their sponsor as they submit their portfolio through the MSoA’s website.
The statement of interest should be 500-1000 words in length and must explain your interest in architecture as well as your choice of McEwen School of Architecture. It should be submitted by inputting your text in the BAS Submission Platform via the MSoA’s website.
Tell us about your background. You can mention your life goals and objectives, academic achievements, relevant work experience, artistic and fabrication activities, community service, personal projects and initiatives, significant travel experiences, and any other elements that help explain why you are a great candidate. Do not hesitate to discuss the people or the personal experiences that influenced and inspired you to pursue architectural studies. Demonstrate that you are a creative, passionate, curious, rigorous and autonomous individual (see Required Profile to learn more). Explain why you are interested specifically in the BAS program at the McEwen School of Architecture. You may mention what caught your attention or how you think the program best fulfills your interests.
The selection committee will also pay particular attention to the overall organization of your ideas and to the quality of your written English or French. The use of artificial intelligence is forbidden and plagiarism is not acceptable. Failure to comply may result in the dismissal of your application.
The Ontario Universities Application Center (OUAC) processes applications for admission to all Ontario universities. All applicants must complete the appropriate application form through OUAC to apply to this program.
All application forms must be sent before the deadline determined by OUAC:
Follow the link below to learn more about how to apply:
In addition to the OUAC application, all candidates must submit their MSoA Application Package (portfolio & statement of interest) to the BAS Submission Platform via the MSoA’s website, before:
Follow the link below to access the BAS Submission Platform:
The McEwen School of Architecture is looking for local, national and international candidates that are passionate, curious, creative, hard-working, rigorous, and demonstrating solid potential to become a professional architect. The selection committee will carefully study your grade average to evaluate your capacity to pursue university studies, your portfolio to assess your creativity and skills, and finally your statement of interest to better understand your enthusiasm for architecture and, more specifically, our school and program. Each of these criteria are very important to the selection process.
Architectural studies are generally recognized as very challenging and they require serious commitment and passion. Candidates must be interested as much in the arts as the sciences. They must be excited about drawing, painting, building, mathematics, physics, writing, critical thinking, etc., and they must be at ease working collaboratively and in communicating verbally, graphically and in written form.
Architects are passionate about buildings, cities, society, the environment, and spatial qualities, as much as they are concerned about materials, construction, technical details, etc. They work in close relationship with clients, users and communities to design creative built solutions that respond to functional, aesthetic and cultural needs as well as to technical issues and constraints stemming from economics and regulations. Architects act as community leaders to address issues of sustainability and well-being and manage client and public interests, while always following the rules of a professional and ethical practice.
The McEwen School of Architecture undergraduate Bachelor of Architectural Studies (BAS) is a 4-year program that requires the completion of 120 credits (102 mandatory architecture credits, 3 ENGL mandatory credits and 15 elective credits). Students with previous educational experience relevant to architectural studies that meet specific requirements, may be eligible to count some of that experience as transfer credits in order to reduce the number of required courses necessary to complete their degree.
Transfer credits may be awarded based on prior studies, but cannot be determined until prospective students apply for admission and submit official transcripts. College diplomas, degrees and other post-secondary accomplishments will be considered on an individual basis to ensure that students transferring to Laurentian are given the maximum value for their credits.
Credit transfers are determined by Laurentian University’s Admissions Office. To inquire about credit transfer, please contact admissions@laurentian.ca.
Undergraduate students registered in the Bachelor of Architecture Studies (BAS) pay tuition once per semester based on their number of credits. Students must also pay Incidental and Student Association Fees once per year for various services (mental health, career services, student centre, academic support, etc.). Finally, students must pay for Administrative Fees (which includes the mandatory Design Studio Fees) specific to their program once per year. Scroll to Scholarships and financial aid to learn more about how you can obtain monetary support.
Tuition is calculated and determined by Laurentian University, which amounts to approximately $4,850 per semester for a full-time student following the typical academic path (15 credits per semester). Incidental and Student Association Fees may vary each year and include mandatory as well as optional fees. They also differ depending on the assigned Student Association (General or Francophone). Follow the links below to learn more about tuition and fees for the BAS program:
Tuition will be adjusted with respect to the number of credits per semester as students can customize their academic plan. However, requests for a course of study other than the typical academic path must be evaluated on a case by case basis by the Undergraduate Coordinator. Academic overloads (more than 15 credits, for a maximum of 18 credits, per semester) will be allowed exclusively if the student meets the academic policy requirements. Students may also register for fewer credits for personal or academic reasons.
In summary, the annual cost of tuition and fees for a full-time student in the BAS amounts to APPROXIMATELY $11,000 PER YEAR (with a large number of factors affecting the final cost as explained above).
Administrative Fees in the BAS include expenses such as the architecture specific Design Studio Fees, which are geared towards supporting the cost of field trips. Design studios include a mandatory field trip once per year and these fees will cover most of the costs related to travel, accommodations, tours/visits, etc. Considering field trips differ from year to year (from short trips to local destinations to longer, international travel), design studio fees vary from year to year (these fees can vary from $200 to $400 per year in most cases).
Students registering for extracurricular summer courses (for example, the study abroad programs in Norway and Germany) must cover their expenses for travel, accommodation, personal purchases, etc. However, the McEwen School of Architecture may provide a $1,000 Scholarship for any student registering for a summer course abroad in order to cover part of the costs.
International students can expect the same expenditures (computer, materials, supplies, etc.) as local and national students, but their tuition and fees structure is completely different. Follow the link below to learn more:
In addition to tuition charges and related fees, students must expect to incur additional recurring expenses for books, supplies, printing, model materials, etc. These will vary greatly from semester to semester and from student to student and can amount to approximately $150 to $400 per semester.
Moreover, students must expect additional out of pocket expenses to cover the balance of field trips costs, which can include a small portion of costs related to travel, but also personal expenses (food, personal purchases, etc.)
Students registered in 1st year are expected to purchase architecture tools (such as a drawing tools, building tools, safety gear, etc.) before the start of the academic year. The detailed list is communicated to incoming students during the summer. These costs can amount to an one-time payment of approximately $500 to $1,000 (depending on the quality of the tools) during their studies.
First year students can also use any personal computer to complete their assignments. However, by the start of the 2nd year of the BAS at the latest, students are expected to buy a professional-grade computer that is powerful enough to support the demanding computational requirements of specialized software necessary for studio coursework, 3D modeling, fabrication and graphic design. The MSoA recommends buying a laptop instead of a desktop. The mobility and flexibility of owning a laptop is critical to architectural studies as coursework is often delivered in groups and tutorials are provided in various locations in the School. The cost of the computer can amount to approximately $2,000 to $3,500. Students are also expected to purchase specific software (with permanent use or yearly licenses) to carry out their work. Specific computer and software requirements will be provided during the summer to all students who will enter the program in the Fall.
Shared desktop computers, equipped with architecture software, are at the disposal of all students in the Computer Lab at the MSoA for students who do not yet have their own architecture laptop computer or who do not have specific specialized non-mandatory software. This room is accessible freely at all times.
The McEwen School of Architecture strongly believes in financially supporting students as this will maximize the chances for students’ academic success and increase well-being overall. This is why in addition to the financial aid at the disposal of any Laurentian University student (see below), the MSoA also offers a large number of bursaries, scholarships and awards every year.
Students in financial need can apply for OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program) through Laurentian University by filling out an application. Another important component of Laurentian University’s support is the Work Study Program, which offers part-time on-campus jobs that help students pay for their studies, while providing them with valuable work experience. Finally, Laurentian offers some of the most generous scholarships and bursary offerings across Canada, including Academic Excellence Scholarships and Entrance Awards.
Follow the links below to learn more about OSAP, the Work Study Program, Scholarships for Prospective Students and the eligibility criteria.
The McEwen School of Architecture also bestows more than $12,000 per year in various bursaries to students in financial need and more than $35,000 per year in various awards and scholarships to students achieving academic excellence across the entire BAS program. These bursaries and scholarships are made possible thanks to donations from generous community partners who strongly believe in supporting the MSoA’s students and the institution. It is worth noting that some bursaries and scholarships are specifically made available to Indigenous, Black, Francophone, female and/or local students in order to promote equity and support Northern communities.
Review times can vary, but the MSoA selection committee usually meets in February and March and then transfers the necessary information to Laurentian University’s Admissions Office, who in turn, processes all the applications and sends offers (through the Applicant Portal). Candidates can generally expect an official response by April.
If we require additional information during the review process, you will be contacted directly.
Yes. You can email the proposed revisions to the Undergraduate Coordinator, who will determine if the revisions are appropriate, considering the circumstances and deadlines: BAS@laurentian.ca.
Yes. Ontario high school applicants must have one grade 12 English U/M course. Other Canadian applicants must have an equivalency, and international students whose first language or mother tongue is not English must provide evidence of English language proficiency (click on the link below to learn more information):
No, but the selection committee will pay particular attention to Indigenous, Francophone and bilingual candidates in order to promote diversity, equity and access to education. Disclosure relative to your background and identity is always made on a voluntary basis.
The actual number of applicants varies from year to year and is generally increasing annually. The undergraduate Bachelor of Architectural Studies (BAS) is a limited enrolment program (70 spots per year) and we receive hundreds of applications every year.
Your admission offer will be placed in the “Documents” folder on the Applicant Portal. You should carefully review the details and conditions of your offer. To accept it online, go to ouac.on.ca, access your user profile and follow the instructions. OUAC will forward your response to the Laurentian Admissions Office.
Yes. Candidates who received an offer and who are considering deferring to the next academic year must reach out to the Undergraduate Coordinator: BAS@laurentian.ca
Yes. You must have a study permit if you are not a Canadian citizen or a Permanent Resident. Click on the link below to learn more:
Questions regarding the BAS program, admissions, portfolio submissions, etc., may be addressed to our Undergraduate Coordinator:
jsaucier2@laurentian.ca
Telephone: 705 675 1151 #7274
Office: Office: TE-213 - Downtown Sudbury Campus