At one point in my life of bad and ill-advised decisions, I considered going to the International Academy of Design & Technology. I made an appointment to take a school tour, and it seemed like a really cool place to attend. All the programs are arts related, from fashion design to video game design and film production, it seems like a kick ass school. Well Kick-ass School comes at a ass kicking price. For the program I wanted to take, it would cost I believe $18,000 for a year (a two year program).. Not exactly pennies. Most of their programs are exceptionally high - something that is not advertised on their website. One year of their schooling was almost equivalent to a 4 year tuition at U of T! The entrance exam consists of an assignment, which obviously varies depending on the program. It's not that hard if you have a creative bone in your body and can prove that you have an aptitude for the program of your choice. Overall, the school is really good for specialized arts field. You really get hands on experience and it seems like a good place to network and get a job in your field. But it comes at a hefty cost. read more

Academy of Design - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

As a private university Academy of Design and Technology delivers probably the best lab equipment and education in Canada. I myself am an AODT alumni and can say with ease that my overall experience in AODT was great. True I have had some minor problems with some professors but trust me when I tell you that everything else in Canada is worse. I vouch strongly for AODT (http://www.aodt.ca) read more

The International Academy of Design and Technology is a private college which means they are profit driven. Trust me, it becomes very clear. After university I wanted to do something a little more creative and hands on. About 2 years later I graduated from the digital photography program. Overall I was happy with my experience. The program coordinators, administration staff, and most importantly faculty are great people. They are dedicated to the students, their education, and eager to help whenever requested. The critiques are vital to creative / technical advancement and the small classes make this a perfect setting. I had hands on experience with equipment that many of my colleagues at other colleges / universities dream of. The only problem I have is with the upper administration of IADT. They are in need of a serious shake up. They need to listen to their students and get some need new blood in senior positions. I assure that I am not the only alumni, student, or faculty to believe this. PROS: Fast registration & enrollment. No more OCAS deadlines to deal with. 24 hour access. Campus is shared with CBC giving the college 24 hour security and access to students. Small Class Size. My class started with 16 and we graduated with 8. This allowed personalized critiques, hands on time with all the equipment, and becoming close with your classmates and faculty. Access to the latest equipment. SLR and DSLR: Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Medium format: Hasselblad 500 series and H series, Phase digital backs, Large format, and lenses for the above, lights: Speedo, Elinchrom, Profoto, grip, stands, seamless backgrounds, gels, lens, film magazines, sandbags, reflectors, cases, location kits, softboxes, most of which can be borrowed. Industry professionals as instructors. Academic Councilors who actually know your name. I'm serious. Intensive short term programs. My program was only 18 months and we went right through the summer. You can opt to take the summer off. Working experience before graduation. I worked with ACT, the Toronto International Film Festival, L'Oreal Fashion Week, the FDCC, and others well before my senior terms. CONS: Very very high tution costs. You could get a degree in 4 years for less then it cost me for 18 months. Programs need to coordinate and work together better. The photography students worked with the fashion design, fashion merchandising and marketing, acting, and graphic design but there was need for far more cooperation. The college needs a better method of feedback from the students. Have a comment for the school? ...Have fun getting anything done about it. Ridiculous limited number of guests for graduation. You get 2 guest tickets. That means my parents could come but my girlfriend could not. Good luck if you have a non-traditional family structure. Two tickets is it. If they use the limited space argument, I would reply with find a larger venue. Tuition is absurdly high, the least the school could do is allow our families to see us graduate. Program budgets based on enrollment numbers. The board is blind to anything but numbers. A program doesn't get a budget increase or new equipment until the number of students go up. However the program can't attract new student without upgrades to equipment and benefits. Catch 22? *UPDATE* All that reading you just did was for nothing. Turns out all the programs that couldn't offer degrees got the chop. As far as I know the entire college got the chop from the board members down in the U.S. The four or five remaining programs that the government allowed to grant degrees have been amalgamated into some division of the Yorkville Education Group. Ever heard of it? Neither have I. I'm left with a very sour taste in my mouth. read more

Is The Academy of Design at RCC Institute of Technology (AODT.ca) the same school that everyone is referring to: International academy of design and technology (IADT)? One school is accredited and the other is not and there is a lot of chatter online about this. It seems rather confusing. I'm interested in attending but there seems to be several bad reviews about 1 of these schools (IADT). read more

I have studies in AODT for 6 years. I majored in Video Game Design and today I work in one of the largest video game companies in the world. AODT.ca gave me a very solid understanding on very complex topics such as MAYA animation and rendering. One of the best things about AODT is that most of the teachers are actual professionals so they know what they are talking about, not just plain theory. Thanks AoDT ! read more

First things first, it's true, IAOD is a private school and the tuition cost reflects that, hence by default it won't be suitable for all. The school, certainly has it's core pros and cons as highlighted in Benjamin's review. The massive advantage that the school has to offer, is that it will train you to enter into the industry of your choosing, within a very short span of time, taught by industry professionals, with current industry knowledge & expertise. To be successful at the school and more importantly in the long run, you'll need the following: - Complete, I mean complete dedication. Get ready for 12 - 14+ hr days. - Make sure you absolutely love what you're getting into, if you're just thinking about getting into the industry, but aren't sure, this may not be the school for you. If money however is not an option, then the school will certainly give you a great indicator if you made the right career decision or not. - Trust you instructors (online is flooded with good and bad information and when starting out, it may be difficult to decipher between the two) The instructors know what they're talking about, trust them. The school will do the rest, but I guarantee, the courses are very, very intensive. At the same time, imagine immersing yourself 1000% into a new industry and soaking up incredible amount of knowledge, techniques and new skills. Hence, it is just absolutely amazing!! I studied 3D animation at the IAOD. When I enrolled, the course was 9 months and cost $16,500. My class started with 16, 10 of us graduated, and only 3 of us completed their demo reel, which essentially is your 'real graduation' and most important part of the entire process. The demo reel was our ticket into the industry. Took me 6 months to find my first job and been working in the industry since! Many, many years later I still have the IAOD to thank, its amazing instructors and lot's, lot's of coffee. :) All in all, the school is legit, however, it is a 'bullet train', especially when compared to other institutions. If you're looking for the fast lane, are ready to buckle up and floor it, ...go for it, you won't regret it! read more

I recently graduated from the Fashion Design program. When I enrolled, I was told that I would receive career assistance. The director of the so-called career services department at the IAOD has done nothing to assist me- calls to book an appointment with her go unanswered- she's like Fort Knox! Sometimes she sends me outdated newspaper clippings to my e-mail address- gee, thanks. read more

Having gone to the school as a student and paid the "hefty price" I have to say it is worth it 100%. But for those of you who are thinking of going, they have recently dropped their tuition prices almost 20%.. Why was it even worth it before they dropped the prices?? #1 - Taught by industry professional ***** Which is rare to find and a HUGE plus. I think this is what makes all the difference in the world when you choose to go to this school. You're not being taught by a teacher who is learning the materials they teach from a text book the week before. These teachers KNOW what they are talking about and are involved in the industry everyday. They watch you start and finish the program and because of the small classes you really build a great relationship with them. Once you are done the program, these teachers want you working for their companies and if there are no jobs they certainly refer you to their friends who all work in the industry to. The day you start the program you start networking in the industry without even knowing it. I have many friends who did programs at other school like Ryerson and George Brown..after they graduated they had a really hard time finding a job if not still haven't and have no help. #2 - Small class sizes. They cap the classes at 20 students which is amazing. It really allows you to build relationships, gives you an amazing student/teacher ratio to have help all the time, and you get TONS of attention. To me that was a much more effective way of leaning then my first year Kin class at UWO which consisted of 1500 students. haha #3 Life time placement program - enough said..what other school offers this?? none..how many people need a job today and can't find one?? bet you wish you had some help! #4 Accelerated Programs - You do pay more but you are also done a lot quicker and are making money sooner than others. Yes you might be paying a little more for an accelerated program but..how much extra money do you think you'd spend just living in 2 more years of school? Probably alot more than the difference in price. When I graduated I was offered an internship at the Fashion Design Council of Canada and soon became the Graphic Designer for Toronto Fashion week. It was amazing start to my career. I then went on to start my own business, Sexy Monkey Inc. and with all the help, support, and connection I had made through the school and the internship/job opportunity they had set my with I was headed for success. The Academy was definitely a huge part of why I'm so successful today and in saying that..I truly believe its worth every penny. Check out my website www.sexymonkey.ca SM xo read more