Graduate Diploma (DESS) in Design and Entrepreneurship at École de technologie supérieure

Programme overview

The Graduate Diploma (DESS) in Design and Entrepreneurship (code 4475) is a 30-credit full-time second-cycle continuing-education programme taught in French and offered in association with École de design Nantes Atlantique (EDNA). It is for design professionals who want to build strategic design expertise and an introduction to entrepreneurship.

Duration: 18 months full-time (4 sessions and 2 months, September to end of February of year 2); maximum 5 sessions / 20 months | Intake: Fall (August 1; subject to board approval); applications by email to the programme coordinator | Study mode: full-time | Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

What you will study

The programme alternates two weeks of courses with two weeks of internship throughout. It comprises four mandatory workshops (1 credit), two courses (4 credits), three professional intervention projects (9 credits), four design workshops (8 credits) and a final project (8 credits), developed with companies and innovation partners and guided by a network of designers, industry people and researchers.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Bachelor's degree or equivalent in design or an appropriate field, with average of at least 3.0 out of 4.3 (or equivalent) (2.8 to 3.0 may be admitted after file review; the programme committee may interview candidates); or the necessary knowledge, appropriate training and relevant experience. Bridging courses may be required. Applicants must show sufficient knowledge of French under ÉTS's language policy; applicants who are not comfortable in English are encouraged to take two optional TOEIC-preparation workshops offered by EDNA at ÉTS.

Domestic applicants: CAD 4,100 for the whole programme (2026). Tuition only for 2026-2027 as stated in the ÉTS cost-of-studies tables; indicative level-wide figure ('costs and durations are approximate'), excludes institutional fees, insurance and other expenses. Rate for Quebec-resident students. Total. DESS: 30 cre Source

International applicants: CAD 32,000 for the whole programme (2026). Tuition only for 2026-2027 as stated in the ÉTS cost-of-studies tables; indicative level-wide figure ('costs and durations are approximate'), excludes institutional fees, insurance and other expenses. Rate for international students. Total for the 1-year Source

Academic year has three semesters: fall (September to December; 2026 classes start 31 August), winter (January to April; 2027 classes start 5 January) and summer (May to August; 2026 classes start 4 May). Some programmes do not admit students to the summer semester.

Canadian students: applications close 1 April for summer, 1 August for fall and 1 December for winter (summer excludes Bachelor programmes). International students: 1 December for summer, 1 March for fall and 1 July for winter.

Application fee is $57 for Canadian citizens and applicants through partnership agreements and $141 for international applicants, payable by Visa or Mastercard and non-refundable; a separate application is required for each programme.

Apply through the official page: https://www.etsmtl.ca/en/study-at-ets/applying-to-ets

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