Named after the legendary landscape painter of the Pacific Northwest, Emily Carr University of Art + Design is more than a world-class centre for fine arts education. The university offers undergraduate degrees in fine art, media art and design, as well as graduate degrees and certificate programs. Each concentration aims for a healthy mix of in-studio learning and theory.

Facilities include a visualization and motion-capture lab, sound-mixing studios and a wearables and interactive products studio. ECU is one of the few institutions in Canada with full stereoscopic 3D film and animation equipment. Multiple gallery spaces allow students to curate and exhibit their work, while a 400-seat theatre hosts film screenings, speaker series and other events. The Shumka Centre for Creative Entrepreneurship gives students the guidance and resources they need to launch a variety of projects, from companies and products to curatorial initiatives and events.

“ECU students have unique access to award-winning instructors, cutting-edge facilities and world-class programs to prepare them with job-ready skills and support them as they become the next generation of creative professionals,” says interim president Trish Kelly.

The school boasts Western Canada’s only virtual production stage, a real-time special effects facility that gives students access to cutting-edge equipment and industry professionals. The campus, located in False Creek Flats, is on the Central Valley Greenway, a 24-kilometre pedestrian and cyclist route. 

Campus Buzz

The school’s Student Art Sale is well-known in the community, and celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.