Emily Carr University of Art + Design

Founded 1925 | Vancouver, BC

Emily Carr offers a range of degree, diploma and certificate programs and is profiled in both the Maclean’s Universities Guidebook and the Maclean’s Colleges Guide. To learn more about the school’s diploma programs, see the Colleges Guide profile.

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, a digital and cell animation studio, 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 campus, located in False Creek Flats, is on the Central Valley Greenway, a 24-km pedestrian and cyclist route. 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.

“Students who choose to make art, design and digital media the focus of their education bring a crucial set of skills and experience to solving problems, challenging dominant ways of thinking and fostering innovation,” says president Gillian Siddall. Currently, a state-of-the-art virtual production stage is being created in partnership with Showmax Event Services. This real-time special effects facility will give students access to cutting-edge equipment and industry professionals.

Standout Programs

• Interaction Design: Students are prepared to create innovative design solutions for daily life. Students learn critical components of creative design along with communication and industrial design.

• Visual Art: Students have access to well-equipped studios and the flexibility to explore five core areas: ceramics, drawing, painting, print media and sculpture.

• Film and Screen Arts: Gain hands-on experience and theoretical knowledge in film production, media installation, sound mixing and video. Undertake a capstone project and internship opportunities.

Tuition (includes compulsory ancillary fees)

$5,947

Minimum Entering Grades

Arts: 67%, plus portfolio

Student Body

Undergraduates: Full-time: 1,379 · Part-time: 339

Graduates: Full-time: 99

International Students: First-year: 30% · Graduate: 51%

Male-Female Ratio: 20 to 80

Housing Facts

Residence: Not offered

Cool Courses

• The Practice of Curating: Gain hands-on experience developing an exhibition with the team at the Museum of Vancouver.

• Animal Ethics + Creativity: Explore how we engage with our shared ecologies in times of climate change and habitat loss.

Student Life on Campus

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