NSCAD University provides a studio-based model of education, allowing students to learn in an environment that is immersive, intellectually rigorous, hands-on and supportive. Students are encouraged to extend their learning through internships, practicums and exchange programs with 70 participating institutions in 15 countries. Interim president Sarah McKinnon says: “Since joining NSCAD, I have been greatly impressed by the creativity, dedication and passion displayed by our students, faculty and staff.”

Undergrads can choose from several disciplines: fine arts, including drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture; media arts, including film, animation and photography; craft, including textiles, ceramics and jewellery design; interdisciplinary design; and art history. There are also master’s programs in art education, design and fine arts.

Located in downtown Halifax, NSCAD has three diverse campuses. The Fountain Campus, an interconnected row of 19 former shops and warehouses near the Halifax boardwalk, is the site for printmaking, painting, fashion and more. The Academy Campus, at the foot of Citadel Hill, houses the media arts programs, while the Port Campus houses the university’s foundation division—the starting point for all first-year students—and industrial spaces for woodworking, sculpture, plastics and the foundry. The Anna Leonowens Gallery, named for NSCAD’s founder, exhibits the work of students and visiting artists, while Art Bar + Projects is a popular hangout and performance art space.