SIT FAQs

To ensure you have a rich online educational experience with valuable connections to instructors and fellow students, our online studios will feature a combination of synchronous and asynchronous activities. This means that our online studios will include live sessions facilitated through Zoom.

The online studios will run Monday through Friday, with daily live sessions from 9:00am to 12:00pm (Pacific Daylight Time, GMT -7). You are expected to attend the daily meetings on time. In addition, you can expect to spend a minimum of 3 hours each day doing independent work.

These online studios are structured in a way that students benefit from a variety of dynamic teaching methods that may include live presentations, group discussions, live and pre-recorded demos, independent work, peer critiques, and individual guidance and feedback from the instructors. By the end of the program, you will have developed new skills in their area of study and expanded their body of work!

All studios are limited to 16 students.

All classes are taught in English. If English is not your first language, you are required to be proficient in written and spoken English and be able to participate in group discussions and presentations in English. As a guideline, we would expect you to have an IELTS score of 4.5 to 6.0 for lecture courses.

There are no credits for SIT. However, participation in the program will increase your portfolio and allow you to be more competitive when you apply to post-secondary institutions.

You will need to source your own supplies for your studio. The cost of materials will vary by studio, but on average, you can expect to spend up to $150 in studio-specific supplies. A materials list will be provided to you in your welcome package prior to the start of the program. Or you may find your list on our materials list page.

You are welcome to use materials you already have at home, provided such materials serve a similar purpose for your studio work.

If you are registered in an online studio, you will need access to a smartphone or tablet (iPad or Android), and a computer to join the virtual classroom on Zoom. Computers should meet the following minimum requirements:

Mac:

• macOS version 10.13 (High Sierra) or later
• 8 GB of RAM
• 8 GB of available hard-disk space for installation; additional free space required during installation; SSD recommended

Windows:

• Windows 10 (64-bit) version 1803, 1809 and later
• 8 GB of RAM
• 8 GB of available hard-disk space for installation; additional free space required during installation; SSD recommended

While these are the standard minimum requirements to participate in SIT studios, we recommend reviewing the system requirements for the specific software required for your studio.

A desk, table, wall space or even floor space between 2x3 and 3x4 feet should be more than enough space to work on your art.

If you have any technical difficulties, please contact us for assistance.

We offer two full SIT scholarships for students of Aboriginal ancestry. Scholarship applications are accepted up to March 1.

View details and submit the online Aboriginal scholarship application.

Around mid-June after registration has closed, welcome packages with important information regarding materials and schedule will be made available to you.

Students registered in cancelled studios will be contacted before we register them into their second studio choice.

ECU does not provide on or off campus accommodations, so you are responsible to source your own appropriate housing. If you are from out of town, you may choose to stay with a family member or friend, or find temporary housing with a parent or guardian for the duration of the program.

Note to parents: If your child is travelling unaccompanied to Vancouver, please be advised that students under the age of 18 must have a pre-arranged appointed custodian/guardian who will be responsible for them during their stay, in order to enter Canada. Visit the Government of Canada- Minor Children travelling to Canada page for more information.

For information on local housing options, neighbourhoods, and homestay resources, visit our ECU Off-Campus Housing Page.

Lunch is not provided, but you have access to the food services available in or around the ECU campus. View food service options.

Additional lunch time talks and programming may be scheduled over the course of the month and students are encouraged to attend.

No, transportation and bus passes are not included in the tuition fees. You are required to provide bus fare for off-site trips. Visit Translink for bus fare information.

Yes. As an SIT student, you have access to the ECU Library as a Community Borrower.

View more information about your loaning privileges.

We encourage you to attend all classes. If you miss a class, parents or guardians must notify email or call 604.844.3800 ext 3856 as soon as possible. If you miss more than 15% of the program, you may risk falling behind in your coursework and may not be eligible to receive your certificate of completion.

Upon successful completion of the program, you will receive their certificate via email in the following Fall.