Graduate Admissions FAQs

The application deadline is January 15, 2026.

Please see all application steps here and follow them as noted.

We accept applications from applicants who hold a degree in a different field, outside of art and design. Having said this, our programs are practice based, therefore applicants are expected to have substantial studio experience and have gained relevant skill and proficiency in design, media arts or fine arts before joining us.

Three recommendation forms are required. Your recommenders should be familiar with your art or design practice, and research.

Submit your previous academic transcript(s) and/or English language score on our online application portal.

Your strongest, most challenging and imaginative work. Portfolio requirements for our Master of Fine Arts programs and our Master of Design programs are different. Read them here.

You can sign up for a campus tour here and register for a virtual information-session here.

Within 48 hours of applying online using the EducationPlannerBC Application Service, you will receive an email from us with instructions for the next step.

The email will direct you to our online application portal, where you will upload your portfolio and all required supporting material, including your academic transcript(s) and, if applicable, your English Proficiency test score.

Yes, there's a waitlist. You will be contacted by Graduate Admissions when a spot opens up (you will not be assigned a number on the waitlist). If a spot does not open in the program you applied for in the next upcoming intake (Fall), you will be given the option to join the program in the next intake. Waitlisted applicants may receive their final decision as late as the last week of August.

You will be able to check the status of your application on ECU's portal, and important updates will be shared by us via email. Please check your email regularly including your spam folder.

All application results are released by April 30.

Feel free to contact us here.

Please see the tuition and fees for the current academic year here.

We only have a Fall intake. All graduate studies students begin in September.

We only offer an application fee waiver to applicants who self-identify as Indigenous. Please email masters@ecuad.ca for more info.

We offer several applicants in all graduate programs non-renewable, non-transferable tuition waivers upon acceptance. You do not need to apply separately for entrance scholarships; the University selects students based on academic and creative merit as part of the admissions process. Read about other financial support here.

Yes! ECU's graduate programs are built on critical, practice-based creative research. Our curriculum encourages a rigorous and innovative approach to contemporary art and design production. You will create, experiment and develop a body of work while conducting creative research and engaging in material exploration.

Yes! All ECU graduate students choose a research topic. You will develop a thesis project consisting of a design, fine arts or media arts body of work along with an academic support paper. In addition to supervised independent thesis development, you will participate in innovative and generative coursework.

The Master of Fine Arts and Master of Design streams are two academic years long.

At ECU, graduate students are registered in all required MFA/MDes courses by the Grad Office.

Thesis supervisors are paired with students after their first academic term.

1. We provide a list of potential supervisors.
2. Students research the supervisors’ practice and areas of interest and connect with them.
3. Each student compiles a list of three supervisors they would like to work with.
4. Students are then placed with a supervisor based on their list, faculty availability, and research alignment.

Students in our on-campus graduate programs have access to individual and shared work spaces and studios.

Students in our low-residency streams have access to bookable hot-desk studio spots.

All graduate students have access to on-campus shops.

Yes! Graduate students at ECU have several funding options.

1. We offer entrance scholarships as a way to recognize academic and creative potential. These non-renewable, non-transferable tuition waivers are offered upon acceptance to a grad program (domestic and international students are considered. No application is required).
2. Graduate students have the opportunity to work as Research Assistants, Teaching Assistants and Teaching Fellows during their degree as part of career and professional development.
3. Eligible students are encouraged to apply for the Canada Graduate Scholarships Program (CGS) offered through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). ECU students will receive assistance in developing their SSHRC application.

Visit our Funding for Graduate Students page to learn more about these opportunities.

Here’s some work by recent Master of Design and Master of Fine Arts projects. You can also visit the ECU library’s repository of graduate theses.

Check out the grad programs overview and course descriptions. These lists include all required curriculum.

You can expect your cohort to be 10-15 students approximately, depending on the stream. Our cohort sizes change slightly from year to year.

Absolutely. Registered students and alumni can connect with faculty, fellow students, external partners and more through the services offered by our Career Development + Work Integrated Learning Office.

Yes! The Emily Carr Students' Union supports several clubs, events, services and initiatives for students.

Find a list of all sorts of helpful resources for students here.

We’re happy to assist you with questions about study permits, health care and more. Start here and contact us if you have more questions.