Graduate Admissions FAQs

The application deadline is January 19, 2025. This academic year, the application period opens mid-September and close mid-January.

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 referees should be familiar with your art or design practice, and research.

Submit your previous academic transcript(s) and/or English language score on EducationPlannerBC. Applicants must upload their educational records of past academic performance and/or their English score, to be considered for admission.

You can upload your previous academic transcript(s) and/or test score to EPBC only once.

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.

Please see our events calendar for prospective students here.

Once your online application via EducationPlannerBC has been submitted successfully, including your previous academic transcript(s) and/or English Language Proficiency test score, you must submit your portfolio and supporting documents on Slideroom, see details here.

Important info will be shared electronically. You will receive updates from us via email, so please check it regularly including your spam folder. All application results are sent via email by April 30.

Feel free to email masters@ecuad.ca

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.

Graduate students register for classes using the self-registration tool on MyEC.

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.

Each student in our on-campus graduate programs is allotted a personal studio spot for the duration of their program.

We also offer partial access to an individual studio spot to our off-campus students.

In addition, graduate students have access to all 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.