The application deadline is January 25, 2027.

Please see all application steps and follow them as noted.

Yes, we accept applications from applicants who hold a degree in a 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 skills and proficiency in design, media arts or fine arts before joining us.

Upon submitting your application on EducationPlannerBC, you will proceed to our online application portal. There, you will be asked questions about your research and creative practice, including identifying your interest areas. Additionally, you will be asked to express a preference between MFA Interdisciplinary Low-Residency and MFA Critical Ecological Practices Low-Residency. If you are accepted, you will be placed in one of the two cohorts. Your responses and preference will be considered as the cohorts are formed.

Upon submitting your application on EducationPlannerBC, you will proceed to our online application portal. There, you will be asked questions about your research and creative practice, including identifying your interest areas. Additionally, you will be asked to express a preference between MDes Interdisciplinary and MDes Interaction. If you are accepted, you will be placed in one of the two cohorts. Your responses and preference will be considered as the cohorts are formed.

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

Yes, you will need to submit your previous academic transcript(s) and/or English language score on our online application portal. You can find the transcript and English proficiency requirements here.

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

Yes, you can sign up for a campus tour here and register for a virtual information-session here. For questions, please use our Contact Us form.

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 is 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 upcoming intake (Fall), you may 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 application site, and important updates will be emailed to you by Graduate Admissions. Please check your email regularly, including your spam folder.

All application results will be released by April 30.

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

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 forms of 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 are registered in all required courses by the Grad Office.

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

• We provide a list of potential supervisors.
• Students research the supervisors’ practice and areas of interest and connect with them.
• Each student compiles a list of three supervisors they would like to work with.
• 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 + studios.

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 graduate 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). Students will receive assistance in developing their SSHRC application.

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

You can visit the ECU library’s repository of graduate theses. You can also search in News + Events for stories about Graduate Studies programs and students.

Check out the graduate programs overview and course descriptions. These lists include all the 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.

Explore these topics with Student Support and view our guide to Living in Vancouver.

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.