Our History

A black-and-white photograph of an art classroom, likely from the mid-20th century. A male instructor stands beside an easel, addressing a group of students seated around him. The students, dressed in mid-century clothing, listen attentively, with paintings and canvases visible throughout the room and mounted on the walls behind them.

Our History

Our History

Emily Carr University of Art + Design (ECU) has been at the forefront of creative education in British Columbia since 1925. What began as a small art school has transformed over the last one hundred years into a leading university where more than 2,400 students explore art, media and design.

Three men in a design studio examining small mechanical parts. One man in glasses and a plaid shirt holds up a piece, while another in a patterned jacket looks down at his hands. Rows of labeled drawers line the back wall.
A black-and-white photo of the 1937–38 Vancouver School of Art graduation class. Seven women in light coats and floral corsages stand beside a man in a suit on the school steps. Sculpted busts of Michelangelo and Leonardo flank the entrance above them.

Our Foundation

With a strong foundation in experimentation and critical thinking, we prepare students to build meaningful creative practices and careers while providing an inclusive and supportive environment. Our history helps guide us into the future and informs everything we do today, from how we learn and teach to how we connect with communities locally and globally. 

History + Evolution 

Founded in 1925, Emily Carr University of Art + Design is one of B.C.’s oldest post-secondary institutions and the only university in the province dedicated exclusively to practice-based education and learning in the arts, media and design.  

Nationally, ECU is one of just four post-secondary art institutions and one of only 18 art institutions in North America, with over 2,400 full-time equivalent students. 

Since 2021, Emily Carr University has been ranked the #1 university in Canada for art and design and placed top 30 in the world in the QS World University Rankings (2024). 

We maintain collaborative agreements and partnerships with other post-secondary institutions and organizations in British Columbia, Canada and internationally. These partnerships offer students a range of opportunities to participate in research, exchange and work-integrated learning. 

Our Heraldry + Mace

Timeline

  • 1925 – Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Arts Founded. 
  • 1929 – First graduating class. 
  • 1933 – Renamed Vancouver School of Art. 
  • 1978 – Renamed Emily Carr College of Art and Design. 
  • 1981 – Renamed Emily Carr Institute of Art + Design. 
  • 1989 – Received degree-granting authority. 
  • 1994 – Began offering degrees in our own name. 
  • 2006 – Began offering first graduate program, Master of Fine Arts 
  • 2008 – Became Emily Carr University of Art + Design and is designated as a special-purpose teaching university under the University Act. 
  • 2013 – Launched new graduate program, Master of Design. 
  • 2017 – Transitioned from Granville Island to the new campus at Great Northern Way. 
  • 2025 – Expanded the campus into the Centre for Digital Media to allow for new classroom spaces. 
  • 2025 – Celebrated 100 Years In The Making

Campus

Emily Carr University’s state-of-the-art campus is Canada’s first purpose-built facility for education and research in visual arts, design, and media arts. The 26,600-square-metre building was designed by Canadian architectural firm Diamond Schmitt Architects and developed through a public-private partnership (P3) with Applied Arts Partners (AAP).

LEED® Gold-certified, the campus supports the university’s ongoing commitment to sustainability. 

A Dip into the Archives

A mid-20th-century photograph of two art students painting at easels. A woman with long, styled hair and patterned blouse focuses on her canvas, holding a palette, while a man beside her sketches on paper.
A man in a suit spray paints a large colorful mural featuring graffiti-style text that reads “Emily Carr.” The mural is outdoors under a white tent, and the man smiles as he adds paint to the artwork.
A group of seven men sit and pose on the steps of an art gallery surrounded by sculptural furniture and prototypes. The central figure in a suit sits among students in casual sweaters and jeans.
A sepia-toned photograph of an art classroom showing several women painting at wooden easels. The students, wearing dresses or smocks, concentrate on their canvases in a well-lit studio with high walls and plaster casts visible in the background.
A vintage classroom scene showing students sketching a live model. The model stands in front of anatomical drawings, while three students seated at easels draw her portrait. One student wears a smock labeled “CADONIA.”
A black-and-white photograph of an art classroom, likely from the mid-20th century. A male instructor stands beside an easel, addressing a group of students seated around him. The students, dressed in mid-century clothing, listen attentively, with paintings and canvases visible throughout the room and mounted on the walls behind them.
Three men in a design studio examining small mechanical parts. One man in glasses and a plaid shirt holds up a piece, while another in a patterned jacket looks down at his hands. Rows of labeled drawers line the back wall.
A black-and-white photo of the 1937–38 Vancouver School of Art graduation class. Seven women in light coats and floral corsages stand beside a man in a suit on the school steps. Sculpted busts of Michelangelo and Leonardo flank the entrance above them.

Stay Connected

Follow us or subscribe to our emails for announcements, invitations and to be part of the greater ECU community.

Subscribe
Participating in the Drawing Marathon