OVERVIEW
Your Creative Future
Thank you for considering Emily Carr University of Art + Design as your place to explore art, design + media. As Canada’s #1 art and design university, we welcome makers and thinkers who want to innovate, push boundaries and reimagine what’s possible.
Follow this step-by-step guide to learn the requirements and submission process for undergraduate applications.
Meet an ECU Recruiter
Before applying for admission, we strongly encourage you to meet a recruitment coordinator through a webinar, campus tour or at a community event to learn more about ECU and the admissions process. Entrance to ECU is highly competitive and not all applicants who meet our academic requirements will receive an offer of admission.
How to Apply
When applying, please note:
- Use your legal name on the application. You may also provide a preferred name, which we will use whenever possible. However, your legal name must appear on certain official documents and reports.
- If you have used other family/last names (for example, due to marriage or a change in family status), include these as well. This helps us match your application with transcripts or records that may arrive under a different name.
- Admission is highly competitive, and not all applicants who meet academic requirements will receive an offer.
After you submit your application, you will receive an email from Emily Carr University with your application number and proof of payment for your application fee.
Step 1: Choose Your Program
First, decide which program you want to apply to at Emily Carr University. Explore our undergraduate degree programs and select your first and second program choices.
- ECU tries to admit qualified applicants into their first-choice program. Once that program is full, we may admit qualified applicants into their second-choice program.
- All first year students begin their studies with Foundation Year.
Step 2: Choose Your Start Date + Review Deadlines
Next, decide when you want to start your university studies. Emily Carr University has three application intake each year in the spring, summer and fall.
- You should be prepared to study in-person at ECU in Vancouver by the time your intake semester begins. Most classes happen Monday through Friday during the day.
- Applications will open and close at specific times, and you must submit your application and the required transcripts/documents (see Step 3 below) by the deadline to be considered for admission.
Spring 2026
The Spring semester (beginning January 12, 2026) offers limited seats to certain programs and allows you the opportunity to begin studies with a smaller cohort. This is a mid-year intake and students may need longer to complete their degree.
- August 15, 2025 – Applications open.
- September 30, 2025 – Deadline to apply via EducationPlannerBC, submit portfolio through SlideRoom and upload all transcripts and documents. SlideRoom charges a USD $12.00 fee for portfolio submissions.
Accelerated Summer Foundation 2026
This application period (beginning May 5, 2026) is for those who want to fast-track their Foundation Year (first year) through the Summer Accelerated Foundation Program.
- October 1, 2025 – Applications open.
- January 15, 2026 – Deadline to apply via EducationPlannerBC, submit portfolio via the ECU Admissions Portal and upload all required transcripts/documents.
Fall 2026
Fall semester (beginning September 8, 2026) is the most common application period for new students, with openings to all programs.
- October 1, 2025 – Applications open.
- January 15, 2026 – Deadline to apply via EducationPlannerBC and submit transcripts/documents.
- January 31, 2026 – Deadline to submit portfolio through the ECU Admissions Portal.
Step 3: Check Your Admission Requirements + Prepare Your Portfolio
Qualifying for admission to Emily Carr University consists of three components:
- Your academic history;
- Your portfolio; and
- Your English language proficiency.
Gather electronic (digital) copies of your school transcripts, portfolio items and any other required documents – you will need them to submit your application.
Academic Requirements
Every applicant to ECU must disclose all high school (secondary) and post-secondary (college, university, polytechnic) education attempted. Attempted courses/education means any school you registered in and where a class would appear on a transcript, regardless of grade earned.
High School Applicants
Apply through this path if you:
- Are currently in high school and have not taken any college or university courses;
- Have finished high school and have not taken any college or university courses; or
- Have completed fewer than 15 post-secondary credits (about five courses).
Post-Secondary Transfer Applicants
Apply through this path if you have completed 15 or more post-secondary credits (about five courses).
Other Types of Applicants
Click each link to learn more about these other pathways for admission to Emily Carr University.
- Mature student: applicants age 21+ who may not have completed ECU’s standard high school requirements
- Home-based learner: applicants who completed their secondary schooling through home schooling
- Indigenous learner: applicants age 19+ of Indigenous ancestry who may not have completed ECU’s standard high school requirements
- Practicing professional: working artists + creators with prior post-secondary education (“unclassified studies”)
- Visiting student: a learner from another post-secondary institution requesting to take some transferrable courses through ECU
Portfolio
Your applicant portfolio is an important component of the application for admission. It is a collection of your work, ideas, and vision that shows where you are in your creative journey and where you may go next. It will consist of examples of your own work and other components.
Visit Portfolio Requirements for detailed information.
English Language Proficiency (ELP)
ECU courses are taught in English and all applicants to Emily Carr University must demonstrate proficiency in English regardless of citizenship or immigration status.
Visit English Proficiency Requirements for details about criteria and accepted tests.
Step 4: Apply for Admission Through EducationPlannerBC
Start your application for admission to Emily Carr University only after you have decided on your first and second-choice program, determined your preferred start date, and gathered your transcripts, portfolio + other documents.
Application fees:
ECU requires a non-refundable fee of $71.40 (domestic students) or $110.00 (international students) be paid through EducationPlannerBC to review your application. Applicants of Indigenous ancestry and former youth in care may request an application fee waiver by contacting student recruitment.
When applying, keep in mind:
- Apply using your legal name. You may also provide a preferred name, which we use whenever possible. Your legal name must appear on official documents and reports.
- If you have used different last names (for example, due to a change in marital or family status), include these as well. This helps us match your application with transcripts that may use a previous name.
After you submit your application, you’ll receive an email from Emily Carr University with your application number and proof of payment.
Visit “I’ve applied… what’s next?” to learn about your next steps.
Step 5: Upload Documents through the ECU Admissions Portal
Within three days of applying through EducationPlannerBC, you will receive an email from admissions@ecuad.ca called “Next Steps to Finish Your Application” with instructions for logging into the ECU Admissions Portal. Contact us at admissions@ecuad.ca or 604-844-3864 if you do not receive this email.
School Transcripts + English Proficiency Tests
- Each high school, college, and university you declared on EducationPlannerBC will appear on your “Application Checklist” with the status of “❌ Awaiting.”
- To upload a new transcript, scroll to the “Requested Documents” section, choose the school you are providing a transcript for, and upload the transcript.
- Repeat the transcript upload for each school requested, and if required, for your English proficiency test results.
- After you upload a transcript, it will take a few minutes for your Application Checklist to update and show “✔️ Received.” The “Requested Documents” section will show you the history of all files you’ve uploaded.
- You must declare all previous high schools, colleges, and universities you’ve attended. If a school does not appear on your Application Checklist, contact admissions@ecuad.ca to ask us to add the school to your application. A transcript must be provided for each high school, college, or university attended.
Portfolio Documents
- Submit your portfolio, including your creative work (art) and other items, in the “Portfolio” section of the ECU Admissions Portal. Click the “Upload and Edit Portfolio” button to upload new items, delete items, or change items.
- Select the “Upload Media” tab. Browse or drag-and-drop the portfolio items you want to include. You can also link to online or streaming content to include in your portfolio by clicking the “Link: Upload Link” button.
- Double-check the list of items you’re submitting.
- Click the “Start Upload” button. The upload can take several minutes for large files. When it is finished, the ECU Admissions Portal will show you a confirmation.
- Optionally, select the “Your Portfolio” tab and click the “Edit Details” link for each item. Here, you can provide a brief description or title for the work, or indicate the year, size, or medium of the work. This can help reviewers in understanding your intent, or discerning your creative work from other documentation. Click “Update” to save your changes.
- After you’ve uploaded all items for your portfolio, you must check-off (✔️) the corresponding item, such as Portfolio, Process Documentation, etc. on your status page and click the “Update” button. This will tell ECU each piece of your portfolio is ready for review.
Ready to Apply?
Once you have carefully reviewed all five steps above and have prepared your Application Requirements, please re-open Step 4 and hit the “Start Your Application” button!