Application Requirements
To qualify for admission consideration to any of our graduate programs, you must meet the requirements listed below, including:
Academic Requirements for Graduate Applicants
If you are applying to the Master of Design or Master of Fine Arts degrees, you must hold a recognized Bachelor’s degree from an accredited academic institution.
- We accept applications from applicants who hold the following undergraduate degrees: Bachelor of Design, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Media Arts, Bachelor of Architecture
- Applicants holding a Bachelor’s degree in a field outside of art and design may also apply, but must demonstrate studio proficiency
- Applicants holding a three-year Bachelor’s degree may apply if it is equivalent to a four-year Canadian degree
- Applicants must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (B)
- Applicants in the final year of their Bachelor’s degree may apply
Flexible Admission Criterion
Our flexible admission criterion is meant to recognize excellence and expertise in specific creative fields.
- If you are applying to the Master of Design or Master of Fine Arts degrees and you do not hold a Bachelor’s degree in any field, you may qualify for flexible admission. Applicants that demonstrate experience toward eligibility outside our academic requirements are required to follow all application steps.
If you are applying to the Master of Design or Master of Fine Arts degrees and you hold a Bachelor’s degree in a field outside of art and design, please see the requirements above.
Portfolio + Supporting Material Requirements
Your portfolio and supporting material are a window into your creative practice.
- Applicants must submit their portfolio and supporting material using the online application portal.
- All materials must be submitted in order for an application to be reviewed and considered for admission.
Master of Design Portfolio + Supporting Material Requirements
As an applicant to Master of Design (Interdisciplinary) or Master of Design (Interaction), you are required to submit:
Portfolio
- Submit five to seven (5-7) examples of your studio projects to help us evaluate your readiness to pursue a graduate education at Emily Carr University. Two (2) of the submitted projects must show the design process.
- Upload multi-page files of documentation of your design projects, in 2D, 3D or time-based media. Time-based media should not exceed three minutes in length.
- Be selective. Curate and edit your portfolio to present your strongest, most imaginative and recent work.
Written Prompt
- Submit your written response to the prompt below to help us gain a sense of your direction and development as a designer. Your written response should not exceed 500 words.
- Select one design project you’ve been involved with in the past. This could be something you worked on independently, within a professional setting, as part of your degree program, individually, or as part of a group. Share what made this project significant to you – how it challenged you, what you discovered through the experience, and why it continues to stand out in your journey as a designer thus far.
Video Response
- Submit a pre-recorded video of yourself answering the prompt below. Upload the video to the Portfolio section via ECU’s application portal. The video should not exceed two (2) minutes in length.
- Briefly tell us what interests you about design, what are your ambitions and what constitutes successful study for you?
Keywords Exercise
- Submit a list of five to ten (5-10) keywords to contextualize and describe your creative practice, process and research.
Curriculum Vitae/Resume
- Submit a list of relevant professional and academic experiences. Include publications, volunteer and community work, awards and honours or other achievements.
Recommendation Forms
- Submit the contact information of three (3) recommenders. Recommenders will then be asked to fill out a recommendation form on your behalf.
- Your recommenders should be familiar with your art or design practice and research.
- Submit their contact information early to allow them sufficient time to complete the form. Recommendation Forms are filled in electronically, directly by the recommenders. Recommenders must use an official email address associated with an academic institution, or company.
- Once an applicant enters an email address of a recommender, the recommender will automatically receive a message with instructions. The applicant will receive a confirmation once the recommendation form is filled successfully.
Master of Fine Arts Portfolio + Supporting Material Requirements
As an applicant to Master of Fine Arts (Full-residency) or Master of Fine Arts (Low-residency), you are required to submit:
Portfolio
- Submit exactly ten (10) examples of your studio work to help us evaluate your readiness to pursue a graduate education at Emily Carr University.
- Upload single-page files of documentation of your artwork, in 2D, 3D or time-based media. Time-based media should not exceed three minutes in length.
- Be selective. Curate and edit your portfolio to present your strongest, most imaginative and recent work.
Written Prompts
Submit your written responses to the prompts below to demonstrate your critical thinking, articulation, level of interpersonal skills and more. Please provide an answer to all questions below. Your written responses should not exceed 250 words each.
- Research often involves a synthesis of existing scholarship and the development of new insights or arguments. Describe a research gap or question within your field that you believe is worth exploring in your thesis. How would your research contribute to filling this gap?
- A fellow student expresses a different cultural or ideological perspective during a class discussion that is met with resistance or misunderstanding from others. How would you demonstrate empathy, contribute to a constructive dialogue, and promote an environment of mutual respect and cultural understanding?
- At Emily Carr University, we understand artistic research as a dialogue with contemporary art. Can you name and discuss the influence of two contemporary artists that inspire your practice?
- How do you engage with historical, cultural or societal influences in your artwork? Describe specific instances where you have incorporated or responded to these influences in your creative process.
- What specific skills, knowledge, or areas of expertise do you hope to develop further through the MFA program? Be as detailed as possible.
Curriculum Vitae/Resume
- Submit a list of relevant professional and academic experiences. Include publications, volunteer and community work, awards and honours or other achievements.
Recommendation Forms
- Submit the contact information of three (3) recommenders. Recommenders will then be asked to fill out a recommendation form on your behalf.
- Your recommenders should be familiar with your art or design practice and research.
- Submit their contact information early to allow them sufficient time to complete the form. Recommendation Forms are filled in electronically, directly by the recommenders. Recommenders must use an official email address associated with an academic institution, or company.
- Once an applicant enters an email address of a recommender, the recommender will automatically receive a message with instructions. The applicant will receive a confirmation once the recommendation form is filled successfully.
Transcripts + English Language Proficiency
Applicants must submit their previous academic transcript(s), and English Proficiency test score if applicable, using the online application portal, by the application deadline.
Transcripts
Applicants must provide their academic transcript(s), educational records of past academic performance, to be considered for admission.
- Submit basic information about post-secondary institution(s) you attended and degree(s) you hold on the EducationPlannerBC Application Service
- Then, submit your unofficial transcript(s), and English Proficiency test score if applicable using the online application portal
- If you are accepted to ECU, you will receive instructions later for submitting your official document(s)
Transcript Requirements
- Language: Transcripts from non-English speaking educational institutions must be submitted in the original language with an additional official certified English translation.
- Assessment: Foreign documents may need to be assessed by an evaluation service, like World Education Services (WES) or International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES). Graduate Admissions will contact you if the documents require further assessment.
English Proficiency
If your first language is not English, regardless of immigration or citizenship status, you must submit an English Proficiency test score.
- Submit basic information about your first language on the EducationPlannerBC Application Service
- Then, if applicable, submit your English Proficiency test score using the online application portal
Exemptions
Graduation from a recognized degree program at an accredited university at which English is the language of instruction can result in an exemption. Transcript(s must be submitted for exemptions to be considered.
We reserve the right to request a test score even if an applicant meets the above-mentioned criterion.
English language proficiency tests accepted by Emily Carr University:
Emily Carr University accepts the following ELP tests as proof of English proficiency. ECU must receive official test results.
- CAE (Cambridge English Advanced): minimum overall score of 185 with a minimum score in each skill as follows: speaking 185; reading 185; writing 185; listening 176
- CAEL (Canadian Academic English Language assessment): minimum level of 80 across all band descriptors
- CPE (Cambridge Proficiency Examination): minimum overall score of 185 with a minimum score in each skill as follows: speaking 185; reading 185; writing 185; listening 176
- IELTS Academic (International English Language Testing System): minimum band 7.0 including a minimum score in each component; Speaking 7.0, Reading 7.0, Writing 7.0 and Listening 6.5
- MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery): minimum level of 81
- PTE Academic (Pearson Test of English): minimum score of 66
- TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-based test) | Emily Carr institution code: #0032 Internet-Based Test: minimum of 90 out of 120 points including a minimum score in each of the four skills; Speaking 22/30, Reading 22/30, Writing 22/30 and Listening 20/30