NSCAD University is one of Canada's oldest and most reputable independent cultural institutions, and for over a century has inspired generations of makers. Today, it is regarded as a principal center for education and research in visual culture in North America, offering a widely renowned curriculum of creative design programs at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.
Popular undergraduate programs include design, fashion and textiles, ceramics, jewellery and metalsmithing, photography, printmaking, expanded media, and the Master of Art in Art Education (MAAE) and Master of Design (MDes).
Canada’s college and university degrees are recognized worldwide, making study at NSCAD an investment in the future. Canada has a high standard of living, tuition fees are among the lowest in English speaking countries, and international students may even be able to stay and work in Canada after graduation.
NSCAD University is in Halifax, Nova Scotia, an attractive coastal city with a lively creative community. Halifax offers a busy urban centre and a cozy local town at the same time. It’s a great place to experience the richness of Canadian culture and social life.
Students at NSCAD University become part of a collaborative community of designers, makers, and practitioners, and benefit from 24/7 studio access and an average class size of just 13. Small class sizes provide intensive attention and supervision, close bonds between students and greater opportunities for feedback and support.
NSCAD integrates its gallery into the learning process. The university’s many facilities and resources include the Anna Leonowens Gallery Systems, which organizes more than 125 shows a year, the majority featuring work by undergraduates. NSCAD University also gives students the opportunity to learn and grow in international settings, collaborating with more than 70 art and design schools in the United States, the U.K., Norway, Portugal, Japan, Korea, and Australia.
There’s always something going on at NSCAD University, and recent developments include new funding and investment opportunities, academic initiatives, and student achievements.
Recent donations from the Dalglish Family Foundation to the university mean increased support for visiting artists, new equipment for students on photography programs, and big boosts for materials funds all students. The NSCAD Materials Fund is a bursary program that helps students with demonstrated financial need cover the costs of common artmaking supplies and will support approximately 50 students with an average grant of CAD 1,000 per year. Over the course of five years, up to 250 students will benefit from the Fund.
Another recent donation from the Hilary and Galen Weston Foundation’s SowtoSew project will help to establish NSCAD University as a centre of sustainable fashion in Canada. Over the next two years, this gift will provide bursaries for graduate and undergraduate students in the Textiles and Fashion program, welcome artists-in-residence, expand programming for the NSCAD Art Factory’s Fashion Hacking project and resources for the Alfoldy Craft Institute at NSCAD. Bursaries of CAD 5,000 per year will be given to six undergraduates in third and fourth years of the textiles and fashion program and CAD 10,000 bursaries will be awarded to graduate students.
NSCAD University hosted its first-ever NSCAD Design Week, which brought together students, faculty, industry professionals, and international voices, signaling a shift in how design is recognized, celebrated, and integrated into the broader creative community. NSCAD Design Week - NSCAD
In the first deal of its kind at a fine arts university, NSCAD has been granted an institutional license from Fairmined, which allows the Jewellery Design and Metalsmithing program to offer its students access to ethically sourced gold and silver.
CAD$24,806 Undergraduate Fees are for indicative purposes, check with institution for details
CAD$22,848 Postgraduate Fees are for indicative purposes, check with institution for details
NSCAD University believes in fair access to education and works hard to ensure that all its students have the resources needed to study in confidence. The university awards about CAD 200,000 per academic year to students with internal scholarships and bursaries as well as helping students to source external funding from outside scholarships.
Undergraduate applicants who apply for undergraduate admission to NSCAD by the March 1 application deadline are automatically considered for entrance scholarships and bursaries. The current range of individual entrance awards is CAD 500 to CAD 9,000 and some awards are
renewable for up to four years of study. After each year of study at NSCAD, more scholarships will be available for application by qualified students.
Graduate applicants who apply for admission to NSCAD by the January 15 application deadline are similarly automatically considered for entrance scholarships.
Undergraduate entry requirements differ on a course-by-course basis, however all applicants must present the following material: Undergraduate admission requirements - NSCAD
High school applicants must have achieved an average of 70 per cent or higher at grade 12, including a minimum score of 70 per cent in grade 12 English for university preparation.
An International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma with a minimum grade of 24 is acceptable for entry to NSCAD.
Applicants must submit all records of these studies in the form of an official transcript.
Applicants should write a brief one-page essay explaining who they are and the reasons why they have chosen NSCAD. The essay should discuss prior experience and pathway to NSCAD as well as mentioning the skills and knowledge that they hope to gain, and how their NSCAD education might benefit them in the future.
The portfolio should include 10 to 20 examples of original work in at least three mediums as well as five to 10 examples of process work.
While Individual programs may have unique application requirements, all graduate applications require:
Program-specific Application Requirements:
Undergraduate applicants whose language of instruction in high school (for at least three years) or at the post-secondary level (for at least one year) is not in English must submit evidence of their ability to carry on studies in English. This evidence can be provided through several assessment systems including TOEFL, IELTS, and several more. Graduate admission requirements - NSCAD
NSCAD University’s full- and part-time faculty pride themselves on the quality of their teaching and the dedication they give to their work. With small class sizes and an experienced faculty of teachers, mentors, and connectors, students benefit from plenty of individual attention and opportunities for feedback.
The small size of the university in comparison to most other art schools, and the intellectual and technical rigour on which NSCAD’s reputation is built, means that the faculty are readily available to help and guide students and are deeply invested in their development.
Within the last three years, almost one-quarter of the NSCAD full-time faculty are new. They are young, diverse, connected, and work at the forefront of art and design. They can communicate their expertise to students of all backgrounds and are enthusiastic about the success of their teaching groups.
NSCAD offers a range of contemporary creative programs, which includes the strategic integration of arts, culture and community engagement, with a commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and academic excellence. Its programs are delivered via the following five academic divisions:
Within these areas, the university offers 11undergraduate degree programs, four graduate programs, and three certificate programs. The NSCAD foundation program is a critically important part of the undergraduate experience. Everyone takes Foundation. It introduces the practices, principles, approaches and issues of art, craft and design, and allows new students the opportunity to begin to focus on a particular discipline area or combination of discipline areas.
Three graduate programs are available at NSCAD. These are:
Students at NSCAD University have access to some of the best design and studio facilities available, at an institution which provides a unique range of benefits to encourage students to exhibit their work and build their professional portfolio before leaving university. Some of its creative facilities include:
NSCAD University operates in the heart of downtown Halifax, with its three campuses strategically placed to provide students with easy access to the city’s natural, cultural and creative spaces
NSCAD’s public exhibition space is a fantastic resource that fosters the artistic development of students. It brings in more than 220,000 visitors per year, and hosts over 125 exhibitions and over 50 events annually.
The NSCAD University Library houses a collection of more than 50,000 books and periodicals in the visual and media arts, craft, fashion, and design. Among the library’s special collections, there are rare books, exhibition catalogues 16mm film, CDs and audio tapes.
The career and experiential learning (CEL) team is here to assist students with the application of their learning to practical work opportunities. This support looks like assisting students who are interested in internship opportunities, providing one-on-one career guidance and helping students imagine life post-graduation.
Photographic Services offers access to equipment and facilities for all members of the university community. The photo area supports black and white and digital imaging processes, with teaching, laboratory and specialized production areas.
Connect with students worldwide, explore campus life and learn about life abroad.
Chat to current students
View study abroad life
Watch on-demand streams
Meet your future peers
DOWNLOAD IDP LIVE TO JOIN
Scan the QR code with your phone camera to download
Connect with students worldwide, explore campus life and learn about life abroad.
Chat to current studentsView study abroad lifeWatch on-demand streamsMeet your future peers
3 last steps to get started
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
