Undergraduate Admissions FAQs

To apply to ECU, submit an application through Education Planner BC and a portfolio through Slideroom. You will also digitally upload your transcripts and, if applicable, your English proficiency score to Slideroom. Be sure to review all the information on our Undergraduate Applications section, too.

Applications open each year on September 15.

Spring applications close on October 15 every year.

Fall applications close on January 15 every year.

We make every effort to send admission decisions to Spring applicants by mid-November, and to Fall applicants by late-March, however these dates cannot be guaranteed.

No. You can only submit one application per year. However, if you are applying to a first year undergraduate program, you can indicate your first and second program choices.

Review the application requirements here.

Upload your transcripts and English proficiency score to Slideroom. If you are accepted to ECU, you will receive instructions later for submitting your official documents.

Please review our English proficiency requirements and potential exemptions here.

You are required to submit your secondary (grade 11 and 12) and post-secondary transcripts.

All documents submitted in a language other than English will need to be accompanied by a certified English translation.

Notifications are sent to all applicants via email no later than April 15 for the Fall intake. For the Spring intake, notifications are sent no later than November 15.

Yes, your application materials require your legal name. Please also use the same email address for your application and portfolio submissions.

Please only upload your transcripts to Slideroom as part of your application, unless a member of our staff has asked you to send a transcript separately via email for review purposes.

Only Indigenous applicants qualify for an application fee waiver. Please email admissions@ecuad.ca for further info.

Absolutely. We conduct in-person campus tours on Friday mornings, and virtual tours are available online as well. Find out more here. Kindly note that our in-person tours are subject to availability and capacity.

In order to qualify for our programs, you are required to meet our English proficiency minimums.

You may also wish to explore the Creative Art Pathway Program.

In order to apply, you need to meet the posted minimum requirements. For further info, please email admissions@ecuad.ca

Unfortunately, we cannot consider late applications. You are invited to apply for the next available intake.

To submit your official transcripts please follow the instructions below:

• Mail or courier the official physical transcripts of your secondary or post-secondary institution
• BC Students may submit transcripts through the BC Ministry of Education
• If your academic institution only issues digital transcripts, this is acceptable provided they are sent directly from the institution to admissions@ecuad.ca or through a verified platform such as MyCreds.
• Transcripts that are not in English must be accompanied by a verified English translation. Applicants from China (excluding Hong Kong) must verify their educational documents through China Credentials Verification (CSSD formally known as CHESICC). Send your documents to this Chinese agency for verification in English. Ask the agency to send your official academic transcript and English verification report directly our mailing address.
• Physical educational transcripts should be sealed and addressed as follows:

Undergraduate Studies
Emily Carr University of Art + Design
520 East 1st Avenue
Vancouver, BC V5T 0H2
Canada

See our page with portfolio tips. When portfolio review opportunities are available, a link to make an appointment will be posted on that page as well.

You may also be interested in attending a National Portfolio Day event or a portfolio building workshop.

Your portfolio must be submitted through Slideroom.

There is no rigid or failsafe formula for building a strong portfolio. We want to see your unique interpretations and processes, and how you navigate challenges within your work. Check out our portfolio tips page for more guidance.

Yes, please. This helps us easily match your portfolio with your application. If we cannot locate your portfolio easily, your application may not be considered.

Yes. Unless you have received an exemption confirmation from one of our staff in writing, you are required to submit a portfolio.

If our application deadline falls on a weekend or statutory holiday, there will be a grace period until the first weekday following the deadline date (so, if the 15th falls on a Saturday, the grace period will end after the weekend on Monday the 17th at 11:59PM PST).

Keep in mind that the grace period only applies if you already have a portfolio in progress on Slideroom¡ªif you have not started your portfolio at all, you will not be able to start during the grace period.

For Slideroom technical support, please see the Applicant Help Centre.

If you have submitted your portfolio but realize you need to make changes, please email admissions@ecuad.ca. Kindly note that no changes can be made to submitted portfolios after the deadline and/or grace period have passed.

Accepted file formats and sizes are listed on Slideroom. You will not be able to upload items that do not adhere to the restrictions.

You will need to make your file smaller or choose a different format. Files that do not adhere to the file restrictions are not permitted.

Yes, Slideroom has a nominal fee in USD. You are required to pay with a valid credit card; debit cards and combined visa-debit cards are not accepted.

We are looking to see your unique interpretation of our requirements. Previous applicant portfolios are not shared online.

Please email Yvonne, our Undergraduate Admissions Advisor, for appointment availability.

Review our transfer student guide here, and for further info please email admissions@ecuad.ca.

We will place you in the transfer year that you are eligible for based on an evaluation of your previous credits. This may or may not align with the transfer year you apply for.

You will need to apply through Education Planner BC and submit a portfolio and your educational documents through Slideroom. If you are applying as a 2nd or 3rd year transfer student, your portfolio requirements are different.

Read about our undergraduate programs here.

Your first year of undergraduate studies at Emily Carr is called Foundation. Read more here.

Direct Entry simply means that when you apply to ECU, you choose the program/major you want right away. Previously, you would have applied for Foundation and then chosen your program after your first year.

Yes, you can apply to change majors twice during your degree.

Please email admissions@ecuad.ca so we can make the appropriate adjustments to your application and portfolio submissions.

Please see our tuition and fee schedules for all undergraduate programs here. Note that these figures are subject to change without notice.

Find more info about funding for undergraduate students here.