Emily Carr University’s Capital Campaign for a new campus at Great Northern Way is called THE BIG IDEA.  At the heart of this $25 million dollar capital campaign is our strong belief that creativity will always be the world’s greatest natural resource. As a learning community, Emily Carr University is on purpose to organize, amplify and transform that creativity into an infinite spectrum of possibilities for our world – through practice, presentation, research and scholarship. THE BIG IDEA brings all people who share this belief together to create an extraordinary new space. There, together, we will achieve our highest intellectual and creative potentials, while sharing a common focus – to responsibly contribute value to our culture, our economy and our society at all levels.

Our campaign’s three strategic priorities are:

1. Building our physical campus at Great Northern Way
2. Enhancing student access
3. Empowering our culture of research and sociality

See the about section of this website for detailed information on our Campaign Cabinet, our Case for Support and the GNW Campus.

Emily Carr University of Art + Design, established in 1925, is a world leader in education and research. Encouraging experimentation at the intersection of art, design, media and technology, our learning community merges research, critical theory and studio practice in an interdisciplinary environment. Alumni and faculty are internationally recognized as award-winning creators and thought leaders who have enormous impact on both the cultural sector and economy. We engage students, industry, and society to continuously explore and think differently about creativity and how it shapes our world. Emily Carr is building a state-of-the art campus for 21st century learning at Great Northern Way. The University will be at the centre of a new social, cultural, educational, and economic engine for British Columbia. Find out more at ecuad.ca.

Undergraduate degrees facilitate work across mediums and technologies, merge critical theory with studio practice and encourage students to develop new and innovative ways of thinking and creating.

Emily Carr Bachelor Degrees all begin with Foundation year. Foundation provides a quintessential experience in a range of academic and studio classes. Students are introduced to the University community and social considerations of the world beyond its doors. Based on a spirit of critical inquiry, community/ industry/institutional partnership, and interdisciplinary exploration, the program offers a spectrum of art, design, and media courses for first year students to explore their creativity individually and collaboratively.

In second year, students apply to major in one of the following three areas:

Graduate

The Faculty of Graduate Studies offers both a Master of Applied Arts (MAA) and a Master of Design (MDes) professional degree. These prepare students to engage in the expanding fields of design, media and visual arts within the cultural and creative economies. Our graduate degree programs are designed to facilitate interaction between students and faculty in a supportive atmosphere of collaboration that encourages investigation of critical thinking in both traditional approaches and innovative, hybrid forms of production.

The MDes is offered as a two year, full-time, research-oriented, interdisciplinary degree for creative professionals at the forefront of design.

The MAA is delivered through two distinct but interrelated programs: Residency and Low Residency. Residency cohorts progress through the program in 21 months of fulltime study. Low Residency cohorts progress through the equivalent program in 28 months, with equally challenging but more flexible delivery model built around 3 summer intensive residencies in Vancouver and rigorous online curriculum.

Emily Carr also offers a joint Master of Digital Media degree in conjunction with our partner post-secondary institutions: Simon Fraser University, The University of British Columbia, and the British Columbia Institute of Technology, at the Great Northern Way Campus through the Centre for Digital Media.

The Research + Industry Office (RIO)

The Research + Industry Office is focused on expanding research innovation, building industry alliances, and customizing internships for Masters students. The RIO is also designed to help graduate students and faculty identify innovative research projects and global collaborations, strengthen grant submissions, and source research team members. Emily Carr leads the country in contributions to research in studio-based art, design, and media. For additional information about Emily Carr Research, please visit our website, research.ecuad.ca.

The University has a strong focus on the following major research themes:

• Health and Social Wellness through the Emily Carr University Health Design Lab Research Centre
• Social and Interactive Media through the Emily Carr Research Centre of the same name – SIM Centre
• Stereoscopic 3D Technologies through the Emily Carr Research Centre of the same name – S3D Centre
• Research Creation through all Centres and Studios
• Sustainable Design through all Centres and Studios

Intersections Digital Studios (IDS)

Emily Carr’s dedicated research space, is composed of three themed studios:

• Motion Capture and Visualization Studio;
• Wearables and Interactive Products Studio; and
• Prototyping + Media + Programming Studio.

Faculty and graduate students have access to state-of-the-art digital technologies to develop and enhance projects in all disciplines. These technologies were chosen to bridge digital and material practices and promote collaborations between departments. Examples include 3D scanners, a 3D printer, a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine, a stereoscopic projection system and a 20 camera Vicon motion capture system.

Research Centres

Health Design Lab

Health Design Lab is an emergent research centre focused on the intersection of design and health. It is the focal point at the University for a range of applied research projects, teaching and training, and industry outreach involving Health Care.

Health Care has been a consistent research theme at the University for 20 years. The work began with a class of undergraduate students working with clients at GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre, which continues to be a yearly event to this day. Hundreds of solutions have been co-designed with clients over the years, ranging from assistive devices and communication tools, to mobile platforms and wheel chair design.

More recently we have enjoyed a partnership with BC Children’s Hospital which has led to the design of a website and mobile apps, to furniture optimized for the in-patient room. A project to inform and encourage hand washing compliance at Vancouver General Hospital, including the redesign of the hospital entranceway, has just been completed with Vancouver Coastal Health Authority. The work has been supported by companies like Stantec and the IBI group, and successful local firms like Guard RFID.

Social + Interactive Media

The Social + Interactive Media Centre (SIM Centre) supports a wide range of applied social, interactive and design research projects. Funded by a 5-year grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Centre offers BC companies a way to tap the design, creative and technical expertise of Emily Carr faculty and students. The Centre’s research program engages industry as collaborators in uncovering new ways to use social technologies and tackle interactive design challenges.

Current research projects include:

• integrating wearable computing into the design of exercise clothes
• using RFID tags to improve the traffic flow in a hospital emergency room
• developing new forms of interactivity with 3D imaging
• creating immersive exhibition spaces
• assessing the creative potential of social media content creation

Stereoscopic 3D (S3D) Centre  

The mission of the S3D Centre at Emily Car University of Art + Design is to advance the art of Stereoscopic 3D and Advanced Imaging topics.

S3D Centre applied research programs and training activities focus on the creative applications made possible by experimenting with S3D and Advanced Imaging (4K, Virtual Reality, High Frame Rate) production technologies and methods. With the support of partners and students, S3D Centre aims to teach, train and discover the aesthetic possibilities of these areas and become world leaders in creative technology exploration.

Continuing Studies at Emily Carr University is dedicated to providing opportunities for flexible, lifelong learning in art, design and media. Continuing Studies offers a broad range of pre-university, introductory and advanced certificates, individual courses and intensive workshops in a variety of formats - over 150 courses are run each year in art, design and media including many for teens. Areas of study include:

Class sizes are intimate and the University community of professional instructors have active practices in their respective fields.

Emily Carr’s Faculty of Continuing Studies offers creative training to companies and non-profit organizations as well as innovative education programs with schools, municipalities and partners locally, provincially, and internationally.