Emily Carr University of Art and Design offers Fine Arts: Master's Degree (MFA), a master's degree in Arts, Design & Architecture programme in Vancouver, Canada. The programme runs for 2 years, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition for international students is CAD 30,923 per year (CAD 22,151 per year for local students).
Emily Carr University's Master of Fine Arts is a two-year graduate degree centred on interdisciplinary, studio-based fine arts and media arts practice, engaging students in material processes, contemporary art production, critique-based practice, and critical and theoretical inquiry. The university offers the degree in three formats: a full-residency program with all coursework in person on campus and year-round access to studios and facilities over five terms; a low-residency format combining online and synchronous coursework in the fall and spring with an on-campus summer residency of up to a month, over six terms; and a low-residency Critical Ecological Practices format that follows the same structure while focusing specifically on ecological and environmental issues. In every format, students develop a thesis project that combines written and studio components under a faculty supervisor's guidance. The full-residency format suits artists who want an immersive, on-campus studio experience, while the low-residency formats suit artists who want to remain part of a professional creative community while working and living outside Vancouver.
Requirements
Minimum GPA:3.00 / 4.0
Admission Requirements: The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) programme page directs applicants to ECU's graduate admission requirements, shared with the Master of Design. Applicants must hold a recognized Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution — Bachelor of Design, Fine Arts, Media Arts, Architecture, Visual Arts or another design/art-related degree — with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (B); a three-year degree is accepted if equivalent to a four-year Canadian degree, and applicants in their final undergraduate year may apply. Applicants without a qualifying degree in any field may still apply under ECU's flexible admission criterion on demonstrated experience. Applicants whose first language is not English must submit an English Proficiency test score unless exempted by prior study in English: IELTS Academic overall 7.0 (minimum 6.5 per component), TOEFL iBT overall 90 (minimum 20 in listening; 22 in each of speaking, reading and writing), or PTE Academic 66. The Master of Fine Arts portfolio includes ten examples of studio work, prior academic transcripts and a written reflection; applicants may be asked to interview after the application deadline. ECU offers one fall (September) intake for all graduate programmes, and admission is highly competitive.
Application Details
Start Date:September
Application Deadline:For the Fall 2027 intake, applications open 1 October 2026 and close 25 January 2027; interviews run February-March 2027, admission decisions are released by 30 April 2027, and a deposit is due within two weeks of the offer letter. Same deadline applies to domestic and international applicants.
