NSCAD University
NSCAD University provides a studio-based model of art education, allowing students to learn in an environment that is immersive, intellectually rigorous, hands-on and supportive. Students are encouraged to extend their learning through internships, practicums and exchange programs with 50 participating institutions in 15 countries. “NSCAD has an international reputation as a place made by artists and designers for artists and designers. Our 24/7 studio access is unique in Canada, and it means you can do your work on your own timetable,” says academic dean Jacqueline Warwick. “From day one, you are a peer and a maker and, since we’re small, you will get to know everyone, no matter what discipline you choose. And Halifax offers that same accessibility. Our students immediately immerse themselves in the creative life of the city, helping to make Halifax an exciting cultural centre that punches well above its weight.”
Undergrads can choose from several disciplines: fine arts, including drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture; media arts, including film, expanded media and photography; craft, including textiles, fashion, ceramics and jewellery design; interdisciplinary design; and art history. There are also master’s programs in art education, design and fine arts. Located in downtown Halifax, NSCAD has three campuses. The Fountain campus, an interconnected row of 19 former shops and warehouses, is the site for printmaking, painting, fashion and more. The Academy campus, at the foot of Citadel Hill, houses the media arts programs, while the Port campus houses the university’s foundation division—the starting point for all first-year students—and industrial spaces for woodworking, sculpture, plastics and the foundry. The Anna Leonowens Gallery, named for NSCAD’s founder, exhibits the work of students and visiting artists, while Art Bar + Projects is a popular hangout and performance art space.
Campus buzz: NSCAD Dances, a decades-long tradition that in the past hosted bands like Sloan and Sonic Youth, is back after a multi-year COVID hiatus.
Quick facts
Tuition (includes compulsory ancillary fees)
$9,865 ($11,340 out-of-province students)
Minimum Entering Grade
Arts: 70%, plus portfolio
Student Body
Undergraduates: Full-time: 620 | Part-time: 106
Graduates: Full-time: 53 | Part-time: 1
Housing Facts
Residence Spaces: 25 (reserved for first-year students)
Cost of apartment-style: $15,000 to $18,600
Standout programs
Art History: Students can take studio courses, as well as literature, film history, art education and Indigenous studies.
Interdisciplinary Design: Students develop skills in digital visualization, photography, drawing and production processes.
Ceramics: Students explore the media and practices of vessel, sculptural and architectural ceramics.
