Application to the university requires the following submissions:
An application form must be legibly filled out completely on both sides, signed and dated. Please ensure that you include your preferred email address, as we will use this address to communicate with you regarding your application and review process. Illegible applications may result in delayed communication and review.
Download an Undergraduate Application Form (PDF)
Applicants are asked to state in a brief essay of one typed page their reasons for wanting to attend NSCAD University. Applicants should discuss the experiences they bring to the university or the reasons that have led them to apply. They may also discuss the skills and information that they hope to gain, and explain their ideas of what an education from NSCAD can offer and to what this education might lead.
An academic record of current and previous studies is required from all candidates for admission. Students who are currently enrolled in programs should assure that either the transcript indicates courses “in progress”, or that they include with their application a copy of their current course enrolment. Mature applicants should provide an academic record or GED results if they are reasonably available.
All transcripts must be official. To be official, a transcript should be received directly from the issuing institution. You can include a transcript with your application if it arrives at the Office of Admissions in an envelope that was sealed by the institution. Opened transcripts, photocopies, and faxes are not considered official and will delay your review process. Transcripts may be faxed by an institution to meet the deadline; however, the original copies must follow by mail.
High School Applicants
Applicants currently completing high school must submit a record of all studies from at least Grade 10 onward. These transcripts should include at least mid-term or first semester grades for the graduating year.
All high school applicants must have completed Grade 12 (or the highest grade level required for secondary graduation) with an average of 70% or higher, including a minimum grade of 70% in Grade 12 English for university preparation. Advanced Placement(AP) courses with a grade of 4 or higher are eligible for transfer credit.
An International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma with a minimum grade of 24 is acceptable for entry to NSCAD. Higher Level courses with a grade of 5 or higher are eligible for transfer credit.
Quebec College d'Enseignement General et Professionnel (CEGEP) applicants must have completed at least one full year of a Diplome d'etudes collegiales (DEC) with an overall average of 70% or higher. CEGEP students who have completed a two-year Diplome d'etudes collegiales (DEC) will be considered for up to one full year of transfer credit. Quebec Grade 12 applicants must have an overall average of 70% or higher including a minimum grade of 70% in Grade 12 English. CEGEP students who have not had English courses at CEGEP must have received a grade of 70% or higher in their final year of high school English.
For those individuals studying toward the General Certificate of Education or the General Certificate of Secondary Education (e.g. in the United Kingdom, West Indies, Bermuda, East and West Africa, Hong Kong), the university requires a minimum of two subjects at the Advanced 'A' Level and three subjects at the Ordinary 'O' Level, with an overall average of "C" and no subject below a "D" grade. Two Advanced Standard (AS) Level courses may be used in place of one Advanced Level course.
Post-Secondary Applicants
Applicants who have completed previous post-secondary studies must submit all records of these studies. Applicants currently completing course work should submit transcripts covering all periods of study up to the last completed period. If an applicant is enrolled in course work, but no other final results are available, s/he may submit interim transcripts that include either mid-term
results or a listing of the courses in which s/he is enrolled.
Applicants who have been dismissed from NSCAD or another post-secondary institution for academic reasons will not be eligible for admission to NSCAD for a minimum period of 12 months from the date of their Academic Dismissal.
International Applicants
International applicants must have completed high school graduation requirements equivalent to those required for Canadian applicants. Applicants whose language of instruction either in high school or at the post-secondary level is not in English must submit a test of English as a second language. International applicants for whom English is a second language must submit evidence of their ability to carry on studies in English.
Letters of recommendation are strongly recommended for Foundation Applicants, but NOT required. They are required for:
· applicants who have been out of school for more than three years.
· mature applicants (as defined under Application Categories)
Visual submissions are required for all applicants. The requirements and guidelines for portfolio submissions are detailed here.
A non-refundable application fee of $70.00 is required and must accompany the application. The application fee may be paid by personal cheque or money order made payable to NSCAD University. You may also include your credit card number and expiry date (Visa or MasterCard) as part of your application package. You may also phone the Office of Admissions at (902) 494-8129 or our Business office at (902) 494-8219 and they will process your payment over the phone. Do not submit cash.
The application deadline should be understood as final deadline by which complete applications must be received. All materials for an application - admissions form, admissions statement, transcripts (final or interim, whichever is available), and visual submissions - must be received by that date. Only complete applications will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee. Incomplete submissions will delay review.
Applicants are strongly urged to apply early. Reviews are conducted on a first received, first reviewed basis.
Because of the often large number of applications submitted, each application is dated when complete and logged for consideration in chronological order. With this in mind, applicants are advised to complete their applications well in advance of the final deadline. With a limited number of spaces and a large number of applicants, all available spaces for a particular semester may be allotted before the later applicants are considered. Nevertheless, all complete applications received by the deadline will be reviewed, and, if accepted and space is not available for the entry time applied for, will be offered admission to a later entry time.
Applications that are not completed by the deadline will be held for completion and inclusion with those submitted for the next entry time, or may be reviewed as a late application. Late applications are considered on a case by case basis, however not late applications will be reviewed for September entry after June 1. Applicants with incomplete files, or submitting materials too late for the review will be so notified by the university.
Application form, admissions essay, and copies of transcripts should be clearly designated and separated from the visual submissions.
All documentation submitted for an application, with the exception of the portfolio submission, becomes property of NSCAD University. Under no circumstances can official transcripts or letters of recommendation be returned to an applicant after submitted for consideration.