All NSCAD campuses closed at noon, February 24, 2024 due to freezing rain. All campuses will reopen at 9 a.m. on February 25.

First Year Students

NSCAD’s undergraduate programs involve four years of study, leading to professional degrees and a foundation of skills and knowledge in a specific field. Undergraduate students learn to solve problems, communicate visually with a variety of tools and techniques, and think critically in an environment that encourages individual expression.

All programs start with a foundation year that fosters broad exploration of media and concepts. A second year of interdisciplinary studies encourages students to delve more deeply into specific disciplines at the introductory level. By third year, students can declare a major and proceed to advanced level classes in their field or fields of study, though they can also choose to remain on an interdisciplinary path.

Third and fourth-year students pursue individualized research in their studio and academic projects. Senior students can also participate in an off-campus study program—NSCAD offers exchanges at art schools in 15 other countries, like Korea, Scotland and Mexico, to name a few. At the end of their studies, some students stay on to complete a second major or degree, a process that usually takes another year and a half.

ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

– 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 Diplôme d’études collégiales (DEC) with an overall average of 70% or higher. CEGEP students who have completed a two-year Diplôme d’études collégiales (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 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.

FOUNDATION STUDIES

Your first year at NSCAD begins with the foundation year. This experience builds a broad base of knowledge in the visual arts. A prerequisite for further study, Foundation introduces critical thinking, the development of a visual vocabulary, and key concepts and practices in art, craft and design. After exploring a wide range of ideas, approaches, processes and materials, you will be well-equipped to start making choices about where to focus your creative abilities and academic energies in the following years at NSCAD.

More information on Foundation Year can be found here.

DEADLINES

Fall (September) entry deadline

March 1

Winter (January) entry deadline

October 1