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

Graduate

NSCAD University offers three graduate studies programs–the Master of Arts in Art Education (MAAE), Master of Design (MDes) and the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) that are built with an engaging and hands-on approach to art-making, providing students with the proficiency and knowledge necessary to take their place in the creative economy.

These graduate studies are ideal for those individuals who have gained sufficient experience in their own area of interest to make concentrated post-graduate study a useful choice. In some cases, the graduate programs provide, through teaching assistantships, direct contact between graduate and undergraduate students.

2021 Student Art Award winner Hossein Khodabakhsh, Amirabad

Master of Arts in Art Education

The Master of Arts in Art Education is a relatively new graduate program at NSCAD, having accepted its first cohort in September 2019. NSCAD is the only place east of Quebec where museum and curatorial studies are explored at the graduate level. The program offers rigorous research training and hands-on experience to prepare students for careers in a variety of art education settings. Within the program, students choose from three different streams: Applied Pedagogy in Art Education, Museum and Curatorial, or Community-Based Practice.

Master of Design (MDes)

The Master of Design is a 60-credit program like no other. Over the course of study, students take both prescribed studio and liberal arts and sciences courses, culminating in a graduate thesis or degree project. NSCAD offers the only MDes program that allows students both studio and theory courses so that they don’t have to choose between the two. The emphasis of the program is on practice-led research where students will present their research through their design work, accompanied by an extended written paper; by a public presentation, and, as appropriate, in a group exhibition.

Master of Design (MDes)

The Master of Design is a 60-credit program like no other. Over the course of study, students take both prescribed studio and liberal arts and sciences courses, culminating in a graduate thesis or degree project. NSCAD offers the only MDes program that allows students both studio and theory courses so that they don’t have to choose between the two. The emphasis of the program is on practice-led research where students will present their research through their design work, accompanied by an extended written paper; by a public presentation, and, as appropriate, in a group exhibition.

2021 Student Art Award finalist Luke Fair, Extraction and Displacement

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

The Master of Fine Arts degree is internationally recognized as a standard qualification required for teaching craft and visual arts at post-secondary educational institutions such as colleges and universities. The NSCAD MFA program provides students with the opportunity to develop their work in a context of intense critical discussion. Pedagogy, research/creation and other integral academic courses enhance the studio focus. Students are selected for their capability as artists and craftspersons, their critical abilities, and the personal qualities and interests that might contribute to their success as teachers and scholars.