The following programs are particularly beneficial in preparing students for application and admission to undergraduate degree programs in the visual arts.
Saturday Children’s Art Classes and Teen Art Studios for grades 1-12 are offered on Saturdays during the fall and winter semesters. These programs familiarize students with skills and understanding that are essential in the visual arts.
Offered for students in grades 10-12 during the Provincial school break, March Break Workshops are one-day studio workshops that introduce NSCAD facilities and the variety of visual arts learning opportunities offered by the university. Information packages regarding these workshops are sent to high schools in early February.
NSCAD University offers a Summer Pre-University Credit Study program for selected high school students who are interested in completing a challenging university-level visual arts studio course prior to high school graduation. Students with an interest in the visual arts and who are entering the final year of high school the following Fall are eligible to apply. Admitted students may register in one Foundation-level studio course offered during the summer semester. Admission to the program is limited. Application requirements and a downloadable application form are posted on the NSCAD website at nscad.ca. Completed applications must be received by April 15.
Taught by a NSCAD faculty member, this seven-week course will focus on ways to improve the overall quality of the student’s portfolio required for application to first-year credit visual arts study. Topics are based on NSCAD requirements and include critiquing and selecting works, producing images of work and writing an essay. Drawing exercises will include one model session. Exercises provide understanding of essential problem-solving and observational drawing skills. Personal critiques of work, recommendations for additional work and a tour of NSCAD will be provided.
Prospective students are encouraged to visit the campus and meet with an admissions representative. Visits may be arranged on an individual basis through the Office of Student and Academic Services or one may attend one of our Portfolio Days.
The university hosts information sessions and portfolio previews for Foundation applicants and other interested individuals such as parents, guardians, and teachers. These sessions are held twice yearly on the third Saturday of February and October (however the event will be held on the 4th Saturday in October 2010). Individuals are welcome to tour the facilities, discuss visual submissions with members of the Admissions Committee and explore program offerings with faculty and students. For further details individuals should contact the Office of Student and Academic Services, (902) 494-8129 or nscad.ca. Online registration for each event will begin aproximately 6 weeks in advance of the Portfolio Day date.
The upcoming Portfolio Day events will be:
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Saturday, February 16, 2011
NSCAD is a member of the National Portfolio Day Association (NPDA) which was created in 1978, solely for the organization and planning of National Portfolio Days. The Association consists of representatives from regionally accredited colleges and universities, which are members of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. The NPDA is the only organization of its kind, and its membership represents the highest standard of visual arts education available in the US and Canada.
All Portfolio Day events are free, open to the public and do not require pre-registration.
Upcoming NPDA visits will be posted once confirmed.
The Embassy of Canada in Washington DC will be hosting university fairs for guidance counsellors and for prospective students and their parents in select locations throughout the United States in the fall. The schedule of fairs coincides with other significant recruitment events in the region. The schedule below lists both types of events at which NSCAD representatives will be available to meet with you. Specific times and locations have not been finalized at time of printing, for further details and to be invited to specific events, email the Director of Admissions and Enrolment Services at nscad.ca.