Emily Carr is one of the oldest post-secondary institutions in British Columbia and the only one that is dedicated to professional education and learning in the arts, media, and design. Formerly known as the VancouverSchool of Art, it was established in 1925 as the Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Arts. In 1978, ECU was designated a provincial institute before moving to Granville Island in 1980. A second building on Granville Island was opened in 1995. In 1995, ECU was granted authority to offer bachelor's degrees: BFA and BDes and honorary degrees: honorary Doctor of Letters, honorary Doctor of Laws and honorary Doctor of Technology. In 1997, ECU was granted authority to offer Bachelor of Media Arts degrees. In 2006, ECI launched a Master of Applied Arts, and opened the Intersections Digital Studio. In 2007, the Great Northern Way consortium made up of Emily Carr, UBC, SFU and BCIT launched the Master of Digital Media program at the Great Northern Way Campus. Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design's arms, supporters, flag, and badge were registered with the Canadian Heraldic Authority on April 20, 2007. On April 28th, 2008, the Provincial Government announced that it would amend the University Act at the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia and recognize Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design as a full university, which would be named Emily Carr University of Art and Design. The university began its operation under the new name on September 1, 2008. On September 5th 2017, the university moved from its home on Granville Island to a new campus at 520 East 1st Avenue, near Great Northern Way between Main and Clark streets. The purpose-built building was a former industrial site of Finning International, and is in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood of East Vancouver.
Programs
Emily Carr specializes in sustainable design, photography, new media, visual arts, media, interactive media, animation, industrial design, product design, ceramics, sculpture, communication design, Illustration and fine arts. Degree programs include:
In November 2009, Emily Carr University teamed up with Lucasfilm spinoff, Kerner Studios, to announce the establishment of a stereoscopic 3-D research studio. In 2014, two Canada Research Chairs joined Emily Carr, making it the first art and design institution in the country with Canada Research Chairs. In 2015, a third Canada Research Chair joined the university.
Residence
The university does not directly operate a residence, although student residence is available at the Centre for Digital Media in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood. The school is located near a large residential area offering off-campus housing options and has established a student housing website to assist students in finding accommodation.
