Visual College of Art and Design
Visual College of Art and Design
The Visual College of Art and Design is also known under the abbreviation of VCAD. It was established in 2009 by the Emanate Group that owns another two colleges in the province of British Columbia, which makes this career college a private educational institution. It has two campuses: one in the city of Vancouver and another in Calgary, in the province of Alberta. Both campuses are designed in such a way to boost students’ creativity, as all the academic programs of the college are oriented towards design and the arts for different fields and industries.
These spheres are directly connected with most modern technology and the need to keep up with it. That’s why all the labs of the Visual College of Art are equipped with state-of-the-art computers with the most advanced software and applications available for all students. By the end of their studies at the Visual College of Art and Design, local and international students need to compile a portfolio of personal works that will be exhibited for potential employees at a special event organized for students to find employment right after their graduation.
Programs
The Visual College offers students the choice among one of the following programs: Fashion Design with the specialization in Marketing; Game Development and Design; Architecture Design and Technology; 3D Modelling Animation Art and Design; Interior Design; Visual Effects Art and Design; and Graphic Design. For example, the program of 3D Modelling Animation Art and Design at the Visual College of Design lasts for seventy-two weeks so that graduates can work on game development, 3D graphics and post-production companies, and as software producers. Graduates will have the skills for developing storyboards, animation of characters, creating digital visual effects, and drawing characters and their environments for all kinds of 3D animation. After their graduation from the program of 3D Modelling Animation and Design, international students can advance their study of the field and earn a Bachelor of Media Arts degree in 3D Computer Animation at the Emily Carr University of Art and Design. Overall, students will gain 120 credits by studying some of the following courses: Preproduction for 3D Animation; Lighting and Rendering; 3D Character Creation; 3D Layout and Cinematography and a number of others. Actually, the Emily Carr University of Art and Design is the only educational institution in the province of British Columbia to offer the program leading to a Bachelor of Media Arts with a specialization in 3D, and the college is located in the city of Vancouver as well.
Another peculiar program of the Visual College of Art and Design is Architecture Design and Technology and it lasts for seventy-two weeks as well. Graduation from it can give international students the opportunity to work in construction and architectural companies, interior design and quantity surveying firms. At the Visual College of Art and Design, students will learn how to use Photoshop and dive into the following disciplines: Digital Drafting on several levels; Drawing; History of Architecture; Digital Modelling and Rendering; Codes and Regulations; Project Management; and Contract Administration among all the rest.
After completing the program in Architecture Design and Technology, international students can go for a degree at the Carleton University in the province of Ontario, in the city of Ottawa. It is made up of six faculties that offer 65 degree programs, one of which leads to a Bachelor of Architectural Studies degree. Besides the fact that the program is unique by itself, the Carleton University offers students the opportunity to choose from three majors: Design, Urbanism, and Conservation and Sustainability. That’s why you may choose the field you’re most interested in. By the way, as a part of the application process to the university, local and international students need to submit a portfolio of their works, and, as was already mentioned, every student should have a ready portfolio by the end of their studies at the Visual College of Art and Design.
The Visual Effects Art and Design program at the Visual College of Art involves studying Life Drawing; 2D Animation; History of Visual Effects; Animation on several stages; Technical Artistry; Advanced Composting; and Dynamic Effects on several levels as well.
Another program offered at the Visual College of Art and Design is called Graphic Design and it lasts for sixty weeks overall. After completing the program, students will be ready to work as illustrators, artists, graphic artists, page designers, and medical and scientific illustrators. During the course of their studies at the Visual College of Art and Design, international students will acquire the skills for creating websites and multi-page layouts, managing projects within strict deadlines, and optimizing typography’s readability. Students at the Visual College of Art and Design develop all of the soft and hard skills needed to work immediately after graduation, but if you want to further your studies in graphic design and have even more sophisticated skills, you can continue your education at the Kwantlen Polytechnic University for the Bachelor of Design in Graphic Design for Marketing. This highly specialized academic program can be taken in the full-time mode, but some courses are available on a part-time basis. The Kwantlen Polytechnic University is located in the province of British Columbia as well and has campuses in Whalley, Langley, Surrey and other two cities of the province.
One of the advantages of the Visual College of Art is that it’s possible to transfer your credits towards the Bachelor of Interior Design, Bachelor of Creative Arts, or Bachelor of Business Administration degree at Yorkville University, thus making the period of education shorter. Similar pathway program is made for the transfer to the Emily Carr University of Art and Design.
Accommodation
There is no special building that would serve as housing for the students of the Visual College of Art and Design. Instead, a student services department operates to assist international students with various inquiries and with support in the job search, problems with visas and documents, and even the ones pertinent to housing arrangements. They will help you find a roommate and choose the right flat or room in a building for shared accommodation.
If you’re going to study at the Vancouver campus of the Visual College, you may become a part of the GEC community. It is one of the largest accommodation providers for students studying in Vancouver, and its buildings are very close to the city's colleges and universities, with the majority of them located downtown. There are rooms of different sizes and features, but all of them are fully furnished. Some are designed for private living with a washing room and a kitchen inside; some have places for two students; and the residents of some rooms share a bathroom and a kitchen located on the floor.
One of the main peculiarities of studying in Canada is that international students can take part in a homestay program. It means that students of the Visual College of Art and Design live as a part of a Canadian family, sharing house utilities, having meals, and speaking English with the family members to hone their speaking skills. Most homestay agencies try to match students with families based on their interests and mentality so that international students do not have problems while living with a host family.
Homestay in the province of British Columbia costs around CAD 1,200 per month, but the fee for the agency's services needs to be paid on top of that. Homestay in the province of Calgary will cost less, around CAD 970 per month, including meals.
Of course, the option available to all students at the Visual College of Art and Design is renting an apartment. An unfurnished one-bedroom in Vancouver will cost around CAD 2,800 for a month, and a one-bedroom in the city of Calgary is somewhere around CAD 1,600.
Future Prospects
After finishing your studies at the Visual College of Art and Design, international students can go study at the universities of the province of British Columbia or anywhere in Canada. Moreover, you can go to any other country with a diploma or a certificate earned at the Visual College of Art and Design and easily find a job or continue your education on a higher level.
If an international student completes a full-time program at the Visual College of Art and Design and meets a number of criteria, they can obtain a post-graduation work permit to gain work experience for three years. Later on, former international graduates can even get permanent resident status and become citizens of the country if they wish to stay in Canada for a long time and use all the privileges of Canadian citizens. Such a wonderful journey can start at the Visual College of Art and Design.
In case, if you need help with Custodianship and Homestay in order to study in Canada, please fill in application below or contact us directly.
