Canada · Fall 2027
Emily Carr Foundation Year writing assignment
Emily Carr's first-year portfolio has four equally weighted components: creative work, process documentation, a studio assignment, and writing about that assignment. The writing asks why the applicant made the work, what inspired and challenged them, how they adjusted, and what they learned, followed by a short answer about their chosen ECU program.
Writing format
About 250 words reflecting on a studio assignment, plus a 75-word program answer
Academic integrity
ECU requires applicants' own work and says portfolio items wholly or substantially created with generative AI are unacceptable. Keep the studio assignment and writing faithful to your own process.
What to prepare
- 1Choose one of ECU's live studio assignments, then explain a decision you made while creating it rather than narrating every step.
- 2Describe a real challenge and a change you made in response, supported by the process documentation in your portfolio.
- 3Use the 75-word answer to name your intended ECU program and a reason tied to its work, keeping it distinct from the assignment reflection.
How to approach the writing
- Draft the reflection after completing the studio assignment so the roughly 250 words can answer all five published questions with evidence.
- Enter both writing pieces in the ECU Admissions Portal's separate screen; the portfolio itself goes there after the EducationPlannerBC application.
Before you submit
For Fall 2027, ECU lists January 15 for the EducationPlannerBC application and transcripts, then January 31 for the portfolio. Check the current studio-assignment choices and portal checklist for your admission path.
Read Emily Carr first-year portfolio and writing requirements ↗Read Emily Carr Fall 2027 application and portfolio deadlines ↗Official source checked 2026-09-25.