Fine Arts Diploma

Why Choose North Island College?

• A great education, an affordable price. NIC also has some of the lowest tuitions and lab fees in the province. Students are provided with a substantial amount of materials and are encouraged to try techniques and styles that they might normally not be able to afford.
• Let NIC inspire you. The program develops critical thinking, creativity, problem solving skills, experimentation and encourages individuality. NIC’s unique setting and well-equipped studios provide you with the resources and foundation for a successful art practice.
• Community presence. The staff and students of NIC consistently exhibit their work and play a major role in the Comox Valley’s lively arts community. At NIC, you’ll create a portfolio of work and accumulate experiences to help you secure a place in the field of Fine Arts.
• Unique places, inspiring spaces. As a fine arts student, you will enjoy access to the Shadbolt studio, a modern, 7,520 sq ft building which contains separate ceramics, painting and sculpture studios. You will also have access to one of only four Tozan Anagama kilns in the world, and NIC is one of the only colleges in Canada to provide a large-format parallel screen printing press for student learning.
• Want to go further? Students can complete their Bachelor of Fine Art degree without leaving the Comox Valley campus. In partnership with Emily Carr University of Art + Design (ECU), B.C.’s premier art institution, students can apply directly to the university, after completion of the NIC diploma, usually without the submission of a portfolio. Courses are taken from ECU instructors at the NIC campus in the Comox Valley and, upon completion, graduates receive a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, the same credential they would receive if they were studying in Vancouver.

Program Highlights

NIC’s fine arts program provides the key to opening doors to a world of creative possibility. Students develop problem solving skills and an ability to think critically. NIC’s well-equipped studios and unique setting provide students with the resources, both physical and human, to inspire the imagination, and they are encouraged to experiment and express themselves individually.

NIC’s fine arts department provides one of the best facilities in BC. The studios are well-equipped with up-to-date equipment and technology, and many of the instructors maintain national and international practices. Trees, mountains, and beautiful natural settings surround the Comox Valley campus, and outdoor activities such as skiing and hiking are easily accessible.

Beginning with fundamentals, students build a comprehensive knowledge of materials, creative processes, and theory, as well as the hands-on techniques and skills necessary for artistic expression. Students learn about art history and explore the evolution of visual culture.

Students then begin to diversify their talents and explore a variety of mediums. From intaglio printmaking to digital photography and from sculpture to painting, fine arts students are motivated to experiment, explore, and discover new methods of personal expression. Because of the broad nature of the coursework, the fine arts program is intense and requires focused effort and commitment. Students are challenged to see the world around them from different perspectives and are invited to interpret those experiences originally and creatively.

Career Opportunities

Graduates can apply their skills in a wide range of employment opportunities. Depending on your interests, you may want to look at opportunities in painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking or ceramics, curating, gallery curating, art education, architecture or industrial design, graphic design, animation, web design, fashion design, interior design or illustration, theatre, set design, video or film. 

Portfolio of Works Guidelines

Portfolios should be submitted the last week in March for a review that takes up to two weeks. Depending on the number of applicants, a second review may take place in May. Portfolios for this review will be accepted during the last week of May.  Letters of expectation should be included with the Portfolio submission. Portfolios can be dropped off directly to Student Services at the Comox Valley campus.

The Portfolio of Works is your opportunity to present yourself visually. For a strong presentation, prepare and submit a portfolio of your works based on the following guidelines:

1. Maximum size for submission of original, two-dimensional work is 22" x 30". All works including slides and photographs of larger and three-dimensional works must be clearly identified with name, date, title, size and media.
2. The portfolio should contain a representative selection of your developments of up to 20 original completed works or works in progress. Original work excludes copies or works created by others; however, it may include variations derived from others. Sources must be credited.
3. Submissions can include working studies or completed examples of your work. Two-dimensional works may include drawings, paintings, prints, photographs, mixed media and design projects, including computer-generated designs. Three-dimensional works may include clay, fibre, wood, metals, etc. Media presentations can be audio/video/computer generated.
4. Include examples of works in progress including research or technical explorations to illustrate your personal interests and directions. The committee is looking for self-initiated works, as well as examples assigned to you as projects.
5. Present your work in a neat and organized fashion. Do not submit works that are matted or framed. Sample storyboards are acceptable.
6. Arrange your portfolio to best illustrate your developments, i.e., over a sequence of time, by media, by idea, etc. Variety is expected in these areas.
7. Package and label your portfolio appropriately. Remember to include return postage if necessary.
8. Anything sent in digitally should be on CD and in either JPEG or PowerPoint format. Written material should be sent as a PDF.

What the Portfolio committee is looking for are demonstrated abilities within a variety of areas, an open, exploratory attitude, energy and a commitment that is consistent with the intense nature of this two-year program. Be prepared at your interview to explain why you have decided to pursue studies in the arts (your goals), how, when, and where you plan to attain these goals. Be prepared, in your Statement of Expectations, to explain why you have decided to pursue studies in the arts (your goals), how, when, and where you plan to attain these goals.

Statement of Expectations

The 300-word statement of expectations is intended mainly to give the Portfolio committee an indication of the level of the applicant's communication skills. It will also give the committee an indication of what the student thinks the program will do for them. It should be understood that these expectations are not used to determine the candidate's suitability for the program. The emphasis is on communication skills. It also acts as an introduction to the student and lets the committee get a sense of who they are.

Admission Requirements

1. Provincial English 12 with a C+ or better, or NIC upgrading ENG 060 or ENG 098, or equivalent, or English placement testing
2. Portfolio of Works (portfolio presentation details are available at each campus or centre)
3. Statement of Expectations (approximately three-hundred words) 
4. Fine Arts Declaration form.

There are three ways of gaining admission to the Fine Arts program:

• As a full-time student: This requires the submission of a Portfolio of Works. A student should complete the program within two years of acceptance.
• As a part-time student: This also requires the submission of a Portfolio of Works. A student must complete the program within four years of acceptance.
• As a non-program student: On the NIC Application for Admission form, students should choose University Studies as their program name. Entering as a non-program student does NOT require the submission of a Portfolio of Works, but students will only be admitted to individual courses after program students have enrolled and if there are spaces remaining. In the meantime, non-program students will be wait listed and will be registered on a first-come, first-served basis. If a non-program student wishes to join the program full- or part-time at a later date, they will then be required to submit a Portfolio of Works. All prerequisites and co-requisites are still required.

To Be Successful

Fine arts and design students at North Island College are dedicated as well as creative. Course work is intense and requires focused effort and commitment. Students attending full time are in class for twenty-two hours per week with homework and extra studio time requiring almost that amount of time again. Students are challenged to see the world around them from different perspectives and are invited to interpret those experiences originally and creatively. The program wants students to do much more than simply complete assignments. There is an expectation that students will push the limits and bring more to their assignments than is being asked of them.

Program Requirements

Year 1

• FIN-100 Introduction to Art History and Visual Culture I
• FIN-101 Introduction to Art History and Visual Culture II 
• FIN-110 Drawing & 2-Dimensional Language I
• FIN-111 Drawing & 2-Dimensional Language II
• FIN-120 Colour & Perception
• FIN-121 Colour Applications
• FIN-130 3-Dimensional Materials & Form
• FIN-140 Creative Processes

Note: FIN-110 is a prerequisite or co-requisite for all 100- and 200-level Fine Arts courses except FIN-100 and 101.

plus two courses from the following list:

• FIN-115 Introduction to Printmaking
• FIN-131 Introduction to 3-Dimensional Design
• FIN-135 Introduction to Ceramics
• FIN-145 Introduction to Photography

Year 2

All students will be required to take:

• FIN-210 Drawing & 2-Dimensional Language III
• FIN-211 Drawing & 2-Dimensional Language IV
• PHI-240 Philosophy of Art
• FIN-250 Modern Art History

plus select two courses from:

• FIN-200 Digital Visual Arts I
• FIN-215 Intaglio Printmaking
• FIN-220 Painting Applications I
• FIN-230 Sculpture I
• FIN-235 3-Dimensional Applications (Ceramics I)
• FIN-245 Photography II

plus two of the following courses:

• FIN-201 Digital Visual Arts II
• FIN-217 Serigraph Printmaking
• FIN-221 Painting Applications II
• FIN-231 Sculpture II
• FIN-236 3-Dimensional Applications (Ceramics II)
• FIN-247 Introduction to Digital Photography

plus two English courses from the following:

• ENG-107 Introduction to Creative Writing: Fiction & Non-Fiction
• ENG-108 Introduction to Creative Writing: Poetry & Drama
• ENG-115 Essay Writing and Critical Analysis
• ENG-120 Introduction to Literature: Short Stories and the Novel
• ENG-121 Introduction to Literature: Poetry and Drama
• ENG-125 Composition & Indigenous Literature I
• ENG-126 Composition & Indigenous Literature II

Download a printable graduation checklist below:

• Fine Arts Diploma Graduation Checklist (for start dates from September 2009 to present)
• Fine Arts Diploma Graduation Checklist (for start dates before May 2009)