OCAD University’s School of Continuing Studies (SCS) is making art and design education more accessible beyond the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) thanks to a new partnership with Memorial University of Newfoundland.
Through Memorial’s Continuous, Adult and Lifelong Learning program, the SCS is offering online courses for professional development, artistic exploration and industry training.
“Working with OCAD U allows Memorial learners to benefit from the wide-ranging expertise and programming of OCAD U instructors and brings art and design continuing education offerings to rural and remote communities across the province,” says Dr. Ailsa Craig, special advisor to Memorial’s president.
“We have a thriving creative economy in Newfoundland and Labrador, and it makes sense to support that through a partnership that expands professional and creative learning opportunities,” adds Dr. Craig, who says the partnership builds on the “creative spark” in the Atlantic province.
Flexible and impactful education
The Memorial collaboration is the seventh in a growing number of SCS partnerships across North America. Other partnering institutions include the Dundas Valley School of Art, University of Northern British Columbia, University of Victoria, McMaster University, Directors Guild of Canada and California Institute of the Arts.
Each institution selects the SCS online courses that best meet its needs, with some opting for a broad range of offerings and others focusing on specific programs. These partnerships make lifelong art and design education more accessible across Canada and beyond.
The SCS offers skill-based, stackable programs in an asynchronous format, allowing learners to study at their own pace from anywhere in the world. Smaller class sizes enable students to work closely with instructors and peers in a supportive and creative environment.
Popular online courses include Adobe Creative Cloud software, studio courses such as Children’s Book Illustration Studio, and Basic Design Principles, as well as business skills courses such as Social Media Marketing for Creative Professionals.
“OCAD U has so much to offer Canada’s thriving creative industries and our online course partnerships allow us to reach communities beyond the GTA and support creative learners in getting access to specialized and innovative learning environments that might not otherwise be available,” explains SCS Manager Lindsay Maynard.
These partnerships build on OCAD U’s ongoing mission to emerge as a vibrant hub, establishing a community of bold, curious and compassionate artists, designers and scholars who are imagining and creating a joyful, equitable and sustainable world.
Learn more about the School of Continuing Studies.
Discover the full list of OCAD U X MUN programs.
