The three-year pathway program will earn students credit from both institutions
Megan Amato // Associate News Editor
Capilano University has partnered with Vancouver Film School to offer four accelerated academic pathways that allow students to earn both a degree from Capilano University (CapU) and a diploma from Vancouver Film School (VFS) in just three years. The programs will allow students to gain interdisciplinary knowledge from two institutions with solid reputations and help produce industry-ready creative professionals.
When the potential of a partnership was put on the table both Anthony Grieco (Head of Curriculum and Program Development at VFS) and Scott Steiger (Director of International Admissions & Business Development at VFS) agreed that it was Ted Gervan who convinced them that both institutions “shared common philosophies with regards to educational delivery, teaching relevant skill sets, and serving [the] industry by graduating optimal creative artists ready to pursue their passions in creative industries.”
Ted Gervan, Capilano’s Dean of Fine and Applied Arts, wanted to create opportunities for students in a future where job scarcity is a threat as professional retirement age continues to increase. Despite this, Gervan is enthusiastic about the future of the creative industry. “It’s never been better, and each year is better than the last in digital media,” he said. “The industry is seeing massive growth and expansion, and Vancouver is a leading global hub for the digital creative industries.” Vancouver’s film industry is renowned worldwide but Gervan suggests that content writers, game designers, animation, voice acting and broadcasting are just some of the industries that creatives can expect to see growth in and both institutions offer ways to allow students to breach them.
Gervan thinks that strategic partnerships between institutions and creative industries are a big part of the future. “The Arts are seeing declining federal subsidies and you can see evidence of that through significant decreases over the last decade,” he added. He wants to see industries and professionals working together to reinvest in students and give them the best education possible so that they can enter these fields with the knowledge and experience they need to thrive in the business.
“We are excited that our students will acquire additional post-secondary credentials from having studied at both award-winning institutions, along with the positive impact that this will have on the needs of the growing creative industries,” Grieco and Steiger said in a statement.
Capilano’s Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication will be offered with VFS’s Visual Design program, while Bachelor of Performing Arts students will have three pathways to choose from: VFS’ Acting for Film and Television, Writing for Film, Television and Games and Film Production. Students can also take advantage of their electives, gain a wide-range of knowledge they might not elsewhere and expand their skill set.