International Study

Students visiting the Canadian Embassy in Germany / Ambassade du Canada en Allemagne as part of the e3 program


Study Abroad and Exchange Programs

Students in our department have several study abroad and international exchange opportunities. For all international travel opportunities, please discuss your options with the appropriate coordinator, student advisor, or member of staff.

Design Student Exchange in Münster, Germany

The Department of Art & Design has a formal exchange agreement that allows undergraduate students to study during the third year at the Münster University of Applied Sciences (MUAS) in Münster, Germany.

Courses taken at MUAS count toward the Bachelor of Design degree or the Bachelor of Arts Major in Art & Design degree. Students are not required to speak German to participate in this exchange, but are encouraged to study some German prior to, or during, studies at MUAS. Students attending the University in Germany pay University of Alberta tuition on *15 in each term.

e3 program

The University of Alberta's e3 summer program is a unique education abroad program offering students 3 experiences in 1 location.

e3 is different because it's flexible. Students may combine up to three of the following program components during their summer abroad:

  • German language study
  • Internship placement (work or research)
  • Academic coursework

Exchanges for Printmaking Graduate Students

Graduate students can participate in a formal exchange program at Concordia University, Montreal, for one term, as part of the MFA degree.

Painting in Cortona, Italy

Painting in Cortona is an amazing and unforgettable time spent in the midst of one of the world's greatest concentrations of masterpieces of art and architecture. In this age of unprecedented image reproduction and proliferation, unique works of painting, drawing, sculpture, and architecture, viewed in their specific environments, provide experience and knowledge of the nature and potential of art that is essential for artistic development. This class is an amazing opportunity for students in the Department of Art & Design who have taken the prerequisite Art Fundamentals course, and will provide them a greatly broadened understanding of the foundations of our culture in one birthplace of the liberal arts and humanism.

The course integrates studio experience and idea development through sketching and landscape painting. Exposure to a range of materials and techniques and an emphasis on craft and material handling is designed to complement the study of perceptual and conceptual issues. Coursework combines intensive studio exploration with regular field trips to important artworks, churches and institutions in Cortona and other nearby Italian cities. In one unforgettable month, students will produce four paintings and extensive sketchbook work involving drawing and collage.

School in Cortona, Italy

The School in Cortona allows students the opportunity to travel to Cortona, Italy, and to enrol in courses that take advantage of this unique Tuscan location. University of Alberta professors conduct regular classroom lectures in English on diverse topics like Renaissance Art, Roman Civilization, and Political Science. Students can travel to see Michelangelo's David; live in a converted monastery dating to the 1500s; study Giorgio Vasari's Santa Maria Nuova first-hand.

Studies at University of New South Wales (UNSW)

If you wish to take transferable courses in Industrial Design you may consider University of New South Wales (UNSW). Please note that a Letter of Permission from the Faculty of Arts is required for study outside of the University of Alberta campus if transfer credit assessment is desired.

Studies at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT)

If you wish to take transferable courses in product, furniture, industrial, and graphic design you may consider studies at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). Please note that a Letter of Permission from the Faculty of Arts is required for study outside of the University of Alberta campus if transfer credit assessment is desired.

U of A Go Abroad Program

The University of Alberta offers more than 300 programs abroad in over 40 countries around the world through the Go Abroad program.


Study Tours

Students visit the HPI School of Design Thinking in Potsdam, Germany

The Department of Art & Design each year supports faculty-organized and student-organized short-term non-credit study tours and trips. Students from our degree programs can choose to participate in trips over Reading Week to destinations like Berlin, London, New York, Paris, and Barcelona.

Art appreciation trips organized by the Fine Arts Division are open to all students, alumni, and anyone interested in gaining a further appreciation in historical and contemporary art. Trips are designed to facilitate an engagement with the Edmonton artistic community by allowing students to travel alongside professional artists, while furthering individual research and study.

Design Studies organizes study tours over Reading Week in winter to destinations such as London, Paris, Brussels, and New York. These trips often include attending a design conference and with visits to professional design studios and agencies.

Over the past 10 years, students from the University of Alberta's Industrial Design program have attended the Interior Design Show (IDS) in Toronto for their educational and professional development. As a part of this enhanced learning and out-of-classroom activity, not only do students design, build and transport their own designs to Toronto, they construct a cohesive exhibit and directly engage with over 30,000 consumers and industry professionals over a three-day period.