Eligibility for admission to the Video Game Art & Design program requires the applicant to meet one of the following four academic criteria:
1. High School
Provincial High School Graduation Certificate with a 60% average in eight level 3000 credits or equivalent
2. College Transition (prior to 2024, students would have completed Comprehensive Arts and Science (CAS) Transition)
College Transition Certificate
3. Adult Basic Education (ABE)
Adult Basic Education (Level III) Graduation with General College Profile (or Business-Related College Profile or Degree and Technical Profile) with an average pass mark of 60%
4. Mature Student Requirements
Applicants who do not meet the education prerequisites for this program, are 19 years at the time of application and out of school for at least one year may be considered on an individual basis under the Mature Student Requirements; for more information regarding the Mature Student Requirements please refer to
Procedure AC-102-PR Admission.
Note: It is highly recommended that those applying for the Video Game Art & Design program have an appreciation for drawing and creating art, basic computer skills as well as strong core skills in English and writing.
Additional Admission Requirements
Portfolio Requirements
All applicants to the Video Game Art & Design program must submit a portfolio as part of the admission requirements. A portfolio is a collection of the applicant’s work, based on detailed guidelines as described below, that shows the potential to build on demonstrated skills and aptitudes when in the program.
The applicant portfolio should consist of:
- An essay which consists of a personal statement explaining your reasons for wanting to be a video game artist and/or designer, your goals, and your interest in the program at College of the North Atlantic. This should be approximately 300 to 400 words.
- Two pieces of art as described below by the College's Video Game Art & Design program portfolio entry detailed guidelines.
Portfolio Entry – Detailed Guidelines
All applicants to the Video Game Art & Design program must submit the specific, assigned writing and art samples to fulfil additional program entry requirements. The additional entry requirements should consist of:
1. An essay which consists of a written personal statement explaining your reasons for wanting to be a video game artist and/or designer, your goals, and your interest in the program at College of the North Atlantic. This should be approximately 300 to 400 words.
Present your document as follows:
- The document must be delivered in a digital format or printed on paper from a digital format (not hand written).
- Write it in a font of Times New Roman at a font size of 12, double spaced
- Title the document: VGAD Essay by “your name”
- Set only the title in a bold font, no cover page
- Proper articulation of content and writing mechanics are expected and presented in paragraph form (grammar, spelling, syntax, structure, etc.)
- Save the document as a common digital file type (docx, doc, rtf) with your last name in the file name, for example: Smith_Essay.rtf
- If word processing software is unavailable, providing the content within the body of an email is acceptable. Additionally a physical, typed print-out can be mailed.
2. Two pieces of art as outlined below by the College’s Video Game Art and Design program.
Present your document as follows:
- Please sign and date each piece.
- Please include PHOTOCOPIES or DIGITAL COPIES ONLY, as the portfolio will not be returned.
- All submissions must be your own work. Any submission that contains plagiarized work, copied either manually or electronically, will be disqualified and you will be refused consideration.
- Any submission that contains inappropriate or offensive content will be refused consideration.
- ENSURE THAT YOUR NAME IS ON EACH OF THE CLEARLY LABELLED PIECES.
- Additional drawings or game ideas will not be accepted, viewed, or considered.
- Art submissions should show the applicant’s current level of proficiency in the visual arts.
- All observational drawings are to be executed from real-life subject material, not from photographs, images, artwork, or other drawings.
- Drawings must be made on 8.5 x 11 sheets of plain white paper.
2a. Pencil sketch of a landscape (not based on images or photos). You may draw this from inside, looking out a window and it may include a building structure. Suggested time for completion of the final drawing, not including practice sketches: 30 – 60 minutes.
2b. Pencil or color pencil drawing of a real toy such as an action figure, collectible statue, video game console controller, teddy bear, or vehicle (not based on images or photos). The full view of the toy is visible in the drawing. Suggested time for completion of the final drawing, not including practice sketches: 30 – 60 minutes.
View the Application Portfolio Rubric for this program (57KB PDF)
HOW DO I SUBMIT THESE ADDITIONAL ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS?
- Applicants should submit only copies of their artwork, such as a photocopied drawing, or a digital scan of the drawing. No originals should be submitted. Include applicant name and contact information.
- Do not submit any framed, fragile or 3-dimensional work. Take a photo and submit that instead. Include applicant name and contact information.
- If applicants submit digital files, please burn them onto a disk to include with the application, or email the images and include applicant name and contact information.
- Any physical photocopies or printed pages of work on paper should be submitted in a 9 “x12” envelope and identified with applicant name on each page. Include applicant name and contact information within.
- Each item included should be identified with an applicant name and date, and entry requirement number at the bottom of the page. Include contact information.
Please note: We emphasize that while advanced levels of writing, drawing, and computer skills may be an asset, they are not necessary, nor a guarantee for admission to the program.