Fine Arts Certificate

Naturally Creative

The Portage College Fine Arts Certificate is for creative individuals who want to develop their skills as artists and those interested in a visual arts career through an authentic arts learning experience. The certificate program provides transferability and a pathway for further study at other post-secondary institutions for a Bachelor of Fine Arts.

The curriculum includes hands-on studio classes with theory in design principles and art history. The courses are designed to introduce and develop specific techniques focusing on developing skills and exploring media. Students will learn visual art skills in drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, photography, digital art, and mixed media. Learners will have the opportunity to work with various mediums to explore and discover their own artistic passion and interest through project-based study. In addition, students will have the opportunity to exhibit their artwork and network with arts professionals through artist studio visits and gallery trips.

Yorkville Bachelor of Creative Arts: View Video

This program is available to International Students. Our Designated Learning Institute (DLI) number is 0111010246767.

Fine Arts Program

The world needs artists. That’s something our Fine Arts program knows a great deal about!
During the certificate program, students finesse their skills and learn new ones they never thought they’d master. Meet student Karina Schneider who’s creating her own artistic future.

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More international students are choosing Portage College to start or complete their studies because of the personal attention they receive and the high standard of instruction.

Students who complete our one-year Fine Arts at Portage will have a pathway to Yorkville’s Bachelor of Creative Arts program!

Careers for Arts Students
Portage College Fine Arts program cultivates the strong foundational skills needed for various careers available in the arts and culture sector, including:

Animator, fine artist, art curator, illustrator, architect, tattoo artist, museum interpreter, video game designer, textile designer, commercial artist, art teacher, interior designer, photographer, clothing designer, art director, art archivist, art historian, art therapist, book illustrator, art professor, creative art director, graphic novel artist, cultural planner and many more.

Credentials
Certificate

Admission Requirements
High School Diploma with 

English Language Arts 30-2

Use this chart to check Provincial high school equivalencies accepted at Portage College. Note: This is just a guide.

Mature Status: Applicants must be 19 years of age and out of high school for one year

  • English Language Arts 30-2 OR Equivalent
  • Students who do not meet admission requirements can contact student services regarding opportunities for placement testing. * Students will need to submit an application to the program to start the process.
  • Interview with Coordinator
  • If the applicant does not have Art 30 and is a mature student, a portfolio is required for the Coordinator's interview.

English Language Proficiency Information

Transferability
Yorkville University upon completion of the two-year Artisan Entrepreneurship Diploma and one-year Fine Arts Certificate Program.

Contact the Program Advisor for more information.

Program Start/End Dates
August 29, 2024 to May 2, 2025 

Application Deadline
Domestic Student: August 15, 2024 (Application will still be considered after the deadline if seats remain)
International Student: June 30, 2024 (Applications will be considered if you can obtain a study permit and all the relevant documents before July 15, 2024)

Location
Lac La Biche Campus

Domestic Student Fees
Application Fee $53.50

Fall Term
Fee payment deadline August 15, 2023

Tuition $2594.46
Student Association $116.70
Technology Fee $82.71
Recreation Fee $54.57
Course Package & Materials $460.00
Total $3,308.44

Winter Term
Fee payment deadline: December 15, 2023

Tuition $2594.46
Student Association $116.70
Technology Fee $82.71
Recreation Fee $54.57
Total $2,848.44

Total tuition & mandatory fees for year: $6,156.88

Part-time Fees
Tuition is calculated using “cost-per-credit” one credit is $170. Calculate the cost by multiplying the number of credits per course by $170.

Visit  Portage Bookstore for textbooks and supplies

Tuition Deposit: $100 (non-refundable for oversubscribed programs)

Need help funding your education? Check out our  funding options.

International Student Fees
Application Fee $160.00
Tuition Deposit $5000.00 (non-refundable)

If you choose to pay the full tuition and mandatory fees, you may still be eligible for a refund of payments above the $5000 deposit, as per the Portage College refund policy.

Fall Term
Fee payment deadline: June 1, 2024

Tuition $8385.62
Student Association $116.70
Technology Fee $82.71
Recreation Fee $54.57
Course Package & Materials $460.00
Total $9,099.60

Winter Term
Fee payment deadline: October 15, 2024

Tuition $7783.37
Student Association $116.70
Technology Fee $82.71
Recreation Fee $54.57
Total $8,037.35

Total tuition & mandatory fees for year: $17,136.95

Visit  Portage Bookstore for textbooks and supplies

Other purchases may be necessary in order for students to complete their courses/program.

Fine Arts Certificate

  • ART EXPOSE

    Course ID: VISA 172

    Name: ART EXPOSE

    Hours: 20

    Credits: 1

    Students work together to produce the Art Expose, which is a two-day exhibition of all the work students have completed throughout the year. Students are required to participate in the planning, setting up, and hosting of this event. Additionally, students will participate in a local field trip that provides experience visiting galleries, speaking to practicing artists, and visiting other venues related to the production and sale of art and crafts

  • INTRODUCTION TO DRAMA AND TO POETRY

    Course ID: ENGL106

    Name: INTRODUCTION TO DRAMA AND TO POETRY

    Hours: 45

    Credits: 3

    English 106 is designed to teach critical writing, critical reading, and critical thinking while studying canonical literary texts from the sixteenth to the twenty-first centuries. This course combines the study of literary works with instructional texts to teach students to express themselves more clearly in writing and in speech. The creators of this course also hope that students develop an appreciation for fine literary works.  
     
    This course will present plays and poems from a variety of historical periods and from a variety of cultural contexts. Particular emphasis will be placed on the development of correct writing style, rhetorical skills, and thinking skills required for academic study.  
     
    A minimum of thirty percent of class time will be devoted to writing instruction, which may take any or all of the following forms: grammar and punctuation instruction, informal writing exercises, writing workshops, stylistic and rhetorical analysis, research skills, peer editing, and group writing projects. The total amount of writing will be no less than 3,000 words.  
     
    Prerequisite: 60% in ELA 30-1
  • INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF WESTERN ART I

    Course ID: ARTH101

    Name: INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF WESTERN ART I

    Hours: 45

    Credits: 3

    This course is an introduction to the history of visual arts and design from the earliest evidence to the fourteenth century. The concentration will be on the history of art in the Near East and Europe: Western Art. Since there has been contact between these areas and the Indian sub-continent and the Far East, and since these have been influences on the later history of Western Art, the art of Asian cultures during this period will also be briefly considered. 
     
    Prerequisites: 60% in ELA 30-1
  • INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF WESTERN ART II

    Course ID: ARTH102

    Name: INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF WESTERN ART II

    Hours: 45

    Credits: 3

    This course provides an introduction to the history of visual arts and design from the 14th Century to the present day. While the course can be taken on its own, it also follows ARTH 101, which surveys the history of visual arts and design from the earliest times up to the 14th Century. ARTH 102 starts at a period that is academically considered to be the origin of our modern age and follows the development of the visual arts to the types of art, design, and architecture that are being created around us in our contemporary world.
     
    Prerequisites: 60% in ELA 30-1
  • INTRODUCTION TO THE NOVEL AND THE SHORT STORY

    Course ID: ENGL108

    Name: INTRODUCTION TO THE NOVEL AND THE SHORT STORY

    Hours: 45

    Credits: 3

    English 108 is designed to teach critical writing, critical reading, and critical thinking while studying canonical literary texts from the eighteenth to the twentieth-first centuries. This course combines the study of literary works with instructional texts to teach students to express themselves more clearly in writing and in speech. The creators of this course also hope that students develop an appreciation for fine literary works. This course will present novels and short stories from a variety of historical periods, and from a variety of cultural contexts. Particular emphasis will be place of the development of correct writing style, rhetorical skills, and thinking skills required for academic study. A minimum of thirty percent of class time will be devoted to writing instruction, which may take any or all of the following forms: formal written assignments, informal writing exercises, writing workshops, stylistic and rhetorical analysis, research skills, peer editing, group writing projects, and ungraded writing. Students will write two formal essays that will be graded, including an analytical and a research paper. The total amount of writing will be no less than 3,000 words. Prerequisites: ENGL 106 or other 3 credit junior English

  • FINE ARTS STUDIO I

    Course ID: VISA 108

    Name: FINE ARTS STUDIO I

    Hours: 75

    Credits: 3

    In this course, students enhance their artistic exploration with studio time to create a body of work that reflects their vision and expression in a focused area of study. Through close collaboration with their instructor, students will design and carry out a comprehensive plan for curating a vendor display to showcase and market their artwork at various art-related events. This plan will encompass their personal artistic direction, research objectives, chosen media, projected timelines, and the anticipated volume of work to produce. Not only do students continue to expand their portfolios, but they also gain practical experience in setting up and curating art exhibitions to display their work to its fullest potential.

  • VISUAL ARTS I - DRAWING

    Course ID: NATA166

    Name: VISUAL ARTS I - DRAWING

    Hours: 75

    Credits: 3

    The focus of this course is on the exploration of a variety of wet & dry drawing materials and the development of basic drawing skills. Students will be introduced to fundamentals including line, shape, volume, value, texture, perspective and composition. This exploration and skill development will be done through observational and imaginative drawing. Prerequisites: none

  • VISUAL ARTS II - PAINTING

    Course ID: NATA167

    Name: VISUAL ARTS II - PAINTING

    Hours: 75

    Credits: 3

    This is an introductory painting course that familiarizes students with a variety of techniques, concepts and processes in painting. The focus will be on using acrylic paint to develop an understanding of color and composition. This will be done through a series of projects that feature a variety of genres, compositional concepts and visual strategies. Prerequisites: none

  • VISUAL ARTS III - PRINTMAKING AND MIXED MEDIA

    Course ID: NATA168

    Name: VISUAL ARTS III - PRINTMAKING AND MIXED MEDIA

    Hours: 75

    Credits: 3

    In this course, students will complete exploration modules in each of the following mediums; printmaking and mixed media compositions. Students will study various printmaking processes with an emphasis on learning basic materials and exploring the potential of this art form. Additionally, students will explore the use of mixed media in primarily 2D compositions. Prerequisites: none

  • VISUAL ARTS IV - Media Exploration ll

    Course ID: NATA169

    Name: VISUAL ARTS IV - Media Exploration ll

    Hours: 75

    Credits: 3

    In this course, students will complete exploration modules in each of the following mediums; clay and welded metal sculpture. The focus of the clay module will be on basic hand-building kills as well as introductory ceramic concepts including firing and glazing. In the welding module students will be introduced to the use of metal and basic welding techniques and concepts for the creation of art. Prerequisites: none

  • VISUAL ARTS V-MAKING/2D COMPOSITION

    Course ID: NATA173

    Name: VISUAL ARTS V-MAKING/2D COMPOSITION

    Hours: 75

    Credits: 3

    This course builds on the skills and knowledge acquired in Visual Arts I & II. Further development of drawing and painting skills will be accomplished through using a variety of mediums; including watercolor and focusing on strategies that help students produce visual expressions that reflect interpretive and expressive outcomes. Students will work on developing personal styles.

We acknowledge that Portage College’s service region is on the traditional lands of First Nation Peoples, the owners of Treaty 6, 8 and 10, which are also homelands to the Métis people. We honour the history and culture of all people who first lived and gathered in these lands.
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