In 1995, a second building was opened on the Granville Island campus, at which time the college's name changed to the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design (ECIAD).

The MDM program, in particular, was launched through the Centre for Digital Media, a campus consortium of four post-secondary institutions in British Columbia.

[10] Designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects and constructed by EllisDon in 2017, the school's premises contains an outdoor plaza, student commons, galleries, faculty and administration offices, exhibition spaces, studios, classrooms, a canteen, patio, and three lecture theatres.

Emily Carr University specializes in art and design education, which merges studio practice, research, and critical theory in an interdisciplinary and collaborative environment.

[14] Garnet Hertz and Amber Frid-Jimenez joined the university in 2014 as the first ever Canada Research Chairs of an art and design institution in the country.

[15] In 2015, historian and curator Richard Hill joined the university as the third Canada Research Chair, specializing in Indigenous Studies.

Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design's arms, supporters, flag, and badge were registered with the Canadian Heraldic Authority on April 20, 2007.