École NAD-UQAC

École NAD-UQAC (École des arts numériques, de l'animation et du design de l'Université du Québec à Chicoutimi) brings university-level academic training and research into visual effects, 3D animation, and game development. Founded in 1992 as the Centre national d'animation et de design, the school integrated into the public Université du Québec à Chicoutimi network in 2008, combining technical digital production with academic research-creation.

Instruction centers on a simulated studio model that emphasizes collaborative, project-based production. Cross-functional student teams conceptualize, iterate, and deliver major projects ranging from playable video game prototypes to fully rendered animated short films such as "Dollhouse," "EXIT," and "Manchuria." In the cinema stream, students write, storyboard, and direct their original concepts rather than working from externally provided scripts. Academic faculty members are supported by a network of over 75 industry mentors who participate directly in student production cycles through milestone reviews, technical troubleshooting, and artistic critiques.

Degrees span undergraduate certificates and bachelor's programs to graduate diplomas (DESS), master's degrees, and doctoral studies in digital creativity. Program concentrations encompass 3D creation for cinema, game art, narrative game design, visual effects simulation, and technical arts. Practical technical training includes SideFX Houdini coursework covering procedural simulation, rendering, and USD pipelines in Solaris, alongside multi-year game production sequences developed in Unreal Engine.

Teaching and research take place across two dedicated Quebec locations:

• Montréal Campus: Based in the LEED Gold-certified Îlot Balmoral building within the Quartier des spectacles, sharing facilities with the National Film Board of Canada. The campus includes five production zones, specialized classrooms, an amphitheater, a green screen studio, lighting and photography setups, and dedicated spaces for virtual reality and motion capture.
• Sherbrooke Campus: Located in the Espace Centro tech district, this location focuses on technical arts for video games, supported by regional industry partnerships including Ubisoft Sherbrooke.

Advanced academic inquiry is anchored by the MIMESIS research laboratory, established in 2020 to investigate immersive environments, interactive systems, and digital human generation.