The act which established the College in 1887 challenged the institution to improve "the condition of artistic education in such city and elsewhere throughout the province." The College has been further guided by the conviction that it must remain aware of the ideas and professional standards of contemporary art and design world-wide. Therefore, the College is committed to engage its students with this larger world, whether they are from this region or from elsewhere. The College plays a unique role in Canada and is recognized internationally for its educational innovations and its concern with the visual arts and design of today. This concern shows itself most notably in the on-going professional activity of its regular, part-time, and visiting faculty.

The programs of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design are intended to provide students with the best possible access to the visual arts community, and to prepare students to enter professional life as artists, communication designers, and art educators. These post-secondary programs prepare NSCAD graduates to address issues and concerns related to the Atlantic Region, with reference to national and global perspectives. A student body from varied backgrounds and origins not only gains from the educational and resource opportunities offered at the College, but contributes to the broadening and diversification of the concerns addressed at the College.