The Royal College of Art is an entirely postgraduate university institution of art and design offering the degrees of MA, MPhil and PhD. Over the past 15 years we have conducted a series of surveys of graduate destinations. These have shown that over 90% of our graduates, from all disciplines, gained work in the subjects for which they were educated at the College and at the right level.
The employability of our students is ensured in a number of ways.
The majority of professional practice is embedded within the curriculum. The competence of the staff to design curricula that incorporate professional practice is ensured by our academic staff being practising artists, designers and writers.
We work closely with professional bodies and employers. Examples include: the MA in Architecture, which is accredited for RIBA Part II; and the Curating Contemporary Art, Work-based Pathway supported by Arts Council England. The latter programme entitled, ‘Inspire’, is a two-year curatorial training placement for BME students based at leading visual arts organisations and is a key element in our promotion of equality and diversity.
Most programmes host industry-sponsored projects that involve students responding to a brief. At the conclusion of the project, students present their work to senior staff from the sponsoring company. Such presentations usually require students to conduct market research, explore manufacturing costs, provide a business case and address environmental issues. In some programmes there is the facility for industry placements. Teaching placements (with undergraduate courses) are particularly favoured by students in the applied and fine arts.
We run a number of externally sponsored award schemes, which contribute to the professional training of students by developing their writing and presentation skills. Some, such as the annual Deutsche Bank Awards, require graduating students to prepare and present a comprehensive business plan for their year after graduation. Winners receive funds to help them realise this plan and mentoring throughout their first year of professional life.
FuelRCA, our centrally run professional practice programme, provides a range of resources accessible to students and recent graduates aimed at enhancing the ability of graduates to succeed in professional life. A mentoring service is also provided by members of the Royal Designers for Industry. Careers advice is available from Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service.
Design London, a collaboration with Imperial College, provides a component of the Imperial College MBA degree entitled ‘Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Design’. Our students are enabled to participate in this programme within their MA studies. The programme includes an opportunity to develop business plans for products and services in interdisciplinary teams. Some of these ideas are taken forward for commercialisation in a Design London Incubator.
InnovationRCA is a network that links our graduates with business in order to create innovation opportunities. Annually it selects students with particularly promising ideas for products as part of the Selected Works Scheme. After graduation, those chosen are given business, legal, patent and financial support to bring their ideas to the point of licensing or spin-out.
In 2010/11 we will be conducting an ‘employers’ survey, which will help to ensure the continuation of the success of our graduates.
For information about individual programmes' graduate destinations, see under Programmes.