Update you browser

For the best experience, we recommend you update your browser. Visit our accessibility page for a list of supported browsers. Alternatively, you can continue using your current browser by closing this message.

Are you applying to start in September 2026?

Key details

Date

  • 20 January 2025

Read time

  • 2 minutes

* QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025: Art & Design

Postgraduate study

Genesis

The Royal College of Art offers Graduate Diploma, Master's and MPhil/PhD programmes in the arts, design, communication, architecture and the humanities. Our students also come from a broad range of backgrounds including science, technology, engineering, social sciences, business and healthcare.

Use our Programme finder to explore your chosen subject.

Programme finder Digital directionx

Sign up for updates on programmes and applying

Applications for 2026 intakes will open soon.

If you are considering applying for our 2026 intakes we encourage you to register for updates so we can keep you informed of admissions dates and deadlines, programme updates and events for prospective students in the UK and around the world.

Register for updates MRes studying at the RCA

Online and on-campus open days

Register for online and on-campus open days, portfolio Q&A sessions, campus tours and the chance to meet the RCA globally and in the UK.

Online Open Events

Master's Online Open Days: 29 September – 3 October 2025

Graduate Diploma, for the January 2026 intake.

On-campus Open Events

Graduate Diploma Art & Design: Wednesday 16 October

School of Arts & Humanities: Tuesday 28 October

School of Design (Battersea): Wednesday 29 October

School of Architecture: Tuesday 4 November

School of Design (Kensington): Tuesday 4 November

School of Communication: Thursday 6 November

Open events RCA2024 School of Communication

RCA Student Profiles 2025

Browse profiles of our class of 2025 on the RCA Student Profiles website.

With profiles from over 1,600 postgraduate students across the RCA’s four schools – Architecture, Arts & Humanities, Communication and Design – as well as programmes run by the Intelligent Mobility Design Centre and Academic Development, discover the art and design world’s newest talent and latest innovations.

Student Profiles 2025

Why choose the RCA?

Group of architecture students in the studio

Teaching and research expertise

The opportunity to learn from world-leading academic staff. We’re the only specialist art and design university where all of our permanent teaching and research staff are also research active and included in the RCA’s submissions to the UK Research Excellence Framework.

Renowned alumni

Our 33,000+ alumni are leaders in their disciplines, making national and international headlines. Alumni include:

  • Hoor Al Qasimi
  • Hurvin Anderson RA
  • Christopher Bailey CBE
  • Sir Peter Blake
  • Sir Frank Bowling
  • Sir James Dyson OM
  • Dame Tracey Emin RA
  • Sir Anthony Finkelstein
  • Thomas Heatherwick RDI, CBE
  • Dame Barbara Hepworth
  • Lubaina Himid RA CBE
  • David Hockney OM
  • Kamala Ibrahim Ishaq
  • Asif Kapadia
  • Julian MacDonald OBE
  • Henry Moore OM
  • Erdem Moralioglu MBE
  • Morag Myerscough
  • Dame Magdalene Odundo
  • Chris Ofili CBE
  • Bridget Riley
  • Sir Ridley Scott
  • Philip Treacy OBE
  • Dame Zandra Rhodes

Our alumni

A diverse creative community

The RCA is the world’s largest postgraduate-only art and design university, representing an exciting talent base and opportunities to build your network and collaborate. An RCA student might be a career-changer, or come straight from an undergraduate course. We typically welcome students from over 70 countries.

Interdisciplinary connections

Our College and School-wide projects, activities and challenges help our students find like-minded creatives to solve major global problems, grow their networks, or find future business partners. Find out more about AcrossRCA.

Build your career

Find out more about how the RCA can help move your career to the next level with our Graduate Careers Report.

Life at the RCA

Our sites are located in the historic capital city of London, a vibrant cultural centre with an international outlook.

Explore our campuses or join a campus tour

The Royal College of Art provides the infrastructure, discipline-specific tooling and support for students to master the skills for their particular aesthetic and approach.

Explore our facilities

The Student Support Team offers advice, information and support to all RCA students and offer-holders.

Explore student support

The RCA is committed to celebrating diversity, eliminating discrimination and promoting equality of opportunity to all.

Explore funding

Gallery

  • Many postgraduate students at the RCA come from non-arts backgrounds

    Why an accountant, a scientist and a business consultant enrolled at art school

    Read more

    Three students reveal why they took a ‘leap of faith’ and left their jobs to pursue their artistic passions in photography, illustration and animation.

  • Badminton Club x Dora Grabkowska with Forster+Partners

    How Arts & Humanities MFA helps our students bring their art to real audiences

    Read more

    Every year our Arts & Humanities MFA students create collectives to work on a live public arts project with public organisations including art charities, local councils and architecture firms.

  • Service Design

    Meet the RCA alumni harnessing the power of Service Design

    Read more

    Four graduates of the RCA’s Service Design MA share the impact the programme has had on their careers.

  • Thursdays

    5 RCA artists join Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2024

    Read more

    Sara Osman, Danilo Zocatelli Cesco, Farzane Ghadyanloo, Tom Fairlamb and Yang Zou joined 35 New Contemporaries artists at KARST, Levinsky Gallery and MIRROR in Plymouth.

  • Rong Bao

    Meet our 2023 graduates a year after the RCA

    Read more

    RCA2024 showcased the work of graduating RCA students and the global impact our graduates have made across art and design.

Useful links

Find your path to joining the Royal College of Art

Application process

Are you applying to start in September 2026?

Register for updates
Student in painting studio