Key details
Date
- 6 November 2024
Read time
- 2 minutes
Welcome to the World's No.1 Art and Design University.*
Humanities and education programmes at the Royal College of Art attract students from a broad variety of backgrounds who seek to explore, evaluate, discover and produce new theoretical and practical knowledge. Reflecting contemporary shifts in global social and ethical dynamics, our ambition is to nurture creative exploration alongside speculative and critical thinking to shape and develop our understanding of how creativity and culture can become the most significant agents of change.
Key details
Date
- 6 November 2024
Read time
- 2 minutes
Applications for the September 2026 intake are open.
January 2026 intake
A number of programmes have an intake in January 2026 including the Creative Education MEd, Arts & Humanities MPhil/PhD, History of Design MPhil/PhD and Graduate Diploma Art & Design.
Featured programmes
Creative Education MEd
Design and deliver creative education with a difference. The MEd brings students together as a community to explore different aspects of creative education. This involves themes such as curriculum design, the pedagogies of making, and education for change. We also encourage you to reflect on what you bring to the programme through your own values, perspectives and experiences.
1-year full-time or 2-years part-time.
History of Design MA (V&A / RCA)
Discover history through the lens of design. Jointly run by the Victoria & Albert Museum and Royal College of Art, students forge histories of design and material culture, exploring diverse and global topics from fashion and textiles to graphic, architectural and urban design, theatre and performance, photography and digital materialities.
This programme is ranked first in QS World University Subject Rankings for History of Art, Design and Architecture (2023-2025).
1-year full-time or 2-years part-time.
Writing MA
Develop your intellectual, literary, and technical skills. Whether you want to write for a mainstream audience or prepare for doctoral study, we’ll help you build the intellectual, literary, and technical skills you need for your future. Our students explore a variety of forms and subjects, often blending genres and approaches to create work that is both intellectually rigorous and poetically expressive.
1-year full-time.
Master of Research MRes (Experimental Humanities specialism)
The interdisciplinary space of the MRes is one of freedom, risk, and experimentation. Disciplines are traversed. Possibilities are explored. Hierarchies are critiqued. Knowledge is not only amassed but shared. Joining us, you’ll ask, “what is research?” and explore what it brings to creative practice across writing and making.
1-year full-time or 2-years part-time.
Curating Contemporary Art MA
Learn to deliver innovative curatorial proposals with London-based arts organisations on this highly international programme designed to develop your critical awareness of curating in a global context. You’ll join a well-established and influential community of students, actively contribute to how curating is understood, practised and thought about globally.
1-year full-time.
Upcoming events for prospective students
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
Online Portfolio Q&A Week: 1 - 5 December 2025
Meet the RCA around the World
RCA staff regularly host and attend events around the world for prospective students. Find out where you can meet the RCA around the World.
Seoul, South Korea
- Sunday 2 & Monday 3 November
- Thursday 6 November
India
- Bangalore: 1-4 November
Canada
- Montréal: 12 November
- Toronto: 14 & 15 November
Mexico
- Mexico City: 7 & 8 November
Netherlands
- Eindhoven: 6 November
Saudi Arabia
- Jeddah: 22 November
South Africa
Johannesburg: 25 November
United Arab Emirates
- Dubai: 21 November
United States
- San Francisco: 2 November
- New York: 7 & 9 November
Why choose the RCA?
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 28,000 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
- Peter Schreyer
- Sir Ridley Scott
- Douglas Stewart
- Philip Treacy OBE
- Dame Zandra Rhodes
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 working in industry or the arts, 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.
