Primary instrument/specialism
- Lighting Design
- Set and Costume Design
- Sound Design
Course summary
The MA/MFA Production is for those seeking to further enhance their skills as lighting, sound, or set and costume designers. Designers will focus on an area of specialist study. This will be done in a collaborative and creative team environment, developing existing skills and knowledge through personal research and production placements, ultimately working as an ensemble company alongside our MA/MFA Classical and Contemporary Text Acting/Directing students. As this programme is new for September 2025, it will be subject to validation.
Course details
Principal study options
During the application and audition process, you must select which instrument(s) you wish to specialise in for the duration of your course. On this course, you can choose from the following options:
Main specialism
Only one specialism is studied. It may be possible to study a further instrument, but this will not contribute towards the qualification.
Instrument/specialisms
For all courses, you must select at least one specialism from the 'primary' list. For those studying primary/secondary pathways, two instruments may be selected – one from the 'primary' list and one from the 'secondary' list. Joint pathway students may select any two instruments from either list.
Modules
Please see our departmental web page for more information about the course.
Assessment method
Please see our departmental web page for more information about the course.
How to apply
*If you are an international applicant, or you are applying for a postgraduate course, or are choosing certain assessment locations, the 'on time' deadline may be later in the year - please contact the conservatoire directly.
29Jan
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application codes
- Course code:
- 213F
- Institution code:
- R58
- Campus name:
- Main Site
- Campus code:
- -
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
International applicants
Currently around 20% of our students come from outside the UK. Between them, they represent over 60 different nationalities and add a rich diversity to the Conservatoire. International applications are welcome to this programme and online interviews can be arranged.
Entry requirements
Candidates for both the MA and MFA are normally expected to hold a degree in a relevant subject area or have equivalent practical experience in a relevant field.
Additional entry requirements
Interview
The interview process is designed to ensure that you have every opportunity to demonstrate a commitment to your specialist subject and evidence your experience of the performing arts. The interview also allows the panel to satisfy themselves that you have the potential to develop the relevant skills and qualities necessary to succeed both on a degree-level programme and ultimately in a highly competitive profession. Prior to attending the interview (in-person or online), you are required to set up an Acceptd account and complete the tasks below. It is important that you show us your previous work (portfolio), without this, we will not be able to proceed with the interview. * “About You” questionnaire (completed online via Acceptd) * Upload a digitised version of your portfolio to Acceptd * There may be additional tasks required of you prior to your interview. Please see our webpage under the 'how to apply' section for full information. These tasks must be completed A MINIMUM OF THREE WORKING DAYS in advance of the interview so that the panel can properly interrogate them in advance of your interview. You will be required to digitise this work and upload it to ‘Acceptd’.
Portfolio
Each candidate is seen as an individual, and a holistic view is taken of your unique mix of qualities; therefore, the panel will be most interested to see any evidence of interests or experience to-date. Due to time restrictions, the panel will wish to see quality rather than quantity, so pick examples of your work that best illustrate your suitability for the programme. Your portfolio of work should evidence your suitability for study in you chosen specialism and take any form you chose.
English language requirements
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6.5 | 6.5 with no component below 5.5 |
| TOEFL (iBT) | 88 | Overall score of 88, with minimum scores of: Reading – 18, Listening – 17, Speaking – 20, Writing – 17 |
| PTE Academic | 62 | Overall score of 62 with a minimum of 59 in all components (reading, listening, speaking, writing) |
More information about our language requirements can be found at the weblink.
https://www.rcs.ac.uk/study/international-students/english-requirements/
Assessment locations
In the event of a successful assessment, applicants may be invited for a further interview prior to being made an offer.
Remote assessment recordings may be accepted in the event that you cannot attend an assessment in person.
Single specialism assessment
| Location | On-time Fee | Late Fee |
|---|---|---|
| RCS | £55 | £55 |
| Online | £55 | £55 |
Joint principal specialism assessment
| Location | On-time Fee | Late Fee |
|---|---|---|
| RCS | No fee charged | |
| Online | No fee charged | |
Additional information
All applicants need to complete an Acceptd account profile, regardless of which location you choose, this is part of the audition process. A portfolio of work for your specialism will need to be submitted via Acceptd, prior to your audition date. Once we receive your application we will email you with details of your audition. For the best audition experience, we would encourage all UK applicants (and where possible international applicants) to attend in-person.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| Channel Islands | £23583* | Year 1 |
| England | £23583* | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £23583* | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £23583* | Year 1 |
| Wales | £23583* | Year 1 |
| Republic of Ireland | £23583* | Year 1 |
| EU | £37387* | Year 1 |
| International | £37387* | Year 1 |
*This is a provisional fee and subject to change.
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
*Please note, fees are subject to change for AY25 entry*
Please note, all new students are required to pay associated programme cost related fees at the start of their studies. For more information on this please see our website - https://www.rcs.ac.uk/study/fees-funding/fees/
Sponsorship information
DDPF - Please note, all new students are required to pay associated programme cost related fees at the start of their studies. For more information on this please see our website - https://www.rcs.ac.uk/study/fees-funding/fees/
Provider information
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
100 Renfrew Street
Glasgow
G2 3DB