Course summary
Study at the World's number one ranked art and design university.* Visual Communication at the RCA has a long history that has radically examined the place of visual communication in relation to culture and society, while championing the importance of an interdisciplinary approach. Situated at the forefront of critical experimentation, you will seek to forge fresh connections between criticality, radical thinking and making. By harnessing your creative and critical abilities, you will explore new vocabularies for our contemporary times, speculate on new realities and collaborate across disciplinary boundaries to create transformative movements that invite activism & change. You will be joining our community of critical thinkers and makers, leading the way in social practices. We have a long history of approaching the making of work through the collaborative, cooperative and compassionate ethos of listening, respecting and (un)learning. You will be introduced to a rich dialogic learning experience, where the conversation takes place between us, you, your peers and your audiences. Together, through a discursive inquiry and exchange, we will explore what it means to both speak and listen. You will become well practiced in interpreting ideas, events, complex data, knowledge and experiences, translating these into artefacts, narratives or connections that might manifest across or between the physical, digital or the virtual. Through language, storytelling, tools & materiality you will learn to elicit new knowledge and in turn create new insights. Your role as a communicator of such experiences is to form a bridge; to create forms of communication that can connect people and connect ideas. Referring to these exchanges as ‘conversations’ expands the possibilities for social accountability and creative consciousness. Our open and inclusive vision of the practice of communication produces work that is every bit as divergent in form as in content, embracing multidisciplinary approaches including sound, type-design,, performance, publishing, moving image, workshops, fieldwork, documentary, radio, virtual reality, comics, ceramics, happenings, drawing, walking and writing. Facilities Our mixed-discipline studios encourage cross-disciplinary thought, awareness and action. Studio workspace is provided for each student. In addition, you have access to craft and technical workshop areas and excellent technical support in the College. These include well-equipped computer studios for print and digital moving-image production, sound editing, a letterpress and book-binding workshop. About the RCA The Royal College of Art, is an internationally renowned art and design university, providing students with unrivalled opportunities to deliver art and design projects that transform the world. A small, specialist and research-intensive postgraduate university based in the heart of London, the RCA is a high performing institution, a radical traditionalist in a fast paced world. The RCA's approach is founded on the premise that art, design creative thinking, science, engineering and technology must all collaborate to solve today's global challenges. *The RCA was named the world’s leading art and design university for the seventh consecutive year (2015-2021) in the QS World University subject rankings.
Entry requirements
Candidates are selected entirely on merit and applications are welcomed from all over the world. The selection process considers creativity, imagination and innovation as demonstrated in your portfolio, as well as your potential to benefit from the programme and to achieve high MA standards overall. You will normally have completed a first-degree undergraduate qualification in a related subject or be able to evidence equivalent professional experience in related fields. Visit the RCA website for full entry requirements.
English language requirements
Test | Grade | Additional details |
---|---|---|
IELTS (Academic) | 6.5 | If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country you will need the equivalent of an IELTS Academic score of 6.5 with a 6.0 in the Test of Written English (TWE). |
Students achieving a grade of at least 6.0, with a grade of 5.5 in the Test of Written English, may be eligible to take the College’s English for Academic Purposes course to enable them to reach the required standard. You are exempt from this requirement if you have received a 2.1 degree or above from a university in a majority English-speaking nation within the last two years. If you need a Tier 4 visa to study at the RCA, you will also need to meet the Home Office’s minimum requirements for entry clearance.
More information about English language requirements
https://www.rca.ac.uk/studying-at-the-rca/apply/entrance-requirements/english-language-requirements/
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
Republic of Ireland | £13500 | Whole course |
England | £13500 | Whole course |
Northern Ireland | £13500 | Whole course |
Scotland | £13500 | Whole course |
Wales | £13500 | Whole course |
International | £32000 | Whole course |
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
Sponsorship information
Visit the RCA website to find out more about scholarships and funding opportunities. Most RCA scholarships require you to submit your MA application in round 1.
Provider information
Royal College of Art
Kensington Gore
Kensington and Chelsea
SW7 2EU