Top Courses of Royal College of Art: List of Popular Programs, Duration, Tuition Fees

The Royal College of Art is among the most preferred universities in the world for students interested in making a career in the field of arts. Located in London, United Kingdom, it offers top-notch postgraduate degrees to students hailing from more than 60 countries. Moreover, it is the only entirely postgraduate art and design university in the country. Keep reading if you dream of studying at this public research university. In this blog, we will discuss some of the most popular Royal College of Art courses. You will learn about the details of these programs, their tuition fees, and more. So, let’s look at the list of these top-notch programs below. 

Founded	1837
Location	London, UK
Type	Specialist art and design university
Acceptance Rate	27%
Students	Around 2,000 (approx. 60% international)
Courses Offered	Postgraduate programs (MDes, MFA, etc.) in various art and design disciplines
Tuition Fee	GBP 13,475 – 36,010 per year

MA in Architecture

The MA in Architecture program encourages an independent and critical ethos in the field of architecture among its students. It intends to harness and extend your skills, knowledge, and creativity, preparing you to excel in the real world. The practical curriculum of this program makes it one of the best Royal College of Art courses.

Here are the topics included in the course: 

• Design Strategy 
• History & Theory Studies
• Professional Practice Studies
• Media Studies

Course	MA in Architecture
Annual Tuition Fees	GBP 13,475.41
Duration	2 Years

Also Read: Strathclyde University Courses: Rankings, Admissions and Fees

MA in Contemporary Art Practice: Royal College of Art Courses

The MA in Contemporary Art develops your art practice within a dialogical, responsive, and critical environment. It emphasises wider political issues, critically interrogating art production about urgent socio-political contexts and questioning and redefining practice. The excellent curriculum of this program makes it one of the best Royal College of Art courses. 

Here’s what the course includes:

• Situating Contemporary Art Practice 
• College-wide
• The Independent Research Project
• The Demonstrating Contemporary Art Practice

Course	MA in Contemporary Art Practice
Annual Tuition Fees	GBP 35,951.09
Duration	1 Year

MA in Photography

The MA in Photography aims to offer a critical and educational environment in which you can become an artist with photography at the core of your practice. This program will enable students to communicate their professional, creative, and/or scholarly practice to a non-specialist audience. The high-in-demand skills and knowledge offered in this program make it one of the best Royal College of Art courses. 

Here are the topics included in this course:

• Situating Photography: Practice and Discourse
• Making Public
• College-wide
• Independent Research Project
• Urgency of the Arts

Course	MA in Photography
Annual Tuition Fees	GBP 36,010.24
Duration	1 Year

MA in Animation: Royal College of Art Courses

This program will offer you the creative expertise to influence how audiences see and understand the political, social, and cultural animated worlds you create. The value offered in the course makes it one of the sought-after Royal College of Art courses. 

Here’s what this course includes: 

• Animation Forms, Methods and Contexts
• Core School-Wide Unit 
• Core College-Wide Unit 
• Core Independent Research Project
• Critical Non/Fiction and Experimental/Expanded Practices

Course	MA in Animation
Annual Tuition Fees	GBP 36,010.24
Duration	1 Year

MA in Design Products: Royal College of Art Courses

The MA in Design Products focuses on various ideas for product design practice, including design subtraction, circularity, multi-species design, questions for action, design doing, products delimited, design justice and decolonising design. The high-in-demand skills offered in the program make it one of the best Royal College of Art courses. 

Here are the topics included in the program: 

• Locating Practice
• College-wide 
• Experimental Design 
• Grand Challenge
• Independent Research Project (IRP) 
• Advanced Practice 
• Design Products

Course	MA in Design Products
Annual Tuition Fees	GBP 36,010.24
Duration	1 Year

Also Read: University of Nottingham Courses: Fees, Masters, PG

MA in Fashion

This course allows you to express your fashion identities with an awareness of how your values are embedded in your outputs. It is one of the top Royal College of Art courses for fashion enthusiasts. 

Here are the topics you will learn in this program:

• New Perspectives
• Grand Challenge
• Platforms 
• Independent Research Project
• College-wide

Course	MA in Fashion
Annual Tuition Fees	GBP 36,010.24
Duration	1 Year

MA in Digital Direction

The MA in Digital Direction helps you build a deep understanding of experimental and critical media production, creation and design practice. The course focuses on the emergence of new technologies for telling stories like AR, VR, and mobile platforms, as well as the future of storytelling itself. Its focus on the emerging landscape of digital direction makes it one of the best Royal College of Art courses. 

The topics included in the program are as follows: 

• Transmedia content creators
• Activists
• Digital designers
• Experience designers
• VR developers
• Speculative storytellers
• Sound artists
• Educators

Course	MA in Digital Direction
Annual Tuition Fees	GBP 36,010.24
Duration	1 Year

Entry Requirements

The Royal College of Art courses have specific entry requirements for international students. Here’s a breakdown:

1. A good honours degree (minimum upper second class or international equivalent) in a relevant field.
2. A minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale from secondary school.
3. English Language Proficiency: IELTS – 6.5 overall with a minimum of 6.0 in writing and 5.5 in other skills.
4. Portfolio to demonstrate your talent, creativity, and potential.
5. Valid passport
6. Financial evidence (bank statements or scholarship letter) to cover living expenses and tuition fees.
7. Tuberculosis (TB) certificate (if required)
8. Certified English translations of any documents that are not originally in English.

Also Read: Royal College of Art Ranking: Global Rankings

Application Process

Here’s a breakdown of the application process for international students applying to the Royal College of Art courses:

1. Visit the RCA website’s “Eligibility and key dates” section to confirm you meet the entry requirements for your chosen program.
2. Create an account on the RCA’s online application portal.
3. Complete the application form and upload all required documents.
4. Pay the application fee.
5. If required, research and apply for a UK student visa well in advance. The RCA can provide a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number to support your visa application.
6. The institute offers pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses to help international students meet the English language requirements.

Documents Required

• Academic Transcripts
• English Language Test Scores
• Portfolio
• CV/Resume
• Personal Statement
• 2 Letters of References
• Evidence of Financial Support

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FAQs

So, this was all about the Royal College of Art courses. Many Indian students dream of pursuing education in foreign nations due to the exposure and career growth they offer. Consider joining a free counselling session with Leverage Edu if you plan to study abroad.