RCA scholarships

For: All MA programmes, MArch, MFA, MDes, MRes & MEd

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £5,000 towards fees

This scholarship is awarded to high-scoring students on the basis of academic merit.

Round 1 and 2 programme applications will be automatically assessed for one of these scholarships. If you are successful, you will be told about this at the same time as receiving your RCA programme offer.

For: All MA programmes, MArch, MFA, MDes, MRes & MEd

Eligibility criteria: Students from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, USA

Eligible fee status: Overseas fee status

Value: £9,000 towards fees

This scholarship is awarded to high-scoring students on the basis of academic merit.

Round 1 and 2 programme applications will be automatically assessed for one of these scholarships. If you are successful, you will be told about this at the same time as receiving your RCA programme offer.

For: All programmes excluding PhD & short courses

Eligibility criteria: Black or Black British Caribbean, Black or Black British African, Other Black Background, Mixed - White and Black Caribbean, Mixed - White and Black African

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees & maintenance

For: PhD

Eligibility criteria: Black or Black British Caribbean, Black or Black British African, Other Black Background, Mixed - White and Black Caribbean, Mixed - White and Black African

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees for a three-year period of full-time study (both high and low residency routes are available) and a UKRI-aligned stipend of £21,237 per annum

Application process:

Applications will remain open until 30 May (please note that the School of Arts & Humanities has closed to new applications for 2025/26).

- any existing Round 1 or 2 offer holders meeting the eligibility criteria will also be contacted and asked if they wish to be considered for the studentship

Detailed PhD application guidance can be found here but please note -

• Before you start your application you must identify the School or Centre most appropriate to your proposed area of study
• When making your application, please reference the Sir Frank Bowling PhD Studentship in the first line of your Research Proposal

All applications will be reviewed in two stages by a team of academics with experience of supervising research degrees within the School:

• A review of the application and portfolio of work
• A selection panel assessment of quality of proposal, readiness for study at this level, the feasibility of the project and supervisory capacity.

Successfully shortlisted candidates will be called for interview either in person or online in June (please be aware that feedback cannot be offered to unsuccessful candidates at this stage)

Queries should be directed to the appropriate School or Centre for the proposed area of study:

School of Architecture soa-admins@rca.ac.uk

School of Arts & Humanities zoheir.beig@rca.ac.uk

School of Communication soc-research@rca.ac.uk

School of Design/Research Centres design-research-admins@rca.ac.uk

Find out more about the RCA’s PhD student community.

For: All MA programmes, MArch, MFA, MDes, MRes & MEd

Eligibility criteria: Students who identify as D/deaf or disabled

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £6,000 towards living costs

For: All MA programmes, MArch, MFA, MDes, MRes & MEd

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £5,000 towards living costs

For: We are committed to supporting students who have been displaced due to conflict or other crises. This scholarship is available for any 1-year, full-time MA, MArch, MFA, MDes, MRes or MEd programme.

Eligibility criteria: You must not already hold an equivalent or higher qualification from any country.

Your current immigration status in the UK must allow you to study in the UK and be one of the following:

• Refugee status
• Awaiting a decision on application for refugee status (asylum seeker)
• Refused asylum seeker (application for refugee status has been denied and a fresh claim is in process)
• Discretionary Leave to Remain (DLR)
• Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)
• Limited Leave to Remain (LLR)
• Humanitarian Protection (HP)
• Leave as an Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Child (UASC)
• UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS)
• Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS)
• Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP)
• Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS)
• Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme (VCRS)
• Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (HfU)
• Ukraine Family Scheme (UFS)

You will need to provide documentation to confirm your status.

Eligible fee status: Home & Overseas fee status

If your status changes at any point (for example, if you are granted refugee status after applying), you need to inform us as soon as possible.

Value: Full fees & support package up to the value of £20,000 per year (depending on the awardee’s circumstances).

Check the key dates web page for programme application deadlines

All Round 1 and Round 2 and deferred 24/25 offer holders will be invited to apply for all available RCA scholarships, including the RCA Sanctuary Scholarship, via a single scholarship application from April 2025.

If you are a Round 3 applicant who meets the eligibility criteria, you must contact us with confirmation of a programme offer by 21 May in order to apply for the RCA Sanctuary Scholarship only by email: scholarships@rca.ac.uk

For: Graduate Diploma, September 2025 and January 2026 entry

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £3,000 towards fees

For: Graduates of any September 2024 and January 2025 entry Graduate Diploma programme, progressing to any 2025/26 MA Programme

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £4,000 towards fees

For: MA Painting

Eligibility criteria: Students from China, France, Monaco, Portugal, Spain, UK

Value: Full fees

For: MA/MSc Innovation Design Engineering

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £10,000 towards fees

For: MA Visual Communication

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £10,000 towards fees

For: MA Painting

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees

For: MA Ceramics & Glass

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees

For: MA Visual Communication

Eligible fee status: Home & Overseas fee status

Value: £7,200 towards fees

For: MA Intelligent Mobility

Eligible fee status: Overseas fee status (EU)

Value: Full fees & maintenance

For: MA Architecture, MA Writing, MA Animation, MA Design Products

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees & maintenance

For: MA Textiles

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees

For: MA Intelligent Mobility

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees & maintenance

For: Any MA programme

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £10,000 towards fees

For: MA Design Products, MA Sculpture, MA Intelligent Mobility, MA Fashion, MA Textiles

Eligible fee status: Home & Overseas fee status

Value: £6,000 for living costs

For: MA Sculpture, MA Painting, MA Contemporary Art Practice, MA Print, MA Photography

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £10,000 towards living costs

For: MA Design Products, MA Fashion, MA Service Design, MA Textiles, MA/MSc Innovation Design Engineering

Eligibility criteria: Students from under-represented communities

Eligible fee status: Home & Overseas fee status

Value: Full fees

For: MA Design Products

Eligibility criteria: Black or Black British - Caribbean, Black or Black British - African, Other Black background, Asian or Asian British - Indian, Asian or Asian British - Pakistani, Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi, Other Asian background, Mixed - White and Black Caribbean, Mixed - White and Black African, Mixed - White and Asian, Other Mixed background

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees & Maintenance

For: MA Painting

Eligible fee status: Students from the EU with Overseas fee status

Value: Full fees

For: MA Ceramics & Glass

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees & maintenance

For: MA Fashion

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £10,000 towards fees

For: MA Fashion

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees & maintenance

For: MRes RCA

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees

For: MA Textiles

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees

For: MA Textiles

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £10,000 towards fees

For: MA Ceramics & Glass

Eligible fee status: Home & Overseas fee status

Value: £5,000 towards living costs

For: MA Painting

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees & maintenance

For: MA Architecture, MA Ceramics & Glass, MA Sculpture, MA Jewellery & Metal, MA Digital Direction, MA Information Experience Design, MA Visual Communication, MA Design Products, MA Fashion, MA/MSc Innovation Design Engineering, MA Service Design

Eligible fee status: Home & Overseas fee status

Value: Full fees & maintenance (Home) / Fee discount (Overseas)

For: MA/MSc Innovation Design Engineering

Eligible fee status: Home & Overseas fee status

Value: £10,000 towards fees

For: MA Painting, MA Sculpture, MA Jewellery & Metal and MA Ceramics & Glass

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £4,500 towards fees

For: MA Fashion

Eligible fee status: Home & Overseas fee status

Value: £20,000. If Home, Full Tuition Fee & Maintenance / If Overseas Tuition Fee Discount

For: MA Textiles

Eligible fee status: Home & Overseas fee status

Value: £20,000. If Home, Full Tuition Fee & Maintenance / If Overseas Tuition Fee Discount

For: MA Sculpture, MA Painting, MA Contemporary Art Practice, MA Print and MA Photography

Eligible fee status: Home & Overseas fee status

Value: £7,050 towards fees

For: Any 1-year MA programme

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees & maintenance

For: MA Ceramics & Glass

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £10,000 towards fees

For: MFA Arts & Humanities

Eligible fee status: Home & Overseas fee status

Value: £5,000 towards fees

For: MA Ceramics & Glass, MA Contemporary Art Practice, MA Curating Contemporary Art, MA Design Products, MA Fashion, MA/MSc Innovation Design Engineering, MA Jewellery & Metal, MA Painting, MA Photography, MA Print, MA Sculpture, MA Service Design, MA Textiles, MA V&A/RCA History of Design, MA Writing

Eligibility criteria: Black or Black British Caribbean, Black or Black British African, Other Black Background, Mixed - White and Black Caribbean, Mixed - White and Black African

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees & maintenance

For: MA Visual Communication

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £10,000 towards fees

For: MA Interior Design

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £10,000 towards fees