MPhil/PhD Design
London, United Kingdom
PhD
DURATION
7 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
19 Jan 2026*
EARLIEST START DATE
07 Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
GBP 32,600 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* round 1 deadline: Monday 19 January 2026 at 12:00 pm
** overseas and EU: high residency, full-time
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Key details
- Full-time or part-time study
- School or Centre: School of Design
- Current location: Kensington
From the industrially oriented to the highly speculative
As a research student in the School of Design, you may be designing an innovative object or system.
The School of Design is home to internationally significant research, much of which is practice-based. The teaching and research areas of the School – Design Products, Fashion, Innovation Designing Engineering, Healthcare Design, Robotics, Service Design and Textiles – represent a wide range of approaches to design research.
Research topics range from those which are strongly user-focused – such as designing new medical innovations or citizen science through to those which are more experimental – such as designing trust in AI systems or multi-species design. We particularly encourage applications in our strategic design research plan areas, including: The future of making; Manufacture and materials; Systems and design; Design for safety; Design for health; Intelligent machines; Data capture and creation; Design science and Design resilience.
Please refer to the programme webpage for the most accurate and up-to-date information about the programme, its structure, modules and any updates or changes.
Who goes to the RCA?
Students from over 70 countries come to the RCA. We welcome applications from talented, creative individuals from all over the world. Many are from backgrounds you might expect, such as art, design, architecture, communications, media and humanities. Others come from disciplines as broad as engineering, social sciences, technology, toolmaking, medicine, business, law, physics, life coaching, economics, teaching, music, etc. The list is endless. What RCA students share is the potential, commitment and ambition to make change in the world through art and design.
The MPhil/PhD Design at the RCA is rooted in a practice-based, interdisciplinary research environment within the School of Design. Research covers a wide range of areas including design products, fashion, innovation design engineering, healthcare design, robotics, service design and textiles. You can explore topics from human-centred innovation, health, and systems design to more experimental themes such as multi-species design, trust in AI, or resilient design.
The programme encourages independent, original research, whether you’re developing an object, system or speculative design project. Through supervision, professional training, and engagement with the RCA’s research community, you will build a research profile capable of influencing academia, industry or cultural practice.
More about RCA MPhil and PhD research degrees
At the RCA, we offer both MPhil and PhD research degrees, which can be studied full-time or part-time (subject to approval) and undertaken by project or thesis modes. A research degree emphasises independence of learning and increased specialisation, requiring you to manage your own research project to investigate your topic in depth and produce new ideas, arguments, and solutions.
A PhD is awarded to students who produce a substantial piece of original research that contributes to the field, either as a thesis (60,000–80,000 words) or a project with a thesis (25,000–40,000 words). Full-time PhD registration is normally three years, with submission within four years; part-time is six to seven years. An MPhil is awarded for original research and submission of a thesis, normally two to three years full-time or four to six years part-time.
RCA research students undertake training both at a college-wide level and within their Schools/Centres, providing robust preparation for research progression and future careers. All students must attend Doctoral Training Weeks in September, February, and July, which include professional development, writing, publishing, achieving impact, and presenting research.
The RCA hosts a Research Biennale every alternate February to showcase research publicly and extend perceptions of art and design research. Students also undergo Annual Progress Reviews to receive formal feedback and a Confirmation Exam midway through PhD study to ascertain readiness for submission; those who do not meet requirements may be recommended to submit for MPhil.
The RCA community includes more than 250 PhD students across Schools and Centres such as Architecture, Arts & Humanities, Communication, Design, Computer Science Research Centre, Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, Intelligent Mobility Design Centre, Material Futures Research Centre, and Robotics Laboratory. The College is ranked the most research-intensive university of art and design in the UK since 2014 and values the contributions of international students.
PhD study leads to a range of opportunities. You might become a researcher in industry or government or an academic in an international institution It is an opportunity for you to investigate a research question or issue in depth, enabling you to take a more reflective, more innovative role in design.
What types of jobs to graduates go on to?
The RCA has consistently produced world leaders in the fields of creative endeavour – acting as a launchpad for the careers of major international figures.
Our alumni shape the world – whether founding their own studios and brands, pushing the boundaries of possibility through their start-ups or taking on impressive roles with global companies across a wide range of disciplines.
What if they want to start their own business?
Our creative students have ambitions of being their own boss and making their own decisions, so launch their own enterprises or studios either soon after graduating or any some time employed in industry. Many did not intend to start their studies considering themselves entrepreneurs but discovered an idea during their studies with their fellow students that they believe would make a successful business. InnovationRCA – the College’s centre for student and graduate enterprise and entrepreneurship – supports students and recent graduates to transform compelling ideas into successful businesses, providing incubation, intellectual property and commercialisation support.
RCA offers a wide range of funding opportunities to support postgraduate study, including a variety of tuition fee and living cost scholarships.
Beyond financial support, many of these scholarships also provide networking opportunities with peers, partnership organisations and professional bodies to enhance your experience.
You can find more information about available scholarships and their eligibility criteria in the link below.
The Royal College of Art is the world’s leading postgraduate art and design university, providing students with unrivalled opportunities to develop their practice, build their networks, enhance their career and to deliver art and design projects that transform the world.
For 11 consecutive years, the RCA has been ranked as the world’s number 1 art & design university in the QS World University subject rankings (2015-2025) - attracting artists, designers and communicators from across the globe.
- On-campus
- Full-time
- MPhil: 2-3 years
- PhD: 3-4 years
- Part-time
- MPhil: 4-6 years
- PhD: 6-7 years