243 Design Masters Degree Programs in United Kingdom

The V&A/RCA MA History of Design draws on the exceptional resources and national and international networks of two world-leading centres of excellence for scholarship and creativity, the RCA and the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A). With a base at the RCA and dedicated programme rooms and library at the V&A, since its foundation in 1983, this pioneering programme has earned a worldwide reputation as the leading MA programme in the field. Our research-led teaching and experiential methods inspire and train future leaders in the field.

The aim of the programme is to constitute a new field of knowledge production and practice concerned with the design of alternative forms of co-dependence between life forms and earth systems. The MA in Environmental Architecture is a design-led and field-focused course that emphasises a transdisciplinary approach to design research.

This is a practical postgraduate course in Textiles, grounded in professional development and research. You’ll produce Textiles projects in a collaborative and creative environment, working with and alongside students of Visual Communication, Graphics and Illustration, as well as Photography and other Fine Art specialisms.

The Master of Architecture (MArch) (RIBA pt II) is a long-established and well-respected course that is prescribed by the Architects Registration Board (ARB) and validated by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) to give exemption from the second stage of professional education. The emphasis of the course is on innovative design work and on developing a caring and critical approach to the study and practice of architecture. The course fosters diversity of choice, interpretation and approach, whether in design projects or more academic research. The former focuses on sophisticated design programmes (informal, technical, professional or urban terms) that demand rigour and self-criticism. The latter focuses on your major dissertation, an extended piece of specialised research into architecture and its historical or theoretical contexts. The course has three main objectives: to develop your design ability through project-based experimentation; to present an evaluation and critique of your coursework within a broad cultural context and in light of technical, economic and legal constraints; to promote the articulate explanation and representation of quality and value in design projects.

The Intelligent Mobility MA programme builds on the rich history of vehicle design at the RCA, and places this within the context of a number of emerging social, cultural and technical changes. These include the shift to autonomous systems, renewable power, demographic changes and the increasing synthesis between man and machine. The programme defines and describes a paradigm shift which brings together existing fields with a design-led approach that addresses both physical and virtual aspects of the mobility space as an integrated whole.

The program focuses on exploring the creative, scientific, and technical aspects of designing audio experiences. It offers students a chance to develop skills in sound design, audio production, and technological innovation. The curriculum combines pr…

The Material and Visual Culture MA is designed for those interested in understanding how objects, images, and spaces shape our world. The program covers a wide range of topics, including art, design, archaeology, and material history. Students explor…

The Light and Lighting MSc is designed for those interested in exploring the science and practice of lighting design. The program covers a wide range of topics, including the technical principles behind lighting systems, the ways lighting affects hum…

The Intelligent Mobility research programme explores novel vehicle types, services, and integrated city solutions. Building on the RCA’s world-leading Intelligent Mobility MA programme, the Intelligent Mobility MPhil/PhD programme promotes critical and thoughtful research and design in the development of future mobility.

A user’s experience of technology depends on the design and engineering choices that influence their interactions. Emerging and future technologies will exceed the capabilities available today, so our experts will give you the research needed to exploit and market new possibilities for the benefit of users.

The Fashion Manufacturing MA addresses current industry challenges and skills shortages by focusing on apparel production, systems, sourcing, and manufacturing processes. This research-driven, industry-informed course is designed to meet the evolving needs of fashion manufacturing, from design and product development to innovative production techniques.

Critically analyse the challenges faced by urban areas in designing sustainable, inclusive, and healthy urban environments, evaluating the effectiveness of various mitigation strategies. Students taking this programme will be at the cutting edge of this transition toward a more sustainable planet.

Some of the major innovations in performance practices over the past hundred years have been drawn from scenographic developments. Drawing from past and present approaches to performance design, these Scenography courses are concerned with exploring dynamic and innovative interplays between the body, space and time further informed by a variety of disciplines including sculpture, digital media, puppetry, choreography, film, architecture and sound.

The Art and Visual Culture MA is part of the Cultural and Literary Studies Suite, a cluster of four MAs that bring together academics, curators and practitioners who share a commitment to investigating modern and contemporary culture from aesthetic, critical, literary, and experiential perspectives. You'll share classes with students from the Cultural and Critical Studies MA, the English Literature: Modern and Contemporary Fictions MA, and the Museum, Galleries and Contemporary Culture MA, joining a fruitful and intellectually-rigorous environment designed to facilitate the sprouting of interdisciplinary thinking. As part of our Suite, you may also choose an option module from the other three MA programmes (what is referred to as an ‘elective’ module), a fantastic opportunity to explore a facet of culture outside of your chosen MA programme. The Art and Visual Culture MA is an interdisciplinary, visual theory-based course established around the belief that visual literacy and the impact of visual forms of thinking and working play significant roles in our society. In the course, we interrogate visual perception and representation in high and popular culture, explore how these produce meanings, and how such meanings shape societies and individuals.

Study a degree which develops your arts practice through the expressive world of creative computation. The Masters provides you with the historical foundations, frameworks and critical skills to produce a series of projects for public exhibition.