MA Contemporary Art Practice

To provide prospective students with opportunities to find out about the RCA experience and programmes we run a number of on-campus and online open days  as well as events in various countries around the world. You can find out about upcoming events or watch replays of past open days on the  RCA website .

Contemporary Art Practice (CAP) at the Royal College of Art is a cutting-edge MA programme in the School of Arts & Humanities that is driven by a post-medium, critical approach to the making and reception of art, where theory and practice come together to form new ways of responding to the contemporary world. The programme supports the development of your art practice within a responsive, dialogical and critical context with an emphasis on wider political issues – interrogating art production in relation to urgent socio-political contexts as well as questioning and redefining practice.

CAP supports ambitious, exploratory and research-driven artists, with programme specialisms in critical, speculative and social art practices, moving images, performance, writing and techno aesthetics.

Our approach to Contemporary Art Practice is not determined by either technology or material, and CAP students create work using any media possible: from images, installations and moving image works, to publications and sonic art, participatory events, 3D modelling and VR, writing and performance. The programme offers a flexible environment that supports collective and peer-led learning.

How will I learn?

The MA in Contemporary Art Practice offers a discursive environment in which to discuss contemporary issues for thinking about, making and presenting contemporary art supported by individual tutorials, group critiques, lectures, seminars and workshops that take place across the year. Units are tailored to nurture the development of your art practice from the earliest manifestations of ideas through to platforms for exhibition and making public, whilst also providing the skills required to be able to situate your practice within current dialogues and debates. Supported individual learning is complemented by generative workshops and collaborative events and exhibitions, with critical feedback offered throughout the degree from world-leading contemporary artists, writers and curators.

The MA in Contemporary Art Practice is premised on an understanding that artists, makers, writers, curators, critics and historians today are concerned with the function, contribution and work of the artist and art’s potential to reflect upon and intervene in the world. CAP research clusters, reading groups, collaborations, group crits, generative workshops and seminars interconnect with one-to-one tutorials and technical support as well as the School and College-wide teaching units to create an innovative, dynamic and responsive habitat for new approaches to thinking, making and exhibition of contemporary art practices.

Meet the RCA

We host a range on online and on-campus open days as well as recruitment event in cities around the world. These events can include 1-to-1 meets and portfolio advice, informal chats, presentations and sessions with staff, students and alumni. Check the  Check the RCA event webpage for details of upcoming events.

Next on-campus open day: Saturday 20 January, 2024.

Make change at the world’s #1 university for art and design.

The Royal College of Art is the world’s leading art and design university, having been ranked for eight consecutive years as the world’s number 1 art & design university in the QS World University subject rankings (2015-2023). Our postgraduate programmes enable you to tackle complex issues, push the boundaries of your practice, build your networks, and find your voice as a professional in a changing world.

Committed to creating the next generation of artists, designers, researchers, creators, and innovators, the RCA’s world-leading academic staff will guide and challenge you to push the boundaries of your practice. As the world’s largest community of postgraduate art and design students, you will be part of a collective of inspirational creative peers opening up new opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration. The RCA offers a Graduate Diploma conversion program and Master’s, MPhil, MRes, and PhD degrees. Based on the four Schools of Architecture, Arts & Humanities, Communication, and Design, the broad range of disciplines on offer is based on a strong foundation of practice-based research and integrates STEAM subjects - Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics - providing a unique and transformative experience.

"I mainly expected this experience to help me develop my architectural skills, however, it has given me much more than just that. It has transformed the way I think as an individual as well as an architect and helped me make decisions about my future career." Ameneh Solati, MA Architecture, 2015 -17

Our Global Creative Community

Students come to the College from across the globe and bring with them a wide range of backgrounds, educational approaches, and experiences - Due to the cross-disciplinary nature of our work, and our growing range of courses, nearly 25% of students now come to the RCA with a Bachelor's degree in a subject other than art and design. Studying here means you'll be part of a network of inspiring students in a city known for creative culture, and part of the RCA’s rich history since its formation in 1837. Both the RCA and London as a whole are hubs of activity; full of places where you can socialize, explore, and make new discoveries.

Our London campus is spread throughout the heart of one of the world’s most creative cities, with sites in the historic surroundings of Kensington, the future-thinking hub of White City, and the cultural quarter in Battersea. Our facilities and technical equipment are amongst the best of their kind in the world and support students in their explorations of the creative possibilities of both new and innovative and traditional craft skills.

Scholarships and funding

The RCA offers a wide range of scholarships and bursary schemes, open to UK and International students, and across our full range of courses. Visit our website for more information about our schemes and how to apply for them. There are also Government funded options for both our Master's degrees and our doctoral research Programmes (for UK students).

Where will the RCA take you?

Whatever your creative career aspirations, the RCA can help you realize them. A qualification from the world’s number-one ranked university for Art and design has proven invaluable to the careers and practice of thousands of graduates . You too could be part of our international network of creative individuals who have shaped, and continue to shape, the world surrounding us, and address some of the biggest global challenges of our time.