Overview

At the MDes Design Futures at the Royal College of Art you’ll develop a transdisciplinary approach to your design practice and strengthen your research methodology so you can refine your thinking. You might come to this programme with an established design practice that you want to push further; or from outside traditional design fields, but with a desire to integrate design tools into your work.

Key facts

Become involved with projects that open new ways of thinking about design. Start bold conversations about the future. Embrace uncertainty and complexity. You’ll learn how to help people visualise alternatives and to make a positive response towards a more sustainable future.

Through your independent research project, you can focus on social and environmental challenges that matter to you. You’ll also develop your entrepreneurial skills for professional contexts and strategies for taking your ideas forward.

The Design Futures MDes can be studied as a full-time or a part-time programme.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

In Term 1 you take Research Methodologies, providing a toolkit to tackle diverse, future-focused issues, and Complex Systems, introducing leverage points, wicked problems, causal loops, and systems thinking. You also choose one school-wide and one college-wide elective to engage with cross-disciplinary approaches across the RCA.

In Term 2, Envisioning Futures combines futures methodologies with digital and analogue design techniques to explore speculative, multi-scenario futures. You also work on your Independent Research Project: Proposal, developing your research question and planning your project, alongside one school-wide and one college-wide elective.

In Term 3, you take Independent Research Project: Realisation, where you deliver a body of work that explores your chosen future scenario or design question, supported through tutorials, seminars, and critique.

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 12 months
Part-time
- 24 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-09-14 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-06-03 00:00:00

More details

Applications are now open for September 2026 entry. Round 2 application deadline: 17 March 2026, 12:00 (UK time). Round 3 deadline: Wednesday 3 June 2026(12:00)

Language

English

IELTS

6.5

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Credits

180 alternative credits

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

London, United Kingdom

Disciplines

Environmental Engineering Industrial Design Design View 394 other Masters in Design in United Kingdom

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Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

IELTS

6.5

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Other requirements

General requirements

We welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds and from all over the world.
RCA alumni come from a wide range of backgrounds and industries, bringing diverse experiences including those unrelated to art, which enrich the creative community and drive fresh perspectives.
As part of your application, you may need to submit:
- A portfolio showcasing your work and artistic vision.
- A personal statement (around 300 words) describing your interests, motivations, and future goals.
- An introduction video (maximum 2 minutes) to introduce yourself and explain your artistic approach and project ideas.
To help you prepare your application, we host regular portfolio and video Q&A sessions. Please visit the RCA website to learn more about these events and to register.
Please refer to the programme webpage for the most accurate and up to date information on entry requirements for this programme.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

39200 GBP / year

≈ 39200 GBP / year
Domestic Applies to you

Applies to you

Citizens or residents

15600 GBP / year

≈ 15600 GBP / year

Additional Details

Please refer to the programe webpage for the most up-to-date information on tuition fees, deposits, and additional costs for both home and overseas/ EU students

Living costs

London

United Kingdom

1137 - 2157 GBP / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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 here: https://www.rca.ac.uk/study/apply-to-study/funding-your-studies/rca-scholarships-and-awards/

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

In order for us to give you accurate scholarship information, we ask that you please confirm a few details and create an account with us.

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for Design Futures.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

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About

Overview

Key facts

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic Applies to you

Additional Details

Living costs

London

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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