Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
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Glasgow
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Email:admissions@rcs.ac.uk
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Arts Leadership and Fundraising (Taught)
- MFA (PG)
- 16 Months
- Distance learning (full-time)
- 24/08/2026
- Postgraduate
- Main Site
- Course scheme
- UCAS Conservatoires
Course summary
The application deadline for this programme is the 31st March 2026
This MFA programme will empower you to elevate your skills in leadership, management and sustainable business practices.
Join us from anywhere in the world – the programme can be completed entirely online or combined with in-person residency intensives. You also have the option to take accredited short courses to add to your learning experience and enrich your personalised journey.
The programme is delivered in modules, where you’ll be supported by RCS lecturers and industry experts to critically engage with your practice and to refine your identity as thinker, maker and leader. Core to the programme is the exploration and critical thinking around contemporary leadership and management theory, enabling you to upskill, reskill or take your career forward as a change-maker in the arts.
You will be part of a thriving and collaborative learning community with opportunities to share thinking, challenge assumptions and develop your distinctive competencies within a supported framework.
We welcome applications from a range of creative disciplines and backgrounds. You’ll have strong technical skills in your specialist practice but will work in RCS’s multidisciplinary environment, opening up the potential for cross-collaboration that reflects the nature of the creative industries.
Enjoy being part of a dynamic international community at RCS, a global leader in performing and production arts education, where you’ll build a professional network to develop your career.
Why Study Arts Leadership and Fundraising at RCS?
*Are you an entrepreneurial thinker, looking to launch your own start-up and see your innovative ideas take flight? Maybe you’re working in the arts and ready to upskill or take your career to the next level.
*If you are creative, curious and seeking a new challenge – the MFA Arts Leadership and Fundraising programme is for you. The blended programme focuses on contemporary arts practice to prepare you for a sustainable career in the performing and production arts.
*You’ll position your practice in relation to emerging industry contexts, policy environments and ethical and wellbeing responsibilities as a leader, maker, manager or producer.
*Develop specialist skills and knowledge to thrive in your professional life – confident and resilient, inspired in your practice, and people-centred in your approach.
This programme is subject to validation for Academic Year 2026 - 2027
Course details
Principal study options
During the application and audition process, you must select which instrument(s) you wish to specialise in for the duration of your course. On this course, you can choose from the following options:
Main specialism
Only one specialism is studied. It may be possible to study a further instrument, but this will not contribute towards the qualification.
Instrument/specialisms
For all courses, you must select at least one specialism from the 'primary' list. For those studying primary/secondary pathways, two instruments may be selected – one from the 'primary' list and one from the 'secondary' list. Joint pathway students may select any two instruments from either list.
Primary instrument/specialism
- General Arts Management
Modules
Please see our website for more information about the programme
Assessment method
Please see our website for more information about the programme
How to apply
If you are an international applicant, or you are applying for a postgraduate course, or are choosing certain assessment locations, the 'on time' deadline may be later in the year - please contact the conservatoire directly.
Apply by
14 January
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application codes
- Course code:
- 223F
- Institution code:
- R58
- Campus name:
- Main Site
- Campus Code:
- -
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
International applicants
Currently around 20% of our students come from outside the UK. Between them, they represent over 55 different nationalities and add a rich diversity to the Conservatoire.
Entry requirements
As the second cycle of higher education, postgraduate study represents a continuation of learning, training and/or experience rather than a beginning. As such, many of our applicants will have a degree qualification either in an arts subject, or in business or management.
However, we recognise that traditional application processes, which show a bias towards prior learning and achievement, can perpetuate existing societal inequities, favouring those who already benefit. For this reason, we embrace the principles of widening access and participation and, whilst prior qualifications and experience may be taken into account, our application process places emphasis on students’ values, potential and readiness for Master’s level study.
This is in accordance with the RCS Admissions Policy (including the Contextualised Admissions Policy).
Additional entry requirements
- Interview
- Portfolio
English language requirements
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 7 | 7.0 with a minimum score of 7.0 in speaking and no component below 6.5 |
| TOEFL (iBT) | 94 | Overall score of 94, with minimum component scores of: Reading – 19, Listening – 20, Speaking – 23, Writing – 24 |
| PTE Academic | 66 | Overall score of 66 with a minimum of 66 in speaking and no component below 62 |
| Cambridge English Advanced | Overall score of 185 with a minimum of 185 in speaking and no component below 176 | |
| Cambridge English Proficiency | Overall score of 185 with a minimum of 185 in speaking and no component below 176 |
More information about our language requirements can be found at the weblink. https://www.rcs.ac.uk/study/international-students/english-requirements/
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
No fee information has been provided for this course
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.
Additional fee information
Fees are variable depending on the mode of study. Please consult the Conservatoire's website for more information: https://www.rcs.ac.uk/study/fees-funding/fees/
All new students are required to pay associated programme cost related fees at the start of their studies.
Please note, all tuition fees per year are subject to an annual review.
Sponsorship information
There are currently no internal scholarships available for this programme. More information about our fees and funding can be found here: https://www.rcs.ac.uk/study/fees-funding/
Related courses
At Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
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