History of Design - V&A/RCA (Taught)

The V&A/RCA MA History of Design at the RCA offers innovative, interdisciplinary tools to study the history and material culture of design from around c. 1400 to the present. You will work across the RCA and the Victoria & Albert Museum, drawing on museum spaces, archives and public areas to support your research-led learning. The programme emphasises public facing and experimental approaches, combining rigorous scholarship with cross disciplinary collaborations. You will explore design stories globally from textiles, graphic and architectural design, to performance, photography and digital materialities. The programme encourages engagement with urgent issues such as social justice, decolonisation and climate change, helping you articulate your independent research voice.

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.

About RCA:

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.