Founded in 1845 as one of the first Government Schools of Design, The Glasgow School of Art has grown to become one of Europe's pre-eminent institutions for creative education and research in fine art, design and architecture. 

Located in the centre of Glasgow, Scotland's largest city, the GSA is Scotland's only independent art school and one of a small number in the United Kingdom and our creative community comprises just over 1900 students and approximately 350 staff.  Our staff and students form a global creative community, with nearly 20% of our students coming from outside the UK.

Undergraduate students study within 10 specialist fine art, design or digital departments or within the internationally renowned Mackintosh School of Architecture.  Undergraduate students make up the largest part of our student community.

Our postgraduate community is focused within the Graduate School, delivering a range of taught masters and research programmes.  We have over 20 taught postgraduate and research degrees programme, and the GSA's Graduate School has one of the UK's largest postgraduate communities in creative education.

Our taught masters programmes include the internationally renowned multidisciplinary Master of Fine Art, animation, sound for moving image, medical visualisation and human anatomy, fashion and textiles, design innovation, communication design and architecture.  Our programmes provide a range of specialist and multi-disciplinary routes for study at advanced level.

For many people the GSA is about the drive and standing of our academic staff, past and present, who create the energetic and dynamic environment in which new ideas can flourish. Academic staff such as Professor Paul Anderson, Director of the Digital Design Studio, leading on medical visualisation, Doug Pritchard, working with Historic Scotland on the Scottish 10, Professor Thomas Joshua Cooper, internationally renowned fine art photographer, cited by the Observer newspaper as the greatest living landscape photographer, Professor Alastair Macdonald, Senior Researcher in the School of Design, exploring inclusive design and the new dynamics of ageing and Dr Masa Noguchi, lecturer in architectural technology researching mass customisation in sustainable affordable housing.

For many, the name of the GSA is synonymous with Charles Rennie Mackintosh, one of the most influential artist, designer, architects of the late 19th and early 20th century.

An alumnus of the School and architect of our main building, Mackintosh is one of a stream of intensely creative and innovative graduates, generations of successful and distinguished artists, designers and architects who have influenced and continue to influence world culture and creativity.