How to apply to our Postgraduate Taught and Research Programmes

How to apply to our Postgraduate Taught and Research Programmes

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All applications for postgraduate study are made directly to the GSA. You can find out more about applying for our taught and research programmes below.‍‍

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Applying to Taught Postgraduate Programmes at the GSA

Applications for taught postgraduate programmes are made online. The application documents required for all programmes are as follows

·      Completed Online Application Form

·      Digital Portfolio

·      Personal Statement

·      Evidence of Academic Qualifications (Certified photocopies/Transcripts)

·      Academic References x 2

Applicants who will require a Student Visa to study in theUK should also submit:

·      Evidence of English Language Proficiency e.g.IELTS (if appropriate)

·      Copy of Passport photo page
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‍Application timetable for postgraduate taught programmes for September 2027/28 entry

Application for 2027/28 entry will open in October 2026.

Digital Portfolio

‍Digital Portfolios and supporting visual material must be submitted to our Digital Portfolio site in order for your application to be considered complete.

Applicants will be provided with login details for the GSA Digital Portfolio website within 2 working day of submitting their completed application form.‍‍

English language requirement

The Glasgow School of Art expects all international students to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. A list of English Language entry requirements by programme which can be found here.

Applicants who require a Student Visa, and who are not a national of, nor have obtained a degree in one of the countries on the approved UKVI exemption list, will need to provide evidence of their English language ability through the use of a standardised test.

The GSA’s preferred test is the IELTS for UKVI (Academic) test.

A full list of alternative English Language tests that maybe presented can be found here.

Pre-Sessional English For Creative Disciplines‍

To apply for the Pre-Sessional English for Creative Disciplines course, applicants must have a conditional offer for any GSA programme which requires them to improve on their existing English language skills.

Download the application form here and email it to pre-sessional@gsa.ac.uk along with a copy of your GSA offer letter and current English language qualification.

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Applying to PGCert in Learning and Teaching

Applications for entry to this programme in January 2027 are open from 1 September until 20 November 2026.

Before applying, please read the PGCert Applicant Guide, which contains important information about the programme, entry requirements and application process.

When you are ready to apply, please use the relevant application link below:

• PG Certificate: Learning and Teaching in the Creative Disciplines (60 credits)
• PG Course: Learning Design and Teaching Practice in an Art School (20 credits)

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Applying to our Postgraduate Research Programmes

Master of Research

Applications for our Master of Research programme, which beginsin January of each year, will open from October 2026 onwards.

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‍Doctoral Study

The PhD (Doctoral Study) programme recruits new students year-round with the academic year commencing in September of each year.

The final date for receipt of applications where a student needs a visa to study at GSA for the 2026/2027 academic year is 30 June 2026. For students who do not require a visa, applications will stay open until 31 August 2026.

Applications received after the above dates will be considered for the 2027/2028 academic year.

For more information on our programme and research schools: Doctoral Study Programme Specification.

To apply, you will require:

·      A completed Postgraduate Research Application Form

·      A completed GSA Research Proposal Form

·      2 x Academic references (on institutional headed paper, signed and dated within six months of your application)

·      Transcripts of previous degrees

·      An English Language Qualification. Our current requirement for doctoral study is IELTS for UKVI (Academic) with 6.5 overall and no less than 6.5 in each component.

·      A 1,000 word writing sample from all applicants (this should be a recent or new example of academic or critical writing, e.g. essay, article, review)

·      A portfolio of recent work (if your application is for practice-led PhD)

Please review the Doctoral Study PhD Application Guide  for more detailed information on how to complete your research proposal.

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