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 2026/27 entry

Due to recent system issues which may have affected some applicants’ ability to submit an application before the advertised deadline, we have reviewed our application deadlines.

Please note that the previously published application deadline of 3 June 2026 is no longer in place. We have now moved to a rolling review process, and applications will continue to be considered on an ongoing basis. We aim to issue a Stage 1 decision within 15 days of receiving a completed application.

Applicants are welcome to apply at any time using the new single application link below:

Taught Postgraduate Application Form

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.

‍‍Guaranteed review

The final date for receipt of applications where a student needs a visa to study at GSA will be 26 June 2026. Where programmes are over-subscribed, we cannot guarantee to review applications received after this date.

For students who do not require a visa, applications wills tay open until there are no places left on the programme.

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 our PG Cert in Learning and Teaching, whichbegins in January of each year, will open from October 2026 onwards.

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 enrols new students September of each 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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