Megan Clark, MDes Communication Design 2023.

How to apply to our Postgraduate Taught and Research Programmes

Applying to Postgraduate Taught Programmes

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.‍

The following application documents are required forapplications to all programmes:

Completed Online Application Form
Personal Statement (maximum 500 words)
Evidence of Academic Qualifications (official certificates & transcripts)
x1 Academic Reference
Photographic ID (Passport / Driving License / National Identity Card)

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Applicants who require a Student Visa to study in the UK should also submit:

Evidence of English Language Proficency

On receipt of your application form, and completed documents above, applicants will then be invited to upload the following to our Digital Portfolio site.

Digital Portfolio (PDF format, maximum 15 pages)
Portfolio Statement (maxiumum 500 words)

Application and Portfolio Deadlines

Applications for our Postgraduate Taught programmes are considered on a rolling basis. This means there are no fixed application rounds or Digital Portfolio submission deadlines.

Applications are considered throughout the admissions cycle with some programmes becoming full earlier than others. We therefore recommend submitting your application and Digital Portfolio as early as possible.

If you intend to apply for a GSA Scholarship, we recommend that you submit both your completed application form and Digital Portfolio no later than the 28^th of February 2027. This will help ensure that there is sufficient time for your application to be assessed and, if successful, for you to receive an offer in time for scholarship applications opening and awards being made.

Application Process

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Submit Online Application Form and Supporting Documents
To begin the admissions process, you must first submit a completed application form for your chosen programme (see links below). Once we receive your completed application form, and supporting documents, we will issue login details for our Digital Portfolio site within 3 days.

Submitting your Digital Portfolio and Portfolio Statement
‍Once you have received your login details, you can choose when to submit your Digital Portfolio when you feel it is ready for assessment. As applications are considered throughout the admissions cycle, some programmes may fill earlier than others. We therefore recommend submitting your application and Digital Portfolio as early as possible.

Decision Timescale
Once your Digital Portfolio has been submitted, we aim to provide you with a Stage 1 decision within 30 days. Depending on the programme you have applied to, a Stage 1 decision could mean any of the following:

Unsuccessful – your application will not progress to Stage 2 and this marks the end of the assessment process.
Direct Offer – your application has demonstrated sufficient strength at Stage 1 for an offer to be made without the need for further assessment at Stage 2.
Invited to Interview – your application will progress to Stage 2, where further assessment will take place through an interview.

If you progress to Stage 2, we aim to provide you with a decision within 14 days of your interview taking place.

During particularly busy periods, assessment and decision times may take longer. We will process applications as quickly as possible and appreciate your patience during these peak periods.
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‍Online Application Forms for September 2027

School of Design

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School of Fine Art

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School of Innovation & Technology

Mackintosh School of Architecture

‍Graduate Diploma in Art, Design and Creative Practice

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Interdisciplinary

· GraduateDiploma in Art, Design and Creative Practice

‍English Language Proficiency

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 can be found here.

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

A full list of English Language tests that maybe presentedcan be found here.
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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.

Applications for the pre-sessional programme will open later this year. This page will be updated when application open.‍

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GSA Scholarships

Scholarship opportunities and application information for the new admissions cycle will be published later in the year. Some scholarships may require you to hold an offer of study from the GSA before you can apply, so we encourage you to submit your application and Digital Portfolio as early as possible.

Please check our Scholarships page later in the admissions cycle for further information about available scholarships, eligibility and how to apply.

Applying to the 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.

Applying to our Research Programmes

‍Master of Research

Applications for our Master of Research programme can be made online using the application links below.

This programme begins in January of each year, with the next intake being January 2027.

The final date for receipt of applications where a studentneeds a visa to study at GSA is 18 December 2026. For students who do not require a visa, applications will stay open until 8 January 2027.

To apply, you will require:

· Completed MRes Research Proposal Form found here.

· Copies of your Academic Qualifications (final certificates/transcripts)‍

· Two Academic References on headed paper (word count 500 maximum per reference)

· Bibliography (as explained in the MRes Research Proposal Form above)

· If appropriate, submission of a Digital Portfolio in support of the application in PDF format

· Photographic ID (Passport / Driving Licence / National Identity Card)

Applicants who require a Student Visa to study in the UK should also submit:

Evidence of English Language Proficiency

Our current requirement for research degrees is IELTS(Academic) with 6.5 overall and no less than 6.5 in each component orequivalent result. A full list of English Language tests that maybe presented can be found here.

Master of Research Application Links

• MResFull-Time

• MResPart-Time

PhD (Doctoral Study)

The PhD (Doctoral Study) programme can be made online usingthe application links below.

This programme begins in September of each year, with thenext intake being September 2027.

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

Applications received after the above dates will be considered for the next academic year.

For more information on our programme and research schools: Doctoral Study Programme Specification. Please review the Doctoral Study PhD Application Guide for more detailed information on how to complete your research proposal.

To apply, you will require:

· Completed Online Application Form

· Completed GSA Research Proposal Form

· 2 x Academic References (on institutionalheaded paper, signed and dated within six months of your application)

· Transcripts of previous degrees

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

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

Applicants who require a Student Visa to study in the UK should also submit:

· Evidence of English Language Proficiency