Postgraduate Studentships - Search for funding opportunities.
Postgraduate Studentships - Search for funding opportunities.
Study Details: 1 year / 45 week programme
Full-time study
The world urgently needs people who can craft impactful narrative experiences creatively and responsibly, whether addressing social inequalities, climate citizenship, or exploring equitable ways to tell stories with people, other species and our planet. With us, you’ll learn to view the world critically, cut through hype and misinformation, and collaborate with others to experiment with how immersive and interactive storytelling can create positive and enduring change.
On the RCA Digital Direction MA, you’ll explore how technologies like VR, AR, AI, games engines, spatial sound and mobile platforms impact diverse storytelling practices, traditions, cultures and audiences. And you’ll look to emerging developments as you consider meaningful ways to communicate with others.
You’ll be encouraged to rethink and reframe what storytelling can be, how it can be combined responsibly with emerging technologies, and how it can be used to bring people together, bridge diverse experiences, confront inequalities, and show more just ways for us to live in – and with – our world.
Our programme will equip you to be a creative thinker, maker and leader in your chosen field. You may opt to work in the arts, technology, journalism, film, media, performance, establish a creative studio or contribute to governmental or non-governmental organisations. Or you may decide to pursue further research, developing new insights into the evolving contexts, methodologies and applications of inclusive, immersive and interactive storytelling.
Candidates are selected entirely on merit and applications are welcomed from all over the world. The selection process considers creativity, imagination and innovation as demonstrated in your portfolio, as well as your potential to benefit from the programme and to achieve high MA standards overall.
You will normally have completed an undergraduate qualification in a relevant subject or be able to evidence equivalent professional experience in fields such as filmmaking, broadcasting, media and communication, fine art, graphic design, sound, music, illustration, theatre, writing, HCI or digital production.
All candidates are required to submit an online portfolio of work to be assessed by the programme team; see below for more detail.
Candidates are selected on the basis of a body of work that demonstrates an advanced understanding of the subject and sufficient technical skill to realise intentions, evidence of commitment to the subject, intellectual curiosity, open-mindedness, the ability to collaborate, to engage in debate and respond to criticism, and the ability to engage in sustained and consistent study. We also look for enthusiasm for your practice and a strong sense of personal responsibility for your own learning and development.
Immersive and interactive storytellers
Digital artists
XR directors
Expanded film and documentary makers
Cross-platform media designers
UI and UX designers
Creative technology developers
Critical writers
Activists and campaigners
Digital visualisers
SFX artists
During Critical Stories (45 credits)
AcrossRCA (30 credits)
Making Worlds with Others (15 credits)
Immersive Enquiries (30 credits)
Independent Research Project (IRP) (60 credits)
Ranked for twelve consecutive years as the world’s number 1 art & design university*, the Royal College of Art’s postgraduate programmes enable yo...
Thu 18 Jun 2026