The following deadlines for submitting an application have indicative dates for receiving a response below. Staff will make their best efforts to respond in line with these indicative dates. If for any reason you have not received a response in line with these dates please contact admissions@gsa.ac.uk to receive an update on your application. If you have submitted an incomplete application or there are issues with accessing your portfolio or other online documents this may also delay a response to your application.

Early applications are encouraged since subsequent rounds may close if places become full.

Submitted          Deadline to Apply

Round 1                8 November 2024   20th January 2023 (Decision by 13 December 2024)

Round 2               24 January 2025 (Decision by 7 March 2025)

Round 3               7 March 2025 (Decision by 25 April 2025)

Round 4               6 June 2025 (Decision by 18 July 2025)

Round 5               Applications received after the 6 June 2025 will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Further details on application deadlines can be found here.

Guaranteed Review
All complete applications received by the Round 2 deadlines above will be reviewed. Where programmes are over-subscribed, we cannot guarantee to review applications received after this date. The final date for receipt of applications where a student needs a visa to study at GSA will be 28 June 2025. For students who do not require a visa, applications will stay open until there are no places left on the programme.

Scholarships
Students wishing to apply for a GSA Scholarship should ensure their application is submitted by the Round 2 deadlines above. This ensures they have time to receive an offer of their place, which is required in advance of submitting a scholarship application.

Guidelines to apply for the Master in Design in Communication Design are available here.

The Masters of Design in Graphic Design, Masters of Design in Illustration and Masters of Design in Photography are each distinct pathways within a one year intensive master’s programme (180 Credits). The focus of your study is specific to the discipline applied for and does not include the other pathways in your study. A prior undergraduate degree in the specialist area applied for is required for the one-year programmes. Applicants interested in exploring cross-disciplinary practice or transitioning to another discipline should consider the 2-year Masters in Communication Design (240 Credits) programme. Masters of Design in Graphic Design requires an undergraduate degree with honours in Graphic Design or a related study in Visual Communication, Communication Design or typography. Masters of Design in Illustration requires an undergraduate degree with honours in Illustration, or a related study in Visual Communication or Communication Design. Relevant fine art practice may also be considered such as painting or printmaking. Masters of Design in Photography requires an undergraduate degree with honours in Photography, or a related study in Visual Communication, Communication Design, film-making or other lens based discipline. The programme aims to furnish students with the research skills and methods for stimulating innovative design practices through a combination of tutorials, seminars, workshops, and autonomous design and research projects equipping graduates with the practical and intellectual skills to apply their practice in social, economic, and technological contexts. Delivered via a series of taught workshops, tutorials, set and elective projects, lecture and seminar-based sessions and self-directed learning, the emphasis of the programme rationale is on the contemporary practices of communication design, underpinned by theoretical research, and the social, technological, and economic contexts of contemporary design practices.

All GSA degree programmes are validated by the University of Glasgow.

Staff will advise on the best options based on your application at interview if you are offered a place on the programmes.

Master of Design (MDes) in Graphic Design (Discipline specific pathway)

Master of Design (MDes) in Illustration (Discipline specific pathway)

Master of Design (MDes) in Photography (Discipline specific pathway)

Application Guidelines for 2025 Entry are available here.

GSA expects applicants to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. International applicants will normally be expected to provide evidence of attainment equivalent to IELT for UKVI (Academic) from a UKVI approved test centre. School of Design programmes require a score of 6.5 overall, with a minimum of 6.0 in each component.

European Union applicants are not normally required to provide IELTS to apply but should still have a level of English that is sufficient for study in English.

Fees for Academic Year 2025/26 (starting September 2025)

Details on fees are available at the GSA website here

Scottish (Home) Students, Rest of UK Students
England, Wales and Northern Ireland (including Channel Isles and Isle of Man) and Students from the Republic of Ireland

→ One-year taught Masters programmes (excluding those listed below) £10,500.

→Two-year taught Masters £10,500 annual fee for each year of study. Fee will be the same in both years of study.

International Postgraduate Students

→ One-year taught Masters programmes (excluding those listed below) – £25,900

→Two-year taught Masters programmes – £25,900 annual fee for each year of study. Fee will be the same in both years.

Discount

If you have completed your undergraduate degree at the GSA, or you have attended as a Study Abroad Exchange student, you are eligible for a 20% discount on postgraduate programme fees. This discount also applies to RUK – England, Wales and Northern Ireland (including Channel Isles and Isle of Man),the Republic of Ireland and International students.

Please note, students progressing from GSA BArch(Hons) study to Diploma of Architecture are eligible for a 10% Alumni discount.

Deposits

When you have accepted your offer of a place to study at the GSA you will be required to pay a deposit which is a prepayment of part of your annual tuition fee:

International

→ 25% of total tuition fee for international students

‍Home/RUK

→10% for Scottish and RUK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.

Your deposit will be deducted from the balance of your tuition fees on enrolment. Please note we will not be able to issue a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) for visa processing or guarantee your place until the deposit is paid.  Any offer made to a prospective student will be subject to the condition that the School will require payment of tuition fees in respect of each academic year of the student’s period of study at the School.

Students on the 2-year MDes Communication Design programme may apply to exchange study in The University of the Arts, Tokyo, Japan (Geidai) at the start of their second year of study. Applicants are assessed for suitability for the exchange.

This is not an option that is available on the 1-year pathways in MDes Graphics/Illustration/Photography.

Yes, a pre-sessional English for Creative Disciplines is offered to applicants who have been offered a place on the programme.
Details of that programme can be found here. An additional fee is required for this programme. Former students have found the pre-sessional programme helpful not just in improving their language skills but in the cultural transition to a different education system prior to beginning study.

Programme Overview

The Pre-Sessional English for Creative Disciplines course is a discipline-specialist language and study skills course tailored to the needs of international students who have been offered a place on an undergraduate or postgraduate programme at GSA on the condition that they improve their English up to a level required by a given GSA programme. It is an intensive and demanding course that offers a unique opportunity to study English and essential academic skills in the context of the creative disciplines (Art, Design and Architecture), their specialist learning methodologies, practices and processes. This means the course is different from conventional language courses that, for example, focus on exam preparation, grammar or vocabulary practice. The course combines content and language to create optimal conditions for contextualised language practice as well as inquiry and project-based learning to help the students develop as creative practitioners and life-long language learners. Based on the feedback from past students and GSA programme leaders, such an innovative approach is appreciated and crucial in allowing the students to transition successfully onto their prospective programmes.