Information for offer holders

Congratulations on your RCA offer! Every year competition to join the RCA is extremely high. We hope you feel proud of this momentous achievement.

Studying at the RCA is the starting point for the world's creative leaders and we can’t wait to welcome you to our vibrant and inspiring community.

You will have received your official offer letter by email from the RCA Admissions mailbox and will be titled “Royal College of Art: Offer Notification – 2024 Entry”. This letter will provide you with both the details and conditions of your offer.

Please read the offer letter carefully before making your decision. If you have not yet received it, please contact us at [email protected]

How to accept your offer

It’s important that you respond to your offer as soon as possible so we can reserve your place.

To get started, log into the portal using the username and password you set up when you made your application. You can access the portal here.

You will be able to see your applications and their current status in the ‘My Applications’ section of the portal. This is where you can respond to your offer.

The process for accepting your offer is simple and is outlined across two key documents.

• Firstly, you’ll have received your Offer Holder Letter which will provide you with both the details and conditions of your offer.
• Secondly, you’ll now have access to your Offer Holder Pack where you will find step-by-step instructions on accepting your offer.

Download your Offer Holder Pack:

• Offer Holder Pack: Home (PDF) or a plain text version of the pack (MS Word)
• Offer Holder Pack: International (PDF) or a plain text version of the pack (MS Word)

Steps to accept your offer

The key steps to accepting your offer are outlined in the Offer Holder pack and include:

• Formally accepting your offer
• Paying your deposit to reserve your place
• Uploading your documents
• Inputing your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)* Information (International students only)
• Paying your fees

For more information about Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) see CAS Number FAQs.

Quick links to forms you may need to complete

• If you are an international student: Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) Number checklist (PDF, 146kb)* – upload the completed form and supporting documents to the admissions portal.
• For students contesting their fees status or those with undetermined fees status: Fees status questionnaire (PDF, 348kb)– email the completed form to [email protected].
• For students who are not currently able to provide a formal transcript or certificate showing their degree qualification: Confirmation of Previous qualifications (MS Word, 35kb).

See our Programme Specifications 2024/25 page for a full list of programme specifications for:

• Academic Development Office
• Intelligent Mobility
• School of Architecture
• School of Arts and Humanities
• School of Communications
• School of Design

Once you've accepted your offer you need to get enrolled. You can find a step-by-step process to getting enrolled on our Accepting an offer and enrolment page.

Student Finance Registration (for UK students)

If you are in receipt of Student Finance from the Student Loans Company, we will confirm your registration to Student Finance once you are fully enrolled at the RCA. You will receive an email from Registry once you are enrolled. You must be enrolled before the end of Friday 30 August to ensure you will receive your first instalment on 9 September. If you enrol after 30 August you will receive your first instalment approximately five to ten working days after you receive the email from Registry confirming you have successfully enrolled.

If you are receiving a Postgraduate Loan or Doctoral Loan, you can pay your fee in 3 instalments in line with your Postgraduate/Doctoral Loan payments (i.e. September 2024, January 2025 and May 2025). Please be aware your Postgraduate/Doctoral Loan may not cover the full cost of your fees.

Home students studying MA Architecture (Part 2) may be eligible to apply for a fee loan to cover their fees. If you have an approved fee loan in place at the point of enrolment which covers your full fees, you will be enrolled and you will not be required to make any fee payments.

• For any questions about enrolment, please email [email protected]
• For any questions about Student Finance, please email [email protected]
• For any questions about fee payments, please email [email protected]

Scholarships

Find out more information about RCA scholarships as well as other advice to fund your studies.

If you have already accepted an offer of an RCA scholarship but do not see this reflected in your fees invoice dont' worry. Your account will be automatically updated with any fee amounts covered once the formal scholarship agreements have been issued and returned throughout August.

Fee status

The College is bound by the Education (Fees and Awards) (England) Regulations 2007 when assessing fee status. For more information please see the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) England - HE fee status. If you do not believe the fees status listed in your offer letter is correct, you must notify the Admissions team within five weeks of the letter to request a fee status questionnaire. Detail of how to request a fee status questionnaire are included in the offer letter.

Additional fees

In addition to your programme fees, please be aware that you may incur other additional costs associated with your study during your time at RCA. Additional costs can include purchases and services (without limitation): costs related to the purchase of books, paints, textiles, wood, metal, plastics and/or other materials in connection with your programme, services related to the use of printing and photocopying, lasercutting, 3D printing and CNC. Costs related to attending compulsory field trips, joining student and sport societies and your Convocation (graduation) ceremony. 

If you wish to find out more about what type of additional costs you may incur while studying on your programme, please contact the Head of your Programme to discuss or ask at an online or in person Open Event.   

We provide the RCASHOP online, and at our Kensington and Battersea Campuses – this is open to students and staff of the Royal College of Art only to provide paid for materials to support your studies. 

We also provide support to our students who require financial assistance whilst studying, including a dedicated Materials Fund.

It’s important that everything is ready for your arrival. We’ve put together an essential checklist of things you’ll need to consider here, along with lots of useful information about your arrival in the UK.

The RCA subscribes to the fantastic University of London Housing Services (UoLHS), an expert organisation that supports students with all matters concerned with accommodation.

Simply register here so you can access all their services and events.

Contact [email protected] if you need help at any stage.

English language requirements

If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country, you will need to demonstrate that you have a reasonable knowledge of the English language. For more information see our English Language Requirements page.

English for Academic Purposes (EAP)

We offer two intensive online pre-sessional courses before the main RCA programmes begin, to support you in getting ready to communicate at the appropriate level and with effective skills for your degree. Please find the dates and further information here.

If you are a student visa holder please note you will only be able to arrive in the UK after your visa application has been granted, and only from the start date of your student visa/entry clearance vignette.

It is not possible to travel to the UK while your visa application is still under consideration by the Home Office. If you arrive before the start date on your student visa or vignette you will have to leave the UK (and the Common Travel Area) and return after the start date in order for your visa to be 'activated'.

If you are unsure you can send a photo of your visa outcome letter or entry clearance vignette to [email protected]

Find out information for international students, from immigration advice and pre-arrival information.

Visa application issues

If you have received a refusal after a student visa application, you must inform the Student Support team and the Admissions team as soon as possible.

Please send a scan of your entire refusal notice paperwork to Admissions and Student Support Office, and individuals in the teams will help you through the next steps.

Email us at [email protected]

Programme staff will be in touch during the summer to let you know more about any pre-arrival tasks and reading lists.

We will also send you details on how to access Moodle – our centralised platform for everything you’ll need during your time at the RCA. Moodle will help you with college-wide information, such as accessing Student Support and RCA services.

As you wait to begin your studies, you will also be able to access our Orientation Course – a ‘one-stop shop’ for the information you will need to get going at the RCA.

Further communication will be sent to you ahead of the start of term to confirm how to access your timetable including dates, times and locations for introduction sessions. The start of term will be from Monday 9 September 2024.

Welcome events

As soon as you are fully enrolled, your programme will email you details of any programme welcome activities around starting your course.

Our Student Support and Students’ Union teams will also host a series of Welcome events during Welcome Week (9-13 September 2024).

Keep an eye on your inbox in August for more information from the College sharing all the details about our Welcome Week events for new students.

Your programme can be contacted via email if you have any questions, which can be found on the relevant programme page.

The RCA has three campuses in central London based in Kensington, White City and Battersea.

You will be based in one campus alongside your programme but you are welcome to travel between campuses and enjoy the shared spaces and cafes.

You will have access to all three campuses during term time opening hours.

A free shuttle bus service connects our campuses.

You can find the locations of our programmes and campuses in 2023/24 here. Please note these may change in 2024/25.

Studios and workshops

The RCA is home to a number of state-of-the-art specialised studios and workshops which you will be able to access during your programme.

Please note, you will have priority access to programme specific facilities and guided access to others should that be required. This is different for each programme.

When you join the RCA, you will gain access to various resources, including Technical Services, the RCA Library, Intranet and Moodle.

Technical services

Technical Services comprises staff, equipment and resources college-wide.

We provide specialist technical expertise and equipment to help all students realise their potential at the RCA. These resources are accessed through a virtual learning platform which enables technical orientations, inductions, bookings and consultations, allowing students full autonomy so they can guide their own learning process.

A selection of our dedicated resources includes: Digital Making, Printmaking, XR & Creative Coding, Fashion & Textiles, Future Materials, Robotics, Applied Arts and Media Studios

Technical services also offers a selection of core open access services which include Digital Print Labs, Computer and Technology zones, Media resource stores and College shops.

RCA Library

Once you are fully enrolled you will automatically become a member of the RCA Library and can borrow books and access our online resources. You will receive an induction to Library services as part of the welcome events in your first week.

The Library is located in the Frayling building at the Kensington campus and is open Monday - Friday 09:00 - 21:00, Saturday 10:00 - 17:00 during term time.

In addition, we have the Monday Charity Library reading room space in the Studio Building at the Battersea campus.

Online resources

RCA Library Search

RCA Library Search is an excellent starting point and includes a large proportion of what we have access to. It covers a wide range of disciplines, hence why you will have subject-specific resources (ie databases and platforms that focus on a particular subject).

Intranet

The intranet will be your go to site for the latest up to date information about the College and its students, staff and alumni. You will also find news and events here including opportunities to get involved with prizes, exhibitions, and community projects.

Moodle

Moodle is where you will go to find out information specific to your programme and School as well as resources and technical services. You can see your calendar, book into workshops and courses and access staff from departments such as Student Support, the Library and IT.

Where the intranet provides information at a College wide level, Moodle is specific to your particular needs. Here you can see what your calendar looks like for the next week, book into do some screen printing or speak to Student Support regarding access needs.

Student Support Centre

At the RCA we are committed to building a sense of belonging, pride and community within our student body by putting students at the heart of everything we do. Our Student Centre is located on the ground floor of the Stevens Building, Kensington.

The Student Centre will be open from 10am - 4pm Monday to Friday in Kensington. There are also weekly pop-ups run by the Student Support team in Battersea and White City.

The Student Centre is your first point of contact for help and questions relating to course enquiries, student support, fees, financial support, health/wellbeing, student/bank letters, IT, and ID cards The Student Centre can help you with a range of administrative tasks, as well as providing you with advice and guidance to support your studies.

The Student Centre brings together student facing services including student support, registry enquiries, student letters, student finance enquiries, international student support, mental health and wellbeing support, IT enquiries, estates issues, and wayfinding to help you navigate RCA.

If we can't solve your query, we can get you to the team or colleague who can.

Student Support team

Our Student Support team offers advice, information, and support to all RCA students and offer-holders. You can find out about the range of confidential support available here.

Support for international students

International students have access to support from the College which covers everything from immigration advice and pre-arrival information. You can find this information here.

It’s important to look after your health while studying at the Royal College of Art. We have partnered with Imperial College Health Centre (ICHC) to offer all students NHS medical care services regardless of postcode or catchment area.

Once you are fully enrolled, and in the UK, you can register with the health centre using this quick online registration form.

Imperial College Health Centre is within a short walkable distance from our Kensington campus. The team is well-versed in supporting and registering students from Imperial College and the Royal College of Music.

The practice provides a comprehensive, holistic, student-focused service, covering a range of health services delivered by a multidisciplinary team. An in-house psychology service is available too. Consultations can be face-to-face, via telephone, video and online to suit the needs of students.

See also our section on healthcare on our Before you arrive in the UK page.

At the College, we champion an environment of mutual respect, where inclusion is valued and respected, and where innovation, creativity and diversity can flourish.

Our Student Charter is our commitment between the members of our community (students, staff and visitors) and is underpinned by the RCA values which provide a framework for the way we work and operate together.

Read the Student Charter here.

The RCA stands firmly against unlawful discrimination in all its forms against staff, students and visitors with protected characteristics as set out in the Equality Act 2010 (age, sex (gender), sexual orientation, race, religion or belief, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity). In addition, we will not tolerate discrimination on the grounds of any other characteristics or circumstances including, but not limited to: ethnic or national origin, socio-economic background and trade union membership status.

The College is committed to fostering a positive culture where all staff, students, and visitors can flourish and where no-one will feel compelled to conceal or play down elements of their identity for fear of being stigmatised. Our staff have the right to work and our students the right to study in an environment which is free from bullying and harassment and gives them the dignity and respect to which they are entitled.

The College is committed to eradicating unlawful discrimination, will promote equality, diversity and respect for all and create an environment where individual differences and contributions are recognised and valued, in our policies and procedures as well as in the way that we communicate and engage with each other.

More details can be found on our Equality and Diversity page.

As an organisation, the College contributes to global challenges of sustainability and climate change through our behaviour and activities and via the work of our staff, students, researchers, alumni and innovation start ups. The RCA’s Environmental Policy highlights its approach to sustainability and net zero ambitions on an operational level.

Read more about sustainability at the RCA here and our Environmental Policy here.

Getting involved

There are several ways you can get involved in, and learn more about, sustainability at the RCA:

• Participating in AcrossRCA
• Joining SustainLab
• Reading more on the RCA’s approach to sustainability
• Considering the environmental impact of your work throughout your programme, from conception and design to making and display.

Blended Learning - Learning that involves a combination of on-campus and online activities.

Briefings - A session that presents key information to students.

Contact hours - Scheduled staff-led time that encourages interaction and should allow opportunities for formal or informal feedback for learners.

Credits - Credits are awarded to a learner in recognition of the verified achievement of learning outcomes at a specified level. At the RCA one credit is equivalent to 10 notional learning hours. As such, a unit that involves 300 hours of learning will be assigned 30 credits. An RCA Master's degree involves 180 credits

Crit - Crits (short for ‘critique’ or ‘critical review’) are group reviews of student work, facilitated by staff.

Group Tutorial - A scheduled session between a group of students and staff to review academic progress.

Independent Research Project - A 60-credit concluding unit in which students engage in an extended period of independent research that results in the production of a major thesis/project that demonstrates intellectual engagement, technical skills and professional development.

Individual Tutorials - A one-to-one meeting between a student and a member of staff to review academic progress and direct them towards pastoral support where necessary.

Lectures - An educational talk given by academic staff and/or invited guests to an audience of students.

Learning Outcomes - Learning outcomes are statements of what a learner is expected to know and/or understand, and be able to demonstrate after completion of a process of learning.

Offsite Visits - An external visit delivered as part of the curriculum.

Projects - A task given to students as part of a unit of study.

Seminars - A group discussion led by a member of staff that focuses on a theme.

Study Hours - The overall amount of time that students commit to learning as part of a unit or programme of study. This includes both contact hours and self-directed learning.

Technical consultations - A scheduled session providing technical support for a specific student project. This is arranged by negotiation.

Technical Inductions - A session that enables students to use technical facilities safely and responsibly.

Technical Orientation - A session offering students an overview of a technical service and how to access it.

Technical Workshops - An interactive group session that focuses on the development of a particular technical process or skill.

Unit - A self-contained learning experience with an explicit set of aims, learning outcomes and assessment outcomes. Units will be either 15, 30 or 45 credits (with the exception of the 60-credit Independent Research Project).

Virtual Learning Environment - A digital platform that provides access to educational information, resources and activities.

Workshops - An interactive group session that focuses on the development of a particular process or skill.