MA in Sound Practice

The Sound Practice MA at the RCA is a new programme, with its first intake in September 2027, exploring sound as a creative and artistic force through which to engage with the world. You investigate how listening and sound-making can transform creative practice and open up new social and political possibilities, working across disciplines and cultures. Through approaches including aural diversity, polisonics, forensic, insurgent and deep listening, you experiment with techniques and tools such as 3D sound, ultrasonics, hydrosonics, instrument building, audio description, live-coding, machine listening, synthesis and broadcast. You might create experimental audio documentaries, sound installations, immersive soundscapes or new approaches to accessible instrument building, while engaging with communities, spaces and environments. Through listening lectures, workshops, seminars, tutorials and collaborative projects, you develop an expanded and critical approach to sound practice. The programme is subject to validation. Programme structure: Term 1 In Term 1, you take Polisonics, exploring communal and experimental listening, sonic ecologies and socio-sonics. You are introduced to approaches including Insurgent, Forensic and Deep Listening, working collaboratively to create new sound-based work and situate your practice within emerging listening territories. You also take Sonic Bodies, developing an embodied approach to sound practice and exploring how racialised, disabled, gendered and socially marked bodies produce and experience sound. Term 2 In Term 2, you take Ensemble, building your understanding of sonic tools and approaches to group and individual sound composition. The unit culminates in an opportunity to showcase your work professionally with one of the programme’s creative partner venues in London. The first elective offers a choice between No Such Thing as Empty Space, exploring the politics of sonic space through concepts including psychoacoustics, and Listening Commons, exploring expanded approaches to broadcast, distribution and community listening activities. For the second elective, you choose from a range of RCA elective units, giving you opportunities to work alongside students from other programmes and bring your sound practice into dialogue with different creative approaches, interdisciplinary projects and contemporary debates. Term 3 In Term 3, you complete the Independent Research Project, investigating an area of sound practice of your choosing through listening inquiry, experimental sound-making, technical exploration andor community collaboration. You consolidate and deepen the methods and critical approaches developed across the programme, defining, contextualising, producing and evaluating a substantial body of creative and theoretical work. You present your work publicly through an exhibition or showcase.Referring to the website: Please refer to the programme webpage for the most accurate and up-to-date information about the programme, its structure, modules and any updates or changes. About RCA: The Royal College of Art is the world’s leading postgraduate art and design university, providing students with unrivalled opportunities to develop their practice, build their networks, enhance their career and to deliver art and design projects that transform the world. For 12 consecutive years, the RCA has been ranked as the world’s number 1 art & design university in the QS World University subject rankings (2015-2026) - attracting artists, designers and communicators from across the globe.

We welcome candidates from a wide range of backgrounds and disciplines. You do not need formal training in music, sound or audio, but we expect you to demonstrate an engagement in sound and listening in your work or research. This might include experience in areas such as theatre, design, art, journalism or film.

Portfolio requirements

Please upload one PDF with a maximum length of 12 pages showing examples of previous works to demonstrate your suitability for the programme. Examples of work could include audio, video, installations, visual work, patches or code, scores, design-based media or written text. If linking to audio or video, please provide a maximum of five links in the PDF using the hosting platforms Soundcloud, Vimeo or YouTube. These links should not be password protected.

Read more advice on creating a strong portfolio

Personal statement

Please provide a 300-word written personal statement that addresses the following points:

1. Introduce yourself, your interests and your motivations for applying to the Royal College of Art, and to this programme in particular.
2. Briefly summarise any educational background and professional experience to date that will support your application.
3. Tell us what you want to do in the future.

Video requirements

As part of the application process, you must submit a video of no more than 2 minutes.

Tell us why you want to join the MA Sound programme and how your interest in sound has developed. We are interested in your background, the experiences that have shaped your engagement with sound and listening and the ideas or questions you would like to explore during your studies.