V&A/RCA History of Design MA Programme:

New and ongoing scholarships and awards 2014-15

New scholarship for students applying from India: The Bonita Trust Scholarship in History of Design

We are delighted to announce a new scholarship for 2014-15 for candidates applying to the V&A/RCA History of Design MA Programme from India. The student must be an Indian national. The Bonita Trust Scholarship in History of Design covers full overseas fees for the two years of the MA and also includes a maintenance grant of up to 3,100 GBP per year.

The Bonita Trust is a philanthropic trust established under Gibraltar law in 2004, with its vision to help communities address some of the important health and education challenges facing them, leveraging cutting edge technologies and Internet-based solutions. Since its inception Bonita has committed over ?15 million pounds to both communal based and cross-border projects in the areas of health, medical research, human community services, education, culture and heritage, female entrepreneurship and disaster relief.

New Robert H. Smith Renaissance Sculpture in Context Prize for students applying to the Renaissance and Early Modern specialism

We are very pleased to announce this new award available for students from the UK or EU applying to the Renaissance and Early Modern specialism of the V&A/RCA History of Design MA Programme. The Robert H. Smith Renaissance Sculpture in Context Prize is offered to a student who intends to undertake research in any aspect of Renaissance sculpture and its broad cultural and social context. The award offers a contribution towards the fees of 3,000 GBP a year for the two years of the MA.

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Ongoing V&A/RCA History of Design Scholarships 2014-15

In addition to the new Bonita Trust Scholarship in History of Design and Robert H. Smith Renaissance Sculpture in Context Prize, the following scholarships (UK/EU only) will be available for 2014-15:

The Friends of the V&A Scholarship
The Friends of the V&A Scholarship is offered to a student applying from the UK or EU who intends to work in a museum after graduating from the V&A/RCA History of Design MA programme. The Scholarship covers fees for the two years of the MA and also includes a maintenance grant of up to 3,000 GBP per year.

The Oliver Ford Trust Scholarship
The Oliver Ford Trust Scholarship is offered to a student applying from the UK or EU who intends to undertake research into an aspect of the design of the domestic interior. The Scholarship covers fees for the two years of the MA and also includes a maintenance grant of up to 3,000 GBP per year.

The V&A Fashion History Scholarship
The V&A Fashion History Scholarship is offered to a student applying from the UK or EU who intends to undertake research in any aspect of fashion history. The Scholarship covers fees for the two years of the MA.

V&A/RCA History of Design MA Programme

V&A/RCA History of Design is a two-year full-time MA programme, based at both the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Royal College of Art, and offers a unique platform for study in three specialist areas: Renaissance and Early Modern; Modern and Contemporary; and Asian, Early Modern to Contemporary. MPhil and PhD are also offered, as part of the Doctoral Studies Programme in the RCA School of Humanities.

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Taught by a dedicated team of academics based at both institutions, curators and visiting lecturers, the programme has an established reputation for pioneering new forms of design historical enquiry in global contexts, from the fifteenth century to the present day. The seminar-based classes provide a unique environment for the study of the aesthetic, social, cultural, technological, economic and political contexts for design.

The programme specialises in object-focused scholarship ranging across architecture and interior design, fashion and textiles, furniture and product design, ceramics, metalwork, glass, sculpture, prints, drawings and digital media. Uniquely, students have direct access to the unrivalled collections and expertise of the V&A and to the highly specialised art and design practices of the RCA. It was the first MA programme in the world to pioneer Renaissance and Early Modern design histories, and to establish an Asian Design History specialism.

As well as placing emphasis on primary research and object analysis, the programme offers a broad-ranging theoretical and methodological basis for the study of design and material culture. Graduates go on to work internationally in universities and colleges, museums and galleries, as well as in a host of other art- and design-based professions such as curating, journalism, media research and design policy. The MA programme provides also an excellent preparation towards PhD research.

The scholarships and awards are given on a competitive basis, judged at interview. Students should indicate their interest in and suitability for the Awards on their application form. Interviews will be held in February and March 2014.

Please note these scholarships and awards are only available for MA students. For further information on research degrees in History of Design and RCA Humanities, please visit www.rca.ac.uk or contact humanities.research@rca.ac.uk

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Home/EU fees for 2014/15 will be 9,000 GBP per annum. Overseas fees will be 27,900 GBP per annum. The College is designated as an eligible institution for a Guaranteed Student Loan under the new Direct Loan Program.

Further details on the Programme, entry requirements, College fees and funding can be found by clicking the APPLY button below, and http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/m/ma-history-of-design/. For more information please contact the programme administrator: hod@rca.ac.uk.

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