MA/MFA Production (Design/Management)
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Overview
Theatre production requires much more than just being skilled in your own discipline. There is a complex web of social, political and ethical considerations that must be embraced to ensure you are in the best position to collaborate in your chosen role. Our MA/MFA Production (Design/Management) programme is for those seeking to further enhance their skills as stage or production managers, or as lighting, sound, or set and costume designers through an exploration of individual and collaborative practice.
Collaboration is at the centre of our philosophy. Having entered the programme with the core specialist skills required to fulfil the role of a designer or a manager, you will be introduced to other priorities which will inform and enhance your production practice within the context of the ensemble as part of a cohort of emerging artists.
To enhance your contribution to the ensemble, you will also follow an individually negotiated programme of skills development, creating your own pathway through the degree and empowering you to take full advantage of opportunities for personal development, research, ensemble activities, work placements, and live production roles along the way.
You will have agency over your work and will be expected to take responsibility for your own learning. With support from the staff team, you will write personal learning goals to help determine your trajectory and empowering you to flourish as both a learner and a creative practitioner.
The important details
UK Applicant Deadline:
31 March 2026
International (including EU) Applicant Deadline:
31 March 2026
Course Start Date:
21 September 2026
Institution code:
R58
Programme code:
MA Design - 206F; MFA Design - 213F; MA Management - 207F; MFA Management - 214F
Interview fee:
£55
Application fee:
£28.50
Welcome to MA/MFA Production
Watch this short video with Head of Production, Ros Maddison, for an introduction and overview of our brand-new MA/MFA Production degree programme.
Meet the Staff
Programme Structure
The first part of the programme is designed to introduce the philosophy of the programme and the core values of the Conservatoire through engagement in a series of seminars and workshop on subjects such as:
- The Ensemble
- Collaborative practice
- Sustainable theatre practices
- Health, Safety and Wellbeing
- Inclusive practice
- Dramaturgy
- Digital literacy
As part of an ongoing personal development portfolio, you will reflect on your existing skills and knowledge and consider your professional development goals and desired learning objectives.
The second part of the term one and the start of term two will be individually scheduled to address your subject-based skills development needs and to facilitate a work placement opportunity either externally in a professional environment or on an RCS production, where available.
After this you will have the opportunity to engage in a practise based collaborative opportunity to produce new work, either alongside peers in the Conservatoire or with external partners as negotiated. This work may be shared publicly as part of a digital festival of work through the RCS website. You may also use this time to complete an academic research proposal if preferred.
Having focussed on skills development in terms one and two, you will spend the next two terms working in collaboration with our MA/MFA Classical and Contemporary Text acting and directing students, taking appropriate roles on the public stage productions in Chandler Studio Theatre.
To achieve the MFA qualification, you will be required to complete one of the following options:
- A self-led project in collaboration with MFA Classical and Contemporary Text students to be shared as part of the Emergence Festival in January of year two
- An academic research project (10,000 words or equivalent)
- A production placement in an industry setting
FAQs
- My degree is in a different discipline / I have no formal training in the discipline I’m interested in - will this be a barrier?
- What does a portfolio look like for somebody interested in Stage Management or Production Management?
- What should the 1000 word essay look like?
- What sets this programme apart from other production MAs in the UK?
- Could you provide more details on the professional placement opportunities? Does the Conservatoire have active partnerships with theatres where students can gain hands-on experience during their studies?
- What facilities does your institution have?
- What are the teaching hours, and do they vary over the course?
- Is the design pathway both disciplines of set design and costume or just set design?
- What is it like to live and study in Glasgow?
We welcome applications from anybody with a level of experience in their chosen discipline that will allow them to fulfil the role. So while some level of experience is necessary, you do not need to have had formal training.
We realise that putting together might come more naturally to a student interested in one of the design strands. For the management strand, the portfolio could include excerpts from prompt copies or any other paperwork you might have created for previous shows or projects. We welcome “working” paperwork, so if it looks a little worse for wear from having been used on a project, don’t worry about it.
The statement should give us an idea of where you are in your professional journey and show us what you would like to get out of the programme, what you want to explore, and how this programme can help you achieve those aims.
Our programme is unique in its focus on collaborative practice and the exploration of ethical considerations in a collaborative environment. While you will have the chance to develop skills in your field, we have a strong emphasis on helping you to become a better collaborator.
We have strong links with many companies both in Scotland and the rest of the UK through established relationships for student placements and graduates from our BA programmes. Companies such as the National Theatre of Scotland, Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet are based in Glasgow, some are based only a short walk from our campuses. Our students have fantastic local opportunities, but some of our students choose to have their placements further afield. With many years of graduates from our BA programmes, and staff that have professional contacts in the industry, we will be able to help you find an exciting placement opportunity wherever you choose to go.
Our MA/MFA Production students have a base right in amongst our rehearsal studios on our Wallace Studio campus. The productions you will be working on will primarily be staged in our Chandler Studio Theatre.
The first module is contact time intensive, with a high ratio of classes and workshops, and also some site visits to theatres around Scotland. During this period contact time is about four full days per week. After that, from about mid-November, much depends on your individually negotiated path, with placements and allocations onto shows. You will have much more agency over how you use your time from that point onwards, until rehearsal times and production schedules begin to determine your hours towards the end of the MA modules.
This pathway in the programme is for set & costume design so we would expect you to have a strong understanding of both areas although your practical experience can be based more in one than in the other. Other pathways in this strand are lighting design and sound design which are separate subjects and would require a strong practical understanding of and experience in either sound design or lighting design as relevant to the application.
We have spaces for our students in purpose built student accommodation called Base Glasgow, a short walk from both campuses should you wish to make use of that. Find out more about accommodation
Glasgow is a culturally vibrant city. Find out more about life in Glasgow
How to Apply
Apply via UCAS Conservatoires
Applications are made through UCAS Conservatoires website. The UCAS Conservatoires application system is separate from the main UCAS undergraduate application system. You can read our guidance about using UCAS Conservatoires on our dedicated How to Apply page.
Applicants will also be required to create an Acceptd account when they apply, which will be used for scheduling interviews. More information about this process will be available soon.
We do not offer deferred entry. If you wish to commence in 2027, you must apply next year.
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland institution code is R58. You will also require one of the following programme codes to apply: MA Design – 206F OR MFA Design – 213F OR MA Management – 207F OR MFA Management – 214F
The closing date for all on-time MA/MFA Production applications is 31 March 2026. If you submit your application after this date, we cannot guarantee that your application will be reviewed by the audition panel. If you do want to submit a late application, you must contact admissions@rcs.ac.uk in the first instance to check we are accepting late applications
Application/Audition fees
There is a UCAS Conservatoires application fee of £28.95. In addition to the application fee, each conservatoire charges an audition/interview assessment administration fee. The interview assessment administration fee is £55 for this programme. Fees are not refundable. The fees are paid via the UCAS Conservatoires website and not directly to RCS.
We recognise that auditioning and interviewing for conservatoires, drama and ballet schools can be costly. The audition assessment administration fee charge allows us to offer a thorough and positive experience to all applicants and we encourage you to get in touch to ask the panel questions and find out more about the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland to see if it is the best place for you.
Interview Information
All on time applicants will be interviewed. The interview will take place in person, where possible, and will focus on your practical experience, evidenced through a portfolio of work including a 1000-word reflective statement outlining your academic and professional achievements and goals. Where necessary an online interview can be arranged, in which case, all portfolio materials should be digitised and submitted in advance.
References
It is your responsibility to nominate a referee as part of your UCAS Conservatoires application form. We may contact this referee after your audition if the panel feels they need more information.
We will not accept references from family, other relatives or close friends. You can read guidance about nominating your referee on the UCAS Conservatoires website.
Policy
We have a number of policies and pages which you should read when applying to study at the Royal Conservatoire:
Entry Requirements
Academic Requirements
You should have evidence of extensive practical experience in your specialism in a realised stage environment, either through a degree in a related subject or through previous work opportunities, or both. You should have strong, established skills in your specialist area and be ready to explore these skills further, both independently and as part of an ensemble alongside other emerging creative collaborators. You should be passionate about stage production and the possibilities of collaborative, inclusive and sustainable theatre practise.
Applicants should have:
- Evidence of extensive practical experience in your specialism in a realised stage environment, either through a degree in a related subject or through previous work opportunities, or both.
- Strong, established skills in your chosen specialism and be ready to explore these skills further, both independently and as part of an ensemble alongside other emerging creative collaborators.
You should be creative, curious and passionate about stage production in the context of collaborative, inclusive and sustainable theatre practise.
All on time applicants will be interviewed. The interview will take place in person, where possible, and will focus on your practical experience, evidenced through a portfolio of work including a 1000-word reflective statement outlining your academic and professional achievements and goals. Where necessary an online interview can be arranged, in which case, all portfolio materials should be digitised and submitted in advance.
English language requirements
The language of study at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) is English. All applicants whose first language is not English will be required to provide evidence that their English language level meets the entrance requirements.
The required IELTS level for this programme is 6.5 overall with a minimum score of 5.5 in each component.
Full details of the English language tests and equivalencies we accept can be found on our English Language Requirements page.
Fees & Funding
Tuition fees
For academic year 2025/26:
MA:
- Home: £18,289
- International: £28,991
MFA:
- Home: £24,385
- International: £38,658
Funding & Scholarships
You can find out about the funding and scholarships available for studying at RCS by visiting our dedicated page:
Cost of Living & Programme Costs
In addition to tuition fees, it is estimated that you will need between £11,200 and £15,300 per year to live in Glasgow, plus programme costs. Much will depend on your lifestyle and whether your course runs for three or four terms.
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Why RCS?
We are the only place in Europe where you can study all of the performing arts on the one campus. There is a distinctive creative energy at RCS and you’ll be made to feel part of our inclusive and diverse environment from the very beginning of your studies.
Our graduates are resourceful, highly employable and members of a dynamic community of artists who make a significant impact across the globe.
At RCS, students develop not just their art but their power to use it.
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