Do you want to study art or design in Scotland? Several of Scotland's best artists have studied at the Glasgow School of Art. The school offers both bachelor's, master's and Phds. The school is divided into four faculties: the Mackintosh School of Architecture, School of Design, School of Fine Art, School of Innovation and School of Simulation and Visualisation.
 

The Art School

The Glasgow School of Art is accredited by the University of Glasgow and consists of a small but very creative environment. The courses are very flexible and you study across disciplines. It gives each student great opportunities to have a more varied experience and develop a greater variety of skills! The classes are small, where everyone knows everyone, which results in a very supportive community. Each course is structured as specialised and targeted, which requires focused and targeted students.

The school has students from around 80 different countries, making the total of approx. 25 percent of students international. This provides a good breeding ground for international experience and contacts. The school collaborates with 80 different schools and organisations abroad, which provides optimal exchange and placement opportunities. They arrange different study trips each year to different cities and countries to get more inspiration.

The school consists of three campuses / buildings: The Mackintosh Building (designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the school's most famous former student), Skypark and the Garnet Hill campus. Here you will find libraries, computer rooms and studios everywhere – in addition to a student bar (Student Union Bar) where students can socialise and have a bite to eat.

The Mackintosh Building is a world famous building that many tourists come to see. One can actually book a separate tour of the well-known building and learn more about the entire story of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Mackintosh won a design competition to design the Glasgow School of Art’s building. He worked closely with the principal of the school at the time, Francis Newbery, and eventually created a building that was functional for art students and their use while at the same time fitting into the 19th century. The building is a fascinating sight to the eye and a joy to move through. Unfortunately, the building was badly damaged in a fire in both 2014 and 2018, but the Glasgow School of Art is determined to rebuild it.
 

Specialist areas

Glasgow School of Art specialises in courses such as photography, art, print, sculpture, product design, architecture, textiles, jewellery, communication via design, design and digital culture. They are recognised in Scotland and the rest of the world for their expertise and the quality of the students who graduate from there. All students get their own studio places when they start at the university (very unusual) and receive great individual follow-up throughout their time at GSA.

The school has an archive that students will have access to and can retrieve information as well as be inspired by previous works, photos and books. The Glasgow School of Art has the third largest collection of Charles Rennie Mackintosh's works on display to the public.

Glasgow School of Art requires an interview from all relevant applicants and then you should have a copy of the portfolio available. It is a very competitive art school, but if you are one of the lucky ones, you can be sure that you will come out with a brilliant education.
 

Student Accommodation

The Glasgow School of Art is located in the heart of Glasgow city centre and has two places students can live: Margaret Macdonald House and Blythswood House. Both are within walking distance of the school and the rest of the city. You are guaranteed housing on campus when you apply before the housing deadline.
 

History

The Glasgow School of Art is known as one of Europe's best creative institutes in art, design and architecture. The university was formed in 1845 as one of the first "pure" design schools, and changed its name to the Glasgow School of Art in 1853. They want to be seen as a school that is a strong driving force and participates in changing the world through art and creativity as well as research. The school is the only independent art school in Scotland, and one of very few in the whole of the United Kingdom.
 

The City of Glasgow

Glasgow is Scotland's largest city, far larger than Edinburgh. The industrial and urban city is located along the River Clyde, and has a lot to offer in terms of music, theatre and culture.

The city is full of beautiful details, historic architecture and houses several buildings from the Victorian era. A number of the buildings in the city were designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Among all the historic architecture one will find Scotland's oldest museum, The Hunterian as well as Britain's oldest shopping arcade, Argyll Arcade, which was built in 1827. The arcade is located on several famous shopping streets such as: Argyll Street, Buchanan Street and Sauchiehall. In addition to shopping, Glasgow has a fantastic and exciting nightlife to offer. Everything from quiet cafes, restaurants and pubs to more lively nightclubs - there is something for everyone in this city.

In 2008, Glasgow was awarded the European Capital of Sports award. Scotland's biggest football arenas are Celtic Park, Ibrox arena and Hampden Park. The latter is Scotland's national arena. Glasgow is home to the two famous football clubs Celtic and Rangers, and their rivalry is known all over the world and is considered one of the three fiercest derbies in the football world. Other sports they are well known for are rugby, badminton, Scotland's only basketball team - The Rocks and not least boating such as rowing.

Public transport in the city is very good. For example, you can take trains around to a number of other cities in the UK, including London. Glasgow has its own metro called Glasgow Underground and is the world's third largest underground after the London Underground and Budapest Metro. Glasgow has its own international airport; Glasgow International Airport (GLA), located 13 km outside the city.
 

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE?

The information on this page has been submitted by the higher education institution itself, and it varies how frequently they update it. If you want to know more, get in touch and one of our student advisors will answer all your questions!

Across the Pond is the official representative for this teaching institution for selected countries around the world which means we can help you apply to their courses and help with all the documents needed to submit an application. We can help answer questions about their courses and the institution itself as they do not necessarily have the capacity to deal with student enquiries from all around the world on a daily basis. This also means that they can ask us questions about your application and we can help explain if they are not familiar with your grades, academic background or the educational system in your home country. They also appreciate that students who apply through Across the Pond get the help they need, not only in terms of submitting the application and supporting documents, but also with everything needed before arrival in the UK, such as student accommodation, visa information, funding information and well as preparing for departure to the UK.