Design for Change MA (eca)

Level: Postgraduate taught

Subject: Art and Design

Year of entry: 2027

Study options

Mode of study

On campus

Full-time
  • MA (eca) | 1 year | Start date: September 2027

Key facts

School

Edinburgh College of Art

College

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme website
Study location

Lauriston campus

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Join us for our postgraduate taught and research open day on Saturday 7 November from 10 AM - 1 PM

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About the degree programme

Design for Change is an exciting interdisciplinary programme which seeks to holistically address complex global challenges that are locally felt.

It aims to foster a new breed of designer for the 21st century. To do this, it offers a particular Edinburgh blend of eco-social design. We understand eco-social design as a theoretically informed relational practice that seeks to make critical and creative interventions into socioecological systems towards the flourishing of humans, other living beings and the planet.

As a student of the Design for Change programme, we will help you develop the skills to imagine, research, ideate, communicate and deliver propositions for change that are just, equitable, and politically and economically aware.

Furthermore, we will support you to develop tactical, critical and creative design-led interventions that draw on a variety of (trans)disciplinary fields, theories, philosophies and methods. Some of those we work with most include:

  • contemporary art
  • philosophy and cultural studies
  • social anthropology
  • sociology and cultural geography
  • the environmental humanities

You will have the opportunity to be part of design efforts to face the urgent challenges of our shared contemporary world – and to do so with humility and with hopefulness. These are challenges such as:

  • stark inequality and inequity
  • conflict and displacement
  • the need to urgently transition away from fossil fuels
  • environmental degradation in a time of climate change and biodiversity loss

In order to face these global challenges, the programme promotes - and tries to embody - ways of designing that are socially minded, slow and systemic. You will therefore study emplaced, relational and care-full ways of designing for change that are also conscious of the importance of positionality, value(s), habit, ritual, practice and belief, and cultural and social difference.

You will be guided, ecologically and environmentally speaking, to consider the ‘more-than-human' (all the other life on the planet in addition to humans) in your design, and to explore alternatives to the status quo and to futures so far dreamt or foretold.

In our teaching and learning we privilege the experiential, the observational, and the monistic (rather than dualistic), and when studying Design for Change, you will be encouraged to be playful! We value the ability to play and be imaginative, to create and experiment, to try and fail and see this as a valuable and necessary part of learning. In addition, we seek to cultivate design(ing) that is non- or even anti-consumerist, that is activist, materially conscious and conscious of material conditions.

Our programme is ideal for students who are looking to broaden their existing specialist approaches (perhaps gained in undergraduate study and/or through work experience) from a range of design backgrounds and disciplines across the arts, humanities and social sciences. We welcome you if you are keen to explore – with us – how design might bring about the changes you want to see in the world.

Community of practice

Students on the Design for Change programme come from different corners of the world, bringing unique perspectives and diverse backgrounds with them to enrich the studio. 

Should you join us, over your year of study at ECA you will learn to work together and create a plural community of practice, as you also hone and define your own personal (design) values. This facet of the programme seeks to help broaden your perspectives, enable your learning from and collaboration with others, and help you to understand your particular position in the world and on different issues.

Thinking about studying MA Design for Change at Edinburgh College of Art? Discover the programme, how you'll be taught, and hear from our students about their study experiences with us.

Study options

This programme is full-time, on-campus, and so requires 35-40 hours a week of study, much of which is student-led. 

It runs for twelve months of the year, from September to August, with holiday periods in late December to early January and April to May. We strongly encourage our students to develop a studio-working culture together.

Programme benefits

  • Develop the skills to understand and address complex, real-world challenges and to critically analyse and better understand the circumstances, barriers, processes and phenomena of change.
  • Join a growing field of design that is speaking specifically to the most pressing sociopolitical, economic and environmental issues of our time and be taught by academics at the forefront of this interdisciplinary field.
  • By the time you graduate, you’ll have the skills and expertise to propose, plan and develop critical and creative projects with others, which will demonstrate how change can be fostered, developed and delivered.
  • By actively participating in our discursive studio culture, you’ll develop soft skills in communication, debate, critique and presentation that are widely transferable. Furthermore, as our teaching style blends the theoretical and the practical, you’ll have opportunity, via various means (such as in drawing, making, writing, thinking, speaking) to develop and connect both.
  • Benefit from the programme’s unique position within the city of Edinburgh, and Scotland as a whole, which provide a rich and specific context to the programme. Our students are encouraged to look beyond the classroom and to learn from their surrounding communities, cultures, and natural environments in order to grow as designers and as citizens.

Tuition fees

Tuition fees by award and duration

Tuition fees for full-time and part-time options are listed for one academic year.

Full-time

Graduate discount

If you are a University of Edinburgh graduate, you will be eligible for a 10% discount on your tuition fees for this programme. You may also be eligible if you were a visiting undergraduate student.

Find out how to receive your graduate discount

Deposit

You do not have to pay a deposit to secure your place on this programme.

Costs

Additional programme costs

To fully participate in this programme you are recommended to budget a minimum of £350 on top of the tuition fee for the following costs:
Travel and Accommodation
There are required travel costs associated with field trips, visits, or work experience. You will need to pay the cost of local travel by public transport.
Equipment and software
Most equipment and software required will be provided by the School, but you will be expected to provide some specialist equipment including a laptop, headphones, or SD cards.
Materials
You will need to buy general art and design materials, such as sketchbooks, paper and pens. You will need to buy some specialist materials required by your course, such as base-metals, calico, toile and so on.
 
Course organisers will support you in meeting intended learning outcomes while keeping material costs to a minimum, but you will need to pay optional material costs as necessary for your own project work. We promote the reuse and recycling of material.
Printing
You will need to pay for occasional A4/A1 printing. 

Accommodation and living costs

You will need to pay for your accommodation and living costs (such as rent, food and utility bills) for the duration of your programme.

For 2026-2027, we estimate that it will cost an average of £18,504 each year (£1,542 each month) to live in Edinburgh as a postgraduate.

The exact amount you spend will depend on different factors, especially the accommodation you choose.

Living costs: estimates explained 

Funding opportunities

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

  • borrowing money
    • taking out a loan
    • family support
  • personal savings
  • income from work
  • employer sponsorship
  • scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

Search for other funding opportunities

You can find scholarships, bursaries and other funding you might be eligible for on our Scholarships and Student Funding site.

Postgraduate funding opportunities

These entry requirements are for the 2027-28 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2028-29 academic year will be published in early Oct 2027.

Qualifications

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in a relevant subject

We also welcome applicants who do not meet academic entry requirements but demonstrate relevant professional experience.

You must submit a portfolio as part of your application. You can find out more about the portfolio requirements in the Applying section.

International equivalent qualifications

To find international equivalent qualifications, select where you studied from the country or region list.

English language requirements

You must prove that your English language abilities are at a high enough level to study this degree programme.

This is the case for all applicants, including UK nationals.

You can meet our English language requirements with one of the following:

  • an English language test (restrictions apply)
  • a degree that was taught and assessed in English (restrictions apply)
  • certain professional qualifications

English language tests we accept

We accept any of the following English language tests, at the specified grade or higher:

  • IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition) before 21 January 2026: total 100 with at least 20 in each component We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition) from 21 January 2026: total 5.0 with at least 4.0 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 169 in each component.
  • Oxford ELLT: total 8 with at least 6 in each component. We do not accept Oxford ELLT Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced: total 155 with at least 135 in each component.
How old your English language tests can be
Tests no more than two years old

The following English language tests must be no more than two years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality:

  • IELTS Academic
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition)
  • Oxford ELLT
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced
Tests no more than three and a half years old

All other English language tests must be no more than three and a half years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality.   

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English-speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration.

UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English-speaking countries (non-MESC).

Approved universities in non-MESC

How old your degree can be

If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts.

This time limit does not apply to your degree if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country.

Find out more about our English language requirements

Find out about other English language qualifications we accept, including professional qualifications.

English language requirements

What you will study

Over the course of a year, the Design for Change programme moves from taught and structured elements through to supervised but independent and student-led study over the summer.

Design labs

The design labs (dLabs for short) are courses offered by the programme in both Semester 1 (Autumn-Winter) and Semester 2 (Winter-Spring). They provide thematic focus to open project briefs, encouraging independent interpretation in the design studio.

These labs have several aims for developing your design-for-change-based skillset:

  • To help you unlearn certain, perhaps assumed, perspectives and ways of working.
  • To introduce you to a variety of different ways of designing and living, as demonstrated by others/other cultures, from which to learn.
  • To develop the imaginative use of analytical and critical design research methods.
  • To encourage application of contemporary methods of participation, production and prototyping to discover new insights.
  • To facilitate excellence in forms of collaboration in and communication, presentation and dissemination of your work.

Although each lab has a different theme at its fore or as its focus, we consider the other themes to all be there too, if slightly more in the background. This means that, although not completely interchangeable, we do consider all labs as providing rigorous grounding in Design for Change and as equal in this regard. You can magnify the other (backgrounded) themes in your dLab projects if you wish.

Electives

The design labs are complemented by two elective taught course options, which you choose from subjects offered across the wider College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (that is, not taught within the Programme).

This important feature of our programme cements the interdisciplinary aspect and provides a unique opportunity to take specialist courses in subjects of your interest that can bolster and/or complement the dLab topics and contents.

Designing for Change: Projects and Practices

Our programme adopts a project-oriented pedagogy, but what does it mean to design and carry out a design research project for change?

This Semester 2 course, common to all students on the programme, is designed to support you in preparation for your summer dissertation by identifying and outlining precedents and approaches relevant to projects that embrace designs for change.

Dissertation

The programme ends with an independent dissertation project embracing student-led, situated, and practical interventions addressing real-world challenges.

All students take this course. You will have opportunities to self-organise, to work with communities or groups of your choosing, or to arrange to complete a work-based dissertation with a local, national or international partner, applying your skills to real-world situations.

Find courses for this programme

Find out what courses you can study on this programme and how each of them are taught and assessed.

The courses on offer may change from year to year, but the course information will give you an idea of what to expect on this programme.

Full-time

We link to the latest information available. This may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Field trips

In our courses we often move beyond the studio, out into the city and wider surroundings. As a student, you will experience gallery visits and trips to green spaces as well as exercises or workshops that move activity out into the urban realm as these are used pedagogically, in part to emphasise the value of experiential learning.

Design for Change also has occasional field trips which involve us visiting examples of people and places in nearby parts of Scotland that are demonstrating designs/designing for change. 

Whenever we move beyond the studio, we visit to learn in-situ, to get to know one another better, to experience for ourselves, to meet the people involved and to be inspired. During visits we encourage the documenting of experiences and keen engagement with our hosts. Post-visits we invite the sharing of reflections and discuss connections to Design for Change's courses and wider themes. 

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

Design for Change’s main teaching is conducted through studio-based lectures, workshops, crits and seminars.

Your teachers are an engaged group of interdisciplinary design researchers and educators who are passionate about helping to shape the world for the better. 

In our own work we use a range of methods: from the interview to the short film or the experimental ‘living lab’, and from ethnographic participant-observation to archival researching and philosophical engagement. 

We do so to engage with socioecological issues such as:

 

  • prefiguration, activism and justice
  • alternative energy, low-tech and off-grid living
  • creatively deviant design and cultures and practices of (re-)use
  • local/traditional ecological knowing, relating and making
  • inclusivity and disability
  • design for other species and planet

The content of the programme’s courses draws on these research interests and projects of the staff, as well as responding to current events and global movements (such as the Buen Vivir or Transition movements) and frameworks (such as the Sustainable Development Goals).

Studying on the programme, we will invite you to engage with the course content through making and drawing, moving, reading and writing, critiquing, experimenting and exploring. The method of teaching is also heavily discursive: you will be invited to speak aloud and engage in conversation with each other and with staff, as part of collective efforts to analyse and discuss the course content and your contributions.

As our students come from diverse backgrounds, the programme is a broad one and the teaching stretches to bring these different perspectives together. As such, it relies on you bringing your existing skills and interests to your studies and sharing them with your colleagues and cohort.

For similar reasons, programme staff will signpost the resources that ECA and the wider University provides for specific technical upskilling (for example, inductions and learning opportunities in the ECA workshops, online courses and software packages). We also draw on the valuable and specialist expertise of our ECA technician colleagues.

Assessment

We assess student work and learning by considering both process and product, and all of the programme-provided courses are coursework assessed. 

That means we have no exams, although some elective option courses may have them.

The assessment tasks are mostly quite open design briefs that you are invited to interpret and respond to. We often ask for reflection on your process as part of the project brief (perhaps in short essay form, or through sharing sketchbooks). 

Submissions tend to be a mix of digital (that include thorough documentation of practice/physical work) with physical sketchbooks and prototypes and/or models.

Progression

All Design for Change students must pass enough taught courses in the first two semesters to progress to the dissertation course, which is a substantial independent project in the summer that counts for a third of the programme in weighting.

In all cases, work is assessed against the Learning Outcomes for the course, which are readily available and shared with you from the start. Our teaching staff mark assessed work rigorously and constructively, with an emphasis on written or verbal feedback that you can use as you develop future work. We provide numerical grading for you to consider as part of your own development and learning process and we do not compare grades between students on the programme.

Furthermore, all marking/assessment is moderated by a second marker and the programme’s entire assessment procedures and practices are overseen by both the postgraduate Exam Board for the Design School and the programme’s External Examiner - who examines the programme, not the students.

Support for your studies

You will have access to a range of support services if you need them throughout your degree.

We will assign you to a student adviser, and this should be the first person to contact if you need help. They can guide you to other University service teams depending on what support you need.  

How we support you

Our academic staff

Staff on the programme include:

  • Emily Ford-Halliday  
  • Dr Rachel Joy Harkness
  • Dr Giovanni Marmont  
  • Professor Craig Martin
  • Dr Arno Verhoeven 

Where you will study

Study location

Design for Change is mostly taught and experienced from our design studio, where you are also encouraged to work independently in order to build community with your cohort and help create a vibrant studio culture.

The studio is in the Lauriston campus of Edinburgh College of Art (ECA), which is in the centre of the city of Edinburgh. Elective course options may be based in other parts of the University’s estate, allowing you to experience and explore further afield.

ECA are excited to be undertaking a capital redevelopment of ECA’s Lauriston Campus over the next 3 years, due to finish in April 2027.

The project aims to maximise the use of existing space, improve accessibility, and create a vibrant campus that fosters collaboration and innovation.

The project involves refurbishing and repurposing various spaces across the Lauriston campus, including technical facilities, student and teaching spaces, and the relocation of the Reid School of Music from Alison House to the Lauriston Campus. New social spaces, seminar rooms, and studios are being created to accommodate our growing community.

You can find more about the project at the below link:

Building work starts at ECA’s Lauriston Campus: Edinburgh College of Art

Academic facilities

ECA and the wider University provide a rich array of facilities, and in particular we encourage our students to take advantage of the University’s outstanding libraries and ECA’s excellent workshops (print, wood, textiles, metal and so on) and maker spaces. This reflects the programme’s strong emphasis on thinking-through-making, research-through-design and the blending of theory and practice.

Career opportunities

The professional knowledge, skills and abilities developed on this programme can be applied across a variety of intellectual and creative contexts.

They will prepare you for a rewarding career as a designer, maker, researcher, strategist or consultant within a variety of public and private sector organisations including:

  • art and design studios and practices
  • museums and galleries
  • government departments
  • non-governmental organisations such as charities, international bodies or research collectives

Moreover, it will prepare you for lifelong learning and help you hone the abilities to critically and carefully navigate the challenges that (co-)designing (and life!) throws at you.

We also encourage you to consider continuing your studies and to perhaps embark on future careers in academia, contributing to emerging fields of inquiry, teaching and using their research-through-design skills.

Similarly, if you are already in this space and are looking for career development, perhaps from within (higher) education, the programme is also very well suited to this, and a good number of our alumni have taken this route.

We regularly invite our alumni back to give talks about and share what they have done since graduating, so you will likely get to meet and hear from them during your time on the programme and benefit from their valuable insights and experiences. 

Further study

After completing this programme, you may wish to consider applying for a PhD or other research programme.

Applying for research degrees

Moving on to a PhD (advice from the University's Careers Service)

Graduate profiles

Juliet Seger

Image of design - shirt and shorts, white with blue speckles

Degree: MA Design for Change

Year of graduation: 2020

Current work: Menswear Product Developer

The values and topics of Design for Change seemed more relevant than ever, giving many of us confidence to find means to contribute constructively to the changes ahead.

Alumni Profile: Juliet Seger

Chigozie Ofor

headshot of chigozie smiling at the camera wearing a denim shirt

Degree: MA Design for Change

Year of graduation: 2020

Current work: User experience design and service provision

The most exciting aspect of each project was the openness and flexibility to develop data-driven solutions that are localised and specific to the problem at hand.

Alumni Profile: Chigozie Ofor

Careers Service

Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals. 

The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies. 

With the Careers Service, you can: 

  • access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengths
  • try different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you develop
  • get help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobs
  • attend careers events and practice interviews
  • get information and advice to help you make informed decisions 

Visit the Careers Service website 

How to apply

You apply online for this programme. After you read the application guidance, select your preferred programme, then choose 'Start your application' to begin.

If you are considering applying to more than one programme, you should be aware that we cannot consider more than 5 applications from the same applicant.

When to apply

Programme start date Application deadline
13 September 2027 2 August 2027

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible so that we have sufficient time to process your application. This is particularly important if you are also applying for funding or will require a visa. Applications may close earlier than published deadlines if there is exceptionally high demand. 

For an application to be reviewed, it must be a complete application by the application deadline with all supporting documentation uploaded, including your transcripts. 

If you already have evidence that you meet the English language entry requirements, such as via an approved English language test, please upload this evidence at the time of your application. If you have not already met your English language requirements, we will still review your application and issue a decision providing it is otherwise complete. 

We aim to issue decisions within 6-8 weeks of receiving your completed application. During peak times it may take us slightly longer to issue your decision but please be assured we will confirm a decision as soon as we can.

Application fee

There is no fee to apply to this programme.

What you need to apply

You will also need to submit some or all of the following supporting documents:

When you start your application, you will be able to see the full list of documents you need to provide.

References 

You do not need to provide a reference when you submit your application for this programme.

There may be certain circumstances when a reference will be required, for example if we need to verify work experience. If that is the case, we will contact you after we have reviewed your application to request a reference.

Portfolio

You need to submit a digital portfolio as part of your application.

You should start planning your portfolio as soon as you decide to apply.

If you do not submit your portfolio, your application will be unsuccessful.

Portfolio format
  • 1 PDF containing up to 14 pages.
  • The file should be a maximum of 50MB (any resolution).
  • Each page of your PDF can contain multiple images and text.
What to include

Your portfolio should contain two components:

  • a two-minute video
  • an annotated collection of visual support material
Video

You must include create a two minute video where you introduce yourself and discuss a potential circumstance for change across at least one of the programme themes (social, technical, environmental, inclusive, or political change). 

The video should showcase your ability to both address and present complex subject matter supported by appropriate reference materials, which may include:

  • images
  • articles
  • visualisations
  • compositions
  • performance
  • drawing
  • writing
Annotated visual support material

The annotated collection of visual support material should demonstrate your affinity and aptitude for engaging in creative, design-led work.

This can be:

  • existing project work, a portfolio of drawings, objects or artefacts and the processes of their making
  • sketchbook development
  • collated and curated research findings/materials with analysis
  • whatever exemplifies your creative approaches to thinking and communicating complex information and ideas

The single portfolio document containing these two parts (video link and visual support material) must not exceed a maximum of 14 A4 pages or 7 A3 pages, and any text must be clearly readable at this size.

Include work that helps evidence your ability to communicate in non-textual forms, as well as your motivation to engage in creative design-led practices which embrace a wide variety of media, materials and techniques.

You should include elements you feel will help us to determine your current level of creative competency and to understand in which ways you will be able to flourish on our programme.

Prior training in art, design or architecture is not required, so you don’t have to demonstrate this if you don’t have it, but you should try to show us a desire for and the courage to make and communicate change through multi-media means.

Professional experience equivalent to academic qualifications may be considered, so if you are coming from this background, please show us what this experience is and how you will draw from and build upon it in this MA.

Uploading your portfolio and personal video

A few days after submitting your application, you will receive an email asking you to upload your portfolio. This email will contain details of how and where to upload your portfolio.

The application portal's capacity limit is 4MB per document. If your portfolio is larger than this, please follow these steps:

  1. Upload the portfolio to an online sharing website (such as Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive).
  2. Upload your personal video to a suitable online platform (for example, Youtube, Google Drive, Dropbox).
  3. Copy and paste the portfolio and video links into a Word document. Ensure the link is not password protected.
  4. Upload the Word document containing the portfolio and personal video links to your application.

All portfolios must be uploaded as a single file in the Applicant Hub. Do not provide multiple separate portfolio files.

We do not accept password protected files or links, nor platforms that require an account to access the document.

Once the application is complete and is under consideration, you can no longer make changes to the portfolio or provide a new version.

Apply

Select the award, duration and delivery mode you want to study. Then select the start date you want to apply for.

After you apply

Once you have applied for this programme, you will be able to track the progress of your application and accept or decline any offers.

Checking the status of your application

We will notify you by email once we have made a decision. Due to the large number of applications we receive, it might take a while until you hear from us.

Receiving our decision

What to do if you receive an offer:

What our students say

What is it really like to study here? Our students share their experiences on our social media. 

You can find out what a day in the life is like for an Edinburgh College of Art Student, from late nights in the library to their favourite walks around the city!

Instagram: Edinburgh College of Art 

Our community

At Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) we bring together creative practices that shape the world around us.

We deliver innovative teaching, research and public engagement in an inclusive and sustainable environment with outstanding services and facilities to support your ambitions.

With degrees in Art, History of Art, Music, Architecture and Landscape Architecture, and Design, you’ll be joining a diverse community of artists, art historians, designers, academics, researchers, architects, landscape architects and musicians.

ECA is a rich, textured, and inclusive learning environment. Diverse practices coexist as the embodiments of an individual and collective pursuit of knowledge, for the betterment of humankind and our planet.

Our approach is explicitly inclusive, future facing and interdisciplinary, embracing of bold innovation and continuous enhancement.

Find out more about the Edinburgh College of Art community

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single postgraduate taught students from outside the UK and new, single postgraduate research (typically PhD) students who:

  • apply for accommodation by 31 July in the year when you start your programme
  • accept an unconditional firm offer to study at the University by 31 July
  • study at the University for the whole of the academic year starting in September

University accommodation website

Accommodation guarantee criteria

We also offer accommodation options for couples and families.

Accommodation for couples and families

If you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.

Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place

Societies and clubs

Our societies and sports clubs will help you develop your interests, meet like-minded people, find a new hobby or simply socialise.

Societies

Sport Clubs

The city of Edinburgh

Scotland's inspiring capital will form the background to your studies — a city with an irresistible blend of history, natural beauty and modern city life. 

Find out more about living in Edinburgh

Our vibrant capital is a blend of culture, history, nature and modern city life. A fantastic place to live, it is also the perfect location to study design for change.

Edinburgh’s dynamic cultural scene boasts the largest collection of historic buildings, museums, art galleries and theatres of any city in Scotland. 

The University of Edinburgh’s museums and galleries include: 

  • the Talbot Rice Gallery
  • Centre for Research Collections
  • St. Cecilia’s Hall: Concert Room and Music Museum

Edinburgh is home to several major annual festivals, each bringing talent from around the world to our streets and stages, making the celebration of diversity an intrinsic part of the city’s culture. These include the: 

  • Festival Fringe
  • Film Festival
  • Art Festival
  • Book Festival
  • Jazz and Blues Festival

Some of our students even participate in our annual festivals.

Health and wellbeing support

You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.

The support services we offer include: 

  • a student counselling service
  • a health centre (doctor's surgery)
  • support if you're living in University accommodation
  • dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustments

Health and wellbeing support services 

Disability and Learning Support

General enquiries

Contact our enquiry team about your eligibility or how to apply.

Contact us

Academic contact

Dr Rachel J. Harkness

Programme Director

Contact details

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