Digital Narrative Arts MA

Royal College of Art

The Digital Narrative Arts MA/MFA will be available either as a one year MA or a two year MFA. This programme was formerly known as the Digital Direction MA. The programme at the RCA invites you to explore storytelling at the intersection of film, performance, games, installation and sound. You experiment with emerging technologies including AI, VR, AR, real-time 3D, spatial sound and physical computing to develop immersive and interactive narrative experiences. Through critical, collaborative and exploratory research, you question how stories are created, experienced and shared, while considering urgent social, environmental and ethical concerns. Working within a global community of makers and thinkers, you develop an inclusive, socially engaged practice that explores how digital narratives can connect with questions of justice, identity and the planet. While the intensive one-year MA route focuses on developing critical and technical agency through an Independent Research Project, the extended two-year MFA route builds on this foundation to cultivate sustained creative practice and professional leadership. Programme structure: Term 1 In Term 1, you take Critical Stories, which introduces critical, cooperative and experimental approaches to storytelling, media ecologies and narrative artefacts. You work collaboratively to explore diverse forms of digital storytelling, developing creative and technical approaches that respond to urgent concerns in contemporary culture. Term 2 In Term 2, you take Immersive Enquiries, where you critically and experimentally explore immersive environments and interactive media to develop new approaches to digital storytelling. You work with emerging technologies and platforms to prototype narrative experiences while considering their social and environmental implications. You also take a choice of elective units, allowing you to extend your practice across disciplines and explore areas of personal interest. Term 3 In Term 3, you take the Independent Research Project, where you develop a substantial programme of self-directed, research-led practice. You define and pursue a contemporary digital storytelling concern through critical enquiry, experimentation and making, developing a body of work that establishes your emerging practice and future research direction.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.