Culture, stories, history, College structure, communities, alumni and London life Located in the heart of London, where courses are taught by internationally renowned artists, practitioners and theorists. The College has access to state-of-the-art facilities and outstanding research resources, contributing to an outstanding creative and intellectual environment. As well as welcoming students from around the world, the College’s global dimension is enhanced through partnerships with leading art and design, cultural and educational institutions and though extensive links with business, both nationally and internationally. The College is the only wholly postgraduate university of art and design in the world – where students and staff study and practice art in a design environment, and design in an art environment. According to the most recent figures, an average of 92% of these graduates gain work in directly related employment and at the right professional level. Recognised for the outstanding quality of its graduates, the College boasts such note-worthy alumni as Sir James Dyson, Thomas Heatherwick, David Hockney, Tracey Emin, Christopher Bailey, Julien McDonald, Alison Jackson, Idris Khan, David Adjaye, AOC, Suzie Templeton, Sir Ridley Scott – the list goes on.
The College has an international reputation for its teaching in the fields of automotive design, photography, industrial design, communication design, interior design, fashion, ceramics and silversmithing. Degrees in the history of art and conservation are offered in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum, while an MA in Industrial Design Engineering is offered jointly with Imperial College London, both situated close-by. The most recent Research Assessment Exercise, published in December 2008, confirmed the Royal College of Art as a leading specialist art and design institution in the United Kingdom, with 40% of its research output judged to be of quality that is world-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigor. A further 25% was considered internationally excellent.