Central Saint Martins

Central Saint Martins provides specialist education and research in the fields of fine art, fashion & textiles, film, video and photography, graphics & communication design, three dimensional design, theatre & performance and interdisciplinary art & design. We have opportunities for study from foundation through undergraduate and postgraduate to research degrees; a vibrant research community and a large short course programme.

As well as our permanent academic staff, all of whom are active artists or designers, we employ a large number of associate lecturers who are professional artists, designers or performers. Our students are from diverse cultural backgrounds, 65 different countries and all age groups, many with a broad experience of life and the professions.

The University offers a range of academic programmes from further education through to undergraduate, postgraduate and research degrees. Professional diplomas, certificates and short courses are available in a wide variety of subjects. Our former staff and students have included some of the most important British and international artists working over the last 150 years from May Morris, the daughter of William Morris, and William Lethaby who founded the Central School, to Lucien Freud and Frank Auerbach who studied fine art at St Martin's in the middle of the 20th century, to the latest wave of exciting British fashion designers including John Galliano, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney who have changed the face of international fashion in the 1990s.

It takes hard work, flexibility and passion to succeed in the fashion industry. Our philosophy is to provide a learning environment in which innovation, invention and originality can be developed within a range of different, but closely related, fashion pathways. It springs from the belief that for fashion graduates to contribute effectively in a climate of change in the new millennium, they need to be versatile fashion specialists.

They will need to possess an in-depth knowledge of their chosen fields, as well a breadth of knowledge and critical understanding of the professional fashion environment. The BA Fashion course at Central Saint Martins has earned a national and international reputation for producing innovative and highly creative designers and fashion communicators who have gone on to make outstanding and directional contributions within a variety of fashion professions in the UK and abroad.

Head of School

The Fashion Department is overseen by Willie Walters. The MA Course is now run by Fabio Piras, who follows as successor of OBE Louise Wilson. Fabio had already been teaching alongside Louise for 20 years.

Courses Overview: Undergraduate and Postgraduate

Bachelor in Jewellery Design
Bachelor in Fashion Design
Bachelor in Fashion Communication
Bachelor in Textile Design
Master of Arts in Fashion
Master of Arts in Fashion Communication

Noteworthy Alumni

Hussein Chalayan, John Galliano, Stella McCartney, Levi Palmer, Sarah Burton, Phoebe Philo, Ricardo Tisci, Christopher Kane, Gareth Pugh, Mathew Williamson, Lee Roach as well as NJAL's Richard Malone (picture below) and Gayeon Lee.

Life in London

The College inspires its students and staff to be alert to new approaches and ideas; the resulting journey can be challenging but is never dull.

This forward-looking approach places Central Saint Martins at the heart of London’s dynamic creative scene. All of our courses have strong links with practice and industry through visiting lectures, live projects and tutors who are leading practitioners. In any one month numerous people, events and exhibitions pass through the College, enriching the core curriculum in multiple ways and making it a major force in the art and design world.

The College brings a broad range of art and design activities together in an extraordinary new building, voted the world’s best higher education building in 2012. The building allows the exchange of ideas and techniques across disciplines, acting as a huge workshop of thinking and making, underpinned by a strong research base and exceptional technical resources. 

Tuition and Scholarship Information

CSM offers two Scholarships, one sponsored by Swarovski and the other by fashion giant LVMH. Besides that, the school also offers prizes and awards to over eight final year BA students every year. Tuition information can be found here.

Graduate Shows