MA Textiles

Program Overview

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Textiles MA at UCA Epsom

Overview

The Textiles MA at UCA Epsom is a responsive and diverse creative programme of study. It provides students with the opportunity to engage with a range of broad professional industry contexts as they develop and expand their practice through the course.

What You'll Study

The content of the course may be subject to change. Curriculum content is provided as a guide.

Integrated Pre-Masters (if undertaken)

Our Integrated Pre-Master's course will prepare for postgraduate study by improving your academic and creative skills before your degree begins.

You'll build a portfolio of work whilst you explore your subject specialism and benefit from personal development tutoring that will support your academic growth and help refine your specialism.

If you need to enhance your English language skills you can opt to join a pre- sessional English course to improve your IELTS score as well.

Term One

• Textiles Practice 1 Through defining or redefining your concepts in a creative context, you will consider a range of textile applications for fashion, interiors or other relevant industry and build from your existing skills. By the end of the unit, you will have developed innovative textile/material investigations, experimental and exploratory work and prototypes supported by research.
• Critical thinking for Creative Practice Within this unit you will be introduced to historical and contemporary debates that underpin your creative practice. You will be given the opportunity to expand your historical and contextual knowledge, examine ethical frameworks, and be introduced to social and cultural approaches to fashion and textiles.

Term Two

• Textiles Practice 2 This unit allows you to explore expanded concepts for textiles for a wide range of sectors, contextualising your work in the world of fashion, the body, interiors/spaces and experience. You will begin to interrogate your practice in far greater depth with a view towards constructing a specific body of work for an industry. Practice continues from a defined project proposal, and you will have the opportunity to collaborate with an external creative industry partner.
• Collaborative Professional Practice Within this unit you will be introduced to markets, industry connections, contexts and future facing professional development within your discipline, in order to complete a two-stage collaborative professional project covering your planning and implementation.

Term Three

• Major Project This final unit will require you to produce a significant body of work, which encapsulates the creative ideas, research methodologies, new insights, technical expertise, and professional contexts. Work should be executed to an appropriate standard for impactful positioning in a professional context.

Entry Requirements

Standard Requirements

• A good honours degree or equivalent qualification in a related discipline
• Relevant work experience, demonstrating your ability to study at postgraduate level

Consideration will also be given to applicants who can make a strong case for admission in relation to a particular project and can demonstrate their potential to satisfactorily complete the course.

Fees and Funding

Tuition Fees

• 2025/26: £10,500

UCA Scholarships and Fee Discounts

At UCA we have a number of financial support information available to assist you with the cost of your studies.

Current UCA students and alumni may be eligible for a tuition fee discount.

Facilities and Equipment

This course has studio spaces at The Wells - a new addition to complement our main campus and remodelled to specifically enhance students' learning experience. On campus there are also printing facilities and photographic studios with professional quality lighting rigs.

Career Opportunities

As part of this course, you'll have access to well-established industry connections. These include:

• The Crafts Council
• Royal School of Needlework
• Farnham Maltings
• Selvedge Magazine
• Nuno Corporation
• The New Ashgate Gallery
• Melin Tregwynt Woollen Mill

Recent guest lecturers include:

• Rachel Kelly, wallpaper designer
• Yosi Anaya, textiles designer
• Dr Jane Harris, textiles designer

Our course will equip you with a host of valuable and transferable skills. Upon successful completion, you may decide to become self-employed, or forge a career within the craft and design industries. These offer a variety of career opportunities, including:

• Freelance design professionals
• Self-employed designer-makers
• Textile designers
• Public art practitioners
• Textile conservationists and curators
• Arts educators and teachers
• Textile stylists
• Fashion buyers and retailers
• Gallery directors.

Our course provides an excellent platform for you to connect with your subject, or to further your teaching career at an advanced level.

It also helps prepare you for further study or research to specialise even further.

The The International Textile Research Centre (ITRC), based at UCA, offers an exciting staff and student research culture developing collaborative relationships with major cultural institutions, networks, galleries and museums around the world.

Staff

• Chip Harris, Programme Director
• Hermione Thomson, Lecturer in Textiles & Sustainability

"The great thing about doing an MA is the artistic freedom you experience, which encourages you to take risks with your work and deeply question your decisions, from both a creative and theoretical perspective."

Beverly Ayling-Smith

Portfolio and Interview

For this course we will need to see your portfolio for review. You can either submit a digital portfolio or request an in-person portfolio review with the course team.

View postgraduate portfolio advice

English Language Requirements

If you take the IELTS test you will need to achieve the following scores (or an equivalent from other UCA-approved English tests):

• Master's Degree (MA/MSc/MFA/MBA/MArch/MMus): 6.5 overall with no less than 5.5 in any section
• Pre-Master's (13 Weeks): 6.0 overall with no less than 5.5 in any section
• Pre-Master's (30 Weeks): 5.5 overall with no less than 5.5 in any section

International Students

We accept a range of qualifications from different countries. Please select your country to find the equivalent requirements.

Integrated Pre-Masters

Our Pre-Masters courses require a recognised bachelor degree or 3 year diploma with a strong portfolio in a relevant subject. Applicants will also need to meet any course-specific requirements.

Integrated International Pre-Masters

Our Pre-Masters courses require a recognised bachelor degree or 3 year diploma with a strong portfolio in a relevant subject. Applicants will also need to meet any course-specific requirements.

English Language Requirements

View more information for students from different countries.

Apply Now

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• My location: Select your location (UK/International/EU)
• I am interested to start in: Select entry year
• I would like to study for: Select study option

Apply

Related Courses

• Creative Direction for Fashion MA at UCA Epsom
• Digital Fashion MA at UCA Epsom
• Fashion Business & Management MA at UCA Epsom
• Fashion Design MA at UCA Epsom
• Fashion Photography MA at UCA Epsom
• Textiles MA at UCA Epsom

Program Outline

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Degree Overview:

• This one-year advanced program in Textiles at UCA Epsom is designed to further your research skills and specialize within the discipline.
• You'll graduate as a flexible, sustainable textile specialist, equipped with in-demand professional skills for the industry.
• The program offers a rich, established legacy of academic excellence in research, knowledge, and expertise in textiles practice and professional industry contexts.
• You'll explore the intersections of textiles with other subjects, focusing on sustainable textile priorities in wider creative industries and communities.
• You'll be part of a vibrant, interdisciplinary, international postgraduate community of staff, students, and practitioners across textiles, fashion design, digital fashion, fashion photography, creative direction, and global fashion cultures.
This community will inspire you to develop your creative practice, share ideas, and collaborate with diverse individuals while receiving continuous support from your academic team.

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Outline:

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Term 1

• Launch Week: Introduces students from across disciplines within the School of Fashion and Textiles, allowing them to connect and form a collaborative community.
• Textiles Practice 1: Develop innovative textile/material investigations, experimental work, and prototypes for fashion, interiors, or other relevant industries, building on your existing skills.

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Term 2

• Opportunity Week: Provides a cross-school forum for postgraduate students to formally present their work-in-progress and major project proposals, fostering interdisciplinary feedback and potential collaboration opportunities.
• Textiles Practice 2: Explore expanded textile concepts for diverse sectors, contextualizing your work within the world of fashion, body, interiors/spaces, and experience.
• Collaborative Professional Practice: Gain insight into markets, industry connections, contexts, and future-facing professional development within your discipline.
You'll complete a two-stage collaborative professional project, either within your course remit or in collaboration with students from the Business School for the Creative Industries for a creative start-up.

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Term 3

• Major Project: This culminating phase requires you to produce a significant body of work, showcasing your creative ideas, research methodologies, new insights, technical expertise, and professional contexts.

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Careers:

• Upon successful completion, you may become self-employed or pursue a career within the craft and design industries.
• Career opportunities include freelance design professionals, self-employed designer-makers, textile designers, public art practitioners, textile conservationists and curators, arts educators and teachers, textile stylists, fashion buyers and retailers, and gallery directors.

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Other:

• The course is well-equipped with dedicated studio spaces, including screen-printing tables, dye baths, large heat press, pattern-cutting tables, sewing machines, computers and scanners, a digital textile printer, dye sublimation printer, drying racks, and well-stocked cloth and yarn shops.
• Industry connections include collaborations with esteemed organizations like The Crafts Council, Royal School of Needlework, Farnham Maltings, Selvedge Magazine, Nuno Corporation, The New Ashgate Gallery, and Melin Tregwynt Woollen Mill.
• The International Textiles Research Centre (ITRC) provides a vibrant environment for staff and student research, fostering collaborative relationships with major cultural institutions, networks, galleries, and museums globally.

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Tuition fees 2024/25 entry: £10,500 Tuition fees 2024/25 entry: £10,500 (see fee discount information) Tuition fees 2024/25 entry (MA): £18,000 2024/25 entry (Integrated International Pre-Masters course - 30 weeks): £17,500 2024/25 entry (Integrated International Pre-Masters course - 15 weeks): £8,750