Program Overview

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Fashion Design MA

Overview

Become a fashion designer with a brand identity, a full collection, and a commercial business strategy - plus all the tools to promote yourself in the international market - on our MA Fashion Design course. Focusing on a collection you’ve already created, or starting a new one from scratch – you’ll develop your signature style and transform your fashion line to match. You’ll gain business insight and explore ways to externalise your practice, all within a creative and supportive environment.

Course Structure

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

• Launch: Launch week is a cross-school event bringing together postgraduate students across all disciplines within the School of Fashion and Textiles to get to know each other and form an international, cross-functional, dynamic postgraduate community.
• Brand Evolution and Development: You’ll identify a clear direction for your studies and personal development, through analysis and reflection of your most recent fashion collection, (e.g. your undergraduate collection) or creative portfolio, in order to create a unique brand identity and innovative design proposal. This will incorporate an introduction to business planning including brand positioning, consumer segmentation and competitor analysis.
• 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

• Opportunity Week: Opportunity Week is cross-school event bringing together all postgraduate students across all disciplines within fashion and textiles to formally present their work in progress and major project proposal to their postgraduate community. Students will be encouraged to give formative feedback and identify shared interest and potential collaboration opportunities.
• Collection Development and Consolidation: You’ll progress with garment production, utilising an external manufacturing resource to produce a statement outfit, or create a virtual collection using 3D fashion design software and Gerber pattern technology. Both options require you to create the technical specifications and patterns to support physical or digital outcomes.
• Research and Professional Context: It is key for designers and for a designer fashion business to develop an understanding of creating products that deliver and recognise the importance of a business strategy and the role that costs, pricing, planning and marketing play in supporting product development.

Term Three

• Final Project Resolution and Collection Launch: The final unit is a culmination of the your studies and work completed in the previous units. You’ll realise and launch your brand through the introduction of a marketing strategy, outsourced product manufacture or a digital catwalk collection, which demonstrates key skills in product realisation, business planning and digital marketing.

Specifications

• Course information 2025/26 entry
• Course information annex for Integrated Pre-Masters 2025/26 entry
• Student regulations

Please note, syllabus content indicated is provided as a guide. The content of the course may be subject to change in line with our Student Terms and Conditions for example, as required by external professional bodies or to improve the quality of the course.

Fees and Funding

Tuition Fees

• 2025/26: £10,500 (UK/EU)
• 2025/26: £18,000 (International)
• 2025/26 (Integrated International Pre-Masters course - Sept & Jan): £17,500
• 2025/26 (Integrated International Pre-Masters course - May): £8,750

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.

Financial Support

There are lots of ways you can access additional financial support to help you fund your studies - both from UCA and from external sources. Discover what support you might qualify for please see our scholarships and fee discounts.

Additional Course Costs

In addition to the tuition fees there may be other costs for your course. The things that you are likely to need to budget for to get the most out of a creative arts education will include books, printing costs, occasional or optional study trips and/or project materials.

These costs will vary according to the nature of your project work and the individual choices that you make. Please see the Additional Course Costs section of the Course Information Document for more details of the costs you may incur.

Facilities and Equipment

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

Career Opportunities

Taught by lecturers and sessional staff with direct experience in the fashion industry, our course has a number of high profile industry links, including:

• Avery Dennison RBIS (UK): Global Retail Branding and Information Services
• Twine-s (Israel): Technology company offering a revolutionary digital on-demand thread dyeing system and a digital dye-to-match colour application
• Tasker Apparel (UK): Leading ethical garment manufacturer supplying independent fashion designers and brands
• Fashion Scout: the UK's largest independent showcase for emerging and established design talent during London Fashion Week. Fashion Scout is renowned for championing, nurturing and showcasing creative design talent from around the globe

Our fashion design MA will prepare students, with a fantastic support system from our industry staff, for clear and exciting career options upon graduating:

• Fashion designer
• Fashion buyer
• Tailor
• Fashion brand up-start
• Colourist
• Fashion illustrator
• Fashion predictor
• Fashion stylist
• Pattern cutter/grader

You may want to undertake further study or research to specialise even further.

Entry Requirements

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.

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.

Postgraduate Requirements

Integrated Pre-Masters Course

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.

Masters Course

For our Master’s courses, we usually require that you have successfully completed a Bachelor's degree at a recognised university.

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

Postgraduate Requirements

Integrated Pre-Masters Course

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.

Masters Course

For our Master’s courses, we usually require that you have successfully completed a Bachelor's degree at a recognised university.

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.

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

Apply Now

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

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