Program Overview

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Textile Art, Design and Fashion - BA (Hons)

Overview

We offer a rich, creative, and supportive course where you can develop ideas, skills, and confidence in 5 textiles and fashion specialisms.

Revalidation

The University regularly ‘refreshes’ courses to make sure they are as up-to-date as possible. In addition, it undertakes formal periodic review of courses in a process called 'revalidation’ to ensure that they continue to meet standards and are current and relevant. This course will be revalidated in the near future and it is possible that there will be some changes to the course as described in this prospectus.

Summary

Textile Art, Design and Fashion is a unique course. We nurture individual approaches to specialisms in embroidery, knit, weave, print, and fashion and after a broad first year, you will select a pathway as an artist, designer, or designer maker in your chosen area. We have 5 well-equipped workshops, each supported by an expert technician and excellent studios where we develop both traditional and digital approaches to art and design. We explore the historical, cultural, and contemporary significance of textiles and fashion and encourage sustainable approaches to design. We will support you to work ambitiously towards your chosen career and in dedicated professional practice modules where you will learn from our successful graduates and visiting artists and designers. You will showcase your work to industry professionals through placements, projects, and competitions.

About this course

About

In first year, this course offers you the chance to work in all our specialist areas with an introduction to embroidery, weave, print, knit, and garment construction in our specialist workshops. You will also develop skills in drawing, colour, collage, and CAD in the studios and will learn about the past, present, and future of Textiles and Fashion in seminars and lectures.

In second year, you begin to specialise, selecting a pathway best suited to your creative interests and career aspirations. You will develop ideas, work to briefs, continue to develop as an artist or designer, and explore digital and traditional skills and technologies. Future careers and the professional skills needed to begin your professional life are explored in second year. Short placements provide essential work experience and competitions offer the chance to have your work seen by the professionals.

Between second and final year, we offer an optional placement year or the opportunity to study abroad.

In final year, you begin with a research project, writing a dissertation or market report, and will then devise an ambitious major project and develop a significant portfolio of work and final exhibition. This body of work will showcase your ideas, skills, technical expertise, and pathway choice as a textile artist, textile designer, designer maker, or fashion designer and your specialism choice in embroidery, weave, print, knit, or garment construction. With your future in the creative industries in mind, we also focus on graduate and professional skills to ensure you are well-equipped and confident in your future.

Associate awards

• Diploma in Professional Practice DPP
• Diploma in International Academic Studies DIAS
• Diploma in Professional Practice International DPPI

Attendance

Three/four years (with placement). Full-time.

While the Course has specified times for contact teaching for Lectures, seminars, workshops, and tutorials you are expected to be in their studio's and workshop's engaging in studio practice and project development outside those specific contact teaching times.

Start dates

• September 2025

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

In Textile Art, Design and Fashion, you will learn and develop work in a number of ways. The knowledge, understanding, ideas, and skills needed to succeed in textiles and fashion are developed through a combination of practical workshop and studio experience supported by history, theory, and research. Lectures, seminars, workshops, and tutorials based around recommended reading, set projects, and direct experience offer a variety of settings and styles in which you can develop ideas and gain the confidence to articulate your ideas to peers and tutors. A comprehensive range of demonstrations, workshops, and master classes are core to delivery as are workshops and lectures supporting placement, live projects, and self-directed study. Transferable graduate skills are developed through engagement with all elements of the course and are fundamental to undertaking coursework and to future success in textiles and fashion and the creative industries.

Assessment is based on 100% coursework which can take a range of formats including artworks and design collections, practical and contextual research, essays, statements, presentations, reports, and digital portfolios.

Feedback is central to teaching, learning, and assessment and offers essential guidance throughout the course and encourages you to reflect on progress and achievement and to consider suggestions for future direction.

Modules

Year one

• Cultural Contexts
• Fundamental Skills 1
• Research & Writing 1: Methods & Approaches
• Fundamental Skills 2

Year two

• Specialist Skills 1
• Professional Practice 1: Work-Based Learning
• Research and Writing 2: Critical Frameworks
• Specialist Skills 2

Year three

• Placement (optional)
• International Academic Studies (optional)

Year four

• Research & Writing 3: The Essay/ Report
• Professional Practice 2: Graduate Skills
• Major Project

Standard entry conditions

We recognise a range of qualifications for admission to our courses. In addition to the specific entry conditions for this course, you must also meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements.

A level

Grades BCC

Applied General Qualifications

• RQF Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma / OCR Cambridge Technical Level 3 Extended Diploma Award profile of DMM

Irish Leaving Certificate

104 UCAS tariff points to include a minimum of five subjects (four of which must be at higher level) to include English at H6 if studied at Higher level or O4 if studied at Ordinary Level.

Scottish Highers

Grades BCCCC

Scottish Advanced Highers

Grades CDD

International Baccalaureate

Overall profile is minimum 24 points (including 12 at higher level)

Access to Higher Education (HE)

Overall profile of 60% (120 credit Access Course) (NI Access Course)

Overall profile of 12 credits at Distinction, 30 credits at Merit and 3 credits at Pass (60 credit Access Course) (GB Access Course)

GCSE

For full-time study, you must satisfy the General Entrance Requirements for admission to a first-degree course and hold a GCSE pass at Grade C/4 or above in English Language.

English Language Requirements

English language requirements for international applicants

The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.

Careers & opportunities

Graduate employers

Graduates from this course are now working for:

• BEDECK
• Decora Blind Systems Ltd
• Primark UK (Penneys Ireland)
• Port West Workwear
• Douglas & Graham Ltd.
• Dunnes Stores Design Department
• Eire Designs

Job roles

With this degree, you could become:

• Costume Designer
• Community Arts Facilitator
• Fashion Designer
• Lecturer in Further and Higher Education
• Textile Designer
• Textile Artist
• Art Teacher

Career options

Graduates will be equipped to pursue a range of career paths within an increasingly diverse field as self-employed and freelance textile artists, designers, and makers of craft objects. For those focusing on business and industry, they will work as designers, buyers, product developers, and design marketing executives. For those in the public and private sectors, they will find careers as arts officers, educators, teachers, workshop coordinators, community artists, and curators. Others will choose to become freelance textile artists, designers, and makers selling their work through art markets and online. Others will undertake private and public commissions, residencies, and will adopt a portfolio approach to building a career. The film and television industry offers exciting opportunities for costume designers, printers, embroiderers, and dyers as well as breakdown artists, and many of our graduates have forged successful careers in this booming industry.

Fees and funding

Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, and EU Settlement Status Fees

£4,855.00

England, Scotland, Wales, and the Islands Fees

£9,535.00

International Fees

£17,010.00

Scholarships, awards, and prizes

• International Undergraduate Scholarship Open to all new international (non-EU) entrants on the first year of a full-time undergraduate course delivered on one of our Northern Ireland campuses, commencing September 2024. Value £2,000 scholarship applied as a discount to your annual tuition fee.

Additional mandatory costs

Students purchase materials for their own coursework.

Consumable workshop contribution of up to £100 is optional and contributes to materials used by students.

Local field trips to museums, galleries, and exhibitions may incur additional costs.

It is important to remember that costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges), and normal living will need to be covered in addition to tuition fees.