Program Overview

Master of Arts in Fashion and Textile Design

The Master of Arts in Fashion and Textile Design programme is designed to provide students with a creative learning environment that fosters the synergy of craft and digital innovation. The programme aims to support students in defining and articulating their values and principles as designers, whilst attaining an empathic understanding of contemporary fashion in a broader socio-cultural, environmental, technological, and economic context.

Programme Details

• Entrance Year: September 2025
• Programme Code: 14097
• Mode of Study: Full-time
• Normal Duration: 1 year
• Fund Type: Self-financed
• Credits Required for Graduation: 31
• Initial Registration Credits: 3 for local students, 6 for non-local students
• Tuition Fees: HK$6,000 per credit for local and non-local students

Programme Leader

• Chief: Mr. Ryan Houlton
• Deputy: Ms. Uki Lau

Aims and Characteristics

The programme provides a creative learning environment that fosters the synergy of craft and digital innovation, allowing students to realize their personal means of expression and critically reflect upon their own work. The programme supports students in defining and articulating their values and principles as designers, whilst attaining an empathic understanding of contemporary fashion in a broader socio-cultural, environmental, technological, and economic context.

Programme Structure

The programme is structured over three semesters, during which students explore and realize their personal means of expression to establish their creative identity and design practice. The context of fashion is examined from a wide range of perspectives, helping students identify key contemporary issues that they can respond to through their own work and practice.

Subjects

Students are required to take the following subjects to graduate from the programme: | Subject | Credits | | --- | --- | | Personal Creative Identity | 3 | | Professional Practice | 3 | | Virtual Fashion Creation | 3 | | Design Practice & Ideation | 3 | | Creative Methodology | 3 | | Fashion Technology and Product Development | 3 | | Fashion Branding | 3 | | Personal Major Project | 9 |

Academic Integrity and Ethics Requirement

• Students are required to complete a 1-credit subject on Academic Integrity and Ethics (AIE) Requirement within the first semester of study.
• No credit fee will be charged for this subject.
• The AIE subject will be assessed on a pass/fail grading system and will not be included in the GPA calculation.

Entrance Requirements

• A Bachelor's degree in textiles or fashion design, or the equivalent.
• Applicants who hold a Bachelor's degree in other fields of study and have adequate and relevant work experience in the fashion or textile industry may be considered for admission.
• If the applicant is not a native speaker of English, and their Bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification is awarded by institutions where the medium of instruction is not English, they are expected to fulfill the Universitys minimum English language requirement for admission purpose.

Additional Documents Required

• Personal statement
• Transcript / Certificate
• Copy of English examination results (for applicants who graduated from universities where the medium of instruction is not English)
• Postal address in Chinese (for applicants from Mainland China)
• Selective design work via online portfolio

Portfolio Advice

The portfolio has great significance, as it allows the reviewers to understand the applicant better. The reviewers are looking for evidence of a critically engaged design mind. The portfolio should show the applicant's unique way of working, why they deserve a place on the programme, and their potential as a designer to contribute something new to fashion.

Key Values and Qualities

The key values and qualities the reviewers are looking for include:

• Conceptual Depth: Evidence of strong research and the ability to develop a unique, thoughtful idea into a product or a cohesive collection.
• Critical Awareness: An understanding of fashion's context, including themes such as sustainability, ethics, and contemporary culture.
• Creativity & Originality: A clear design aesthetic, with a personal point of view that demonstrates a unique approach to design, as well as a willingness to take creative risks.
• Technical Skills: Proficiency in a range of skills that could be either traditional or interdisciplinary.
• Professional Presentation: A well-curated, logically sequenced portfolio where the layout and content are well considered and successfully showcase the work.

Portfolio Requirements

• Digital PDF: 20-50 pages (3-5 projects)
• Layout: 42cm x 29.7cm (A3 Landscape)
• File Size: 10-25MB
• Image Quality: Ensure that all images within the portfolio are not pixelated or blurred
• Project Introduction: Each project needs a title and a brief description

Quick Checklist for the Portfolio

• Does each project have a clear, compelling concept?
• Can the journey from research to final garment be seen?
• Is the personal design aesthetic evident?
• Is there evidence of technical skills?
• Is the portfolio easy to navigate and visually cohesive?
• Does it show that the applicant is a critical thinker, not just a maker?
• Have creative risks been taken?