Fashion BA (Hons)

About the course

This Fashion degree is designed to develop your creative abilities within an industrial and commercial context so that designing, selling and marketing are all seen as connected creative pursuits. The programme teaches different aspects of fashion design from creation (including traditional and avant-garde methods of pattern-cutting), through to successful retailing.

There is a strong emphasis on fashion communication and brand building with the creative use of merchandising, graphics, photography, advertising, interior and shopping experiences alongside fashion design. Part of the programme's focus is on new avenues for fashion retail and you will be encouraged to develop promotional skills accordingly. You will benefit from experience at the 'sharp end' of design and promotion through involvement behind the scenes with London Fashion Week and other similar events. You will also be given the opportunity to visualise your designs as products intended for sale from the outset, with the need to grab the attention of buyers.

You will be able to take advantage of our staff team which is drawn from nationally and internationally recognised directional fashion practitioners who bring their research and professional interests from both experimental and commercial positions.

Why choose this course?

• BA (hons) Fashion is a diverse degree designed to offer a breadth and depth of industry facing learning covering conceptual and commercial design, and business facing knowledge including Branding and Marketing.
• An exciting degree offering access to new emerging CAD technologies coupled with traditional and avant-garde pattern-cutting methods on exciting design projects.
• A degree designed to nurture commercially aware, but highly innovative individuals with a strong sense of expression and individuality.
• You will have the opportunity to work on 'live' projects with influential designers and retailers.
• This degree offers the opportunity to study abroad and work on some prestigious and internationally recognised competitions.
• Watch our end of year Fashion Show

Study routes

• Sandwich, 4 Years
• Part Time, 5 Years
• Full Time, 3 Years
• Full Time,

Locations

• University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield

Careers

The emphasis throughout the degree is on a range of knowledge and skills in fashion and clothing design, including practical aspects of production awareness and marketing. This will equip you to work in a broad range of areas in the fashion industry, from design, styling, marketing, manufacturing, visual merchandising, buying and selling.

Teaching methods

In Year 1, the focus is on developing core skills and knowledge from traditional and non typical pattern-cutting techniques. There is also a strong focus on developing visual, analytical and verbal research abilities with an emphasis on design development and the evolution of a personal illustrative technique. You also receive CAD teaching including Photoshop and Illustrator with access to specialist Fashion CAD. Students are also taught the fundamental principles of fashion related commercial practice.

In Year 2, you further develop key skills with a greater emphasis on live projects working with influential industrialists. We develop your key skills including textile technology awareness and understanding of materials.

In Year 3, you are taught how to prepare yourself for your final year with emphasis on your degree essay and your design and commercial directions. There is greater emphasis on self initiated work enabling you to think and work independently. This is an exciting time where you will be working towards a professional portfolio and final collection.

Work Placement

During Semester B in your second year, you have the opportunity to undertake a work placement. This is self initiated and can be with some exciting retailers and designer. The outcomes can lead towards offers of employment when you graduate.

Previous work experience includes Collado Garcia.

Structure

Year 1

Core Modules

• Design Studio 2: Fashion Realisation

  This module focuses upon the realisation of garment design that reflects working practices used within the field of fashion. Projects will focus on the realisation of research skills in relation to design and manufacture and will include aspects of drawing, three dimensional garment construction, photographic and presentation methods and conventions; designing and making for specific fashion contexts.

• Studio Skills 1: Technical Design and Communication

  This module is aimed at introducing students to the skills and technologies underpinning technical pattern-cutting, design and making processes in fashion. Both manual skills and the use of basic CAD technologies are employed. The module includes introductions to construction methods, fabric awareness, basic pattern-cutting and development techniques. There are inductions to general health and safety issues, as well as specific inductions to health and safety in relation to specific workshop areas and equipment. Students undertake learning in the workshops and studio spaces, working in groups on practical activities. Students are expected to document their work as they progress through the module.

• Design Studio 1: Fashion Process

  This module provides opportunities to understand some of the design processes at work within the field of fashion creation and development. Projects will focus on developing research skills in relation to design and will include aspects of drawing, three dimensional garment experimentation, introduction to materials and fabrication, photographic and presentation methods and conventions; the beginnings of designing and making for specific fashion contexts.

• C&CS L4 Fashion

  This module aims to encourage students to see critical and cultural aspects of fashion design as integral to the development of their practice and a vital component of innovative, well-informed, professional work. A programme of lectures, seminars, tutorials, and field trips, will introduce the history of fashion design and some of the ways in which key movements and individuals have shaped contemporary design practice and debate. Indicative module content may include: artisanship; industrialisation and reactions to it; consumption and retail; modernism and post modernity and how design is shaped by aesthetic, social, political, economic, cultural, ecological, digital and professional contexts. The module will enable students to explore the relationship of these issues and contexts to their own practice and begin to locate their practice within a wider contextual and professional framework. To complement discipline-specific studies this module aims to provide students with a repertoire of study skills of research, presentation, reviewing, critical analysis and communication.

Optional

Year 2

Core Modules

• Year Abroad

• Critical and Cultural Studies L5: Design

  This module aims to encourage students to see critical and cultural studies as a vital tool to further innovative and well-informed practice. A programme of study provides students with the opportunity to consider a range of theoretical positions that inform recent and contemporary practice and to use such debate to reflect critically upon their own work and to locate their practice within the context of historical, social, cultural and professional currents. Key areas for consideration may include the various cultural perspectives that have shaped design practice in industrial, post industrial and international contexts. Other topics may include: issues of representation such as gender; globalisation; theories and debates surrounding the production, circulation and consumption and sustainability. Students will be required to write an essay of between 2000-2500 words or an equivalent seminar presentation demonstrating skills of research and communication including the conventions of academic reference and makes substantive links with studio practice.

• Design Practice 2: Design and Communication

  This module focuses on the promotion of fashion within a commercial context. Building on the learning and teaching from previous modules the student can choose to work collaboratively with one another in pairs or as part of a group to prepare a promotional body of work. The design of communication and presentation material should reflect students applied skills and knowledge relating to the promotion of fashion in a commercial context. Students should demonstrate an informed level of ability to critically analyse outcomes as an individual and/or in group situations. Work experience - Optional The student has the option to undertake a minimum of 40 hours work experience in partial fulfilment of this module. Details are set out in the Programme Specification. It is possible for the student to negotiate the terms of the work experience with the Programme Leader or designated person and to report on the work experience as part of the assessment submission of this module. See Section 19 for further deatils.

• Studio Skills 2: Fashion Technologies

  This module builds on previous teaching experiences, introducing digital, CAD/CAM and non CAD technologies to the practical and technical skills the student has previously gained. The expected outcome will be a focused body of work that takes into account specific areas of student interest. Students will produce a body of work that considers flat pattern construction, design, direction, silhouette, fabric, colour and range planning. These areas of work should be developed with the use of digital, CAD/CAM and non CAD technologies. The module will give the students the opportunity to consolidate learning gained so far, integrating computer technologies into the production and/or presentation of their work.

• Design Practice 1: Commercial Process and Realisation

  The focus of this module is the application of core practical skills to a commercial design context. This module is designed to provide students with practical knowledge of fundamental skills and technologies that underpin design and manufacture in contemporary fashion. Students will further develop pattern-cutting skills, construction methods and fabric awareness. The application of these skills through a design project will consolidate this learning. The emphasis of the module is to progress the development of creative design practice within a specified commercial context. An investigation into a specific market will be undertaken. This research will underpin the students understanding of the context of commercial design and its restrictions. The skills gained in the core skills module will support and inform the design process.

• C&CS L5 Fashion

  This module aims to encourage students to see critical and cultural studies as a vital tool to further innovative and well-informed practice. A programme of study provides students with the opportunity to consider a range of theoretical positions that inform recent and contemporary practice and to use such debate to reflect critically upon their own work and to locate their practice within the context of historical, social, cultural, digital and professional currents. Key areas for consideration may include the various cultural perspectives that have shaped design practice in industrial, post industrial and international contexts. Other topics may include: issues of representation such as gender, globalisation; class; theories and debates surrounding the production, circulation and consumption.

Optional

• Professional Work Experience 15: Design

  Students may identify a work experience opportunity or have a work experience suggested to them. Before starting students meet with the Programme Leader or their nominated tutor, to agree the impending placement. All aspects of the intended experience are addressed from health and safety to client confidentiality and students are given guidance on behaviour and how to manage expectations. Proposals need to identify an outline work programme, the number of days in placement and the main learning outcomes; and are subject to agreement of the Programme Leader.

Year 3

Core Modules

Optional

• Sandwich Year (Creative Arts)

  The optional 'Sandwich' placement year may be undertaken between the levels 5 and 6. Students undertake the placement within a commercial, public or not for profit setting that is able to provide an appropriate learning experience related to the creative and cultural industries. A placement could take a variety of forms, including: * working in an external organisation; * working with a University company or professional team within the University; * self-employment within defined context and externally refereed. The placement duration would typically be sustained for at least 48 weeks, though may be sustained for a full year. While the Faculty/School actively supports the placement process, ultimately it is the placement provider that will agree to manage and select students, normally through an interview process. During the placement a member of the academic staff will be assigned to the student as a tutor and will monitor the student's progress during the placement period.

Year 4

Core Modules

• Critical and Cultural Studies L6: Degree Essay / Report (Design)

  Designers need to be informed practitioners who engage critically with their discipline, its history, the ideas which inform it and how it is likely to evolve in the future. This module will enable students to conduct an in-depth enquiry of an aspect of design culture with an emphasis on the analysis of appropriate social, cultural, economic, technical, historical and aesthetic issues germane to students chosen topic and their studio work. The content of the module will be student-generated in that each student will bring their identified interests to the sessions. Independent learning will be supported through a programme of study workshops, tutorials and learning support materials on StudyNet which will enable students to develop skills in research, organisation and planning, critical analysis, constructing an argument, studentship (independent learning processes) and presentation including academic protocols. The assessed element of this module consists of a 6000 word essay/report or negotiated equivalent.

• Professional Portfolio

  This module provides students with the opportunity to produce a consolidated body of work, based on personal strengths and interests in relation to the commercial national and international fashion markets. The portfolio of work will demonstrate the student's abilities within a chosen area in fashion and an informed understanding of a professional context for their work. This module represents the culmination of the students' experience on the BA (Hons) Fashion programme and will prepare students for employment or postgraduate study.

• Design Directions: Major Project

  This module supports the student's individual programme of study within the field of fashion. It provides students with the opportunity to produce a consolidated body of work based on personal strengths and career potential. Playing to their strengths, students will consolidate the development of their personal direction through rigorous research, exploration, problem solving, 2D and 3D realisation and critical thinking. This research will form the preparation for further development of their practice.

Optional

• Fashion Directions

  This module supports the student's individual programme of study within the field of fashion. Students will consolidate the development of their personal direction through rigorous research and exploration. This research will form the preparation for further development of practice. During semester C (between L2 and L3) students may undertake a faculty work experience, with the agreement of the Programme Tutor. This will contribute 5 credits towards this module with the assessment submission made during the period of this module. See section 19 for detail.

• Fashion: Professional Portfolio

  This module provides students with the opportunity to produce a consolidated body of work, based on personal strengths and interests. The portfolio of work will demonstrate the students abilities within a chosen area in the field of fashion and an informed understanding of the professional context for their work. This module represents the culmination of the students experience on the BA (Hons) Fashion programme and will prepare students for employment or further study.

Fees & funding

Fees 2013

UK/EU Students

Full time: £8,500 for the 2013 academic year

International Students

Full time: £10,000 for the 2013 academic year

Discounts are available for International students if payment is made in full at registration

View detailed information about tuition fees

Additional course costs

In addition to the fees there are some compulsory course attached to this course:

Year 1
Setup costs at induction - £120-£180
A3 portfolio - £30-£40
Calico £120-£160
Pattern paper £30-£40
Pens £30-£40

Year 2
Calico - £150
Pattern paper - £30-£40
Art Pens £30-£40
Mount board - £30-£40
Haberdashery - £80-£100

Year 3
Fabrics £250-£500

Scholarships

• National Scholarship Programme

Find out more about scholarships for UK/EU and international students

Other financial support

Find out more about other financial support available to UK and EU students

Living costs / accommodation

The University of Hertfordshire offers a great choice of student accommodation, on campus or nearby in the local area, to suit every student budget.

View detailed information about our accommodation

How to apply