Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
Placement
Establish your professional creative identity and Fashion career path by developing your own specialist-creative-practice that explores Fashion design for real-world applications.
Learn how to create, craft and communicate meaningful Fashion aligned to your own interests using thinking-through-making skills, craftsmanship and contemporary fashion design practices.
Through practical assessment, build a skillful knowledge of pattern-cutting, printed textiles, or constructed knitwear enhanced by traditional and digital techniques within our excellent studios and workshops and professional design-community.
Become career ready by experiencing industrial and enterprise placements or Design Study Abroad, amongst our industrial and cultural partners and alumni.
Capitalise on our Fashion programme’s established reputation for producing award-winning designers with creative vision, knowledge and skills.
Other courses you may be interested in: or check out all of our other Fashion courses and find that one that suits you.
112 UCAS Tariff points
From a combination of acceptable Level 3 qualifications which may include: A-level, T Level, BTEC Diplomas/Extended Diplomas, Scottish and Irish Highers, Access to HE Diplomas, or the International Baccalaureate.
Find out how many points your qualifications are worth by using the UCAS Tariff calculator:
Northumbria University is committed to supporting all individuals to achieve their ambitions. We have a range of schemes and alternative offers to make sure as many individuals as possible are given an opportunity to study at our University regardless of personal circumstances or background. To find out more, review our Northumbria Entry Requirement Essential Information page for further details
Subject Requirements:
There are no specific subject requirements for this course.
GCSE Requirements:
Applicants will need Maths and English Language at minimum grade 4/C, or an equivalent.
Additional Requirements:
A portfolio of creative design work is required. Get advice on preparing your portfolio here:
International Qualifications:
We welcome applicants with a range of qualifications which may not match those shown above.
If you have qualifications from outside the UK, find out what you need by visiting
English Language Requirements:
International applicants should have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.0 with 5.5 in each component (or an approved equivalent*).
*The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades in our English Language section:
For further admissions guidance and requirements, please visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/admissionsguidance Please review this information before submitting your application.
UK Fee in Year 1: £9,535
* This is the tuition fee for your first year of study. You should expect to pay tuition fees for every year of study. The University may increase fees in the second and subsequent years of your course at our discretion in line with any inflationary or other uplift, as decided by the UK Government, up to the maximum amount for fees permitted by UK law or regulation for that academic year. To give students an indication of the likely scale of any future increase, the UK government has recently suggested that increases may be linked to RPIX ( Retail Price Index excluding mortgage interest payments) * Fees subject to annual increases over the course of the period of study. Students will be liable for payment of any/all tuition fees which are not sponsored by their employer or other third party.
International Fee in Year 1:
ADDITIONAL COSTS
During your 4 years of study you will incur additional costs such as consumable art & design materials, tools, fabrics and years, books, printing, technology, study visits, promotional materials, final collection materials and promotional exhibitions. In years 1 to 3 your costs will vary according to your individual needs, but you will need to budget for a minimum of 2 x A3 sketchbooks per year, plus art materials (see equipment list), and printing costs. The university provides basic industrial sewing kit and pattern grading square at cost price to first year students (approx. £80). You will also need to budget for calico for toiles, and fabric scissors, pins, etc. (approx. £50+), as well as any additional fabrics/trims over what is already provided by the university for year 1-3 project work. There are optional, subsidised day study trips that may incur small personal costs e.g. meals, entry to museums etc. There are also optional student-funded international study visits, which vary in cost according to destination (budget for approx. £500 for a 3-4 day study visit). There may be costs associated with placement at Level 5. Students on the programme have a mandatory Industrial Placement in Level 5. While the programme advises against taking unpaid roles, students are responsible for any related costs not covered by their placement, and you may need to budget for accommodation, travel and subsistence, depending on your individual circumstances. In final year you will need to purchase fabrics/yarns/trims for your final collection, and a presentation portfolio (£60+). You might also incur exhibition and other costs for your final show, such as travel, accommodation, etc. Participation in competitions in final year may also incur small entry fees (e.g. £30). While there are Macs to work on in university, students prefer to have their own Macbook (approx. £1000). It is recommended that you purchase a portable hard drive(s) to back up your digital work (approx. £50) as well as a personal SD card for digital cameras (approx. £10). Final year students also have their own group website that costs participating students between £10-£20 each.
Your modules will help you to realise your creative potential and prepare you for a meaningful fashion career. They foster design thinking, authentic research, and creative fashion design and communication skills. Learning outcomes will assess your knowledge and understanding, intellectual and professional skills and personal attributes through design and make projects, sketchbooks, critical study, presentations, and portfolios.
In first year, you will work with your expert specialist team to build fundamental knowledge and skills in fashion design practice using thinking-through-making methods to explore the formal elements of fashion design in 2D and 3D. You will learn about materials and methods, research skills, and design and make meaningful fashion through pattern cutting, sewing, print, knit and digital methods.
In second year, you will work purposefully on industry-relevant, collaborative projects in response to global issues impacting fashion; informing the development of your own values, interests, ambitions and creative identity. Digital fashion technologies workshops will enhance your emerging specialist creative practice and craftsmanship skills alongside the professional, interpersonal and portfolio skills in preparation for choosing your Year 3 options.
In third year, you will develop your career readiness, entrepreneurship and intercultural awareness through first-hand experience of the fashion workplace, international study opportunities, and creative studio practice. You will choose from national and international industrial placements, enterprise placements, study abroad, or from live, simulated and competitive projects. You will record your experience(s) and share with tutors and peers.
In final year your specialist creative practice is situated within current global debate and explores the interface between theory and practice within a professional portfolio, conceptual collection and critical study. Your portfolio showcases your vision of the future of fashion, professional creative identity, skills set, methodologies and career readiness to multiple audiences, within the context of your professional ambitions.
Module information is indicative and is reviewed annually therefore may be subject to change. Applicants will be informed if there are any changes.
DE4022 -
Interchange 1 – Experimental Processes (Core,20 Credits)
In this module, you will delve into experimental design processes that are directly applicable to your future role in the ever-changing field of design. The boundaries between established design disciplines are continually shifting due to the ongoing collaborative nature of design projects calling on multiple skill sets, technological advancements, evolving design trends and societal needs.
The main objective is to provide you with the opportunity to explore making practice through different media, by acquire new skills or gaining experience in areas that are unfamiliar to you. For example, different briefs might explore 3D printing, upcycling, narrative storytelling and illustration or coding for designers. You will be encouraged to experiment and will be rewarded for taking creative risks. Throughout this process, you will develop into a more competent and self-assured designer, essential for a professional design career.
FA4024 -
Introduction to Fashion Practice (Core,20 Credits)
This module introduces you to the technical skills and approaches you will need to support the development of your own creative practice and craftsmanship throughout your studies.
As a BA Fashion student, you will learn how to work safely and responsibly in the pattern cutting, sewing, print, knit and digital technical workshops, via specialist technician-led inductions.
Our highly experienced technical team and tutors will enable you to reinforce this learning via the manufacture of a classic garment that will underpin your creative fashion project work and begin your journey as a fashion designer. You will learn how to pattern cut and use authentic industrial methods and techniques in our industry-standard workshops.
You will practice the fundamentals of accurate hand-drawn working drawings that will underpin the development of your technical understanding and employability skills. Additionally, you will be introduced to skills and techniques relevant to print, knit and digital technology.
During the module you will record and reflect upon your learning and skills development in an annotated Technical Process Journal (TPJ). This will underpin your making throughout the programme and work symbiotically with the modules Introduction to Fashion Cultures and Fashion Practice to inform your creative process.
All students must pass the technical Health & Safety inductions to be able to work independently and book space in the technical workshops during the academic year.
FA4025 -
Introduction to Fashion Culture (Core,20 Credits)
This module introduces you to fashion cultures through the exploration of the intersection between the use of dress to express individual and cultural identity, fashion history, contemporary fashion industry practices and the global challenges and debates that are shaping the future of fashion. You will take part in a series of collaborative and individual research-based activities to develop an understanding of the relationship between fashion theory and practice and understand its potential as a catalyst for creative and critical thinking You will learn how to conduct authentic, relevant research, using responsible methods, sources and materials, and how to interpret the findings for creative purposes, and meaningful fashion outcomes. Through the development of your new knowledge of fashion design history and making practices, at the intersection of personal and cultural identity and the global challenges faced in fashion, you will expand your visual design vocabulary.
The historical and theoretical elements of the module are presented in lectures reinforced through interactive seminars and workshops. These give context to practice-based workshops on the fashion formal elements of silhouette, colour, pattern, texture, detail, line and proportion, in relation to the moving human body. The module is supported by other relevant activities such as visits and creative and technical workshops.
Over the course of this module, you will record and develop your work in a Creative Process Journal (CPJ), developing skills in 2D and 3D research methods and critical reflection. A 1500-word essay will contribute to this developmental journey, providing the opportunity for you to demonstrate your growing knowledge and understanding of fashion culture and your practice within it.
FA4026 -
Fashion Practice (Core,40 Credits)
This practical, thinking-through-making module challenges you to create 3D fashion outcomes based on real-world issues that are shaping the future of fashion, e.g. climate change, social inclusion, responsible practice, etc.
Throughout this module you will be expected to apply your previous learning in fashion cultural research, ideation of fashion design concepts and formal elements through pattern cutting, print, knit and industrial garment manufacturing techniques. You will take a creative risk-taking approach to the design process to reimagine and realise an iconic garment in your first design and make project.
To contextualise your practice, you will be introduced to new fashion research methods such as drawing as a creative thinking tool, creative sampling, and garment analysis to learn about the design process from technical, socio-cultural, industrial, design and functional perspectives. You will learn from the teaching team’s specialist expertise to position your work in cultural and industrial environments. Your creative practice will be underpinned by theoretical content including responsible practice and circular fashion principles to enable a deep understanding of cultural value, form and function, and how it relates to your values and interests.
You will book access to technical workshops to explore, sample, toile, and realise your fashion ideas in collaboration with your tutors. You will present your resolved fashion prototypes on the moving body.
FA4027 -
Fashion Image (Core,20 Credits)
This is a practice-based module that is informed by micro lectures on key issues that will support your learning and stimulate your curiosity for your theoretical and practical research. You will learn about the creative practice of fashion drawing and develop the knowledge, skills and techniques needed to create impactful, relevant and personal fashion images.
Using thinking-through-drawing methods, you will work in a Creative Process Journal (CPJ) to explore the role of drawing in fashion and its application to research, ideation, visualisation and communication processes through drawing as a way of knowing, and as a creative thinking, visualisation and communication tool.
In exploring how fashion images are constructed to convey meaning, the module also enables you to take a discursive approach to human-centred issues of inclusion, such as the decolonisation of the beauty ideal, and contribute to the debate around the political positioning and the power relationships between the creator and the subject, the observer and the observed.
You will learn how to navigate the challenges facing fashion illustration and to visualise fashion’s formal elements, creatively and responsibly for a diverse audience.
Work produced in this module will inform your 2nd year portfolio content.
YB5001 -
Academic Language Skills for Design (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)
Academic skills when studying away from your home country can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level.
The topics you will cover on the module include:
• Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions.
• Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising.
• Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’
• Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations).
• Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively.
• Listening skills for lectures.
• Speaking in seminar presentations.
• Presenting your ideas
• Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback.
• Speed reading techniques.
• Developing self-reflection skills.
DE5021 -
Interchange 2 – Emerging Issues and Practices (Core,20 Credits)
In this module, you will explore some of the most important emerging design issues and practices that are shaping contemporary design and design research. As designers, we are in a perpetual state of evolution, responding to a world that is constantly in flux, where new challenges and opportunities arise on an almost daily basis.
This module occurs at a critical and timely stage in your design education, where you will delve into the heart of design's developing practice opportunities or most compelling dilemmas. You will learn to identify, analyse, and propose innovative opportunities to these dynamic and often complex situations. You will also learn to react to these challenges by working with others, leveraging your collective skills and knowledge to develop more nuanced design outcomes.
Emerging issues and practices may include a diverse range of topics, from sustainability, responsibility, inclusivity and diversity to technology and innovation, which may in turn have implications for cross-cultural design and global design trends.
FA5029 -
Fashion Theory Into Practice (Core,20 Credits)
This module develops critical fashion thinking skills through the exploration of the symbiotic relationship between creative fashion practice, the most current debates and critical issues faced by the fashion industry and the theories used to explain fashion phenomena. It challenges and equips you to approach your fashion practice through the development of critical thinking, cultural and social understanding, and ethical awareness not only vital for academic success but also a successful career in fashion design with potential to effect change through practice.
In this module you will be given the opportunity to explore your fashion practice in relationship to the most pressing social, environmental, cultural, political and technological issues with which the fashion industry is grappling today. You will be introduced to different theories to help make sense of real-world phenomena and be facilitated to respond through your creative practice. Topics for exploration could include environmental and social sustainability; issues of class, gender and queer identity; sub- and counterculture; agism and body image; storytelling and branding; globalisation and localisation; fashion, the body and embodied experience; the impact of technological change on fashion; and ethnicity, race, colonial legacy and the decolonisation of fashion.
Current debates and critical issues will be introduced and analysed through a mixture of lectures, seminar discussions and debates as well as workshops. You will continue to finetune your ability to conduct and apply detailed analytical research, object and visual analysis to fashion design practice and increase your confidence to articulate your viewpoints in speech and writing.
In the studio, you will be encouraged to respond to at least one of the critical issues explored through sampling, making or local initiatives. You will fuel your curiosity in researching a fashion design question pertinent to your own creative practice and generate original written and practical outcomes, and by using mixed research methodologies to inspire your creative practice generating original written and practical outcomes.
FA5030 -
Fashioning Identity, Concept and Craftsmanship (Core,20 Credits)
In this module, you will interpret contemporary global design issues aligned to your own values, creative identity and creative ambitions. You will develop progressive knowledge of aesthetic principles and skills in fashion craftsmanship for future fashion scenarios, and the development of your creative identity.
By developing your design skills and technical knowledge developed in Level 4, you will create a research-rich, fashion-forward concept to explore new ways of thinking about and fabricating fashion. Your research and development will be recorded in a creative 2D output to communicate your distinctive individual fashion interests and style.
Theoretical research appropriate to fashion practice will inform your creative fashion practice via specialist skills development in pattern cutting and garment construction, constructed knitwear or printed surface textiles. By engaging in meaningful design development via a thinking-through-making methodology, you will undertake creative sampling, prototyping and ideation in 2D and 3D formats; developing your knowledge, craftsmanship and conceptual thinking aligned to your personal values, areas of personal interest and professional ambitions.
You will be encouraged to integrate traditional and digital media with a view to communicating your fashion outcomes to diverse audiences.
Outcomes from this project will establish a personal design philosophy to underpin the Collaborative Project and provide content for your Professional Practice Portfolio.
The module will develop intellectual, practical and personal skills and attributes relevant to your specialist creative practice.
FA5031 -
Collaborative Project (Core,40 Credits)
In this module you will collaborate with the programme’s industrial, cultural, community or educational partners to generate original fashion solutions to real-world problems. You will work with specialist tutors and technicians to develop meaningful fashion outcomes that are grounded in authentic research and move beyond initial aesthetics. You will develop an understanding of the relationship between the creative and commercial requirements of fashion design.
The module will challenge you to broaden your knowledge of fashion and extend your previous experience. You will focus on an ‘elevated’ fashion market level as a conduit for developing progressive knowledge of aesthetic principles and skills in fashion craftsmanship.
Building on knowledge gained in Fashioning Identity, Concept and Craftsmanship you will advance your understanding of pattern cutting and garment construction, constructed knitwear, and surface printed textiles using traditional or digital methods through specialist thinking through make approaches. You will resolve contemporary issues currently facing the industry presented in the collaborative brief. Your conclusions will further develop your creative practice and personal ambitions.
The module will allow you to work with industrial partners to develop your professional skills and understanding through Live project briefs and/or the opportunity to take part in national competitions. This will enable you to initiate your personal professional network and make considered decisions about your career readiness for industrial placement and employment.
Work for this module may contribute to the design placement portfolio in Block 3.
Global themes: Sustainability, climate change, global health, AI, technology, political unrest, etc.
Human or planet-focused responsible design practice: social inclusion, gender, equity, mobility, global thinking, health and wellbeing, hunger, security, UNSDGs, circular fashion practices, climate change, pollution, etc.
FA5032 -
Professional Practice (Core,20 Credits)
This Professional Practice module supports your development as a future fashion professional by nurturing your ability to evaluate and communicate your specialist practice knowledge, skills and personal attributes to a diverse audience. You will learn about placement and study abroad experience and destinations, and how to approach the application process for a successful outcome.
The module is designed to extend your knowledge of the fashion industry and workplace, facilitate the development of your professional skill set, and enable you to build career readiness within the context of your own professional ambitions, beginning with your third year Design Placement, Design Study Abroad, and Creative Studio options. It will enable the development of the digital and interpersonal communication skills you will need to take full advantage of future opportunities through your Professional Practice Toolkit, and Digital Portfolio.
Your Professional Practice Toolkit will facilitate and record your reflective approach to learning, engagement with your studies, and support your career readiness through analytical, self-initiated research into the fashion industry and its relevant careers and roles. It will document the creation of professional digital assets, such as a creative C.V. and cover letter.
Your Digital Portfolio, as an electronic showcase of your work, will express your creative identity, capture your design processes and present your most engaging content aligned to fashion industry practices, relevant to your third year option applications. It challenges you to expand and creatively explore a range of multimedia, using both digital and physical techniques, and use it to present your previous project work purposefully and professionally.
YB5001 -
Academic Language Skills for Design (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)
Academic skills when studying away from your home country can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level.
The topics you will cover on the module include:
• Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions.
• Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising.
• Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’
• Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations).
• Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively.
• Listening skills for lectures.
• Speaking in seminar presentations.
• Presenting your ideas
• Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback.
• Speed reading techniques.
• Developing self-reflection skills.
DE5022 -
Creative Studio 1 (Optional,60 Credits)
Creative Studio 1 is a blended learning module where you will have the opportunity to collaborate and work on one or more live or simulated industry related briefs, international competitions or speculative design scenarios. The module is characterised by an intensive period of collaboration followed by a shorter period of independent reflection and portfolio building.
The different project briefs will be managed by academic staff and will run either independently or collaboratively through teamwork. The projects will be varied and will provide you with the opportunity to hone your specialist skills, professional, enterprise and entrepreneurial capabilities through real-life scenarios – providing an authentic learning experience. You will be encouraged to develop a flexible and imaginative enquiry-based approach to the design projects. You will become an active participant, integrating your design practice with distinguishable practical and intellectual skills whilst recording your process for summative assessment. At the end of the module, you will be given time to reflect, complete and relate this work to your own professional portfolio allowing an opportunity for independent and autonomous study.
This module supports the development of industry specific skills and techniques. It enables you to understand what it means to be a design practitioner build professional ambition, how to work autonomously and how to prepare for future employment.
It is anticipated that all projects will run successfully in a blended delivery mode to allow you to work on campus or at distance as and when required. Note, international students will be expected to meet in person with their tutors at least once per month to order to fulfil their visa requirements.
DE5023 -
Creative Studio 2 (Optional,60 Credits)
Creative Studio 2 is a blended learning module where you will have the opportunity to collaborate and work on one or more live or simulated industry related briefs, international competitions or speculative design scenarios. The module is characterised by an intensive period of collaboration and a shorter period of independent reflection and portfolio building.
The different project briefs will be managed by academic staff and will run either independently or collaboratively through teamwork. The projects will be varied and will provide you with the opportunity to hone your specialist skills, professional, enterprise and entrepreneurial capabilities through real-life scenarios – providing an authentic learning experience. You will be encouraged to develop a flexible and imaginative enquiry-based approach to the design projects. You will become an active participant, integrating your design practice with distinguishable practical and intellectual skills whilst recording your process for summative assessment.
Dependent on the start date of your live or simulated design briefs, you will be given independent time at the beginning or end of the module develop your professional portfolio and complete your assessment tasks.
This module supports the development of industry specific skills and techniques. It enables you to understand what it means to be a design practitioner build professional ambition, how to work autonomously and how to prepare for future employment.
It is anticipated that all projects will run successfully in a blended delivery mode to allow you to work on campus or at distance as and when required. Note, international students will be expected to meet in person with their tutors at least once per month to order to fulfil their visa requirements.
DE5024 -
Design Placement 1 (Optional,60 Credits)
In this module you will have the opportunity to complete either one or several placements working in the creative industries, which will enable you to explore possibilities for your future career within the sector. With the support of your Academic Tutors and the placement support staff you will be encouraged to source, apply and confirm your chosen placement(s). This will help you to develop a network and become confident in applying for opportunities within creative industries.
A single placement or series of placements can run continuously or sporadically throughout the placement period as long as a minimum of 15 weeks or 600 hours of design-related placement work and study is achieved. A placement can also seamlessly transfer into the Placement 2 module. This flexible opportunity offers you a potentially broad insight into how the design industry operates in differing market and innovation sectors. Being part of a design agency or in-house team means a greater understanding of design processes, market and product development cycles.
Through this work experience, you potentially gain exposure to design related professions such as brand strategy, marketing, social media content creation, manufacturing processes, as well as developing your own visual and general communication skills. Furthermore, the experience of applying your academic studies in a real work environment gives context and will help you to develop a confident and professional attitude and it will encourage you to become career ready, actively making informed decisions about your future. To consolidate this aim, you will be encouraged to maintain a digital diary of your learning, and professional experience, documenting the new skills and knowledge you acquire during your placement semester encouraging deep thinking, questioning and you will be asked to critically reflect and contextualise this learning in relation to your own professional practice.
Note, if you intend to continue with ‘Design Placement 2’ in semester 2 but are unable to complete or secure an industrial work placement in advance of the module starting you will have the opportunity to switch to the 'Creative Studio 2' elective which connects to industry live design briefs, competitions and speculative design scenarios that thrive on mirroring real-world design. However, please also remember that the Creative Studio modules are full-time taught modules and therefore attract full tuition fees.
DE5025 -
Design Placement 2 (Optional,60 Credits)
In this module you will have the opportunity to complete either one or several placements working in the creative industries, which will enable you to explore possibilities for your future career within the sector. With the support of your Academic Tutors and the placement support staff you will be encouraged to source, apply and confirm your chosen placement(s). This will help you to develop a network and become confident in applying for opportunities within creative industries.
A single placement or series of placements can run continuously or sporadically throughout the placement period as long as a minimum of 15 weeks or 600 hours of design-related placement work and study is achieved. A placement can also seamlessly transfer into the Placement 2 module. This flexible opportunity offers you a potentially broad insight into how the design industry operates in differing market and innovation sectors. Being part of a design agency or in-house team means a greater understanding of design processes, market and product development cycles.
Through this work experience, you potentially gain exposure to design related professions such as brand strategy, marketing, social media content creation, manufacturing processes, as well as developing your own visual and general communication skills. Furthermore, the experience of applying your academic studies in a real work environment gives context and will help you to develop a confident and professional attitude and it will encourage you to become career ready, actively making informed decisions about your future. To consolidate this aim, you will be encouraged to maintain a digital diary of your learning, and professional experience, documenting the new skills and knowledge you acquire during your placement encouraging deep thinking, questioning and you will be asked to critically reflect and contextualise this learning in relation to your own professional practice.
Note, if you intend to continue with ‘Design Placement 2’ in semester 2 but are unable to complete or secure an industrial work placement in advance of the module starting you will be encouraged to switch to the 'Creative Studio' elective which connects to industry live design briefs, competitions and speculative design scenarios that thrive on mirroring real-world design.
DE5026 -
Design Study Abroad 1 (Optional,60 Credits)
This module will give you the opportunity to undertake a semester abroad studying at a partner university completing the equivalent to 60 UK credits. This gives you access to modules from your discipline taught in a different learning culture and so broadens your overall experience of learning. With the support of the Study Abroad team you will be encouraged to source, apply and confirm the course of study abroad. This opportunity will allow you to network and become confident in applying for opportunities within partner institutions. Your module credits, performance and attendance will be recorded by the host University via your learning agreement. The module will be assessed by conversion of graded marks from the host University.
Learning outcomes on any year-long modules on which you are unable to attend via the home institution must be met at the host institution, and marks from the host are incorporated into the modules as part of the overall assessment.
You will be encouraged to maintain a digital diary of your learning, documenting the new skills and knowledge you acquire during your study abroad period encouraging deep thinking, questioning and you will be asked to critically reflect and contextualise this learning in relation to your own professional practice.
DE5027 -
Design Study Abroad 2 (Optional,60 Credits)
This module will give you the opportunity to undertake a semester abroad studying at a partner university completing the equivalent to 60 UK credits. This gives you access to modules from your discipline taught in a different learning culture and so broadens your overall experience of learning. With the support of the Study Abroad team you will be encouraged to source, apply and confirm the course of study abroad. This opportunity will allow you to network and become confident in applying for opportunities within partner institutions. Your module credits, performance and attendance will be recorded by the host University via your learning agreement. The module will be assessed by conversion of graded marks from the host University.
Learning outcomes on any year-long modules on which you are unable to attend via the home institution must be met at the host institution, and marks from the host are incorporated into the modules as part of the overall assessment.
You will be encouraged to maintain a digital diary of your learning, documenting the new skills and knowledge you acquire during your study abroad period encouraging deep thinking, questioning and you will be asked to critically reflect and contextualise this learning in relation to your own professional practice.
DE6021 -
Interchange 3 – Contemporary Challenges and Design Futures (Core,20 Credits)
On this module, you will undertake a brief that will either tackle current challenges to designers or explore design’s role in near-future visions of society. The module will challenge, inspire, and propel you into the future as a visionary designer or ‘change maker’ equipped to address some of the pressing issues of our time.
Design challenges and our responses are increasingly complex. Technology has automated many of the simplest design tasks, leaving designers to focus on solving more complex problems. To help tackle them, most designers work in multi-disciplinary teams. Even more individual design specialists such as designer-makers work co-operatively with other craft specialists, manufacturers and business professionals to bring their work to market.
Therefore, this module led by design tutors and other subject specialists enables you to work with peers and collaborators to address contemporary challenges or future opportunities. The choice of briefs may be developed in partnership with professional design teams, set by design competitions or written by your tutors in response to important design research or practice challenges.
FA6021 -
Fashion Concept Research (Core,20 Credits)
In this module you will explore the interplay between theoretical, technical and creative practice to propose a concept and methodology for a fashion collection. You will develop a personal fashion design research proposal written and referenced to academic standard that contextualises the proposed work in a contemporary industrial and cultural context, positioning your collection at its centre. In parallel, you will propose and explore specialist 2D and 3D experimental technical and creative practice that develops your practical research methodology and confirms your personal creative identity.
You will learn how to work independently to conduct primary and secondary research with integrity and purpose, and to explore and interpret key themes and challenges that impact the future of fashion and your own areas of interest and personal practice.
Using thinking-through-making methods relating to your specialist creative practice you will scope the potential of your proposed concept and initial ideation. In practical studio and workshop sessions you will have the opportunity to develop your expertise and knowledge in the use of specialist Fashion skills and technologies, and to contextualise pattern cutting, constructed knitted fabrics, printed textiles or digital technology within your Fashion collection.
The outcome of this module will provide substantial evidence of your autonomy and unique fashion design abilities in preparation for your progression into the fashion workplace or post-graduate education. You will create a Career Readiness Plan (CRP) that contextualises your concept research and developing specialist creative practice to your own professional goals.
FA6022 -
Fashion Concept Development (Core,20 Credits)
In this two-component module, you will learn to interpret and position your proposed Fashion Concept within the contemporary global fashion arena through the development and presentation of a conclusive critical written study, and practical resolution as specialist samples, garments or artefacts that define your project methodology.
By conducting a critical written study in component 1, you will develop your contextual research skills in reference to the latest critical debates, evaluation methods, or design strategies for fashion, that will underpin your fashion concept integrity and cultural relevance. In component 2, you will choose a study option that shapes your Specialist Creative Practice in a Fashion Atelier, Runway or Digital pathway in line with your Career Readiness Plan (CRP), that develops your expertise in the skilled use of fashion applications, tools, methods and production processes to professional standards.
You will learn to critically analyse fashion design research and development through a well-illustrated and communicated process book or media equivalent and technical specification, that demonstrates your specialist practical methodology, technical abilities and reflective practice skills whilst identifying areas for self-improvement or future exploration, presenting your fashion concept to professional standards ready for realisation in consecutive modules.
FA6023 -
Fashion Collection Realisation 1 (Core,20 Credits)
In this module, you will learn how to realise your Fashion Collection for a new season, fashion genre or market level through application of your identified Specialist Creative Practice (pattern-cutting, printed textiles or constructed knitwear) within an Atelier, Runway or Digital study option pathway. Working independently in studio and workshop sessions that simulate real-life industry situations and supported by academic and technical specialists, you will learn how to translate your proposed fashion concept into a series of professional samples and garment prototypes in response to the current zeitgeist and relevant design challenges that impact your own vision for the future of fashion. Through the process of documented experiential learning and reflective practice, you will develop your individual design handwriting and technical ability, building confidence in your design ability and demonstrating your capability to creatively and contextually challenge existing fashion conventions. Whilst realising your collection and documenting your creative process, you will effectively begin to build and present accomplished design content in line with your Career Readiness Plan (CRP) ready for the creation of your professional portfolio in Block 3.
Deliverables: Specialist Creative Practice
Study Option 1: Fashion Digital Project 2 (Visual proposal + 2D + 3D Technical and Creative Process Journal)
Study Option 2: Fashion Atelier Project 2 (visual proposal + 3D sampling + Technical Specification + Creative Process Journal)
Study Option 3: Fashion Runway Project 2 (Visual Proposal + 3D Toiles + Technical Specification + Creative Process Journal)
FA6024 -
Fashion Collection Realisation 2 (Core,20 Credits)
This module prepares you as a designer for the future's challenges by fostering skills in risk-taking and problem-solving. Building upon previous study, you will develop, conclude and present your own vision for the future of fashion to professional standards using advanced intellectual and creative skills that demonstrate your personal design handwriting, specialist knowledge and technical strengths. To produce your collection, you will work in atelier-style design studios and industry-standard pattern-cutting, print and knitwear workshops, with supportive extended studio activity using a range of appropriate equipment, 2D and 3D technology. Working closely with internationally experienced fashion practitioners and researchers and supported by technical expertise to develop your knowledge and understanding in your chosen specialist design area, the unique fashion collection that you produce will reflect your learning and be relevant to your chosen specialism and personal fashion career aspirations. Your engagement in extended specialist creative practice and fashion craftsmanship within this module will underpin your employability and further build and present accomplished design content ready for the creation of your professional portfolio in semester 3.
Deliverables: Digital Clo3D Project, knit, print, sample or garment(s).
Study Options:
1: Fashion Digital Project 3 (2D + 3D crafted realisation + Technical and Creative Process Journal)
2: Fashion Atelier Project 3 (3D crafted realisation + Technical Specification + Creative Process Journal)
3: Fashion Runway Project 3 (3D crafted realisation + Technical Specification + Creative Process Journal)
FA6025 -
Professional Fashion Portfolio (Core,20 Credits)
In this module, you will craft a professional fashion portfolio to showcase your creative identity, tailored to your career aspirations in industry, enterprise, or post-graduate education outlined in your Career Readiness Plan (CRP). This portfolio will represent the culmination of your academic, creative, and professional expertise, highlighting your specialised skills in pattern cutting, print, knit, or digital technologies. It will articulate your design philosophy, engage with current debates, and emphasise responsible design practices in align with your own values and interests. To achieve this, you will elevate your communication skills and employ divergent and critical thinking to address the complexities of presenting your Level 6 work to diverse audiences and for a range of purposes, such as interviews, assessments, or competitions. You will demonstrate autonomy and professionalism in responding to opportunities and unexpected challenges in a decisive and professional manner.
Your portfolio will explicitly address entry-level workplace requirements, integrating your unique perspective on global issues, innovative solutions to design problems, and your vision for the future of fashion. You will select portfolio formats (2D, 3D, 4D, or mixed, multichannel approach) aligned with your CRP and promotional opportunities. Content will include a CV and various self-promotional materials, such as social media profiles, personal websites, and industry platforms.
YB5001 -
Academic Language Skills for Design (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)
Academic skills when studying away from your home country can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level.
The topics you will cover on the module include:
• Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions.
• Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising.
• Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’
• Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations).
• Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively.
• Listening skills for lectures.
• Speaking in seminar presentations.
• Presenting your ideas
• Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback.
• Speed reading techniques.
• Developing self-reflection skills.
To start your application, simply select the month you would like to start your course.
The School of Design, Arts and Creative Industries is a leading centre for supporting and energising creative practice and academic study. Our inter-disciplinary research and experiential education is committed to the betterment of people, place, cultures, and societies. Our programmes are defined by the way we collaborate with communities, industry, and external partners to inform curriculum, your learning and contribute to wider society. Discover more.
Whatever you decide to do upon graduation, you’ll have strong employability having acquired the characteristics of a Fashion BA (Hons) graduate. Our course produces adaptable, confident, and skilled graduates who can apply their knowledge to a variety of professional employment opportunities or post-graduate education.
Skills including critical reflection and self-learning, collaboration and curiosity, and the ability to solve problems in ways that are sustainable and ethical mean that our graduates are consistently employed across a wide range of design positions in the fashion industry including; Concept Creation, Designer, Product Developer, Buyer, Garment Technician, Fashion Entrepreneur.
See some of our student success stories below:
As a Fashion student, you will be free to explore new and exciting cultural and responsible fashion concepts that develop your personal creative practice through experimental processes in pattern cutting, draping, printed textiles and embellishment, constructed knitwear and 3D digital fashion.
Examples include sustainable collections made using repurposing of an Aunt’s clothing, upcycling buoyancy devices and boat-sails and deadstock fabrics, conceptual collections that rebuild fabrics using a fabric-maché techniques, or that reflect the cultural heritage of afro hair, the Cayman Islands, or Mata Hari, as well as collections that challenge contemporary culture, or fictional narrative collections that collide abstract worlds.
We have enjoyed continued success at Graduate Fashion Week each year, gaining international recognition and industry attention, receiving awards in a range of categories, including Sustainable Fashion, Culture & Heritage, Fashion Portfolio, Considered Fashion, Creative Pattern Cutting, Range Planning, Sportwear & Leisurewear, Print, Knit, and Fashion Innovation.
Beth Harrison-Frater
"Moving Still" Knitwear Collection
Emily Gibson
"Kyokusen", "Pleats on Pleats" & "In Charge" Womenswear Collections
Liz Riley
"The Architecture of Perfection" Couture Autumn/Winter 2026 Collection
Levi Warren-Howard
"Can I Touch your Hair" Autumn/Winter 2023 Womenswear Collection
Zoe Jefferson
"Dentelle"- Autumn Winter 2023 Womenswear collection
Nell Linihan-Patel
"Eighteen" Textiles Collection
Will Howard-Jones
"Dirty, Filthy, Paradise"- Fall/Winter 2022 menswear collection
Our dedicated and experienced team has industry and research experience in Fashion design, pattern-cutting, making, textiles, knit, illustration, sustainability and digital fashion. We facilitate exciting briefs through our academic and professional networks and association with the British Fashion Council and Graduate Fashion Foundation.
An experiential learning environment is at the core of this course, and you’ll find that the facilities at Northumbria are excellent. Studios include specialist Mac labs with the most current creative software. Our workshops are equipped to industry standards facilitating both traditional and digital approaches to pattern cutting, printed textiles and constructed knitwear, with additional access to photo-labs, laser cutting and 3D printing. Everything is supported by skilled technical staff who will help you make the best use of available facilities.
Our 24/7 Library holds comprehensive fashion design reference, also accessible through the ‘Blackboard’ eLearning Portal, that will guide your preparation for seminars and independent research.
All information is accurate at the time of sharing.
Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.
Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.
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