• Uniquely combines creative fashion interests and industry roles with business and management skills – no other West Midlands institution offers such a course.
• Explores the roles of key fashion professionals including trend forecasters, buyers, merchandisers, stylists, visual merchandisers, fashion event organisers as well as store management, PR and fashion marketing.
• Staff team has direct industry experience, meaning the course is informed and supported by contemporary knowledge, practice, and contacts.
• We put you in (fashionably) professional shoes – you get to go on regular industry visits, listen to guest speakers, and enjoy cultural trips to London and Paris (and maybe Barcelona and New York).
• Chance to participate in an exchange with Politecnico di Milano, Italy or Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada as part of your second year.

• School
• School of Fashion, Textiles and Three Dimensional Design

• Campus
• Gosta Green

• Tariff
• 280

• Duration
• Full Time: 3 years

• Fees
• 2012/13: £8,200 per year
  2012/13 (International): £9,900 per year

• Uniquely matches creative fashion flair with a calculated management brain, giving you presence and credibility in a challenging sector.
• The most promising third year work is showcased at the Graduate Fashion Week in London each June – an audience looking for talent to employ.
• Birmingham Institute of Art and Design (BIAD) is one of the UK’s largest and most prestigious institutes of art, architecture and design education – our arts and crafts heritage dates back to 1843.
• In the latest Research Assessment Exercise, a total of 60% of BIAD research was judged to be of ‘world-leading’ or internationally excellent quality.
• The Times Good University Guide 2010 ranks our Art and Design research in the UK’s top 10 – the highest-ranked institution outside London.
• The research we carry out has a real-world purpose, and new discoveries always feed back into the teaching and insight you receive.
• Almost 80% of respondents to the National Student Survey praised the enthusiasm of Creative Arts and Design staff, and the clear way they explained their subject.
• A multi-million pound investment into facilities now gives you a creative technological environment to rival any studio in the country.
• We attract more art and design students from China and Malaysia than almost any other institution – the international regard in which we’re held has led us to offer design and animation courses on-site in Hong Kong and Thailand.
• Creativity and innovation makes the air crackle – the 4,000-strong student community you’ll join at BIAD sees a challenge as a chance, an issue as an opportunity, and knows that there’s something beyond every horizon.

At Levels 4 and 5 there are opportunities for work placements, 3 weeks at Level 4 and 6 weeks in Level 5, giving invaluable hands on experience and the opportunity to build contacts for the future.  

In February we have an overseas trip to Paris and visit Premiere Vision and a trips to New York is currently being planned. We also have several visits to London each year to take in new exhibitions.

There are also opportunities for you to participate in an exchange with Politecnico di Milano, Italy or Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada as part of your second year. 

Year 1

Marketing – understanding the principals of marketing to develop an idea for a specific sector of the fashion market.

Buying and Merchandising – developing a range for a high street retailer taking into account catwalk trends, their consumer, colour palettes, sourcing and sizing.

Visual Studies – remaking a garment or bag into a revived product and styling it in a photo shoot for a chosen retailer.

Visual Merchandising - designing a window concept for a retailer using CAD, taking into consideration catwalk trends, a theme, the consumer and the brand.

Professional Development and Human Resources Management 1 – including a 3 week placement. Developing skills for finding a placement and understanding the recruitment process.

Ethics and Sustainability – looking at the issues surrounding fashion manufacture and product life cycle and developing a range with green considerations for a chosen retailer. 

InDesign- learning how to use the CAD package to produce professionally presented mood boards and look books to communicate strong visual themes.

Trends Forecasting & Product Development –Understanding forecasting techniques and how to apply them when developing a product for a future market.

Professional Development and Human Resource Management 2 – Further developing appropriate skills for finding a placement and understanding the recruitment process

Industrial Placement – work experience of your choice for 6 weeks.

Event Management – Creating a concept for a fashion event, planning, organising and executing the live event in order to raise money for a charity.

International Retailing & Global Sourcing – Looking at the International market place and understanding how brands operate on a global scale.

Independent Project 1 – Exploratory Innovations – Ideas generation for developing a new innovation or business concept, researching national and global lifestyle trends.

Independent Project 2 – Research & Concept Development – research into the chosen market sector will inform a detailed written report to justify a concept for the current and future fashion market.

Independent Project 3 – Refinement- Using the research from the previous project a detailed business plan and creative package will be produced to professionally communicate the business idea.

Independent Project 4 – Promotion & The Future- Developing a self-promotional package preparing for the world of work and your future career.