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Fashion Communication - MA *

Currently viewing course to start in 2025/26 Entry.

MA Fashion Communication includes three specialisms to allow you to tailor the course to your interests. MA Fashion Communication: Marketing, MA Fashion Communication: Cosmetics Marketing and Branding and MA Fashion Communication: Styling and Creative Direction. This course is suitable for both recent graduates and qualified mature students who aim to work in the fashion and beauty industry....

  • Level Postgraduate Taught
  • Study mode Full Time

This course is:

Open to International Students

Overview

MA Fashion Communication includes three specialisms to allow you to tailor the course to your interests. MA Fashion Communication: Marketing, MA Fashion Communication: Cosmetics Marketing and Branding and MA Fashion Communication: Styling and Creative Direction.

This course is suitable for both recent graduates and qualified mature students who aim to work in the fashion and beauty industry. Whilst a related fashion, creative or business degree is useful, it is not essential to join the course.

MA Fashion Communication will prepare you for careers such as fashion and beauty PR, fashion and beauty marketing, fashion styling and creative direction, advertising, trend prediction, social media management, visual merchandising, brand management and the development of future fashion and beauty entrepreneurs.  

You will choose one of three areas to specialise in: MA Fashion Communication: Marketing, MA Fashion Communication: Cosmetics Branding and Marketing and MA Fashion Communication: Styling and Creative Direction.

Each specialism has subject specific seminars within shared modules that allow you to focus your research and outputs on your chosen area and collaborate with students from across MA Fashion Communication. You are able to change your specialism after term one.

MA Fashion Communication: Marketing

If you choose to specialise in Marketing as part of this masters, you will explore the following:

  • Strategic Creativity: Blend creative communication with strategic marketing to bridge the gap between innovation and consumer behaviour. 
  • Comprehensive Exploration: Analyse fashion marketing strategies, consumer behaviour, and media while creating compelling written, visual, and digital content. 
  • Practical Application: Use InDesign and other industry tools to develop promotional campaigns, fashion films, retail activations, and more. 

The blend of strategic marketing and creative content covered in the marketing specialism could lead you careers such as marketing manager, PR manager, communications manager or social media manager

MA Fashion Communication: Cosmetics Branding and Marketing

If you choose to specialise in Cosmetics Branding and Marketing as part of this masters, you will explore the following:

  • Beauty Industry Expertise: Immerse yourself in the world of cosmetics, from skincare to fragrance, understanding consumer behaviour and market trends. 
  • Brand Narratives: Analyse beauty brands' strategies to create compelling narratives and visual content. 
  • Industry Insights: Learn from experts and attend professional events, gaining practical skills in photography, 3D printing, and Adobe software to design standout marketing communications and packaging. 

The focus on the beauty industry is perfect for those who want to work for top beauty brands in marketing, PR or brand management, students also develop skills they could use to run their own beauty brand.

MA Fashion Communication: Styling and Creative Direction

If you choose to specialise in Styling and Creative Direction as part of this masters, you will explore the following:

  • Visual Language Mastery: Develop your unique visual language, becoming a forward-thinking image maker, stylist, or creative director. 
  • Studio Time: Explore practical styling techniques using the BCU photography studios
  • Creative Collaboration: Produce editorial styling, promotional campaigns, and digital content, working alongside student photographers, designers, and creatives.

You will focus on creating high quality fashion images across print, film and digital, leading to careers such as styling, creative direction and content creation.

This course is open to International students.

What's covered in this course?

This course covers a range of skills and learning:

Industry Knowledge

You will gain knowledge of the fashion and cosmetics communication landscape and the various functions within them. You also will gain understanding of the critical issues facing the fashion and beauty industry.

Practical Skills

You will explore practical technical skills such as managing photoshoots, working with photographic/video equipment and editing using Adobe software in workshops and studio spaces with lecturers, technicians, and industry guests.

Research and Ideation

You’ll be supported to develop research and ideation skills alongside the understanding and application of theoretical, critical, and analytical skills.

Career Development

Throughout the course you are encouraged to create a professional online presence and supported to develop CVs, search for work experience and effectively promote yourself.

Staff with Industry Experience

Led by staff with industry experience across fashion marketing, beauty, social media, styling and product development with visits from industry speakers from a variety of roles.

Entrepreneurial Opportunities

In partnership with our enterprise team at STEAMhouse the course includes the option to complete a mini start up course and eligibility for the pre-incubator business space.

Experiential Learning and Authentic Assessment

You will learn by doing and the assessments will mirror the work you might create in industry. Take advantage of organised trips to trade shows, exhibitions, and inspirational cities.

Examples of Assessments:

  • Portfolios
  • Verbal presentations
  • Written reports
  • Lookbooks
  • Magazines
  • Films
  • Social media content
  • Podcasts
  • Brand campaigns (digital and print)

I wanted to take a moment to thank you all for your incredible guidance and support throughout my MA. The experience has been truly wonderful. I’ve already started to see how much I learned over the past year in my current internship. Finally, I understand emphasis you put on narrative and visuals. I ’m currently working as a marketing intern for Hairdressers Journal and Modern Barber, it's so fascinating to work for a magazine I referenced throughout my MA.

Preeti Bhandari – MA Fashion Communications (Cosmetics Branding and Marketing)

Why Choose Us?

  • Links to industry and the option to complete live briefs or work experience. Previous collaborations have included Another Magazine, Kiehls, Harvey Nichols and Selfridges
  • Supportive staff with years of industry experience at Next, Elle Decoration and Fenwick
  • Access to facilities such as photography and film studios and 3D printing
  • Sessions to enable you to use industry standard Adobe software such as InDesign and Photoshop
  • Collaborate with other fashion students and our wider postgraduate community to create an exhibition of your work

OPEN DAY

Join us for a virtual Open Day where you'll be able to learn about this course in detail. Booking isn't open yet for this event, register your interest and we’ll email you as soon as booking goes live.

Next Event: 5 February 2025

Register your interest

Entry Requirements

Essential requirements

Essential Requirements

2:2 Honours degree or equivalent in any subject.

Applicants with non-standard entry qualifications and / or relevant work experience will be considered on an individual basis.

International students need at least a 6 in IELTS with no component below 5.5 or MOI from an approved institution.

International Students

Entry requirements here

If you have a qualification that is not listed, please contact us.

Fees & How to Apply

Please select your student status to view fees and apply
  • UK Student
  • International Student

UK students

Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.

Award: MA

Starting: Sep 2025

  • Mode
  • Duration
  • Fees
  • Full Time
  • 18 months (including Professional Placement - see below*)
  • £11,000 in 2025/26
  • Register interest

International students

Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.

Award: MA

Starting: Sep 2025

  • Mode
  • Duration
  • Fees
  • Full Time
  • 18 months (including Professional Placement - see below*)
  • £20,460 in 2025/26
  • Register interest

Access to computer equipment

You will require use of a laptop, and most students do prefer to have their own. However, you can borrow a laptop from the university or use one of our shared computer rooms.

Printing

You will receive £5 print credit in each year of your course, available after enrolment.

Field trips

All essential field trips and associated travel costs will be included in your course fees.

Access to Microsoft Office 365

Every student at the University can download a free copy of Microsoft Office 365 to use whilst at university and for 18 months after graduation.

Key software

You will be able to download SPSS and Nvivo to your home computer to support with your studies and research.

Key subscriptions

Subscriptions to key journals and websites are available through our library.

Free Adobe Creative Cloud licence

Students studying on this course can request a free licence to install the entire suite of applications on up to two personal devices.

Project materials (mandatory)

This course includes project work that requires you to develop and produce a portfolio or collection. You'll be expected to provide the materials for use in your individual major projects. Costs will vary depending on the materials selected, but we recommend you budget £50-100.

Excess printing (optional)

Once you have spent your £5 credit, additional printing on campus costs from 5p per sheet.

Personal stationery and study materials (optional)

Based on the past experience of our students, you might find it helpful to set aside about £30 for each year of your studies for your personal stationery and study materials.

Placement expenses (optional)

If you choose to undertake a placement, you'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst living or working away from home.

Field trips (optional)

This course includes the option of additional trips that may enhance your experience, at extra cost.

Gallery visits (optional)

It is advisable for all Creative Arts students to visit exhibitions, galleries and other creative and cultural institutions and events depending on your own individual area of interest. Travel and entry costs may be associated with this.

External event expenses (optional)

If you choose to exhibit or participate in an external event, you may need to budget for exhibition, accommodation and travel costs.

Books (optional)

All module key texts will be in the University library, but in limited numbers. You may choose to purchase a copy. We suggest budgeting approximately £50 for this.

Personal equipment (optional)

Whilst not essential, it is advised you own a computer or laptop capable of running Adobe Creative Suite.

Accommodation and living costs (optional)

The cost of accommodation and other living costs are not included within your course fees. More information on the cost of accommodation can be found in our accommodation pages.

Personal statement

You’ll need to submit a personal statement as part of your application for this course. This will need to highlight your passion for postgraduate study – and your chosen course – as well as your personal skills and experience, academic success, and any other factors that will support your application for further study.

If you are applying for a stand alone module, please include the title of the module you want to study in your Personal Statement.

Not sure what to include? We’re here to help – take a look at our top tips for writing personal statements and download our free postgraduate personal statement guide for further advice and examples from real students.

Course in Depth

Modules

In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 160 credits):

To complete this course a student must successfully complete at least 20 credits from the following indicative list of OPTIONAL modules.

How you learn

Term 1

In the first term, you develop knowledge and skills in analysing fashion and beauty campaigns, visual communication, technical production, and research methods. This term is shared between all specialisms and you can change it in term 2.

Term 2

In term 2 you put the skills learned in term 1 in collaborative and industry focused campaigns relevant to your chosen specialism. You have the chance to collaborate with students from across the ADM faculty and work on live briefs set by industry. You will also consider future trends and industry directions as part of the ‘Fashion and Beauty Futures’ module.

Term 3

Term 3 is the culmination of your studies in which you create your final major project based on your specialism and prepare for your entry into the industry.

In all specialisms you will learn to harness the power of compelling storytelling, visual aesthetics, and consumer research, to effectively engage audiences and drive impactful brand narratives. Adopting an international approach, you will be encouraged to reflect on your own heritage, culture, and positionality to promote cross cultural dialogue and peer to peer learning, helping you to become a professional capable of navigating the global landscape of the fashion and cosmetics industry.

Active participation in debates about the future of the fashion and beauty industry is encouraged. You'll explore pivotal issues such as sustainability, diversity, and digital technology, to propose future focused creative solutions.

You will be based in our Parkside building with other creative students and you will have access to photography studios, fashion workshops, print rooms and 3D printing.

Trips and visits

We run trips to London to visit relevant exhibitions and retail areas, recent visits have included: a curator tour of the Alexander McQueen flagship store and exhibition space, ‘Naomi’ at the V&A and ‘Rebel: 30 Years of London Fashion’ at The Design Museum.

Students on the Cosmetics specialism also visit SCS Formulate, one of the largest cosmetics trade fairs in the UK.

We also run local trips to fashion events in the midlands, recent visits included ‘The Good Clothes Show’ at the NEC and ‘Waste Age’ at the Midlands Arts Centre.

There is also the opportunity to join an international trip, previously we have visited Rome and Florence to attend Pitti Filati, Gucci Gardens and the Salvatore Ferragamo flagship store and exhibition space.

Employability

Employability and entrepreneurial skills are woven throughout the course. You'll attend sessions on CVs, industry roles, social media networking, and gaining work experience. Our partnership with STEAMhouse offers a mini start-up incubator program, providing support for business growth.

You are supported from the start to set up professional social media sites to network and showcase work and build your employability skills.

The course also develops a number of transferable skills such as written and visual communication, working independently and as part of a group, writing and responding to creative briefs and delivering presentations.

We offer workshops to bolster both academic and technical skills. Technical workshops cover industry-standard software like InDesign, Photoshop, and Final Cut Pro. Technicians are on hand to help you build your technical proficiency.

Placements

You can undertake a 70 hour placement in term 2 or complete a 20 week placement as part of the MA with Professional Placement.

Our students have recently completed placements at Selfridges, Hair Dressers Journal and Modern Barber and Cassie Lomas Make Up Academy.

International

Birmingham City University is a vibrant and multicultural university in the heart of a modern and diverse city. We welcome many international students every year – there are currently students from more than 80 countries among our student community.

The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.

Our international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:

Facilities & Staff

Parkside article photo

Our Facilities

Fashion and Textiles courses are based at our Parkside Building, which is part of our multi-million pound City Centre Campus development in the heart of Birmingham's Eastside development.

You will be based alongside other creative students and you will have access to photography studios, film studios, fashion workshops, print rooms and 3D printing.

Our staff

Dr Sophie Wood

Course Leader and Senior Lecturer MA Fashion Communication

Dr Sophie Wood is an experienced fashion communications professional and academic. Before joining BCU in 2023, she taught MA International Fashion Marketing at Regent’s University and was the course leader for BA Advertising at University of East London.

More about Sophie

Jasmin Loyal

Lecturer in MA Fashion Media

Jasmin has over 15 years experience as a creative working in the menswear sector. Her experience ranges from fashion buying to product and brand development/innovation, and working for international retail brands such as the UK's largest retailer, Next.

More about Jasmin

Victoria Coutts

Lecturer MA Fashion Media

Victoria's skills include a diverse range of creative direction, trend forecasting, styling, product design and development, buying and consultancy experience within the fashion, decorative products, baby, kids, and home furnishing sectors. Lifestyle and Interiors Stylist for print media and commercial clients.

More about Victoria