Fashion Design - MA - 2025/26 Entry | Birmingham City University

Overview

MA Fashion Show at BCU.mp4

[00:00:17] Speaker 1 My MA experience was purely a brilliant experience because I came to this new country and it was really easy for me to make friends being an extrovert. The people here are very friendly and overall my fashion experience has taught me a lot of things. I explored so many new workshop options, collaborations and teamwork.

[00:00:46] Speaker 2 The highlight of the MA Fashion Design for me throughout the entire year was the fact that I get to collaborate with a lot of people, it's helped to expand my sort of my personal horizon, but also to help me get a lot more skill set throughout the course as well. BCU has such a diverse culture for a university, so like I can express myself a little bit further because as you know, my background originally from Vietnam was like, you know, it's just amazing to see like so many people, but also get to collaborate with them. Improving my my skill set throughout my major projects so much that the result of my outcome is really positive.

[00:01:30] Speaker 3 I think I have really wonderful studying experience here. Also, like the technician, they help us a lot about if we don't have idea about a sewing machine, we don't put the all very well about the button hole or something. Yeah, a story details things. So I think there's a lof of supporting here.

[00:01:58] Speaker 4 I think tonight will be very exciting because we have a fashion show and me and my friend make our garments and prepared for a really long time and we are really looking forward to it and I think it will be a really great experience. And for my feature and for my future work for a job like this.

[00:02:21] Speaker 5 So really after this MA, I want to build my own business. So it's through this course I was able to participate in entrepreneurial programs, mainly through STEAMHouse. I've also done mentorship programs with people who have had their own businesses, so I'm very grateful that through BCU I was able to tap those resources.

[00:02:46] Speaker 6 So the highlight for me in this MA study is, first of all, I got new friends here and they are very friendly and we often like help each other to do some draping work and some sewing work. During the break time, we will get together to have a meal together or something like that. And also during our semester break I can went to Europe because it's very convenient to travel from UK to Europe. And I so I went to so many countries in Europe and see many beautiful sceneries de.

[00:03:31] Speaker 7 The course MA Design in BCU helped me to get into the industry by like getting a different knowledge of materials, not just only textiles, but also different material like wood and also the bio material that I developed. And it helped me to improve into the colour material and CMF, like finished design of CMF in the industry, so it helped me to get involved into the interior and exterior design and also the industrial design as well.

Our practical postgraduate fashion design course is an ideal choice if you are passionate about developing a career in Fashion Design.

You’ll develop all the skills and knowledge needed to strengthen your personal creativity and style by taking a professional approach to fashion design.

You will plan your career and benefit from a series of topical lectures which explore major issues linked to the world of fashion design, followed by talks from leading industry practitioners. Many of our graduates go on to start up their own, or even develop existing family businesses.

Model in butterfly style clothes in coloured light

Model in coloured dress in front of skyscraper

Model in hooded outfit in coloured light

A woman in a black skirt standing in front of a green screen.

Model in grey and orange clothes under bridge

A black and white photo of a woman in a dress.

This course is open to International students.

What's covered in this course?

Your learning will be focused on studio and workshop practice, featuring personal programmes of study and joint lectures and seminars.

You’ll also enjoy specialist interpretations of art, craft and design supported by our highly experienced course team.

Based at our city centre Parkside campus, you will have access to a wide range of conventional and CAD facilities available including digital print, digital Jacquard and a Gerber fashion CAD suite, as well as the opportunity to collaborate with a faculty full of creative students.

Your learning environment will encourage you to become an adaptable, flexible and knowledgeable graduate, equipped to pursue a career in the fashion industry.

Why Choose Us?

Discuss and analyse the professional, commercial and cultural dimensions of fashion design in modern society
Study with a globally respected provider of education in fashion and textiles.
Access a wide range of facilities, including digital print and a Gerber fashion CAD suite. There are also specialist facilities available in glass and ceramics
Network and collaborate with other fashion students, our wider postgraduate community and beyond
Enjoy a vast archive of fashion publications dating back to the 1930s.

MA Fashion Design Overview image

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Textile and Surface Design - MA

OPEN DAY

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Next Event: 5 February 2025

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Entry Requirements

Essential requirements

Essential Requirements

Either a good Honours Degree in a relevant subject or equivalent qualifications and experience.
Applicants will also need to submit a good portfolio.
IELTS 6.0 overall with 5.5 minimum in all bands or its equivalent.

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

Full Time
1 year
£10,000 in 2025/26

Full Time
18 months (including Professional Placement - see below*)
£11,000 in 2025/26

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

Full Time
1 year
£18,600 in 2025/26

Full Time
18 months (including Professional Placement - see below*)
£20,460 in 2025/26

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.

Specialist equipment

Specialist Fashion and Textile, 3DD, and photography workshop facilities.

Uniform

You will be provided with safety equipment in areas where necessary.

Occupational health assessment

You will need to complete an occupational health assessment. The cost for this is included in your course fee.

Memberships

Membership of the relevant professional body is included in the course fees.

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 £500.

Placement expenses (mandatory)

Placements are a compulsory element of this course. You'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst living or working away from home.

Travel (mandatory)

For some modules you will be required to travel within the local area for work in schools and community settings and you will need to budget approximately £200 p/a for this. Some students choose to get a bus pass to cover all local travel.

Therapy sessions (mandatory)

You will require 40 hours of personal therapy. You can benefit from a discounted rate of £30 per hour with our placement partner; of therapy is sought privately, costs will vary between £50 and £70 per hour.

Smartphone (mandatory)

During this course you will need a smartphone with the ability to film - prices vary.

Entry fees (mandatory)

You will need to cover the costs of your museum entry fees (approximately £12).

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.

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.

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.

Portfolio guidance

If you receive an offer to study this course, you will be required to submit a portfolio. We ask that this is submitted within four weeks of receiving your offer.

Please see our portfolio guidance page for tips on putting your portfolio together.

Portfolio guidance

If you receive an offer to study this course, you will be required to submit a portfolio. We ask that this is submitted within four weeks of receiving your offer.

Please see our portfolio guidance page for tips on putting your portfolio together.

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.

*Professional Placement option

The Professional Placement version of the course is optional and is offered as an alternative to the standard version of the course.

This will allow you to complete a credit bearing, 20 week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability skills which will, through the placement experience, allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market. Furthermore, by completing the Professional Placement, you will be able to develop and enhance your understanding of the professional work environment, relevant to your chosen field of study, and reflect critically on your own professional skills development within the workplace.

You will be responsible for finding and securing your own placement. The University, however, will draw on its extensive network of local, regional and national employers to support you in finding a suitable placement to complement your chosen area of study. You will also benefit from support sessions delivered by Careers+ as well as advice and guidance from your School.

Placements will only be confirmed following a competitive, employer-led selection process, therefore the University will not be able to guarantee placements for students who have registered for the ‘with Professional Placement’ course. All students who do not find a suitable placement or do not pass the competitive selection process will be automatically transferred back to the standard, non-placement version of the course.

Postgraduate funding

Graduate Scholarship

If you are a BCU graduate enrolling onto an eligible Master’s programme for the first time, you could receive a 20% fee reduction via our Graduate Scholarship.
Find out if you’re eligible for a Graduate Scholarship.

Master’s loans

Government-backed loans of up to £12,471 are available to UK, Irish and eligible EU nationals studying postgraduate Master’s courses in any subject area.
Find out more about Master’s loans.

Other funding opportunities

Other funding options include scholarships, loans and bursaries offered by external organisations. These vary from year to year.

Postgraduate funding

Course in Depth

Modules

In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 140 credits):

In order to complete this course you must successfully complete at least 40 credits from the following indicative list of OPTIONAL modules.

Core modules are guaranteed to run. Optional modules will vary from year to year and the published list is indicative only.

Download course specification

Download now

The course focuses on your ability to develop a personal creative style, design methods and a professional approach to fashion design. Throughout the course you are encouraged to undertake relevant career planning and research. A series of topical lectures are provided exploring major theories and debates related to the world of fashion. These are followed by talks from industry practitioners.

Your learning will be based around studio and workshop practice, with personal programmes of study and joint lecture and seminar programmes. Art, craft and design interpretations of the disciplines are all supported and our highly experienced course team recognise the importance of having a personal and distinctive approach to your work and study. There are also ample opportunities to collaborate, exchange ideas and broaden your perspective.

You’ll also benefit from our close connections with manufacturers, and get to experiment with a wide range of materials to create new and innovative products.

Situated within the School of Fashion and Textiles, there is a wide range of conventional and CAD facilities available including digital print, digital Jacquard and a Gerber fashion CAD suite. There are also specialist facilities available in 3D prototyping, glass and ceramics.

To support your learning you are encouraged to develop links appropriate to your studies, these have previously included DuPont, Emap, Celine, and Nicole Farhi.

Assessment methods

Your programme will include a mixture of practical projects and written work. You will develop a portfolio of work that showcases your abilities and ideas and is executed and managed in a professional manner.

At each stage you will also write reports that encourage you to develop a critical and contextual framework within which to understand your practice and future career choices.

You are assessed using a mixture of tutorial reviews, project work submissions and oral exams.

Classroom projects

You will be given opportunities to work alongside your peers in the wider Postgraduate Fashion and Textile community in order to create a fashion show. This annual ‘Vision for the Future’ fashion show is used as a fundraiser for charity. It is a collaborative project that relies entirely on student initiative within the course and beyond, and promotes peer tutoring and mentoring.

In addition to our focus upon you as fashion designer, there are also opportunities for you to network with the professional world, and engage in external activities such as collaborating on projects that enhance the student experience and provide ‘real life’ experience.

Postgraduate Fashion Finale Raises Money for Charity

Students from MA Fashion Design, MA Fashion Management, MA Fashion Promotion and MA Fashion Styling collaborated to organise an end of year MA Fashion Show for charity.

21 MA Fashion Design students showcased their collections, while MA Fashion Management, MA Fashion Promotion and MA Fashion Styling students took key roles in organising the spectacular event, fuelled by student man power and talent, against the challenge of no event budget.

The fashion show is key in giving students an experience of creative production on a live project which they can take away as a show reel as part of their portfolio. Supporting Cancer Research UK, the show raised £430 for charity.

Employability

Enhancing employability skills

Our programme is designed to ensure that upon graduating, you are:

A better and more confident designer
A reflective practitioner who has learnt how to keep developing as a designer
An independent thinker and researcher able to initiate your own creative projects individually and/or collaboratively
Able to conceptualise and discuss the nature of your work both orally and in writing
Critically aware of the context of your creative practice relative to the marketplace and the wider culture

The successful completion of the course will deepen your practical and theoretical insights and techniques, giving you the confidence to build your own professional career as a designer. You will also develop your critical skills such that you can form, evaluate and communicate complex concepts that reflect your individuality and independent thought.

You will develop your creativity, your aesthetic sensibility and an in-depth knowledge of a personally chosen area of specialisation, which will equip you with the necessary skills to gain meaningful employment.

The course regularly invites alumni back to share their experiences since graduating. This will help you to clarify and deepen your understanding of the professional context of your practical work and your own professional ambitions.

Placements

Live collaborations, internships and work experience can form part of your projects and studies, and you’ll benefit from the networking opportunities this provides on an individual basis.

You are encouraged, particularly during the PgDip and MA stages of the course, to seek external experiences and feedback from professionals and companies active in fashion design.

Often students can arrange placements to begin immediately after they have finished the course. You are able to identify companies or places for work experience through the Research Strategy module. The course team will also help you apply for, or prepare for, placements and work experiences.

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:

Details of the entry requirements for our courses
Some of the good reasons why you should study here
How to improve your language skills before starting your studies
Information relevant to applicants from your country
Where to find financial support for your studies.

Our international students

Our course welcomes students from across the world. We have an excellent reputation globally, as well as over 20 years’ experience teaching international students.

Many of our Fashion Design students choose to develop projects directly linked to their home countries and conduct field research around the world.

We are proud of our extensive international graduate community, which has a particular focus in Asia.

Mei-Sheng Sun working on her fashion designs

Graduate stories: Mei-Sheng Sun (Taiwan)

“One of the best things about BCU is that there are perfect facilities for me to process my creative ideas. We have different kinds of embroidery machines, looms, photo shooting studios, a laser-cut workshop and even a 3D printer. I also got a great internship experience at a global design company in London and which was arranged by the career team at the university.”

Facilities & Staff

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.

External Parkside Building and Water Feature

Our staff

Jasbir Kaur

Director of Postgraduate Studies in Fashion and Textiles

Jasbir is Director of Postgraduate Studies in Fashion and Textiles. Her early career began in commercial textile design, before moving into fashion research, and is now an internationally published author in the area of textiles, and the interrelationship between that and fashion.

More about Jasbir

Nataliya Rozhin

Doctoral researcher

Nataliya Rozhin is a designer and PhD student focussing on design-led research and experimental fashion.

More about Nataliya