Textile and Surface Design - MA
Studying with us in 2021/22
It is possible that the 2021/22 academic year may be affected by the ongoing disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Any arrangements put in place by the University for the 2021/22 academic year will be in accordance with the latest government public health advice, pandemic-related/health and safety legislation, and the terms and conditions of the student contract.
If you already have experience in textile or surface design this course will allow you to develop your portfolio to a professional standard and, if you choose, develop a range of products on which to found your own business.
The choice of materials, processes and markets is up to you and you will have access to a wide range of workshop facilities. You will also have the opportunity to collaborate with other fashion and textile students. The course accepts students from other backgrounds too such as graphic design or fine art who want to reorientate their career.
What's covered in the 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.
The course provides a forum to discuss and analyse the professional, commercial and cultural dimensions of textile and surface design in contemporary society.
Based at our city centre Parkside campus, you will have access to a wide range of conventional and CAD facilities available in constructed and printed textiles, 3D prototyping, ceramics and glass, 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 textile and surface design field.
Why Choose Us?
- Study with a globally respected provider of education in fashion and textiles.
- Benefit from a unified programme and work alongside textile, fashion and surface designers.
- Access a wide range of facilities, including digital print and a Gerber fashion CAD suite.
- 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.
Similar Courses
This course is open to International students
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New £10,906 postgraduate loans
You may be able to take advantage of the government’s plans to make loans of up to £10,906 available for postgraduate study.
Entry Requirements
Essential Requirements
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A good degree in textile design or equivalent qualification. |
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A digital portfolio is a required as part of your application. This should evidence competency in those skills relevant to the area of practice you would like to focus on for your MA study, for example fashion design and garment construction. |
International Students
Don't meet our entry requirements? You could apply for courses at our International College.
- UK students
- International students
Award: MA
Starting: Sep 2021
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 1 year
- £7,700 per year
Award: MA
Starting: Sep 2021
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 1 year
- £13,200 per year
If you're unable to use the online form for any reason, you can complete our PDF application form and equal opportunities PDF form instead. The University reserves the right to increase fees in line with inflation based on the Retail Prices Index or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament up to a maximum of five per cent.
Personal statement
Students are required to submit a personal statement as part of their application for this course.
Your postgraduate personal statement is going to shine a light on your personal experience, academic success, personal skills and any other factors that will support your application for further study.
Here are the key areas you’ll need to address:
Your passion and motivations
Studying a postgraduate course usually means you want to specialise in something. So what’s driving you?
Why this course?
Show that you’ve researched the course offering. What is it about this particular course that appeals to you? Is it the lecturers? The modules? Etc.
What makes you a good postgraduate candidate?
Tutors want to know that you can handle postgraduate study, so show them how your undergraduate experiences or work life has equipped you for a more advanced level of study. Key areas to address are research and group work but this can vary depending on your chosen course.
Relevant academic or work experience
Add anything relevant that relates back to your chosen course and shows how your skills will contribute towards your learning. What extra-curricular activities have you taken part in? What awards have you won? What employment or voluntary experience do you have that has helped you develop transferable skills? How do these specifically relate to the course you are applying for?
You should also mention your future plans and how a postgraduate qualification fits in. Try to look beyond your postgraduate study – do you plan to jump straight into a specific career or follow your studies with a research degree? Lastly, use plain, professional English and, where possible, utilise the language of your chosen industry.
Get more information on writing personal statements.
What's included
You will have access to Moodle, the University’s online interactive learning platform, University blogs, and an online forum to cultivate the postgraduate community within the School and to highlight professional opportunities for MA Fashion and Textiles students.You will also have use of the University Library, which includes a wealth of print and online learning resources.
For students who need to improve their skills in digital literacy, including the use of specific software, the University offers training programmes through lynda.com.
Additional costs
Our courses include activities such as performance, exhibitions, field trips and production of works or artefacts which may require you to purchase specific equipment, instruments, books, materials, hire of venues and accommodation, or other items.
Based on the past experience of our students, you might find it helpful to set aside about £50 for each year of your studies for your personal stationery and study materials. All our students are provided with 100 free pages of printing each year to a maximum total value of £15.
Accommodation and living costs
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.
Financial Support
We offer further information on possible postgraduate financial support. This includes the type of loans, grants and scholarships available both from the government and from Birmingham City University.
Did you know that you can apply for a postgraduate loan of up to £10,906 for some courses and options?
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. |
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Core modules are guaranteed to run. Optional modules will vary from year to year and the published list is indicative only.
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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.
Situated within the School of Fashion and Textiles, there is a wide range of conventional and CAD facilities available including digital print, digital Jaquard and 3D printing and laser cutting workshops. There are also specialist facilities available in glass and ceramics.
You’ll develop creative and practical skills which are ideally suited to gaining a career in textile and surface design.
Learning through studio and workshop practice, 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 and design ideas.
To support your learning you are encouraged to develop links appropriate to your studies, these have previously included DuPont, Emap, Sandersons and Ensell and Hall.
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 textile and surface 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
The annual MA Fashion show, Vision for the Future, marked its fourth anniversary this year at BCU, flexing the talents of our Fashion Masters courses.
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. Supporting Cancer Research UK, the show raised £430 for charity and gave students an experience of creative production on a live project.
Further study
MA Textiles and Surface Design connects you to contemporary design roles and teaches you how to continue learning and developing your practice as a professional after completing your course. The MA also has a proven track record in enabling students to progress to a PhD level of study. See our PhD Art and Design course.
Trips and visits
Over the course we visit trade fairs and exhibitions in London. You also have the opportunity to arrange your own trips to fashion, retail and cultural events and locations in Europe.
During the Diploma stage you are given the opportunity to visit Paris for the world’s premier fabric show, Premier Vision. The show offers up the season’s fashion directions some 18 months in advance, and is a useful tool to introduce you to all stages of the supply chain within which textile and surface design sits.
Talk to the Course Director
If you would like to ask any questions about how this course can help you achieve your career ambitions, you are welcome to email the Course Director on Jasbir.Kaur@bcu.ac.uk . Alternatively, you can register for our next postgraduate open day or call our Course Enquiries Team on +44 (0)121 331 5595.
Enhancing employability skills
You’ll enjoy excellent opportunities for work experience and live industry briefs, giving you practical, professional exposure and an awareness of the challenges and opportunities of the sector
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 MA Textiles and Surface Design 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.
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.
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 textile and surface 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.
OpportUNIty
OpportUNIty: Student Jobs on Campus ensures that our students are given a first opportunity to fill many part-time temporary positions within the University. This allows you to work while you study with us, fitting the job around your course commitments. By taking part in the scheme, you will gain valuable experiences and employability skills, enhancing your prospects in the job market.
It will also allow you to become more involved in University life by delivering, leading and supporting many aspects of the learning experience, from administration to research and mentoring roles.
Graduate jobs
Our graduates are well prepared for a number of roles, including freelance and designer maker practices, designers, buyers, and industry managers.
Typical routes are textile designer, self-employment either as a freelancer or running own business, university or college lecturer, working in retail or buying. Many of our past students have started their own companies and labels.
Trips and visits
Over the course we visit trade fairs and exhibitions in London. You also have the opportunity to arrange your own trips to fashion, retail and cultural events and locations in Europe.
During the Diploma stage you are given the opportunity to visit Paris for the world’s premier fabric show, Premier Vision. The show offers up the season’s fashion directions some 18 months in advance, and is a useful tool to introduce you to all stages of the supply chain within which textile and surface design sits.
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:
- Explore some of the good reasons why you should study here.
- Find out how to improve your language skills before starting your studies.
- Find all the information relevant to applicants from your country.
- Learn 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 textile and surface 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.
Birmingham City University International College (BCUIC)
International students who have a serious interest in studying with us but who perhaps cannot meet the direct entry requirements, academic or English, or who have been out of education for some time, can enter Birmingham City University International College (BCUIC) and begin their degree studies.
BCUIC is part of the global Navitas Group, an internationally recognised education provider, and the partnership allows students to access the University’s facilities and services and move seamlessly through to achieving a Bachelor’s degree from Birmingham City University.
Our Facilities
You’ll be based in our School of Fashion and Textiles, within The Parkside Building. The Parkside Building is part of our new multi-million pound City Centre Campus development in the heart of Birmingham's Eastside development.
Jasbir Kaur
Jasbir is Deputy Director of Postgraduate Programmes in Fashion and Textiles and has extensive experience in commercial textile design and magazine production. Her work is published internationally and she has specific research interests in South Asian fashion.