Textile Design - BA (Hons) - 2024/25 Entry | Birmingham City University

Overview

BCU really stood out to me when I first visited an Open Day. So I got to explore the studio spaces, have a tour around and get to see all the facilities that I could use. And I really like the appeal that the studio spaces were professional and open, and in an environment where I could mix with other creatives as well. It was also really refreshing to know that I could have a career in such a subject and they would help me achieve that.

One of my biggest highlights so far has definitely been my first module where I was able to make my own garment from scratch. This was the first time I was able to transform one of my own designs into a final garment. It felt amazing seeing this modelled on a friend. In my free time, I'm also a lover of second-hand shopping, which has led me to explore second hand and vintage shopping scene in Birmingham. Buying second-hand is really important to me, not only to find really unique pieces for my own wardrobe, but also consider sustainability when shopping.

The Parkside Grow Garden is a great addition to the studio spaces so students can grow plants and flowers to use in natural dyeing processes, which is another sustainable addition. I've definitely grown as a person while being at BCU, and I feel I'm becoming more comfortable as an individual, which I only hope grows as I continue throughout my time here. Fashion has always been my interest since I was young, and it was considered a sort of taboo in my country, but I still have the interest, I still have the curiosity to explore.

As an international student, I came from Nepal to UK and it was a new chapter in my life. When I came to Birmingham, it was sort of alien society to me. But the longer I was here, I've made UK friends, I've made some international friends as well. What I've enjoyed the most about the multitude so far is the wide range of the research areas that we have, the analytic parts of the industry, how things work, and then a deeper dive into what it means working as a team in the fashion industry.

Outside of studying, I've really enjoyed the change of lifestyle. Exploring Birmingham City, Digbeth and the exhibitions that we had. We also went to London for exhibitions and fashion shows. So it was quite exciting coming to BCU and coming to the UK. I think I'm rediscovering my creativity. I found myself just working and not really spending time on myself so I decided to pick up a hobby. I picked up knitting just on a whim and it kind of opened the floodgates for me. So I just did a Google search for textile courses that offered a foundation year and BCU popped up. I was super impressed with all of the facilities and the hands on time.

I cannot talk enough about how enthusiastic and supportive the tutors are. They are always willing to help. They have a depth of knowledge. I got to develop my skills and find my niche within the textile world, and I've made loads of friends and connections with students from all of the creative courses.

Our BA (Hons) Textile Design degree course nurtures fresh thinking and industry-ready creatives through a dynamic and carefully structured three-year programme.

Studying with us will provide you with the skills, insights and experiences required to succeed in a broad scope of professional textile related roles. By the end of your degree you will have a clear vision of where you fit in the industry and a tailored professional portfolio to take with you.

Our brand new hub for the arts in the thriving Eastside of the city has been purpose-built to stimulate creative minds within an open-access, contemporary studio environment. You will become a part of our lively and close-knit student community and be guided by an experienced and passionate team of staff who value the importance of getting to know you as an individual.

Textile Design work - Josephine Lawrence

Textile Design Work - Charlie-George Walker

Professional Placement Year

This course offers an optional professional placement year. This allows you to spend a whole year with an employer, following successful completion of your second year, and is a great way to find out more about your chosen career. Some students even return to the same employers after completing their studies.

If you choose to pursue a placement year, you will need to find a suitable placement to complement your chosen area of study. You will be able to draw on the University’s extensive network of local, regional, and national employers, and the support of our Careers teams. If you are able to secure a placement, you can request to be transferred to the placement version of the course.

Please note that fees are payable during your placement year, equivalent to 20% of the total full-time course fee for that year.

This course is open to International students.

What's covered in this course?

The programme reflects the diversity of contemporary textile practice. We pride ourselves not only on the quality of our graduates, but also the diversity of their work. We want you to be you!

Find your direction

With creativity at the heart of learning, you will develop core design and technical skills while gaining vital professional and industry awareness. The course is brimming with choice points to help you focus your experience as you clarify your personal interests.

You will be introduced to wide-ranging textile processes within the core technical areas of print, weave, knit and embroidery and embrace both digital technologies and traditional craft skills. The exciting potential of cross-disciplinary practice is supported and encouraged, giving you the option to either specialise or combine disciplines to take forward as your means of expression.

Career-focused teaching and industry involvement is designed to support you in identifying professional aspirations from the breadth of opportunity within textile design, and help you to further tailor your learning and portfolio towards them.

Having developed a distinctive and career-focused portfolio through the course, our unique Next Step module at the end of the final year bridges the gap between study and industry, allowing you time to put relevant strategies in place to help you achieve your ambitions with the support of the university network.

Throughout the course we have had the opportunity to learn a variety of technical design skills through taught content and personal exploration, really allowing us as young designers to build a rich portfolio and wealth of knowledge in preparation for our venture into the industry. The course allows you to discover your own personal hand writing- encouraging us to celebrate our work and individuality in our ideas. The embroidery pathway has highlighted the endless possibilities for me in the design industry whether it be digital embroidery for a commercial application to hand embroidery for the luxury market. The creative freedom of the embroidery specialism has allowed me to identify my passion for couture embroidery and pushed me to explore traditional hand techniques. I thoroughly enjoyed the course as it opened up a variety of exciting opportunities for me from industry collaborations to embroidering an outfit for Beyoncé.

Rosie Gee, Head of Embroidery Designer at Jennifer Clair

Emily Higgs

Emily was anxious about the prospect of leaving home to go to university, BCU was far away enough to offer independence and close enough to be near her family. She's thrown herself into all opportunities on offer at university and is now a much more confident person.

Read in full

Why Choose Us?

You are supported every step of the way! Our friendly academic and technical teams will encourage your creative individuality. Personal tutorials ensure you can regularly discuss your progress and career aspirations.
Our cutting-edge facilities comprise of industry-standard technology and equipment to ensure you are developing professionally relevant skills and awareness.
Our experienced and award-winning lecturers have extensive and wide-ranging insights to share with you, gained from key roles in industry or their experience working as practitioners.
Live briefs expose you to leaders in the design field and help you develop important collaborative skills and industry networks.
We support you in entering key national competitions such as the Bradford Textile Society Design Competition, Hand & Lock Prize for Embroidery and New Designers where we’ve won prestigious awards over the last three years.
We invite esteemed and influential guest speakers from broad areas of the industry to inspire you. Module timescales are aligned with industry pace, to ensure you are fully prepared to step into the world of work.

Open Days

Join us for an on-campus Open Day where you'll be able to meet us in person. Booking for the next event isn’t open yet. Register your interest below and we’ll email you as soon as booking goes live.

Next Open Day: 23 March 2024

Register your interest

Entry Requirements

These entry requirements apply for entry in 2024/25.

All required qualifications/grades must have been achieved and evidenced at the earliest opportunity after accepting an offer to help confirm admission and allow for on-time enrolment. This can also include other requirements, like a fee status form and relevant documents. Applicants can track their application and outstanding information requests through their BCU mySRS account.

We accept a range of qualifications, the most popular of which are detailed below.

Essential Requirements

Level 2 qualifications
112 UCAS tariff points from A/AS Level with a minimum of 2 A Levels. Please note: If you qualify for our BCU Accelerate scheme, you could receive an offer that is two grades below our normal entry requirements. Find out more about BCU Accelerate.
In addition to qualification applicants will also need a good portfolio.
GCSE	GCSE English Language or English Literature and GCSE Maths at grade C/4 or above. If you do not have these or are not undertaking them, we accept other Level 2 equivalents, or we may ask you to pass BCU's GCSE equivalency tests.
Irish Leaving Certificate (Ordinary Level)	See level 3 entry requirements under Irish Leaving Certificate for full details.
Scottish National 5	English Language or English Literature and Maths at grade C or above. If you do not have these or are not undertaking them, we accept other Level 2 equivalents, or we may ask you to pass BCU's GCSE equivalency tests.
Plus one of the following Level 3 (and above) qualifications
A Level and Advanced VCE	BBC / 112 UCAS points A maximum of 4 subjects are considered. These can be other A/S Levels (as long in a different subject) A-Levels or Level 3 equivalents.
AS and AS VCE	Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications (AS Levels must be in different subject to A-Levels) to obtain 112 pts
Access to HE Diploma	Pass with 60 credits overall. At least 45 credits at Level 3. BA (Hons) Textile Design and BA (Hons) Fashion Design - Arts, Media and Publishing subjects preferred but other subjects also considered BA (Hons) Fashion Branding and Communication and BA (Hons) Fashion Business and Promotion - Arts, Media, Publishing, Retail, Commercial Enterprise & Business subjects preferred but other subjects also considered. BSc (Hons) Gemmology and Jewellery Studies - Arts, Media and Science subjects preferred but other subjects also considered.
Pearson BTEC National Extended Diploma (2016 – present) Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF) (2010 - 2016) BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (2002 – 2010)	DMM
Foundation Studies (Art and Design, and Art, Design & Media)	Distinction Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications to obtain 112 pts
IBO Certificate in Higher Level	Students who do not complete the IB Diploma will be considered on the basis of their IB Certificates if they obtain a total of 14 points or above from three Higher Level Subjects Considered with other acceptable level 3 qualifications to meet 112 UCAS Tariff Points For students who do not already hold a GCSE in English Language at Grade C/4 or above Standard Level English Language (not literature) English A - Grade 4 or above or English B - Grade 5 from the IB Diploma will be accepted For students who do not already hold a GCSE in Mathematics at Grade C/4 or above Standard Level Maths, grade 5 or above from the IB Diploma will be accepted
International Baccalaureate Diploma	Obtain a minimum of 28 points overall For students who do not already hold a GCSE in English Language at Grade C/4 or above Standard Level English Language (not literature) English A - Grade 4 or above or English B - Grade 5 from the IB Diploma will be accepted For students who do not already hold a GCSE in Mathematics at Grade C/4 or above Standard Level Maths, grade 5 or above from the IB Diploma will be accepted
Irish Leaving Certificate (Highers)	Pass the Irish Leaving Certificate with a minimum of 112 tariff points, achieved in five Higher level subjects. This must include English Language and Maths taken at either Ordinary Level (minimum grade O1-O4 (or A-C/A1-C3)) or Higher level minimum grade H1/H7 (or A-D / A1-D3 up to and including 2016.
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma	DMM
Scottish Higher/Advanced Higher	Achieve a minimum of 112 tariff points achieved in either three Advanced Highers or from a combination of two Advanced Highers plus two Highers. Where three Advanced Highers have been taken achieve a minimum of grades CCD Where a combination of Highers and Advanced Highers have been taken you must achieve (grades of CD in two Advanced Highers plus grades of CC in two Highers).
T-Levels	Merit or above in Craft and Design
UAL Extended Diploma in Art & Design	Merit overall
UAL Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production & Technology	Merit overall
UAL Extended Diploma in Performing and Production Arts	Merit overall
Other qualifications
If you have a qualification that is not listed in the table please refer to our full entry requirements on UCAS. Further guidance on tariff points can be found on the UCAS website.

Additional information for EU/International students

Essential
In addition to qualifications, applicants will also need to submit a good digital portfolio. Please see your country page for further details on the equivalent qualifications we accept. In addition to the academic entry requirements listed above, international and EU students will also require the qualifications detailed in this table.
EU/Non-EU (International) Qualifications	Requirements
IELTS	6.0 overall with no less than 5.5 in each band. If you do not meet the required IELTS score, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English courses. Please note that you must have a Secure English Language Test (SELT) to study on the pre-sessional English course. More information.
International Baccalaureate Diploma (or equivalent, including internationally accredited Foundation courses).	Country-specific entry requirements and qualifications.

International students who cannot meet the direct entry requirements can begin their degree studies at Birmingham City University International College (BCUIC).

Mature Applicants

Applications from mature students (21+) with alternative qualifications and/or considerable work experience will be considered on their merits.

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: BA (Hons)

Starting: Sep 2024

Full Time
3 years
£9,250 in 2024/25
Apply via UCAS

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: BA (Hons)

Starting: Sep 2024

Full Time
3 years
£16,085 in 2024/25

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.

Basic materials for testing

We will provide some basic threads/yarns/printing materials for initial testing and experimentation.

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 is likely to be around £15 per module.

Media consumable items (mandatory)

This course requires the use of consumables, including a sketchbook for practical modules. You will also need to continue to add to your resource of art equipment when necessary.

Specialist equipment (mandatory)

This course requires the purchase of specialist equipment, including basic sewing equipment, scissors and drawing media (wet and dry).

Excess printing (optional)

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

Books (optional)

All module key texts will be in the University library, but in limited numbers. You may choose to purchase a copy.

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.

Competition fees (optional)

If you choose to participate in some external design competitions you may need to cover submission fees.

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.

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.

Guidance for UK students

UK students applying for most undergraduate degree courses in the UK will need to apply through UCAS.

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is a UK organisation responsible for managing applications to university and college.

Applying through UCAS

Register with UCAS
Login to UCAS and complete your details
Select your course and write a personal statement
Get a reference
Pay your application fee and submit your application

Guidance for International students

There are three ways to apply:

1) Direct to the University

You will need to complete our International Application Form and Equal Opportunities Form, and submit them together with scan copies of your original academic transcripts and certificates.

2) Through a country representative

Our in-country representatives can help you make your application and apply for a visa. They can also offer advice on travel, living in the UK and studying abroad.

3) Through UCAS

If you are applying for an undergraduate degree or a Higher National Diploma (HND), you can apply through the UK’s Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

You can request a printed form from your school or nearest British Council office. You will be charged for applying through UCAS. Birmingham City University’s UCAS code is B25 BCITY.

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

UK / EU students are required to submit a personal statement as part of their application for this course.*

The personal statement gives you a crucial opportunity to say why you’re applying and why the institution should accept you.

Here are the key areas you’ll need to address:

Course choice - Why does this course appeal? What areas are of particular interest?
Career plans - If you have a specific career in mind, say how your chosen course will help you pursue this goal.
Work experience - Mention any work that is relevant to your subject, highlighting the skills and experience gained.
School or college experience - Highlight skills gained at school/college, eg summer schools or mentoring activities.
Non-accredited skills or achievement - eg Duke of Edinburgh Award, Young Enterprise scheme.

You should also mention your future plans – if you’re planning to take a year out, don't forget to give your reasons. Talk about any subjects you’re studying that don’t have a formal assessment and any sponsorships or placements you’ve applied for. And don't be scared to add in details about your social, sports or leisure interests.

Worried about Personal Statements?

If you've got no idea where to start or just want to check you're on the right track, we’ve got expert advice and real examples from our students to help you nail your personal statement. You can even download our ultimate personal statement guide for free.

Get personal statement advice

*Non-EU students are not required to submit a personal statement when applying for this course.

Course in Depth

Year one

Guided and encouraged by an experienced teaching team, engaged in current research or practice, and through workshop experiences supported by e-learning, you investigate key areas of weave, knit, embroidery and printed textiles before choosing one, or two technical areas to explore in the first year of the course.

In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):

Year two

In your second year, you explore trends and predictions in fashion and interior industries and explore the scope of career sectors and job roles open to textile designers. You shape your learning by choosing from a range of industry-focused and entrepreneurial design challenges and build professional experience through a collaborative design challenge or Work experience – all designed to help you identify your strengths and career interests.

In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 100 credits):

In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete at least 20 credits from the following 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.

Year three

Your final year gives you the opportunity to hone your portfolio and experience to suit your career ambitions through focused projects.

In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):

Download course specification

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Course structure

Year 1

The first year is all about experimentation! You will engage with different approaches to drawing and idea generation, learn in depth about materials, composition and colour in relation to textile design, and be challenged with working to your first client brief. You will be introduced to our workshops to learn and sample in the areas of woven, knitted, embroidered and printed textiles, as well as MAT_er.LAB, our biomaterials experimental laboratory space. You will identify the technical language (or languages) that best suit your skills and interests.

A contextual lecture/ seminar programme builds knowledge of historical textiles which provides the vital reference points needed within contemporary design as well as critical thinking skills.

Year 2

In your second year, you will extend your technical skills while beginning to understand the scope of career opportunities open to you. You will start the year by learning about key industry sectors and developing a personal CV and creative promotional material to help you establish your areas of interest.

You will then be introduced to and choose practical design challenges from across five key employment sectors which have been designed to help you consider your place within the industry:

Bespoke Fashion Textiles
Contemporary Culture and Craft
Retail and Promotion
Styling and Trend Forecasting
Surface Pattern and Technologies

You will study market and client awareness, trends in both fashion and interior design sectors, commercial considerations with industry-facing projects as well as business principles, ethics and sustainability issues.

You can then choose to end the year by undertaking a professional Work Placement, Collaborative Practice or Live Brief experience, building your knowledge in the workplace or working alongside other creative students from across the Faculty.

Year 3

In Year 3 you will continue your design journey in relation to your chosen career pathway and through your choice of textile language, but with a much more independent and self-directed focus.

You will begin by writing your dissertation around a subject of interest. This will often kickstart themes and concepts that can form the basis of practical work to follow.

The final project is split into two modules, to help structure the experience. You will firstly engage in broad and personal contextual research to inform and inspire you in creating a professional portfolio of extended design work and resolve a creative brief that is aligned with your creative ambitions.

Our unique Next Step module then equips you with all you need to make the leap into employment or Post- Graduate study. You will create an action plan, extend your portfolio through targeted competition entries and promote your strengths and achievements via digital platforms – all designed to help you leave confident in pursuing your career ambitions.

Find your direction. Learn a range of textile skills, including print, then specialise in your second year.

The learning environment

Our teaching encompasses a wide range of learning and teaching methods, and immersive, interactive studio/workshop experiences are supported by e-learning to provide a holistic experience. Equipment includes a suite of digital printers, jacquard looms, computerised AVL studio looms, digital embroidery machines, V-bed Dubied knitting machines and laser cutting equipment, in addition to traditional facilities which comprise of a dye lab, screen-printing tables, transfer presses, flocking facilities, knitting machines, looms and rug tufting guns.

Studios, workshops, computer suites and library facilities operate late night access to suit night owls as well as early birds! We have professional support teams on hand to help you every step of the way – organising Disability Support, wellbeing, housing or careers.

Supportive tuition in both one-to-one and combined groups scenarios throughout the course fosters the interchange of ideas and promotes critical thinking. The diverse experience of the academic staff reflects the course ethos – all are practising designers/visual artists and many have worked internationally.

The course actively fosters links with organisations and industry, providing a continuously updated contemporary educational experience.

Studio activities

Practical drawing sessions help to get design projects underway in a friendly and supportive environment, building your skills and confidence by sharing and learning as part of a peer group.

We design stimulating workshops and activities to help to develop problem-solving abilities and interpersonal skills as well as subject specific knowledge and help to prepare you for the real world by setting industry-facing briefs and running design projects as if in a commercial studio. With role-play sessions, reviews and critiques, you have opportunities to test your professional networking skills, ready to take to your perfect job.

Working alongside friends to learn and understand the subject of textiles in relation to the wider industry, you will participate in seminars to discuss contemporary design issues, such as ethical fashion, global trends and international manufacturing, while working out what makes you tick.

Employability

Enhancing your employability

Our BA (Hons) Textile Design degree is designed to ensure you have the skills, vision and creativity to appeal to a range of employers.

With strong understanding and skills in traditional and digital design, you will become adept at a number of textile processes, including print, embroidery, weave and knit. You’ll also gain a clear vision of where you fit in the industry in order to build a strong personal and professional portfolio, using promotional and marketing skills you’ll be prepared to take to future job roles.

Links to industry

The College of Fashion and Textiles works with local, national and international businesses to enhance student learning through placements, workshops, live briefs and guest lectures from industry professionals.

Working in industry

Our Graduates

Emily Higgs

I'm a full-time Designer in the Product and Laying Pattern Design Team at Amtico Flooring.
I first heard about Amtico through the BCU tutors, whilst I was working at the University. After a quick interview process, I started a 6-month internship in June 2021 and have since worked my way up from an Intern, through to Junior Designer, to my current position.
My role is really diverse, from international travel to gather trend and market research, using CAD to recolour new print designs, through to collaborating with other departments across manufacturing to develop new laying patterns and even presenting new collections to global sales teams and customers.

The Textile Design course at BCU helped me understand how to develop cohesive commercial collections - no matter what the product!
The engagement from tutors, both during the course and since graduation, has helped grow my confidence in both my design and professional skills, and I definitely wouldn't be where I am today without their support!

Rebecca-Lewis-Textiles

Rebecca Lewis

Since graduating I have interned with Next menswear in the Print and Graphics Department. My internship with them came after my work was recognised at the 2018 New Designers exhibition, a hub for textile graduates to exhibit their work and make valuable contacts within the industry. The design department at Next contacted me directly after the exhibition and offered me the place.

Kate Hollowood

My current role is designer maker and company director of my company, Kate Hollowood Design. I work for myself and am currently the only employee, meaning I am responsible for everything involved in running a creative business; from making accounts to following up leads and attending trade shows as well as admin, pricing, quotes, diary bookings, product development and marketing…. the list goes on!

Gabbie Armstrong

I was lucky to have a part time job in the fashion industry during my final year at university. It wasn’t easy to juggle work and study commitments at the same time but I was dedicated to building my career as soon as I could.

The trainee position at Outfit Fashion helped me to understand the company’s structure and the different roles I could have in the industry, but most importantly I learnt about applying the principles of buying/merchandising and design that I had been learning throughout the course. Once I graduated the position became a full time role and I was able to develop my skills within this field even further.

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:

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 is perfectly suited to students from around the world as we approach textiles from an international viewpoint. Students share experiences and learn from each other, and the teaching focuses, where possible, on the international design industry, from trends to manufacturing contexts, preparing graduates for jobs in the global market. Graduates from the course have worked overseas including USA, Saudi Arabia, France, Laos, Sweden and Finland.

Facilities & Staff

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.

External Parkside Building and Water Feature

Our staff

Zoë Hillyard

Senior Lecturer and Course Leader

Zoë Hillyard is a Senior Lecture and Course Director for BA(Hons) Textile Design at Birmingham City University. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) and has over 20 years of lecturing experience in both national and international contexts. Zoe is also an established textile artist craft practitioner working with...

More about Zoë

Sharon Bell

Lecturer in Textile Design

Sharon predominantly teaches and leads on L5 – Textiles in Contemporary practice, Professional Pathways and Entrepreneurship and design. L4 Client and Colour Modules.

More about Sharon

Clare Langford

Lecturer in Textile Design

Clare Langford is a Textile Design Lecturer and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) with over 20 years of lecturing experience. She holds a first-class BA (Hons) in Constructed Textile Design (specialising in weave), and a PGCert in Enhancing Learning and Teaching in Higher Education. She’s currently the Schools Champion lead for the...

More about Clare

Dr. Dilusha Rajapakse

Lecturer in Textile Design

Dr Dilusha Rajapakse is a lecturer in Textile Design and a SEDA recognised Doctoral Supervisor with over eight years of professional experience in providing Fashion & Textile Design education for undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students.

More about Dilusha