Textile and Surface Design - MA - 2024/25 Entry

Overview

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.

External Parkside Building and Water Feature

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.

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.

After finishing my Bachelors, the MA Textiles and Surface Design course really allowed me to grow as a designer, encouraging independence and creativity. It was a chance to further develop my design style, technical knowledge and boost my confidence.

The facilities are amazing at BCU, and the university puts so much into helping you achieve your goals. For example, I already used Wilcom Digital Embroidery in my Bachelors, but I spent a lot more time specialising in the technique and developing advanced skills. The course also initiated live projects, collaboration and internships which I had wanted to explore - and will now help towards building my career in the future.

Jennifer Hotchkiss

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.

MA Textile Design Overview image

Similar Courses

Fashion Design - MA

OPEN DAY

Join us on campus where you'll be able to find out more about your course, learn about postgraduate finance and get an insight into studying at BCU. 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 Event: 29 June 2024

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Entry Requirements

Essential Requirements

Essential
A good degree in textile design or equivalent qualification.
Applicants will also need to submit a good portfolio.

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 2024

Full Time
1 year
£9,710 in 2024/25

Full Time
18 months (including Professional Placement - see below*)
£10,685 in 2024/25

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 2024

Full Time
1 year
£17,710 in 2024/25

Full Time
18 months (including Professional Placement - see below*)
£19,485 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.

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 are likely to be in the region of £50 - £100 if you choose to print your work.

Specialist equipment (mandatory)

This course requires the purchase of specialist equipment, including a laptop (variable cost).

Excess printing (optional)

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

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.

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.

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.

Financial Support

We offer further information on the financial support available for postgraduate study. There are various funding options, including loans, scholarships and bursaries. You may also be able to take advantage of government-backed loans of up to £12,167 for postgraduate study.

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

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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 Jacquard 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.

Employability

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.

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 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.

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.

Our staff

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.

More about Jasbir

Alison Rapsey

Course Director BA (Hons) Fashion Business and Promotion

Alison has over 17 years of teaching experience joining Birmingham City University as a lecturer in Fashion Retail Management in 2006. Following her years of dedication to the department, in 2012 she became Course Director for BA(Hons) Fashion Business and Promotion. Alison began her work in the fashion industry by working for Arcadia, across...

More about Alison