Interested? See

BA (Hons)

Fashion Design

Attendance

Campus

Start

Book an Undergraduate Open Day

Duration

3 Years

Start

September 2023

UCAS Code

W231

Delivery

Campus Taught

Foundation entry

Our award-winning Fashion Design degree has a credible reputation within the fashion industry. We are renowned for producing successful graduates who go on to become creative and innovative designers.

Our Fashion Design course is all about pushing you to reach your true potential. To do this we have created three pathways that allow you to play to your strengths. With the flexibility to select the outcome that works best for you.

Our conceptual pathway places the emphasis on the manufacture of garments. Using creative shape-making, avant-garde silhouettes, sustainable textile solutions and pushing the boundaries. With forward-thinking concepts, creating an outstanding final collection.

Our commercial pathway places the emphasis on CAD, 2D design and trend awareness. Creating garments for specific customers. Brief outcomes would still include garment manufacture, but your portfolio work has a higher weighting.

Finally, our enterprise pathway encompasses the growing trend for start-up businesses within the fashion field. You'll work on the fashion briefs to build skills in manufacture, pattern cutting and design. But you'll have enterprise modules throughout your study. Meaning you are far more knowledgeable about setting up your own business upon graduation.

Why study with us

Fashion and Textiles at The University of Central Lancashire ranks 2nd in the UK. (Guardian University Guide 2022).
Fashion and Textiles ranks 1st in the North West for student-staff ratio. (Guardian University Guide 2023)
Our Fashion degree courses are ranked in the Top 80 of the Best Fashion Schools in the World for 2020. (CEOWORLD Magazine).

Interested?

Download

Degree Show 2022

Discover the award-winning creative work produced by our undergraduate Fashion Design students. The degree show features work in a range of mediums by students from the School of Arts & Media.

Access the Degree Show

Patrick Grant gives his advice to our creative students

Fashion Design Degree Show01 / 06

What you'll do

We have strong relationships with over 150 global brands. This means we can help you to secure placements with top designer companies.
You have the option to complete a work placement in the third year or move directly into the final year and complete your degree in three years.
You’ll have the opportunity to work on briefs that have outcomes linked to your career aspirations and build an impressive portfolio. As well as working on live projects for real clients, and compete in national and international competitions.

Module overview

Course delivery

This course is taught face-to-face at one of our UK campuses.

100%Face-to-face

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our published course information. However, our programmes are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may cause alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses. Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of accrediting bodies or revisions to subject benchmarks statements. As well as to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.

Join us on campus

Book a place at our Undergraduate Open Day on Saturday 17 June. Here you'll be able to explore our campus and facilities, meet academic staff & chat to students.

Book your place

Fashion design course facilities

Memberships

We are delighted to announce our British Fashion Council membership. Founded in 1993 to create an interface between education and industry, the BFC Colleges Council represents the leading fashion departments in universities and colleges throughout the UK. This membership enriches our student’s experience and creates additional industry opportunities though an annual programme of events and high profile competitions. The British Fashion Council joined forces with the Saturday Clubs Trust to support our Fashion & Business Saturday Club and we have been fortunate to have secured many high-profile Saturday Club Masterclasses through our BFC connection.

Industry Links

When size? established links with higher education, one of the immediate goals of size? syllabus was to approach and get involved with the very best fashion and creative arts talent in the UK, so we were made up with the addition of UCLan, with officially one of the best fashion departments in the UK, to our size? syllabus programme. The main aim of the Syllabus is to impart industry level standards, learning and practice in a live brief format to students, who are then given the support and tools from size? to respond. At size? we want to unearth the next generation of creatives and by offering this platform in the form of size? Syllabus we believe students involved stand the best possible chance of making their way into the industry, able to utilise the invaluable learnings taught during their time answering the Syllabus briefs

Future careers in fashion design

Our graduates have gone on to have great careers in the fashion industry. We have alumni working for top international brands. Including Burberry, Iris Van Herpen, Preen, Lou Dalton, Whistles, Boohoo, M&S, Matalan, and Ted Baker.

With so many transferable skills from university, the career choice is extensive upon graduation. Many of our Fashion Design graduates continue their studies going on to complete a masters. We are seeing more of our graduates setting up small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). And many are working within design studios, pattern cutting, buying, menswear design, quality control, knitwear design, textiles design and teaching.

Lots of our graduates have set up their own successful businesses - such as Amy Molyneaux and her brand Lelloue Official. Which is worn by the ‘in crowd’, and local girl Sana Zinga. Who won Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2019 with her stylish modest fashion label Valenci.

Propeller Student Enterprise servicer at the University supports students, staff and graduates to start up their own business. Including 1-2-1 support from a business mentor.

Fees and funding

2022/23

Full-time£9250 per year

Sandwich year£1000 for the sandwich year

International

Full-time£14250 per year

2023/24

Full-time£9,250 per year

International

Full-time£14,900 per year

Scholarships and bursaries

We have a wide range of scholarships, bursaries and funds available to help support you whilst studying with us.

Select your country and see eligibility information and how to apply by selecting more info on the cards below.

Select your country/region

Throughout the course, you’ll attend a mix of online and face-to-tutorials, lectures, seminars and practical sessions. Independent study is also an important aspect of this course.

Most teaching is studio and workshop based. Our tutors have a good rapport with students. You’ll have the chance to discuss your work through individual tutorials and small group sessions.

In Year 1 (Year 2 for Foundation Entry) we’ll introduce you to the broad area of fashion design.

First year: In the first year (Year 2 for Foundation Entry) we equip you with a broad range of skills that will start you off on your fashion journey. We also give you a fantastic starter kit that includes all sewing tools, calico and pattern paper. You'll learn many creative skills such as research and trend, design, illustration and textile techniques. Plus more technical skills such as pattern cutting, garment manufacture, CAD, digital embroidery and knit. You'll also get to study enterprise modules or critical studies in fashion.

Second year: The second year is all about finding out what kind of designer you are. You'll work on both traditional and experimental briefs. Allowing you to make informed choices about your career path, and tailor your brief outcomes to match your pathway of choice. Advice is given throughout via one-to-one tutorials. You'll also have a module in professional practice. This will assist you in creating professional CVs, show you interview techniques and enable you to build your personal brand identity. You can opt in to taking a placement year in Year 2. And there'll be guidance from staff and graduates who have completed their placement to help you to make informed choices.

Third year: If you have decided to take on a placement you'll spend your third year out in the industry.

Fourth year: The final year (Year 3 for non-placement and Year 4 for sandwich/placement students) is all about you. We want you to work on highly personal briefs that really mean something to you and inspire you to create a final collection that you are proud of. Through completing exciting briefs you'll be encouraged to make work that pushes boundaries and create innovative fabrics solutions. Through consideration of sustainable issues which could include up-cycling, re-using, re-making garments or work with companies who supply specific fabrics that link to your theme. Detail is key, and we work with industry professionals who deliver masterclasses to our students on different subjects. Such as menswear, knitwear, experimental pattern cutting, how to style your collection, and how to Swarovski crystal your fabric!