Program Overview

The MA/MFA Fashion hinges on the concept of the designer as a pioneer, identifying and developing new terrains beyond the frontier of the industry as we know it today.

Integral to its philosophy is that it is a space for creative minds to consider what the future of fashion looks like, shaping their learning and knowledge to become leaders and innovators for the industry.

Depending on the degree type chosen, students will develop their learning over 6 to 8 modules, that aims to facilitate students to critically reflect on their initial research projects, to define their practice both conceptually and technically and produce a body of work that reflects the professional process and progress. This will evidence independent, original work and research within the subject area.

Students will have the opportunity to experience professional engagement in a context relevant to their individual practice or chosen career path through the completion of live industry projects and undertake a master-level work placement (minimum 10-week maximum 12-week) in an industry that is pertinent to their career objectives.

Past students have gone on to launch their own businesses or work freelance in a number of areas within the fashion sector such as creative direction, fabric and material resource, design consultant and more.

You can apply for this course as an MFA or MA. The MFA takes one extra year and you can apply by choosing the MFA option when you click 'apply'.

MFA (Master of Fine Arts)

2-year course with a focus on researching, developing creative practice and implementing an interdisciplinary learning project or curriculum initiatives in year 1 that lead to a larger-scale embedded research project in year 2. The emphasis of the larger-scale research project will integrate several interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary contexts through practice, research and live projects, applying a range of seminal and contemporary theories to project research and development from a number of relevant disciplinary domains (such as design, innovation, business and enterprise).

• 8 modules = 360 Credits at Level 7

All qualification outcomes involve the same 6 or 8 modules.

The nature of the work for each student will emanate from the context of their practice-based research.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

The entire programme will be designed around mixed delivery of seminars, workshops, residencies, industry briefs and collaborative interdisciplinary projects and visits to collections, galleries, practitioners, museums and community groups which will ensure the field of study is both global and local.

Knowledge is developed through:

• Practically based design projects developing the key skills (research, design, recording information, exhibiting and presenting work)
• Lectures, seminars and practical demonstrations
• Live client project work and visiting professionals
• Thinking skills are developed through
• Reading and Research, both primary and secondary, quantitative and qualitative
• Essays, reports and action plans
• Formulations of judgements with presentations and exhibitions
• Self directed study
• Practical skills are developed through
• Working with academic, visiting and support staff
• New technologies, CAD digital media, digital fabric printing, photography and digital imagery
• Competitions, national and international

Skills for life and work (general skills) are developed through

• Presentations, individually and in groups
• Industrial placement, working with professionals as part of a team
• Working in teams and group situations in project and assignment work
• Organisational skills and time management