Program Overview
The BA Fashion Marketing program at the University of Leeds equips students to become creative and ethical fashion marketers, adaptable to the ever-changing industry landscape. The program balances research-led activities and contextual studies with creative practice, focusing on social, ethical, and sustainable solutions to inform marketing decisions. Graduates are equipped to make changes for the better in the fashion world, with potential career paths in fashion marketing, production, and manufacturing, as well as digital content strategy, PR, and brand management.
Program Outline
The program equips students with the skills to become creative and ethical fashion marketers, adaptable to the ever-changing industry landscape. It balances research-led activities and contextual studies with creative practice, focusing on social, ethical, and sustainable solutions to inform marketing decisions.
Objectives:
- Develop students into creative and ethical fashion marketers with a broad range of resilient skills.
- Equip students with research, analysis, and critical thinking skills to develop innovative fashion marketing strategies, products, experiences, and communications.
- Foster a deep understanding of how to interpret societal change, technological advances, and cultural trends through marketing theories and frameworks.
- Encourage students to become creative thinkers and critical practitioners through a combination of making, reading, and writing.
Outline:
Year 1:
- Compulsory Modules:
- Fashion Marketing Theories and Identities (40 credits): This module provides an in-depth understanding of concepts and theories underlying the global fashion system, exploring fashion marketing theories through the lens of technology, society, and culture. Students will discover how different contexts influence fashion styling, consumption, and theories from past, present, and future perspectives.
- Design Studies: Foundations (20 credits): This module develops foundational skills in scholarly research, academic writing, and critical thinking. Students will be immersed in key issues and debates informing the changing values and future of design, considering how these have been influenced by social and historical forces.
- Creative Challenges and Communication (20 credits): This module involves a range of rapid and team-led design jams, teaching students a variety of design thinking skills. Students will learn to visually communicate design solutions in a range of formats, mastering principles of type choice, layout, and image usage.
- Optional Modules (20 credits each):
- The Fashion Industry
- Colour Design and Application
- Creative Thinking
- Introduction to Photography
Year 2:
- Compulsory Modules:
- Fashion Brand Communication and Trends (40 credits): This module helps students develop insight, fashion forecasting skills, and fashion communications critical knowledge to devise fashion industry shifts. In-depth research and critical analysis of global mega trends, contextualized micro trends, and consumer preferences and lifestyle choices will allow students to develop insights to inform new brand strategies.
- Design Studies: Exploration (20 credits): This module develops research and analysis skills and shows how these can be used to tackle complex challenges faced by society today.
- Design for Interaction and Experience (20 credits): This module teaches skills in planning and designing post-digital experiences. Team-based demonstrations introduce students to the potential of emerging technologies that may shape the future of design.
- Optional Modules (20 credits each):
- 20th Century Fashion History
- Strategic Fashion Management
- Marketing, Creativity and Innovation
- Contemporary Illustration
- Collage Culture
- Contemporary Photography
- Advanced Colour
Year 3:
- Compulsory Modules:
- Major Research Project (40 credits): Students will carry out an academic research project, building on the research and analytical skills developed throughout their studies. They will select from a range of project types, enabling them to focus on a subject of specific interest, developing the skills required for their future career.
- Fashion Marketing Major Project (40 credits): This module consolidates and builds upon knowledge gained at Levels 1 and 2, encouraging focused and autonomous enquiry to formulate innovative solutions to create and promote a new fashion/lifestyle brand. Students will take ownership of the entire strategic process, including research, creative and design thinking, reflective practice, concept development, commercial viability assessment, and promotional innovative strategies.
- Fashion Futures (20 credits): This module challenges students to foresee the future of fashion and suggest changes. They will research and critically analyze different aspects of the fashion industry, from technological advancements to career paths, from academic research to consumer trends.
- Optional Modules (20 credits each):
- Contemporary Advertising
- Collaborative Marketing and Promotion
- Fashion Styling and Photography
- Social Design
Assessment:
Students will be assessed through a variety of methods, including:
- Visual 2D and 3D responses
- Portfolios of text and image
- Blogs
- Short videos
- Presentations
- Essays
- Reports
- Exams (occasionally) Some assessments will be based on collaboration with peers, developing artefacts, proposals, and various forms of visual and textual communication in response to problem-based issues. The nature of assessment will change as students progress through the course, with a focus on understanding, analyzing, and applying knowledge and skills in relation to real-world, local, and global settings.
Teaching:
- Teaching Methods:
- Creative problem solving and design thinking methods are central to the teaching in the School of Design.
- A campus-based blended learning approach is followed, with a range of resources in the virtual learning environment accessible at all times, including videos and pre-work to help students prepare.
- Lectures are designed to invite engagement and participation, seminars enable deeper exploration of key topics, workshops provide opportunities to learn and practice design making, and tutorials allow for discussion of work in progress and feedback.
- Collaboration with staff and peers is encouraged, with two core modules studied with peers from other design disciplines.
- Faculty:
- Students will be taught by expert academics, from lecturers to professors.
- Industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, will also contribute to the teaching, connecting students to some of the brightest minds on campus.
Careers:
- Potential Career Paths:
- Fashion marketer
- Fashion production and manufacturing (buyer or new product developer)
- Visual merchandiser for retail
- Fashion stylist
- Fashion writer or journalist
- Digital content strategist
- PR or brand management
- Opportunities:
- The BA Fashion Marketing course is industry-focused and develops valuable transferable skills such as sustainable business development, research, critical and analytical thinking, creative problem-solving, communication, cultural sensitivity, professionalism, and planning and organizing.
- Graduates are equipped to make changes for the better in the fashion world.
- Outcomes:
Other:
- The School of Design highly values research activities and contextual studies as integral to contemporary creative practice.
- The School provides access to a team of excellent technicians across the full range of skills who can help students realize their work to its potential.
- The School also provides a range of other support to enhance student experience and prepare them for the workplace: free dedicated software, a wide range of technical induction programmes, free access to LinkedIn Learning Tutorials, free camera and video recorder loan, supporting a Degree Show, external promotion, Yorkshire Fashion, and visiting speakers from industry or other institutions around the world.
- The School of Design has a successful and well-established Year in Industry, with many employers welcoming students from its programs every year.
- Students have the opportunity to apply to spend time abroad, usually as an extra academic year, with over 300 University partners worldwide.
UK: To be confirmed International: To be confirmed Tuition fees for UK undergraduate students starting in 2024/25 Tuition fees for UK full-time undergraduate students are set by the UK Government and will be £9,250 for students starting in 2024/25. The fee may increase in future years of your course in line with inflation only, as a consequence of future changes in Government legislation and as permitted by law. Tuition fees for UK undergraduate students starting in 2025/26 Tuition fees for UK full-time undergraduate students starting in 2025/26 have not yet been confirmed by the UK government. When the fee is available we will update individual course pages. Tuition fees for international undergraduate students starting in 2024/25 and 2025/26 Fees for students starting in 2025/26 will be available from September 2024. Tuition fees for a study abroad or work placement year If you take a study abroad or work placement year, you’ll pay a reduced tuition fee during this period. Read more about paying fees and charges. There are additional costs of study that students need to cover. We estimate that these additional costs could be as described below, but this amount may vary depending on how you decide to respond to university briefs and the range of materials and techniques you decide to adopt. Equipment and material costs Students need to cover the cost of printing their work during the course, including specialist print workshop costs. Students also need to cover costs of copying and supplying their own basic materials (eg pens, pencils, cutting tools, paper, ruler) and more course specific materials (eg sketchbooks, specialist papers, specialist fabrics, sculpting materials, specialist tool), as well as print portfolios. The approximate cost of these items in recent years has been:• Level 1 – £100 - £170• Level 2 – £100 - £150• Level 3 – £200 - £600 Some of our courses require the development of work using industry standard specialist software. As/if required by your course, the School will provide this to you when you arrive. We also use a blended learning model where you’ll need to access course materials and video conference using a computer or mobile device (eg laptop, tablet, smartphone). Costs for a laptop will vary depending on the exact specification. You should expect to pay between £1000 - £2,500. But, you may decide to purchase your own equipment (from Year 1 or as your studies progress) which will result in additional costs. Examples include a drawing tablet (£50 - £500) and a digital camera (£200 - £1500). Read more about additional costs. There is help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government. Find out more in our Undergraduate funding overview. Scholarships and financial support There is help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government. Find out more in our Undergraduate funding overview.
