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Postgraduate

MA Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Digital model facing varying directions with pink background
Work by MA Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation student, Fernanda Bernardi.
College
London College of Fashion
Start date
September 2024
Course length
12 months

MA Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation is a cutting-edge, immersive entrepreneurial experience, where you take ownership of your learning, as you launch or scale your creative business.

Applying for more than 1 course

You can apply for more than 1 postgraduate course at UAL but we recommend that you apply for no more than 3. Find out more in the Apply Now section.

Experienced and dedicated Team Coaches work alongside fashion industry founders, experts and disruptive innovators to support your journey as a Team Entrepreneur (student), through the ‘learning by doing’ process. You will ideate, test and validate your business and brand ideas whilst developing leadership, teamworking, coaching and future-ready skills through experiential education, practical research and actionable theory delivered via Bootcamps, Workshops, Innovation Labs and Team Coaching sessions.

Why choose this course at London College of Fashion

  • Collaborative-style working environment and peer learning, building a community of practice.
  • Coaching, expert and peer support to work continuously towards establishing and attaining professional goals.
  • Exploration of funding, competition and incubation opportunities with regular pitching/presenting and feedback, a retail pop-up and Demo Day event.
  • Connection to a global and active course alumni network, working across all sectors of the creative and fashion industries; with opportunities for mentorship, internships and to develop long-lasting relationships and a network of industry contacts.
  • Opportunities to work and collaborate with other Team Academies, building a network of fellow Team Entrepreneurs (students) and experienced Team Coaches from around the world.
  • Where some alumni have gone on to work: Google, Amazon, Burberry, Stella McCartney, Inditex, Patagonia, Yoox Net-a-Porter Group, Michael Kors, Hugo Boss, Alibaba, Bambuser, Karla Otto, Wrangler, Monzo, CrowdCube, Live Nation, Swarovski, Halpern Studio, Holition, Haekels, Hogarth, The Beauty Crop and WGSN

Course overview

The MA Fashion Entrepreneurship & Innovation forms part of a portfolio of postgraduate courses in the Fashion Business School, London College of Fashion. Building on London College of Fashion’s world-renowned reputation for industry aligned programmes, this pioneering course was established to support the development of new business and scale of micro to medium-sized businesses, corporate ventures, and their global founders. We are committed to ensuring that your skills are set within an ethical framework and are working to embed UAL’s Principles for Climate, Social and Racial Justice into the course.

MA Fashion Entrepreneurship & Innovation is aimed at budding entrepreneurs and existing founders who want to challenge the status quo. New and existing creative enterprises require ethical leaders who are resilient, skilled at handling uncertainty, measuring progress, and scaling a sustainable business through testing, iteration and continuous innovation. The course focuses on applying entrepreneurship through design thinking and actionable theory in a real-world context. The ‘learning by doing’ ethos of the course is underpinned by peer learning using an innovative, self-determined coaching approach. The founder sets personal and business objectives, builds strategic networks, and creates value for their ventures. Inspired by the international success of Tiimi Aketemia (Team Academy) in Finland, this course uses team coaching techniques to support developing entrepreneurs and extant founders in building the skills, mindset and practical experiences needed to define and achieve their business and leadership goals as a team in entrepreneurship.

The course provides a safe space for global and diverse learners to come together for the purpose of sharing skills and experiences, which enrich and strengthen their brand ideas or existing businesses. The Capstone Project provides an opportunity for extensive research in entrepreneurial practice and the development of an artifact intended to lead to the launch or scale of a viable business or company project, and demonstrate the academic rigour appropriate to Master’s level work in entrepreneurship and innovation.

Mode of study 

MA Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation is a full-time course which runs for 45 weeks over 12 months. 

Credit Framework

The credit framework conforms to the University of the Arts London framework in which the unit of credit is 20 credits (equivalent to 200 hours of student study time). All credits on this master’s programme are at postgraduate level 7.

Climate, Social and Racial Justice

We are committed to developing ethical Fashion Business practices. To achieve this, we are working to embed UAL’s Principles for Climate, Social and Racial Justice into the course.

Course units

Organisation of the Curriculum

The Course is divided into three 15-week blocks (full-time). The first block is 60 credits and students who successfully complete this block are eligible for the award of a PG Cert. The second block is a further 60 credits and students who complete blocks 1 and 2 are eligible for the award of PGDip. The third and final block is the Capstone Project, this is a 60-credit unit and students who successfully complete this block are eligible for the award of a Masters. The final award grading is based upon the Capstone Project only.

Block 1

Practical Research for Venture Creation (40 credits)

Leadership & Team Dynamics (20 credits)

Block 2

Business Fundamentals (40 credits)

Coaching Strategies for Global Changemakers (20 credits)

Block 3

Capstone Project (60 credits)

Learning and teaching methods

The following teaching and learning methods are employed to support the integrated achievement of the course outcomes:

Course content is delivered mostly face-to-face with some online methods, providing an accessible and flexible space to interact with course and school activity. Team and individual coaching, shared training sessions, learning through practice, action learning sets, dialogue, lectures and seminars, peer review, hackathons, bootcamps, pitching and presenting, workshops, discussions, critiques, personal and professional development activities, and brainstorming sessions, with coaches, academics, practitioners and visiting lecturers will take place throughout the academic year. 

Stacia Bedford | Course leader | MA Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Student Neha Mathew | MA Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Student Paloma Mendoza | MA Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Student Sanjana Dhond | MA Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Student Bianca Avram | MA Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Graduate Showcase

Explore work by our recent students on the UAL Showcase

  • Phygital Adoption for Fashion SMEs in India
    Phygital Adoption for Fashion SMEs in India, shubhagata mittal, 2022 MA Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation, London College of Fashion, UAL
  • The Local Bridge
    The Local Bridge, Taniya Bhardwaj, 2022 MA Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation, London College of Fashion, UAL
  • How Fashion Luxury SMEs Can Succeed With NFTs
    How Fashion Luxury SMEs Can Succeed With NFTs, Ekaterina Tekucheva, 2022 MA Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation, London College of Fashion, UAL
  • haav
    haav, Neha Mathew, 2022 MA Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation, London College of Fashion, UAL
  • Fluid Studio ; Blurring Gender Lines
    Fluid Studio ; Blurring Gender Lines, Sanjana Dhond, 2022 MA Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation, London College of Fashion, UAL

Latest news from this course

Staff

Fees and funding

Home fee

£13,330

This fee is correct for 2024/25 entry and is subject to change for 2025/26 entry.

Tuition fees may increase in future years for new and continuing students on courses lasting more than one year. For this course, you can pay tuition fees in instalments.

Students from countries outside of the UK will generally be charged international fees. The rules are complex so read more about tuition fees and determining your fee status.

International fee

£28,570

This fee is correct for 2024/25 entry and is subject to change for 2025/26 entry.

Tuition fees may increase in future years for new and continuing students on courses lasting more than one year. For this course, you can pay tuition fees in instalments.

Students from countries outside of the UK will generally be charged international fees. The rules are complex so read more about tuition fees and determining your fee status.

Scholarship search

Entry requirements

The standard entry requirements for this course are as follows:

  • An Honours degree at 2.1 or above
  • OR equivalent qualifications;

APEL (Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning)

Applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered in exceptional cases. The course team will consider each application that demonstrates additional strengths and alternative evidence. This might, for example, be demonstrated by:

  • Related academic or work experience (minimum of three years)
  • The quality of the overall application
  • A strong academic or other professional reference
  • OR a combination of these factors

Each application will be considered on its own merit, but we cannot guarantee an offer in each case.

English Language Requirements

IELTS level 7.0 with a minimum of 6.0 in reading, writing, listening and speaking. Please check our main English Language Requirements.

Selection criteria

The course seeks to recruit students from diverse socio- economic and cultural backgrounds and welcomes applications from mature students.

The course seeks to recruit students who can demonstrate:

  • A practical interest in constructing an entrepreneurial project within the creative sector through entrepreneurship (for- profit as well as social enterprise) and a multidisciplinary approach.
  • Awareness and relevant experience of fashion and the fashion industry at large.
  • Appropriate knowledge and skills commensurate with planned entry in the course. 

Apply now

Application deadline

Deadline

Round 1:

13 December 2023 at 1pm (UK time)

Round 2:

3 April 2024 at 1pm (UK time)

Video task deadline

Round 1:

16 January 2024

Round 2:

16 April 2024

Decision outcome

Round 1:

End of March 2024

Round 2:

End of June 2024

Round 1
Round 2
Deadline
13 December 2023 at 1pm (UK time)
3 April 2024 at 1pm (UK time)
Video task deadline
16 January 2024
16 April 2024
Decision outcome
End of March 2024
End of June 2024

All applications received by 3 April will be treated equally. If there are places available after this date, the course will remain open to applications until places have been filled.

Read more about deadlines

Apply now

Application deadline

Deadline

Round 1:

13 December 2023 at 1pm (UK time)

Round 2:

3 April 2024 at 1pm (UK time)

Video task deadline

Round 1:

16 January 2024

Round 2:

16 April 2024

Decision outcome

Round 1:

End of March 2024

Round 2:

End of June 2024

Round 1
Round 2
Deadline
13 December 2023 at 1pm (UK time)
3 April 2024 at 1pm (UK time)
Video task deadline
16 January 2024
16 April 2024
Decision outcome
End of March 2024
End of June 2024

All applications received by 3 April will be treated equally. If there are places available after this date, the course will remain open to applications until places have been filled.

Read more about deadlines

Apply to UAL

Start your application
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Based across the world, our local UAL representatives can support you with your application from your home country. Check to see if there is a representative available in your country currently.

Find your representative

How to apply

Follow this step-by-step guide to apply for this course

Step 1: Initial application

You will need to submit an initial application including your personal statement, CV and study proposal.

Personal statement advice

Your personal statement should be maximum 500 words and include:

  • your reasons for choosing the course
  • your current creative practice and how this course will help you achieve your future plans
  • any relevant education and experience, especially if you do not have any formal academic qualifications.

Visit our personal statement page for more advice.

CV advice

Please provide a CV detailing your education, qualifications and any relevant work or voluntary experience. If you have any web projects or other media that you would like to share, please include links in your CV. If English is not your first language, please also include your most recent English language test score.

Study proposal advice

Please provide a summary of your study proposal (500 words).

It should:

  • explain the context of your project. What format will it take? How will it demonstrate your knowledge in the subject area? How will it be original, radical and transformational? How will it create value for the creative industry and society?
  • give a rationale including the purpose of your project and why it is important now in the current global market?
  • set out the overarching research question, along with the project aim and main objectives
  • highlight any critical ideas, theories or frameworks that may underpin your research
  • outline the qualitative primary research methods you will use to support your aim
  • include any relevant research or images
  • include a bibliography using Harvard referencing and an appendix for any additional material if necessary. This will not be included in the word count.

Please note, your proposal serves to inform your application and we understand that your ideas will inevitably develop and change throughout your studies.

Step 2: Video task

We will review your initial application. If you have met the standard entry requirements, we will ask you to submit a video task.

You’ll need to submit these via PebblePad, our online portfolio tool.

Video task advice

We’d like you to submit a 1–2-minute video to help us learn more about you. When recording your task, please face the camera and speak in English.

What to include in your video task

  • Pitch your existing social enterprise, brand or business and explain what it does and how it makes money. What is your plan for scale? What are your current or future plans for sustainability practices;

OR 

  • Pitch your social enterprise, brand or business, explaining how the idea is user-centric and solves a problem. Please include primary and secondary research to support your argument.

Read our guidance for how to submit your video task and which file types we accept.

Step 3: Interview

You may be invited to an interview following our review of your application. All interviews are held online and last 15 to 20 minutes.

For top tips, see our Interview advice.

You also need to know

Communicating with you

Once you have submitted your initial application, we will email you with your login details for our Applicant portal.

Requests for supplementary documents like qualifications and English language tests will be made through the applicant portal. You can also use it to ask questions regarding your application. Visit our After you apply page for more information.

Applying to more than 1 course

You can apply for more than 1 postgraduate course at UAL but we recommend that you apply for no more than 3 courses. You need to tailor your application, supporting documents and portfolio to each course, so applying for many different courses could risk the overall quality of your application. If you receive offers for multiple courses, you'll only be able to accept 1 offer. UAL doesn't accept repeat applications to the same course in the same academic year.

Visas and immigration history check

All non-UK nationals must complete an immigration history check. Your application may be considered by our course teams before this check takes place. This means that we may request your portfolio and/or video task before we identify any issues arising from your immigration history check. Sometimes your history may mean that we are not able to continue considering your application. Visit our Immigration and visas advice page for more information.

External student transfer policy

UAL accepts transfers from other institutions on a case-by-case basis. Read our Student transfer policy for more information.

Alternative offers

If your application is really strong, but we believe your strengths and skillset are better suited to a different course, we may make you an alternative offer. This means you will be offered a place on a different course or at a different UAL College.

Deferring your place

We do not accept any deferral requests for our postgraduate courses. This means that you must apply in the year that you plan to start your course and you will not be able to defer your place to start at a later date.

Application deadlines

For postgraduate courses at UAL there are 2 equal consideration deadlines to ensure fairness for all our applicants. If you apply ahead of either of these deadlines, your application will be considered on an equal basis with all other applications in that round. If there are places available after the second deadline, the course will remain open to applications until places have been filled.

Careers

MA Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation empowers students to develop future-ready skills whilst studying. Much of the course is centred around career development, so you become a creative and critical thinker, able to make effective contributions to your relevant sector of the creative industries.

Some ways we do this is through:

  • Access to speaker programmes and events featuring alumni and industry.
  • Access to Graduate Futures department which offers CV clinics and one-to-one advice sessions.
  • Access to knowledge exchange and research opportunities with key internal agencies like Fashion Innovation Agency and Centre for Sustainable Fashion.
  • A choice of team-led projects with internal and external stakeholders to take ownership of and foster over the course of the academic year.
  • Design thinking and regenerative innovation practices to develop and scale business.

Graduates of MA Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation have used their entrepreneurial thinking to develop and extend business through innovation to work at some of the top globally recognised businesses, brands and retailers in fashion, design, production and media.

Some examples of the types of roles they’ve held within those companies include:

  • Business development
  • Sustainability Strategy
  • Circularity Lead
  • Creative and Innovation Strategy
  • Research and Development
  • Leadership/management or C-Suite position
  • Buyer
  • Visual Merchandising
  • Social media and marketing
  • PR
  • Clo-3D Designer
  • Graphic Designer
  • Supply chain manager
  • Production manager
  • Project manager
  • Analyst
  • CSR officer
  • Consultant
  • Business coach
  • Legal
  • Finance
  • Educator