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Postgraduate

MA Footwear

Delicate black, floral show design themed at fairies and witches.
Student work by Nian Liu | MA Footwear | London College of Fashion | University of Arts London
College
London College of Fashion
Start date
September 2024
Course length
15 months

This specialist footwear masters level course gets students to challenge the concept of footwear design and push conventional notions of shoe design.

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.

Why choose this course at London College of Fashion

  • Where graduates have gone on to work: graduates of this course have progressed into a diverse range of roles within the industry at notable companies including Burberry, Celine, Puma, Adidas, Nike, Georgina Goodman, Hunter Boots and have set up their own brands such as Marko Bakovic and Phedre Calvados.
  • Research recognition: this course is recognised for student research into innovative approaches to footwear design and manufacture.
  • Equipment and facilities: students will have access to industry standard equipment and facilities as well as expert technician support.
  • Focus on Cordwainers heritage: building on a wealth of heritage, the course puts an emphasis on the footwear tradition and craft that the Cordwainers heritage embodies and combines this with the latest technology.
  • Sustainability: students are challenged to engage with specific social, political, cultural, and technological contexts that relate to their self-defined area of studies within the area of footwear, in order to develop new approaches to design practice.

Course overview

The MA Footwear course exists within the Craft Programme, in the School of Design Technology (SDT) at London College of Fashion. The Programme also includes MA Artefact, and BA (Hons) Cordwainers Footwear, BA (Hons) Cordwainers Fashion, Bags & Accessories and BA (Hons) Bespoke Tailoring. The SDT also includes MA Fashion Futures, which closely aligns to the MA Footwear course’s making and theory elements and provide collaborative opportunities and shared resources. 

MA Footwear benefits from close links with industry and with other educational institutions and has a strong focus on research. The course is one of only two MA Footwear courses in the UK and has built a unique core curriculum around a conceptual and innovative approaches to footwear, where footwear is defined as any design for the lower extremities.

Climate, Social and Racial Justice

The course is committed to embedding UAL’s Principles for Climate, Social and Racial Justice. 

Course units

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 PG Dip. The third and final block is the Master Project, this is a 60-credit unit and students who successfully complete this block are eligible for the award of an MA. The final award grading is based upon the MA project only.

Block 1:

Collaborative Challenge (20 Credits)
Critical Practice and Research (40 Credits)

Stage 2:

Research Proposal (20 Credits)
Actionism in Context (40 credits)

Block 3:

Masters Project (60 Credits)

Learning and teaching methods

The learning and teaching strategies on the course challenge students to develop innovative solutions through questioning and defining form themselves what footwear means.

The course emphasizes integration of learning from different cultural perspectives through knowledge sharing, and problem solving. Learning and teaching methods focus on critical studio practice where students are active participants in determining areas of investigation and deeper research enquiry. 

Students resolve briefs using a range of methods inspired by contextual discourse and participate in a diverse range of experiences, including lectures, seminars, workshops, technical sessions, master classes, peer learning, seminars, individual and group tutorials, self-directed learning, guest speakers, study trips, and formative and summative assessment.

The course encourages collaboration allowing students to work with peers from other disciplines, or external partners and to learn critical professional skills to edit and peer reviewing their work and the work of others, in line with the Creative Attributes Framework.

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

  • Lectures; seminars; discussions; tutorials; workshops, demonstrations; critiques; peer review and engagement with the Creative Attributes Framework (CAF).

UAL Showcase

Explore work by our recent students on the UAL Showcase

Student and graduate work

  • Dayeon-Park-4.png
    Work by Dayeon Park
  • 11_28_2017_Eliana_Zurlo_Sport_Shoes_501.jpg
    Work by Eliana Zurlo
  • toes-in-color1.jpg
    Work by Hye Kim
  • JIEYI-2.jpg
    Work by Jie Yi
  • 05-060.jpg
    Work by Naomi Adjei

MA Footwear graduates at London Craft Week 2021

Latest news from this course

Staff

Eelko Moorer

is course leader and an interdisciplinary designer/maker of interior products, footwear and bespoke accessories offering new perspectives on existing typologies and processes through design. His studio combines an experimental practice rooted in academia with commercial work. The Studio works on a variety of commissions and consultancy with outputs ranging from designs for industry, bespoke and catwalk pieces, installation, performance, to short film. His work has been widely exhibited internationally in places such as The Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, The Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, Saatchi Gallery, London and with the British Council and Design Museum, London.

Georgina Goodman

is associate lecturer and runs the Georgina Goodman footwear brand, which has become synonymous with uncompromising style, clarity of vision and discreet originality. Georgina Goodman the designer embodies that philosophy: twice nominated Accessory Designer of the Year by the British Fashion Council, she has established long standing design collaborations, most famously with Lee McQueen, with whom she created iconic shoes for his catwalk collections and the Alexander McQueen label. Over the past ten years Georgina’s shoes have graced the feet of discerning clients and style icons such as Kate Moss and Thandie Newton, drawn by the subtle luxury, stylish inventiveness and attention to detail Georgina is known for. Recently Georgina's unstinting creativity and desire to explore her chosen craft through other art forms led to collaborative projects with artists and filmmakers. Georgina created wearable glass shoes for the film La Douleur Exquise (2014) by Nick Knight, both subsequently shown as part of the Killer Heels exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum in New York and a following USA tour. Alongside her consultancy work, she has been creating couture and art shoes in her design studio and in 2015 Georgina has entered the commercial shoe landscape again with a new business, new team and reinforced vision. The fresh iteration of the Georgina Goodman brand launched in January 2016 with a new e-commerce project, an online Couture Boutique selling one-off and limited edition pieces alongside the GG’s by Georgina Goodman Slippers.

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

Entry to this course is highly competitive: applicants are expected to achieve, or already have, the course entry requirements detailed below. 

  • An Honours degree at 2.1 or above in footwear design and/or production. Applicants with a degree in another subject may be considered, depending on the strength of the application; 

OR

  • Equivalent qualifications; 

OR

  • Relevant and quantitative industrial experience for a minimum of three years. 

All classes are conducted in English. The level required by the University for this course is IELTS 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each skill. 

Selection criteria

The course seeks to recruit students who can demonstrate: 

  • a strong commitment and motivation towards a career in an aspect of the creative industries; 
  • awareness of contemporary footwear companies and designers, fashion, design, architecture, art and/or culture;
  • transferable skills from other disciplines.

Apply now

Application deadline

Deadline

Round 1:

13 December 2023 at 1pm (UK time)

Round 2:

3 April 2024 at 1pm (UK time)

Digital portfolio and 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)
Digital portfolio and 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)

Digital portfolio and 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)
Digital portfolio and 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

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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 (900 words).

It should:

  • outline the context of your proposal, including the aspiration for the final outcome. For example, you could aim to produce a collection of 8 fully working pairs of shoes or build a site-specific installation or performance.
  • briefly introduce your work, outlining any recent developments relating to your study proposal
  • demonstrate your knowledge of the historical and contemporary context of your chosen field
  • include analysis and evaluation of your current studio practice, highlighting your strengths and areas that you need to develop
  • outline any specific areas or issues that underpin and frame your proposal
  • describe the practical, theoretical and visual research that you intend to follow
  • include any research sources, or details of libraries, museums, galleries etc. that you have visited as part of your research
  • 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 develop and change throughout your studies.

Step 2: Video task and digital portfolio

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

You’ll need to submit these via PebblePad, our online portfolio tool. Please submit your video task on the first page followed by your portfolio.

Video task advice

We’d like you to submit a 2-3 minute video to help us learn more about you. The video must be in English.

What to include in your video task

  • Choose 1 project from your portfolio and explain how it challenged you and your understanding of footwear design.
  • Tell us how this experience inspired you to apply to MA Footwear at LCF.

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

Digital portfolio advice

Your portfolio should consist of recent work that reflects your creative strengths.

It should:

  • be maximum 30 pages, including your video task
  • include digital versions of your design development drawings, photographs of realised designs, speculative design and sketch work
  • include work in progress, as well as finished pieces to demonstrate your creative process and ability to develop an idea from initial concept to finished outcome
  • clearly present your work with notes to explain your thinking and making process, including dates and other relevant information.

For more support, see our Portfolio advice and PebblePad advice.

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

All our postgraduate courses offer career development, so that you become a creative thinker, making effective contributions to your relevant sector of the fashion industry.

LCF offers students the opportunity to develop Personal and Professional Development (PPD) skills while studying through:

  • Access to to speaker programmes and events featuring alumni and industry.
  • Access to careers activities, such as CV clinics and one-to-one advice sessions.
  • Access to a graduate careers service
  • Access to a live jobsboard for all years.
  • Advice on setting up your own brand or company.

Career paths

Masters graduates have an acknowledged advantage in the employment market, obtaining work in a wide range of vocational and academic fields related to fashion. Graduates from the MA Fashion framework will be in a position to gain employment as innovators within the fields of fashion design and technology, fashion communications, or management and marketing for the fashion industries. Marina Chedel (MA Footwear Graduate 16-17) won the first accessory Award at the prestigious fashion festival HYERES, France: SWAROVSKI FASHION ACCESSORIES GRAND PRIX OF THE JURY, 2017

The MA also provides an excellent preparation for higher level research degrees (MPhil or PhD), with an increasing number of graduates undertaking research in fashion related subjects, in practice or theory or entering into education as lecturers.

Students find employment in industry working for footwear consultancy companies, working for brands as well as setting up their own shoe business.  Graduates of the course have gone on to work in many roles within the industry, at companies including Burberry Prorsum, Celine, Alexander Wang, Alexander McQueen and Tom Ford. Further employment opportunities include trend prediction, stylist, illustrator and freelance designer.