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Postgraduate

MSc Applied Psychology in Fashion

Psychology illustration
Psychology themed student illustration. © Finnian Kidd
College
London College of Fashion
Start date
September 2024
Course length
12 months

The first postgraduate course in the world to provide critical insight into human behaviour; to understand and improve the human aspects of fashion business. It emphasises the application of psychology to enhance the industry’s impact on its workforce, consumers and the environment.

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

    • Market leading: MSc Applied Psychology in Fashion is the first Masters programme in the world to apply psychology in the context of fashion.
    • Course content: the course philosophy is to enables graduates to: apply psychological theories and concepts and develop advanced research skills to solve real-world problems in the fashion industry.
    • Social focus: graduates have an advantage in that they can use their knowledge of these processes to solve problems in ethical and socially responsible ways that directly benefit themselves and their communities.
    • Career opportunities: potential graduate careers include business and research development, management and entrepreneurial roles. Graduates can also go on to specialize in other applied areas of psychology (they are eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society).
    • Award winning: MSc Applied Psychology in Fashion was the joint winner of the 2016 British Psychological Society's Award for Innovative Accredited Psychology Programmes.

Course overview

The MSc Applied Psychology in Fashion a conversion course in the Fashion Business School that is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). It provides a post-graduate qualification that enables students who have a first degree in another subject area or a non-accredited degree in psychology to complete the requirements for further study towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist. The course also welcomes students with a BPS accredited psychology degree who wish to extend and apply their psychology knowledge in the broad context of fashion.

The MSc Applied Psychology in Fashion course is described by the British Psychological Society (BPS) Education and Public Engagement Board as a "really impressive and innovative programme", and was a joint winner of the 2016 BPS Award for Innovative Accredited Psychology Programmes.

This is the first and only postgraduate course in the world that provides the critical insight into human behaviour needed to understand and improve the human aspects of the business and management of fashion and the creative sector. It emphasises the application of psychology to positively enhance the industry’s impact on its workforce, consumers and the environment. Furthermore, the scientific discipline of psychology will equip you with a rich and diverse portfolio of skills and knowledge including relevant skills in research, analysis, information synthesis, communication, IT and data handling. The course will encourage you to become more adept and confident in solving complex problems and work effectively in teams or independently to make a real difference in the world of fashion and business.  

Hence, as graduates from this MSc, you will possess skills and attributes demanded by employers in many different roles. This degree will give you a distinctive edge in the fashion and related industries. Graduates from this course have so far progressed to positions such as market researchers, consumer insights, consumer behaviour analysists and various project management roles as well as to PhD studies and set up their own businesses.

Climate, Social and Racial Justice

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

Course units

The course is divided into three 15-week blocks of 60 credits each.  

Units for the Award of MSc Applied Psychology in Fashion: 

Block 1

  • Research Methods 1 (20 Credits). The purpose of this unit is to provide an overview of the range of research methods, approaches and tools used in psychology to enable you to conduct your post graduate project. By applying some of these methods in contexts relevant to the fashion and creative industries, you will understand the relationship between theory and practice. You will also learn about philosophy and ethics in research and develop skills necessary for designing robust research that considers ethical and resource implications and constrains.  This unit will develop your skills in critical analysis and evaluation of research literature and findings in order to formulate suitable research questions.
  • Personality and Individual Differences (20 Credits). This unit focuses on personality and other individual differences that make us who we are and influence our emotions, cognitions, and behaviours. In recent years, personality has been conceptualised as a system consisting of dispositional traits, characteristic adaptations (e.g., goals), and a life narrative that is situated in our social and cultural context. In this unit, you will explore personality and self components from a developmental perspective, as well as topics such as intelligence, leadership styles, and psychopathology. You will discuss the value of psychometric assessment and will use your knowledge of individual differences to understand behaviours and phenomena concerning individuals as consumers and producers of fashion.
  • Collaborative Challenge: Psychology (20 Credits). This unit is your opportunity to innovate, explore and engage with collaborative working practices. In the taught part of the unit, you will learn about group dynamics and processes and how these affect group performances. In the practical part, you will develop your professional negotiation, teamwork and networking skills that are essential in the cultural, entrepreneurial and creative industries. The emphasis of this unit is on cross-disciplinary student-led collaboration. You can conceive of your own project or engage with industry and college-based briefs. 

Block 2

  • Research Methods 2 (20 Credits). This unit builds on the knowledge you have developed during Research Methods 1 unit. You will learn more advanced techniques of qualitative data analysis and a variety of tests that can be used to analyse quantitative data and answer research questions. For this purpose, you will use software like SPSS or equivalent data analysis software and will learn how to use specialist online data collection tools.  With the rise of technology and big data usage across all industries including fashion, the ability to understand and work with data and communicate the findings in an accessible format is a highly desirable skill.
  • Cognition and Creativity (20 Credits). In this unit you will study human development, biological bases of cognitive processes and existing theories of perception, thinking, reasoning, decision making and communication. You will explore how people make sense of the world and how cognitive psychology theories apply in the context of fashion and creative sector. In addition, this unit will cover origins and evolutionary perspective of creativity, the theoretical understanding of creativity and how creativity can be enhanced. The knowledge and understanding of cognition and creativity will help you to address challenges faced by the creative and fashion industries. 
  • Consumer Psychology (20 Credits). This unit introduces you to concepts of consumer behaviour and psychology through investigations of how and why we buy fashion goods and services. You will learn how consumer identity is formed and will develop your understanding of fashion psychographics and cross-cultural values, as well as how these inform fashion marketing practices. You will also understand how individuals make sense of themselves and others and the developmental processes underlying social judgment and behaviour. In particular, you will look at how these factors affect attitudes, judgments, and actions across the lifespan relatable to fashion.

Block 3

  • Master’s Project Psychology (60 credits). The Master’s Project is the final stage of your master’s course and is central to achieving the course aims. The project provides you with the space to synthesise all the knowledge and skills you have gained on the course so far. You will identify and develop a novel opportunity for your research to expand the existing knowledge and understanding of the role psychology plays in fashion. Your project should evidence originality in the nature of the primary material, technical experimentation or the application of challenging theoretical perspectives. Your project will be self-directed and you will negotiate the shape and direction of your project at the outset with your supervisor. Upon completion of your project, you will have generated a high-level masters’ quality dissertation that will showcase your academic literacy, research skills and the professional standards that will act as a platform for your future career and professional development.

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 the master’s programme are at postgraduate level 7. The Course is divided into three 15-week blocks. 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’s Project. This is a 60-credit unit and students who successfully complete this block are eligible for the award of MSc Applied Psychology in Fashion. The final award grading is based upon the Master’s Project only.

Learning and teaching methods

The following learning and teaching methods are employed to support the integrated achievement of the course outcomes: lectures, seminars, group discussions, individual and group tutorials and workshops.

Industry accreditations and support

The British Psychological Society

MSc Applied Psychology in Fashion is accredited by The British Psychological Society, the representative body for psychology and psychologists in the UK, responsible for the promotion of excellence and ethical practice in the science, education, and practical applications of the discipline. Our course accreditation provides graduates with a route to membership of The British Psychological Society. Joining the Society as a student member brings a range of benefits that will enrich your experience in higher education. As a psychology student on an accredited course, membership of the British Psychological Society will broaden your appreciation of your subject, help you keep abreast of new developments and offer networking opportunities.

The British Psychological Society Accredited Undergraduate Psychology

Graduate Showcase

Explore work by our recent students on the UAL Showcase

Latest news from this course

Staff

Dr Young-Jin Hur

Dr Young-Jin Hur is the course leader of the MSc in Applied Psychology in Fashion and an Early Career Researcher at UAL. He completed a psychology PhD at University College London (UCL) in the field of empirical aesthetics with his thesis, An Empirical Aesthetics of the Sublime and Beautiful. He holds an MPhil in Social and Developmental Psychology at the University of Cambridge and a BSc in Experimental Psychology at UCL. At LCF, Young-Jin teaches research methodology and statistics across the science programme (i.e. MSc Applied Psychology in Fashion, BSc Psychology of Fashion, & MSc Cosmetic Science) and runs his own research on the predictors of fashion preferences and behaviours. Young-Jin regularly presents his research at international conferences, reviews for peer-review journals (e.g. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, Empirical Studies of the Arts, & Psychology of Music), and publishes his works in peer-reviewed journals. In his free time, he is a classical music journalist and runs a classical music blog, Where Cherries Ripen.

Dr Soliana Çili

Dr Soljana Çili is Senior Lecturer in Psychology. She has a first-class Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) and a PhD in Psychology. She is a Chartered Psychologist and Fellow of Advance HE (FHEA). She chairs the Psychology Research Ethics Panel and serves on the College’s Research Committee, Research Degrees Sub-Committee, Academic Misconduct Panel, and REF Working Group. Her research interests revolve around autobiographical memory, intrusive mental images, development of personality and the self, psychopathology, and cognitive-behavioural therapeutic interventions. Soljana has published her work in peer-reviewed journals and presented it in national and international conferences. She is co-author of the book Autobiographical Memory and the Self: Relationship and Implications for Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy.

Dr Mason Silveira

Dr Mason Silveira is the BSc (Hons) Psychology of Fashion Course Leader and a lecturer in psychology. He completed his Master’s degree and PhD at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, Canada), where his research investigated the neurobiology underpinning decision-making with cognitive effort costs. He subsequently spent two years as a postdoctoral researcher in the Experimental Psychology department at Oxford University before joining LCF. Mason is interested in how neuroscience and its related tools can inform fashion design and consumption, and in understanding the consumer decision-making process. In his spare time Mason enjoys going to art galleries, keeping up with emerging London designers, and upcycling old clothes (albeit with questionable results).

Dr Jekaterina Rogaten

Dr Jekaterina Rogaten is a Senior Lecturer in Fashion Psychology. Jekaterina obtained a BSc degree and a PhD in Psychology. She is a Fellow of Higher Education Academy and a BPS Chartered Member. Jekaterina has extensive teaching experience in psychology, especially quantitative research methods, as well as research experience working on multiple large-scale national, European, and international research projects. Her main expertise is in quantitative research methods and analytics. Jekaterina’s research areas involve learning analytics with a particular focus on learning gains, optimal performance, creativity, metacognition, emotions, flow, and motivation. Her latest projects involve research into the use of virtual exchanges in teaching and learning, psychological structures and processes in fashion-related context, fashion and body image, as well as enclothed cognition.

Dr Ameerah Khadaroo

Dr Ameerah Khadaroo is a Lecturer in Psychology, a Chartered Psychologist and an Early Career Researcher at UAL. She completed a PhD in Psychology at the University of Warwick. She also has degree in Psychology (First Class) and a Masters in Child Psychology (Distinction). Prior to joining UAL, Ameerah lectured and undertook research at other universities. Ameerah is a member of the Psychology Research Ethics Panel. She has contributed to the press, academic journals and conferences in her main areas of expertise; notably developmental psychology, well-being, fashion and identity, parenting, qualitative research methods and mixed methods. Ameerah has a growing interest in exploring fashion from a developmental psychological perspective, particularly with a focus on fashion, well-being and identity among young people.

Patrick Fagan

Patrick Fagan is a part-time lecturer in Psychology. He has a BSc in Psychology and an MSc in International Marketing. Patrick is also an Associate Lecturer in Consumer Behaviour and the Psychology of Marketing and Advertising at Goldsmiths College, University of London. He is a member of the Psychology Research Ethics Panel. He has published peer-reviewed papers on topics ranging from price psychology to Facebook psychology. Patrick also frequently writes for press and blogs, appearing in publications like The Guardian, The Evening Standard and AdMap, and also makes radio and TV appearances on consumer psychology. Moreover, Patrick has an extensive experience applying brain science to business, having worked for a number of behavioural science consultancies. Patrick’s book, Hooked: Why cute sells, and other marketing magic we just can't resist is with Pearson Business.

Dr Max Heitmayer

Dr Maxi Heitmayer is a lecturer in Psychology. He holds a PhD in Psychological and Behavioural Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science and has a background in Sociological and Political Theory, as well as Social and Media Psychology. Maxi’s research interests revolve around smart device and technology use, smartphone & social media addiction, new research technologies, and augmented and virtual reality. His research mainly uses digital video ethnography techniques (SEBE) to study how users interact with their devices in naturally occurring contexts, what routines and behavioural patterns they have developed, and how this influences their decision-making processes, particularly regarding the use of time and the direction of attention. He also works on human interactions in digital spaces and virtual reality environments with a focus on social norms and culture.

Dr Zoi Zoupanou

Dr Zoi Zoupanou is a Specialist Technician in Psychology (Teaching & Learning). She obtained a BSc in Psychology (Hons) at University of Athens, a Diploma in Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy at University College London, an MSc in Psychological Research Methods at University of Exeter and a PhD at University of Surrey. She’s contributed as peer reviewer with the Science Publishing Group: Psychology and Behavioral Science. She has published to peer review academic journals including the Europe’s Journal of Psychology, PLOS ONE, International Journal of Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods and the Work. Her areas of interest include mixed qualitative and quantitative data analysis and methods. In her current role as specialist technician she’s presented workshops and taught activities on SPSS, NVIVO, Qualtrics and Excel at London College of Fashion. She’s supported students in groups and one to one scenarios. She is a Chartered Psyc

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 in any Arts and Humanities or Science subjects. 
  • OR equivalent qualifications;

Note: As a BPS-accredited conversion programme, this course does not operate Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning.

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 team seeks to recruit students who can demonstrate:

  • the potential to develop their practical and critical abilities through academic study;
  • critical knowledge of a subject area;
  • a capacity for intellectual enquiry and reflective thought;
  • an openness to new ideas and a willingness to participate actively in their own intellectual development;
  • initiative and a developed and mature attitude to independent study.

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

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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 work or research and how this course will help you achieve your future plans
  • any relevant education and experience.

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:

  • state briefly the background for your proposal, with appropriate review and critical evaluation of the existing academic literature
  • set out the aims and objects for your proposal within the course structure
  • justify your proposed study in light of both its theoretical and practical contributions to the field of fashion psychology
  • outline your intended methodology including how you intend to conduct your project and who you intend to address
  • outline expected findings and discuss potential limitations of the proposed research
  • where relevant, include any research sources as well as details or any libraries, exhibitions museums etc. that you have visited as part of your research
  • include a bibliography using APA 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

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 this via PebblePad, our online portfolio tool.

Video task advice

We’d like you to submit a 2-3 minute video to help us learn more about you. When recording your video, please face the camera and speak in English.

What to include in your video task

  • Introduce your study proposal project and explain why you have chosen to focus on this subject area.

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

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

It is envisaged that graduates from this course, will be highly sought across the fashion industry. They will possess the skills, knowledge and, moreover, the aptitude demanded by employers. Psychology is the scientific study of human behaviour so it can be applied in all contexts across the fashion industries and beyond.
Some examples of potential graduate jobs are:
  • Consumer behaviour expert
  • Data analyst
  • R&D research scientist