Professional experience during your studies

A person wearing a quilted jacket and a baseball cap sits at a sewing workstation in a bright, spacious studio. The person is operating an industrial sewing machine with a piece of bright pink fabric under the needle. The workstation includes thread spools, scissors, and various sewing tools. Several other people are working at sewing machines in the background. Large windows fill the room with natural light, and shelves and equipment are visible throughout the studio.

At London College of Fashion, work placements are a core part of how we prepare you for the industry from the start of your degree. Many of our courses include access to industry projects, placement support and direct connections with employers. Our dedicated Graduate Futures placements team helps you secure meaningful professional experience.

Student placements at London College of Fashion

Placements give you the chance to test your abilities in a real workplace, build independence, develop new skills and strengthen your CV before you finish your degree. Many students return from their placement year with a clearer sense of direction, a stronger professional voice and contacts that support their next steps. By the time you enter your final year, you will have industry insight that shapes your projects and your future plans.

Whether you want hands-on experience in a creative role, the chance to explore business and technical pathways, support to develop a business idea or opportunities to build digital skills, we offer ways to grow your employability throughout your time at LCF.

What is a work placement?

A work placement is a structured opportunity for students to gain hands‑on professional experience within the fashion industry as part of their studies. During a placement, students apply classroom learning in real industry settings, develop practical skills, build professional networks, and enhance their understanding of workplace practices. A placement is a period where you stop academic study and work within a company, taking on real responsibilities as part of the team.

For example, Preye Penawou, BA (Hons) Fashion Marketing student, worked as Disney’s Site Merchandising Intern. The role involved supporting the smooth running of the Disney Store website, including coordinating with multiple internal teams, updating tasks for the merchandising team, and collating information with the Disney Diversity team about cultural heritage months.

Internships and industry links

Student placements at LCF

Types of placement

Students complete placements across design, communication, media, business, beauty, research, sustainability, fashion tech and more. The fashion industry is broad, and placements help you find your place in it.

Tuition fees for each qualification below can be found on the relevant course page.

Work Experience (short-term placement)

Short-term accredited work experience takes place in year 2, the shortest placement is 5 weeks and longest around 10 weeks. Your tutors and the Graduate Futures team will support you in sourcing your own work experience. Your placement will help contextualise your academic studies and develop workplace skills in the industry. This period of work experience is an integrated and assessed part of your degree.

Diploma in Professional Studies

The Diploma in Professional Studies (DiPS) gives you the opportunity to undertake professional experience between the second and third year of your course. It’s a great way to build up valuable experience and sample a career in the fashion industry before you graduate. This is an optional part of your course and you do not need to apply before you begin. If you do decide on a placement, the Graduate Futures team will support you throughout the placement process; from considering opportunities through to application and interview stages. Upon completion, you will be awarded an additional qualification.

Diploma in Storytelling

The optional Diploma in Storytelling gives you the opportunity to step outside your main degree between the second and third year of your course and focus on developing the narrative skills that are increasingly valued across creative and professional sectors. It’s a great way to explore how stories shape culture, communication and social change, while strengthening your ability to craft impactful narratives across different media. If you do choose to take the Diploma, you’ll study with specialists from across UAL and work alongside students from multiple colleges, benefiting from shared resources, off‑site learning, and guidance from professional storytellers. Upon completion, you’ll return to your course with an additional qualification and a deeper, more versatile storytelling practice that enhances both your studies and future career prospects.

Creative Computing Institute

Another great option open to students on our undergraduate courses is to take a Diploma with UAL’s Creative Computing Institute (CCI) between years 2 and 3 of your course. There are two Diploma options within CCI, each designed to develop your skills in computing and give you additional experiences that you can take into your future career.

UAL Diploma in Apple Development

Become an Apple Developer with this learning programme designed by Apple and adapted to the UAL context. You’ll focus on software development and app design, allowing you to develop the skills needed to succeed in the digital creative industries. Once completed, you’ll also graduate with an enhanced degree title.

UAL Diploma in Creative Computing

Enhance your undergraduate course by gaining an understanding of the computational technologies that underpin innovation in the creative industries. Creative graduates with computing skills are in high demand and with this Diploma you will learn how to code, develop apps and more. Once completed, you’ll also graduate with an enhanced degree title.

Enterprise Diploma in Professional Studies

This optional diploma can be taken between years 2 and 3. With support from tutors, undertaking an enterprise placement year will explore a business idea from proposal to minimal viable product (MVP). As well as developing enterprise skills, students will gain an additional qualification upon successful completion.

Enterprise Diploma in Professional Studies

Do I need to find my own placement?

You can apply to opportunities shared by Graduate Futures or find your own. The placements team will support you either way.

Are placements paid?

Some placements are paid and some are not. This varies by company and role. The placements team will help you understand what is appropriate.

Can international students complete placements?

Yes. International students can complete placements as part of their course. Visa and compliance guidance is available.

Are placements compulsory?

A variety of LCF undergraduate courses include the opportunity for short-term accredited work experience, while on others there is an option to do a placement year in industry, known as Diploma in Professional Studies (DiPS).

Opportunities

Placement opportunities are advertised through the UAL Creative Opportunities Jobs board. There is a dedicated Placements section exclusively available to LCF’s second year students seeking an accredited placement as part of their course.

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