The units you will study in Year 1 are as follows:
The Introduction to Psychology of Fashion unit will orientate you to the practices and knowledge-base needed to understand your discipline and help you to develop your skills for independent & collaborative learning, reflection and your own self development.
The Applications of Psychology in Fashion unit will consider how the application of psychology can make a positive difference in the fashion industries in general and in fashion business in particular. You will study theories and concepts from the core areas of psychology including individual differences, biological, cognitive, emotional, social, lifespan psychology, and discuss their application to develop solutions to real life issues in fashion.
Philosophy and Ethics in Research unit acknowledges the study and application of ethics is a fundamental component of any psychology programme. You will learn the fundamental elements of conducting research with human participants from philosophical and ethical perspectives.
The Fashion Cultures and Histories unit investigates fashion as a social, political and cultural practice. It foregrounds fashion’s role in representing and communicating identity through historical and contemporary forms of dress, from everyday style to haute couture. The unit will introduce you to key concepts, debates and ways of thinking about fashion as an expressive visual tool and a material object, and it will provide you with a foundation for further study in fashion cultures and histories.
The Collaborative Group Project unit introduces you to the research skills needed to understand human behaviour within the context of fashion and business. This unit will allow you to work collaboratively to identify an area of fashion business that interests you and to investigate the links between your chosen topic and psychology. This will allow you to consolidate the knowledge and skills that you have already acquired, allow you to conduct research, and develop working relationships that are essential for employability.
The units you will study in Year 2 are as follows:
Cognition in Design and Innovation unit looks at the influence of cognitive processes on design and innovation using the concept of design thinking, which applies empathy and creativity to generate potential solutions to a given problem. You will gain an understanding of how the processes and methods used in design to solve problems can lead to enhanced design practice and improved communication with designers.
The Fashion and Wellbeing unit is concerned with the concepts and theories of psychological wellbeing as applied in the context of fashion. It explores individual, societal and global issues including identity and body image, appearance and judgement, fashion and the environment, and the impact of technology.
The Fashion: Culture & Identity unit provides a broad overview of the cultural and historical studies of fashion and related areas with a particular focus on the relationship between fashion and identity and its evolving nature.
The Consumer Psychology unit introduces you to concepts of consumer behaviour and psychology through investigation of how and why we buy fashion goods and services. You will investigate how consumer identity is formed, and develop your understanding of fashion psychographics and cross-cultural values and how these may inform fashion marketing practices. You will apply market research methods and evaluate consumer behaviour in different parts of the world.
In the Consultancy Project, you will learn to develop practical analysis skills through designing an investigation, collecting, exploring, analysing and interpreting data appropriately using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), or qualitative methods of analysis and interpretation. You will then carry out and write up a negotiated consultancy project in the context of fashion business.
The units you will study in Year 3 are as follows:
In Future Thinking unit, you will apply the knowledge and skills from Years 1 and 2 to critically appraise current fashion business in the context of product development and marketing, including cost-benefit analysis, affordances and the human/technology interface.
Social Sustainability and Business Psychology unit explores how human resources need to be sustained and used effectively in the same way as other tangible and intangible organisational resources. You will examine the links between employee psychological wellbeing and motivation, productivity and innovation.
The Final Major Project is a major piece of work and the culmination of your degree. It provides you with the opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge and skills acquired through your work on the course.
The BSc (Hons) Psychology of Fashion offers a large and novel panel of learning and teaching methods. Students are assessed using an innovative panel of assessments, which have been chosen to fit with the industry, marketing and psychology requirements.