Inside the Industry: Justin Cooke
This week Justin Cooke came in to speak to students from the Graduate School Business & Management Cluster. Justin joined Burberry in 2006, when the brand was associated less with […]
Graduate Diploma Fashion Management
College
LCF
Start date
September 2019
Course length
1 year (September to June)
Course summary
Applications are open for 2019/20 entry.
Scroll down to the How to apply section below.
This full-time Graduate Diploma in Fashion Management offers an intensive learning experience to equip students with skills to enter the competitive and complex fashion business environment.
About
The course provides an approach to learning that encourages autonomous and creative work, whilst building confidence in becoming a reflective and independent learner, strategic thinker and decision maker.
Great reasons to apply
- This conversion course is located in London - one of the key centres for the fashion and creative industries.
- Acquire the Level 6 specialist knowledge required in the field of fashion management.
- Graduates enter careers in retailing, marketing, brand and design management, or progress to MA study.
- Benefit from technological and employability skills embedded within the course
Location
The course is based at High Holborn. Find out about the local area, including Lincoln’s Inn Fields and Clerkenwell, in our local area guides on the Student Life pages.
Retail Futures presented in association with Shaftesbury PLC: Fashion Business School Summit 17
Topics include immersive experiential experiences, the consumer desire for greater transparency, data democracy and radical openness.
Fashion Business School Summit 2016
The event includes, talks, workshops and student work.
Latest news from this course
Facilities
LCF archives and library
Take a tour of LCF's world renowned fashion library, ideal for research and study.
Business facilities at High Holborn
Take a tour of lecture theatres and tutorial rooms across our central London sites.
LCF's social spaces
Explore our social spaces, for collaborative study and breaks, across our six sites in London.
Course details
This course is subject to revalidation. Revalidation is a process that makes sure students get a high quality academic experience. During revalidation there may be some changes to course content. Please contact us if you have any questions about this course.
A one-year conversion course for students who have a 2:2 or higher first degree in an area unrelated to fashion management, the course emphasises the importance of sustainability and ethics within the fashion industry when responding to consumer behaviour and demand. Business and management theories are explored and combined with practical applications.
It also has a range of specialist academics with advanced knowledge and experience pertinent to the disciplines of the course. Throughout the course your personal and professional development is informed through the UAL Creative Attributes Framework (CAF). This framework emphasises the transformative education that we are committed to provide to develop your creative employability and enterprise attributes, supporting your ambitions. The course is divided into two blocks of 15 weeks. After an induction week, the first block of the course will take you through an understanding of the fashion consumer and their relationship to fashion business organisations with the internal and external facing operations of these businesses.
The course culminates in the second block with your final major project, which requires you to produce a body of work through independent study that demonstrates research, advanced critical and analytical skills, and an innovative approach to problem solving in your specific field of practice.
It will be expected that the students make industry and academic connections using the resources available at LCF and UAL for their Final Major Project. This final project enables students to prepare for the next stage of their career, whether that be an MA in a related field or a personal entrepreneurial project.
Travelling across London
The renowned London College of Fashion library is at our John Prince’s Street site, and you will need to travel to this site, and possibly others, during your course to use the library, which is open seven days a week in term time, and for tuition and special events.
Course structure
The information outlined is an indicative structure of the course. Whilst we will aim to deliver the course as described on this page, there may be situations where it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, for example because of regulatory requirements or operational efficiencies, before or after enrolment. If this occurs, we will communicate all major changes to all applicants and students who have either applied or enrolled on the course.
Please note that due to staff research agreements or availability, not all of the optional modules listed may be available every year.
In addition, the provision of course options which depend upon the availability of specialist teaching, or on a placement at another institution, cannot be guaranteed. Please check this element of the course with the course team before making a decision to apply.
Webpage updates
We will update this webpage from time to time with new information as it becomes available. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact a member of the course team.
Course units
The course is run in two consecutive blocks of 15 weeks.
The first block of the course facilitates your academic study by providing fashion management knowledge in a global context. The second block enables the demonstration of your learning in a self-directed project aimed at either further study or commencement into a career in fashion management.
Block 1 (weeks 1 to 15)
Fashion Contexts (20 credits)
This unit introduces an understanding of the fashion consumer in a cultural and demographic context, exploring identity, patterns of consumption and issues relating to the concept of sustainability.
You will develop your critical thinking and academic writing skills by engaging in academic research in the field of fashion management. This will underpin your practice of fashion management in the context of historical, economic and social-cultural discourse in order to understand key global production and consumption practices from the perspective of the fashion consumer.
The unit submission comprises of:
- an individual academic essay
- an individual contribution to a group presentation
Fashion Organisations (20 credits)
This unit examines different types of business organisations in the fashion sector, from large international organisations through to independent small, medium enterprises (SMEs). You will examine the internal operations needed to meet the demands of the organisation’s customers, be they businesses or end consumers.
This unit examines the importance of continual innovation, design, research and development of fashion products and services to ensure they match the consumers’ requirements as explored in Fashion Contexts. It explores and considers how creativity and innovation are nurtured in a business environment through a range of business models and functions including fashion forecasting, fashion buying, supply chain and distribution channel management.
The unit submission comprises of:
- an individual case study.
Fashion Communications (20 credits)
This unit explores the management of customer facing operations of fashion businesses, including specialist marketing strategies, communication models, public relations, corporate and social responsibility, and their management implementation in different types of business models. It considers the changing transactional environment that is facilitated through digital data, to inform appropriate strategies. The unit emphasises the interpretation and analysis of information that is presented to and exchanged between consumers and business organisations.
This unit submission comprises of:
- an individual contribution of 2,000 words to a group business report
Block 2 (weeks 16 to 30)
Final Major Project (60 Credits)
The Final Major Project represents the culmination of your Graduate Diploma, preparing you for either progression to postgraduate study or to commencement to a career in the fashion industry.
This unit will provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of management theories and practices acquired in earlier units and your ability to apply and contextualise these when developing a substantial piece of individual work. You are expected to conduct rigorous primary and secondary research and to synthesise theoretical and operational issues relevant to current debates within the fashion industry.
Your Final Major Project is an independent and self-directed piece of work undertaken with the guidance of a supervisor. You may choose between an empirical dissertation or a practice based project focusing on issues relevant to fashion management. In this unit you will also be given the opportunity to reflect on your personal development throughout the course and how this has shaped your future career plans.
This unit submission comprises of:
- A dissertation or business report of 7,000 words
- A Professional Portfolio to include a reflective statement of a 1,000-words together with Curriculum Vitae and examples of professional practice in a variety of chosen media.
Showing your work
All students are advised to set up a profile on portfolio.arts.ac.uk, UAL’s new portfolio platform, which can be done at any point during your time at LCF and will last for up to 12 months after graduation. This platform is often used to source student work for promotional use on the website, social media and for print and can be a great way of getting your work seen. You may also be asked to have a portfolio profile for the selection process when it comes to degree shows.
Learning and teaching methods
- Lectures
- Seminars
- Development of team ideas and projects
- Class presentations Moodle (VLE) with a very extensive set of links to key academic papers, ‘fashion television’ and online academic media resources.
- Blogging Team work on shared drive (Microsoft SharePoint)
- Development of CAD skills using Lynda.com
- Self-directed study using the extensive resources available on our library site, including academic journals, specialist commercial databases that specialise in Fashion management.
Assessments methods
- Essay
- Case study
- Reports
- Dissertation
- Professional Portfolio
- Personal tutorials
- Formative feedback in class presentations
- Formative feedback on Blogs
Staff
Tim Williams is course leader on the Graduate Diploma Fashion Management. On graduating from CSM’s MA Fashion course that included teaching at LCF, Tim went onto work for Sir Hardy Amies as his menswear designer, and gained first-hand experience in how British high street brands developed through Hardy’s involvement in Hepworth’s, which later became Next. He went on to work as a designer for Chelsea Girl designing private label ranges, sourcing from the far east and Europe, giving him insight into manufacturing and designing across three different supply chains, UK, Turkey and the far east for the English fast fashion market. Tim gained a senior position at Conran Design Group and became associate director of menswear design; later moving to Debenhams as team leader, menswear.
He started his own design manufacturing company making high fashion ladies lingerie for Luella Bartley and worked very closely with Joe Corre in the early days of Agent Provocateur developing special ranges for him using specialised machinery; and later had a concession in Selfridges and sold to Le Bon Marche in Paris. He developed contour cutting techniques and taught on the CSM PG cert on the Creative Pattern Cutting course, whilst also working as associate lecturer on the BA Knitwear course. This gave Tim a taste for teaching and he was offered the course leadership for the LCF Fashion Marketing course that was delivered online. Tim had been working for the Fashion business school for ten years, teaching at undergraduate level across a wide variety of fashion business courses and supervising final year dissertations.
Liz Parker, associate lecturer.
Lorna Jean Dallas-Conte, associate lecturer. Read Lorna Jean Dalas-Conte's full profile here.
Milly Patrzalek, associate lecturer.
Ronit Zilka, associate lecturer.
Louise Trainor, associate lecturer.
Johnny Martin FCA is Entrepreneur in Residence at London College of Fashion. He is professionally, The Numbers Coach - an experienced director who now passionately explains business numbers and jargon to help young businesses find their business model. He is a British Library Business & IP Centre partner and runs regular workshops, as well as being a mentor for the Royal College of Art Innovation Unit.
How to apply
Opportunities for all
We are committed to making university education an achievable option for a wider range of people and to supporting all of our students in achieving their potential both during and after their courses.
We welcome applications from people with disabilities. If you have a disability (e.g. mobility difficulties, sensory impairments, medical or mental health conditions or Asperger’s syndrome) we strongly encourage you to contact us on disability@arts.ac.uk or +44 (0)20 7514 6156 so that we can plan the right support for you. All enquiries are treated confidentially. To find out more, visit our Disability & Dyslexia webpages.
Entry requirements
The standard entry requirements for this course are as follows:
- First degree (2:2 or above) or FDA with a merit/distinction profile in any discipline, or equivalent qualifications / awards.
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
- The quality of the personal statement
- 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 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in reading, writing, listening and speaking. Please check our main English Language Requirements .
Extra information required for applications to this course
When you are submitting your application form, you will also need to provide the following pieces of documentation in support of your application:
Curriculum Vitae
You will be required to submit a Curriculum Vitae (C.V.) in support of your application. This should include your full education and employment history.
Personal statement
The personal statement is your opportunity to tell us about yourself and your suitability for the course that you intend to study.
Some key points to consider:
- Make sure that personal statement is your own work and is about you.
- Why you want to study the course you are applying to.
- Try to link your skills and experience required to the course.
- Demonstrate your interest and enthusiasm for the course and link these with your personality.
- Make sure it is organised and literate (grammar, spelling, punctuation check).
Selection Criteria
The course team seeks to recruit students who can demonstrate:
- Creativity
- An understanding of the benefits of organisational and management skills in the workplace
- A mature study commitment, which is essential as entering the fashion management industry is highly competitive
How we assess your application
If you have achieved or expect to achieve the standard entry requirements, then your application will be reviewed by the course team who will select applicants to attend an interview. Interviews may be conducted in person, via telephone or via Skype. Please note that not all applicants are invited to attend interview. When you have attended your interview we will advise you of your outcome through your UAL portal.
Making your application
This section includes all the information you need on how to apply and how your application is considered, and what happens next.
UK/EU students can apply to a postgraduate course at LCF by completing a direct application.
Application deadline
There are no official deadlines to submit your application. Applications are accepted, and offers are made throughout the year. The course will be closed once spaces are filled so we advise that you apply early.
London College of Fashion does not accept applications for deferred entry. You should therefore apply in the year you wish to study.
What happens next
All application forms, personal statements and relevant documents are read and considered by the course team against the selection criteria listed in the Entry requirements and Selection Criteria sections. The course team will select applicants to attend an interview. Interviews may be conducted in person, via telephone or via Skype.
If you are successful at the interview stage you will be offered a place. Please note that applicants are not guaranteed an interview.
Please note that if you are unable to attend, the College may not be able to re-schedule.
How we notify you of the outcome of your application
The result of your application will be communicated to you through your UAL Portal. If your application has been successful, you will receive a full offer pack including details of accommodation, fees, and other important information.
This section includes all the information you need on how to apply and how your application is considered, and what happens next.
How we assess your application
If you have achieved or expect to achieve the standard entry requirements, then your application will be reviewed by the course team who will select applicants to attend an interview. Interviews may be conducted in person, via telephone or via Skype. Please note that not all applicants are invited to attend interview. When you have attended your interview we will advise you of your outcome through your UAL portal.
There are two ways international students can apply to a postgraduate course at LCF:
- One of our official representatives in your country
- A direct application
For further advice on how to apply please visit the UAL International Application page.
Application deadline
There are no official deadlines to submit your application. Applications are accepted, and offers are made throughout the year. The course will be closed once spaces are filled so we advise that you apply early.
London College of Fashion does not accept applications for deferred entry. You should therefore apply in the year you wish to study.
What happens next
Immigration History Check
After you have applied, you will need to complete an Immigration History Check to identify whether you are eligible to study at UAL. Do be aware, if you do not complete the Immigration History Check we will not be able to proceed with your application.
Initial application check
All application forms, personal statements and relevant documents are read and considered by the course team against the selection criteria listed in the Entry requirements and Selection Criteria sections. The course team will select applicants to attend an interview. Interviews may be conducted in person, via telephone or via Skype.
If you are successful at the interview stage you will be offered a place. Please note that applicants are not guaranteed an interview.
Please note that if you are unable to attend, the College may not be able to re-schedule.
How we notify you of the outcome of your application
The result of your application will be communicated to you through your UAL Portal. If your application has been successful, you will receive a full offer pack including details of accommodation, fees, and other important information.
After you apply
After you’ve submitted your application, you’ll receive a confirmation email providing you with your login details for the UAL Portal. We’ll use this Portal to contact you to request any additional information, including inviting you to upload documents or book an interview, so please check it regularly.
Once we’ve reviewed and assessed your application, we’ll contact you via the UAL Portal to let you know whether your application has been successful.
Fees & Funding
Home / EU fee
£10,890 (2019/20)
International fee
£19,930
This applies for the 2019/20 academic year.
Additional costs
In addition to tuition fees you are very likely to incur additional costs such as travel expenses and the cost of materials. Please read the information on our additional costs page.
Accommodation
Find out about the accommodation options available and how much they will cost.
Careers and alumni
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
The Graduate Diploma in Fashion Management enables creative and ambitious individuals from a variety of backgrounds the opportunity to respond to the ever increasing industry demands in the areas of buying and merchandising, retailing, marketing, brand management and design management from a theoretical and practice-based perspective.
Graduates of this course have gone on to work in a number of roles within the industry, at companies including Burberry and Salvatore Ferragamo. Graduates from this course are also equipped to develop and further their academic lives through Masters courses, and some to continue on to Research Degrees and PhDs.
With support from LCF Careers and the Centre for Fashion Enterprise, students are supported throughout the course to progress into the fashion industry or onto further postgraduate study.
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