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Postgraduate

MA Global Fashion Retailing

Close up shot of moulded shapes in a variety of pastel colours
MA Fashion Global Retail Management © University of Arts London
College
London College of Fashion Start date
September 2023 Course length
12 months

This dynamic global fashion retailing course is for students aspiring to enter a  career  in omnichannel fashion retailing, to shape current and future international fashion retailing strategy and operations.

Why choose this course at London College of Fashion

  • Specialist course: this is one of the very few specialist Fashion Retail Management Masters courses available.
  • Balanced curriculum: this course bridges the gap between management and creativity, and balances academic theory with practice.
  • Industry links: the industry integration drives relevancy and dynamism.
  • Employability opportunities: the course has strong employability opportunities on graduation, and an industry reputation for relevance.

Course overview

MA Global Fashion Retailing is a dynamic and academically rigorous course, equipping you with the knowledge, skills and capabilities demanded by fashion retailers operating in an increasingly competitive, complex and unpredictable global environment. 

You will apply curiosity, inquiry, creativity and criticality through the synthesis of theoretical and practical approaches to learning. You will demonstrate the ability, knowledge and competencies to be effective and responsible leaders in the rapidly changing global fashion retail industry. Throughout the course you will develop skills in teamwork, communication, problem-solving and decision-making through independent judgment and critical self-awareness, working effectively both individually and collaboratively as a team.

With rigorous research underpinning the curriculum, you will explore and examine retail strategy and operations, internationalisation, brand management, consumer insights, responsible retailing, retail analytics, omnichannel retailing and creative retail futures, with a focus on sustainability, innovation and disruption within the retail business. 

The course structure provides you with the opportunity to personalise your learning. The specialisms are tailored to your interests and career aspirations.  The course is industry anchored, with guest speakers, and live projects embedded into the teaching and learning, ensuring course saliency whilst enhancing your employability. 

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Register your interest to receive information and updates about studying at UAL.

Contact us to make an enquiry.

Postgraduate Preparation Guide

Download the Postgraduate Preparation Guide (3.54)

Related courses

Open day

The next event for this course is taking place online, on Wednesday 22 February. Book your place.

Course units

  1. Collaborative Challenge (20 credits)
  2. Retail Strategy and Operations (20 credits)
  3. Brand Management and Consumer Insights (20 credits)
  4. Research Proposal (20 credits)
  5. Creative Retail Futures (20 credits)
  6. Advanced Retail Business (20 credits)
  7. Masters Project (60 credits)

Learning and teaching methods

The use of a range of case studies, simulations, role play, industry projects, debates, discussions, presentations, peer learning and reflexive practice are used throughout the course to encourage criticality and self-directedness. 

The range of blended learning methods include:

  • Action learning – students learn from each other and interactions with academics and experts, and engage in shared learning through reflection and effective questioning
  • Online forum discussions and other forms of digital communication tools through Moodle
  • Project-based learning – through industry projects, simulations, role play, scenarios and case studies
  • Alumni and industry engagement to provide relevant industry insights
  • Collaborative group projects and team activities using blogs and cloud technologies to capture the team working activities
  • Peer critiques to enhance resilience, confidence, interpersonal skills and team learning
  • Activities like Hackathons and Symposiums, to scaffold students’ Master level academic study skills, learning and networks

These learning methods are delivered through a combination of teaching approaches: both face-to-face and online, lectures, seminars, workshops, group and individual tutorials. In addition to the course team, the teaching and learning aligns with LCF’s research centres, leveraging their expertise in aspects of curriculum delivery.

Course trips

Course projects gallery

Bethan Alexander | Course leader | MA Global Fashion Retailing

Student Ben Butling | MA Global Fashion Retailing

Student Hannah Chiwenda | MA Global Fashion Retailing

Student Ishita Jain | MA Global Fashion Retailing

Student Uma De | MA Fashion Global Retailing

LCF facilities

  • Library, John Princes Street
    Library, John Princes Street Photography by: Ideal Insight
    LCF library and archives

    Take a tour of LCF's world renowned fashion library, ideal for research and study.

  • Business facilities at JPS and High Holborn

    Business facilities at High Holborn

    Take a tour of lecture theatres and tutorial rooms across our central London sites.

  • Mare Street Canteen

    LCF's social spaces

    Explore our social spaces, for collaborative study and breaks, across our six sites in London.

  • LCF at Stratford Exterior Design
    LCF at Stratford Exterior Design
    LCF's move

    LCF is moving to a new single campus on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in 2023. Find more information about the College’s relocation.

Latest news from this course

Staff

Ruth Jacob is an academic with over 15 years of experience within the education sector.  She has taught at institutions including, London South Bank University, the University of Law, the University of East London and the Fashion Retail Academy as well as within FE and earlier stages of education.
Along with her work in education, Ruth is also a practitioner in fashion, having founded her menswear line BIGGER BOY in 2013.  Her industry experience also includes working with UAL fashion design alumni, fashion editorials, PR, media, communications, and marketing organisations, such as: Karla Otto, and with brands including Celine, Givenchy, Craig Green, David Koma, & Other Stories, Arket; LOVE Magazine; Sky News; ITV; City AM and the Geneva-based UN Conference for Trade & Development.
She is establishing herself in the area of research and editorial work and is actively involved in publishing scholarly articles based on her interests in subjects ranging from: fashion, culture, globalisation, EDI, music and the creative industries though to marketing, business enterprise, economics, developing and emerging markets and technology.  She has also appeared as a research panellist for institutes in London and Rwanda.

Ruth holds qualifications in BA (Hons) in Journalism with Economics, MA Broadcast Journalism, MA Fashion, PGCE in Post Compulsory Education and is a Senior Fellow of the HEA.

Dr Bethan Alexander is a senior lecturer in Retail, Marketing and Management at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts, London, UK. Her first career was in the global fashion, sports and lifestyle industry, working at leading brands including Converse EMEA, Elle Europe and Kangol International in senior management roles spanning product, brand and marketing. In her second career of academia, Bethan has held senior lecturing roles at London College of Fashion, University of East London, and Visiting Lecturer at universities across Europe, the USA and Asia. She pioneers research informed teaching and leverages her extensive industry network in championing multiple knowledge exchange partnerships. Bethan is a published author and active researcher. Her scholarly research interests span Multi-Sensory Fashion Retailing, Customer Experiences Online and Offline, Innovative Retail Formats, Retail technologies and Future Retailing. She is co-chair of The Academy of Marketing’s Fashion Marketing Consumption Special Interest Group, Regional Editor for Bloomsbury Fashion Business Cases, Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts Read Bethan Alexander's full profile here.

Lily James is a Lecturer in Fashion Retail Marketing and Management at both the undergraduate and postgraduate level at London College of Fashion. She is also a PhD candidate at London College of Fashion, where her research concerns sustainable business models within the fashion industry. She holds a MA in Management (The University of Melbourne), a BSc in Psychology (The University of Melbourne) and AS in Fashion and Textiles Merchandising (RMIT University).

Lily has international teaching experience and research expertise in fashion branding and communications, digital marketing and sustainable fashion strategies, having held positions at The University of Glasgow, RMIT University Australia and The University of Melbourne, Australia.

Dr Shuyu Lin’s expertise lies in value creation and appropriation in the fashion ecosystem. Her research aims to extend the application of network-based strategic management and social capital theories to the discipline of aesthetic innovation. Exploring both structural and relational mechanism in open innovation has been at the centre of her research interest. Following a BA in Journalism, Shuyu pursued her career in the fashion industry as a PR consultant and fashion editor. She then received the degree of MSc in Management with Marketing and PhD in Management from the University of Bath. Shuyu delivers across a number of courses in the Fashion Business School, including MA Global Fashion Retailing. Specialisms include business strategy, retail internationalisation and Masters project.

Rosemary Varley is a Visiting Lecturer, teaching on several units on MA Global Fashion Retailing, specifically Retail Strategies and Operations, Brand Management and Consumer Insights, Advanced Retail Business and the Masters Project. Rosemary has 20 years' experience in Higher Education and has taught broadly in the areas of retailing and fashion management, including marketing strategy and supply chain management. She is also interested in sustainable fashion. Read Rosemary Varley's full profile here.

Julie O’Sullivan is course leader for LCF MBA and has extensive cross-sector industry senior management experience, including the luxury sector as the merchandise manager for Gucci in the UK. She was a partner in an award-winning commercial photography business. She has an MBA. Her career in higher education began as the business development manager for the Creative Industries at Brighton University. She developed knowledge exchange opportunities with SME’s and business entrepreneurs across fashion, e-marketing, photography and digital television. She has over 14 years of higher education course leader and teaching experience, developing and delivering fashion business curriculum. She delivers across a number of courses in the Fashion Business School, including MA Global Fashion Retailing. Specialisms include Buying and Merchandising, Sourcing and Supply Chain Management, Business Strategy and Strategic Market Development. Julie is a senior fellow of the Higher Education Academy and was nominated in 2016 by students for a Teaching Award – Highly Recommended. View Julie O'Sullivan's full profile here.

Dr Francesca Bonetti is a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Marketing at the London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London, London, UK, and a Visiting Lecturer at universities across Europe, the USA and Asia. She is currently a Visiting Scholar at USC Marshall School of Business, conducting a research project on technological innovation in the fashion and creative industries across the USA West Coasts (Los Angeles area), UK (London area) and Europe. 
Her research interests focus on business technological innovation across cultures in the fashion and creative industries, and the digital transformation of retailing. Her PhD (University of Manchester, UK, 2020) explored the adoption of consumer-facing technologies in fashion retail settings from a managerial perspective. Her interests also include luxury fashion retailing in China and the consumption of fashion goods by Asian consumers. Her work is published in academic journals such as the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services and the International Journal of Technology Marketing, among others, and in a number of books. She has international industry experience in marketing communications and retail and business development in the fashion and apparel sector. She currently consult for fashion brands, retailers and startup companies on distribution strategies, communications strategies and the use of consumer-facing technology.

Fees and funding

Home fee

£12,700

This fee is correct for 2023/24 entry and is subject to change for 2024/25 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.

Home fees are currently charged to UK nationals and UK residents who meet the rules. However, the rules are complex. Find out more about our tuition fees and determining your fee status.

International fee

£25,970

This fee is correct for 2023/24 entry and is subject to change for 2024/25 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.

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Entry requirements

The standard entry requirements for this course are as follows: 

  • An Honours degree at 2.1 or above in a related discipline 
  • OR Equivalent qualifications; 

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 (minimum of three years) 
  • 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 every case. 

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 with a developed and mature attitude to independent study. 

Apply now

Home International

This section includes all the information you need on how to apply, 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.

Deferring your place

This course accepts requests from offer holders to defer their place for one academic year. Deferral requests are granted on a first-come, first-served basis until all deferral places are filled, or a deadline has been reached, whichever is sooner. Read our Admissions Policy for details, including how to request a deferral and by when.

External Student Transfer Policy

If you are currently studying at another institution and if you have successfully completed 60 credits in the equivalent units/modules on your current PG course and wish to continue your studies at London College of Fashion, you can apply to transfer. The Admissions Tutor will consider applications on a case by case basis, subject to places being available. You must apply directly to the course via the course webpage as early as possible.

Please check our Student Transfer Policy for more important information and be ready to provide us with your current course handbook and transcripts.

Please be ready to provide an official document (translated into English if necessary) from your current university, explaining the learning outcomes of the units you have completed.

Start your application now

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.

Masters Project proposal

You should outline a proposal for a research topic you would be interested in completing as your Masters Project. Your proposal should include the following:

  • A title.
  • Rationale (reason for interest in topic).
  • Overall aim of research.
  • References/bibliography.

Your proposal should be a maximum of 500 words +/-10% (excluding references/bibliography).

Personal statement

You should communicate your motivation for studying this course in no more than 500 words.  You should use the following questions as a guide:

  • Why do you want to study for this MA?
  • What are your main areas of research interest and how do they fit with the structure of this course?

Video task

We'd like you to submit a 2-3 minute video to help us learn more about you.

  • Please speak clearly in English and face the camera.
  • Your video task is submitted via PebblePad.
  • Read our guidance for more information about how to submit your video task and the file types we accept.

As part of your video task, please respond to the following direction:

  • Please introduce the topic of your masters project proposal, and why you have chosen this subject. This will complement the written Project proposal you will be providing as part of your application.

Portfolio

There is no requirement to submit a portfolio for this course. However, if you wish to include a portfolio or other evidence to support your application, a digital portfolio may be submitted by providing a URL at the end of your Personal Statement.

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. If you are selected for interview, these will take place online using Teams from Microsoft – please ensure that you download this software prior to the interview date; this is available as a free download from the Microsoft website. We will send you further details at a later point about how we will connect with you for your interview.

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.

Applications for this course can only be accepted for this year of entry. Applications for deferred entry cannot be accepted.

Application deadline

19 December 2022 and 3 April 2023

For postgraduate courses at UAL there are 2 rounds of applications. This is to ensure equal consideration and fairness for all of our applicants. You must apply for 19 December 2022 for Round 1 or by 3 April 2023 for Round 2.

The round 1 deadline has been changed to 19 December to give you more time to make your application.

When you'll hear from us

If this course requires a digital portfolio as part of the application process, we will contact you to invite you to submit this through UAL’s online submission tool, PebblePad. For Round 1 applications, you will need to submit your portfolio by 9 January 2023 at the latest and by 20 April 2023 for Round 2.

This course receives a high volume of applications. We need to make sure that we give all applications equal consideration, so the course team will review them in 2 rounds, after each application deadline date. This means you won’t hear from us about the outcome of your application until after the relevant application deadline date. Outcomes for Round 1 will be released by (at the latest) end of March and outcomes for Round 2 will be released by end of June 2023.

Remember to check the outcome of your application in the UAL Portal. If you apply in Round 1 and don’t hear back from us, we will consider your application within Round 2.

Find out more about what happens after you apply.

This section includes all the information you need on how to apply, how your application is considered and what happens next.

There are 2 ways international students can apply to a postgraduate course:

Read our immigration and visa information to find out if you need a visa to study at UAL.

You can only apply to the same course once per year. Any duplicate applications will be withdrawn.  Read the UAL international application advice for further information on how to apply.

Deferring your place

This course accepts requests from offer holders to defer their place for one academic year. Deferral requests are granted on a first-come, first-served basis until all deferral places are filled, or a deadline has been reached, whichever is sooner. Read our Admissions Policy for details, including how to request a deferral and by when.

External Student Transfer Policy

If you are currently studying at another institution and if you have successfully completed 60 credits in the equivalent units/modules on your current PG course and wish to continue your studies at London College of Fashion, you can apply to transfer. The Admissions Tutor will consider applications on a case by case basis, subject to places being available. You must apply directly to the course via the course webpage as early as possible.

Please check our Student Transfer Policy for more important information and be ready to provide us with your current course handbook and transcripts.

Please be ready to provide an official document (translated into English if necessary) from your current university, explaining the learning outcomes of the units you have completed.

Start your application now

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.

Masters Project proposal

You should outline a proposal for a research topic you would be interested in completing as your Masters Project. Your proposal should include the following:

  • A title.
  • Rationale (reason for interest in topic).
  • Overall aim of research.
  • References/bibliography.

Your proposal should be a maximum of 500 words +/-10% (excluding references/bibliography).

Personal statement

You should communicate your motivation for studying this course in no more than 500 words.  You should use the following questions as a guide:

  • Why do you want to study for this MA?
  • What are your main areas of research interest and how do they fit with the structure of this course?

Video task

We'd like you to submit a 2-3 minute video to help us learn more about you.

  • Please speak clearly in English and face the camera.
  • Your video task is submitted via PebblePad.
  • Read our guidance for more information about how to submit your video task and the file types we accept.

As part of your video task, please respond to the following direction:

  • Please introduce the topic of your masters project proposal, and why you have chosen this subject. This will complement the written Project proposal you will be providing as part of your application.

Portfolio

There is no requirement to submit a portfolio for this course. However, if you wish to include a portfolio or other evidence to support your application, a digital portfolio may be submitted by providing a URL at the end of your Personal Statement.

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. If you are selected for interview, these will take place online using Teams from Microsoft – please ensure that you download this software prior to the interview date; this is available as a free download from the Microsoft website. We will send you further details at a later point about how we will connect with you for your interview.

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.

Applications for this course can only be accepted for this year of entry. Applications for deferred entry cannot be accepted.

Application deadline

19 December 2022 and 3 April 2023

For postgraduate courses at UAL there are 2 rounds of applications. This is to ensure equal consideration and fairness for all of our applicants. You must apply for 19 December 2022 for Round 1 or by 3 April 2023 for Round 2.

We recommend you submit your application as early as possible before these deadlines to allow the Admissions team to resolve any initial queries about your application as quickly as possible.

When you'll hear from us

This course receives a high volume of applications. We need to make sure that we give all applications equal consideration, so the course team will review them in two rounds. This means that offers won’t be sent to successful applicants until after the relevant application deadline date. Outcomes for Round 1 will be released by 31 March 2022 and outcomes for Round 2 will be released by 30 June 2022.

Remember to check the outcome of your application in the UAL Portal. If you apply in Round 1 and don’t hear back from us, we will consider your application within Round 2.

Find out more about what happens after you apply.

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.

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

On successful completion of the MA Fashion Retail Management, graduates actively contribute to the development of retail management, whether that be in international development, brand management, buying and merchandising, store operations, research or creative direction. They will be equipped with the critical, professional and creative skills required to flourish in a range of different sectors within the retail industry from start-up businesses to multinational fashion retailers and luxury brands.

Possible graduate jobs include:

  • Buying and merchandising
  • Retail analyst
  • Retail strategy and insight
  • Business development
  • CRM analyst

Graduate destinations include Yoox Net A Porter, Stylus, ASOS, Burberry, Ralph Lauren, Tom Ford, Debenhams, Marks & Spencer, Harrods, Monsoon, TM Lewin, H&M, Fendi, Coach, Louis Vuitton, LVMH, Mood Media, L’Oreal Luxe, Kering Group, Christian Dior, Fenwick, Michael Kors, Zara, Inditex, Karen Millen, John Lewis & Partners, Accessorize, May Concepts, COS, Zalando, Ebeltoft Group Retail Consultancy, King Power, Stone Gaming Platform, Trendy International Group, Hudson Holdings, Hudson’s Bay Company, Harvey Nichols, Bloomingdales, Ounass, Design Republic, JW Anderson, Longchamp, Calvin Klein, 5xThinking digital consultancy, The Fashion B.A.R.N., Cartier, Fred Perry, Gaysorn Group, Toppy, Diesel, Liverpool, Jack Wills, Brush Agency, Kanjana, Selfridges, Nakama Global, G2000, Salvatore Ferragamo, C&A, The MySale Group, Stylus, American Eagle Outfitters, Comprador, Pivot Marketing Group, Global Fashion Group, More & More, American Eagle, plus entrepreneurs of own retail business start-up.

The MA also provides an excellent preparation for higher level research degrees (MPhil or PhD) in fashion related subjects, in theory or practice.

Alumni

London College of Fashion

Contact

Telephone

+44 (0)20 7514 7400
Address
20 John Prince's Street
London

W1G 0BJ