Year One
The first year of the course allows students to familiarise with the key components of fashion communications and introduces them to the global media landscape. All modules are compulsory and in addition to core units, students are provided with technical and academic support to enhance their creative competency and research skills.
Students will complete year 1 with the necessary skills, networks and knowledge to progress into their second year.
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Introduction to Fashion Communication – This unit aims to introduce you to your course and its subject specialism as well as to effective learning and studentship at undergraduate level.
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Fashion Cultures and Histories – Here you will be introduced to key concepts and ways of thinking about fashion and its context in society and culture. You will attend lectures, seminars and workshops, and do a significant amount of reading of academic texts in order to complete a formal academic essay.
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PR & Branding in the Fashion Industry - Through exploring the theories and principles behind public relations and branding, students will have an opportunity to develop in a group, a brand concept for a specific sector and target audience. Individually you will produce a communication campaign in order to launch the new brand.
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Better Lives - This unit is optional and will explores the subjects of diversity, social responsibility and sustainability. You will have the chance to work on projects outside of your own discipline. The emphasis is on how you apply your thinking across these important themes to your practice and embrace the opportunity to collaborate with your peers from other courses and learn new skills.
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Contemporary Communication Campaigns – This unit will explore how brands are developing their communication tactics in response to the advances in digital technology. You will gain an understanding of how fashion brands deliver their key messages through their own digital platforms as well as through external channels.
Year Two
Year 2 focuses on the development of professional skills and provides the opportunity for students to consolidate their skills gained at university in an industry context.
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Critical Issues in Fashion Research: Here you will be able to study an option of your choice that will broaden or deepen your learning of areas relating to your interests in your chosen field. Options cover the broad cultural context of professional practice in media and communication.
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Crisis Communication and Brand Reputation: Here you will gain an understanding of how current topics of cultural relevance impact on the fashion industry and how fashion brands integrate these topics into their communication strategies. You will also develop the necessary skills through media training workshops to produce a response to a hypothetical crisis, that minimises the impact on the brand and corporation.
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Inside the Industry This unit provides an opportunity to gain insights into critical issues, innovations and challenges within the global fashion, media and communication industries, through a series of panel discussions with industry practitioners, and seminar sessions. The unit will also help you to identify relevant areas of professional conduct and prepare you for working in an industry context.
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Situating Your Practice unit Work Placement/Industry Project. In this unit, you have an option to undertake a professional work placement, or remain at university and undertake a project with industry. Both options will foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of professional practices, principles, roles and responsibilities to help you define your career ambitions.
- In terms of the Work Placement, students are supported by LCF Graduate Futures who provide career guidance and one to one opportunities, to help you plan ahead and prepare for your work experience.
- Innovative Communication Tactics You will explore how brands develop their communication strategy and put them into practice through the implementation of tactics. Through lectures and workshops, you will acquire knowledge of producing a range of communication tactics across different mediums that are core to your discipline, from concept stage to realisation.
Year three
Year 3 focuses on student’s individual practice and prepares them for the transition from student to industry practitioner.
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Cultural and Historical Studies Dissertation The dissertation provides you with an opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of the critical and analytical perspectives developed within cultural and historical theory and your ability to apply those perspectives in a specific study. You will undertake a substantial piece of primary and secondary research that engages with cultural issues and which reflects on the critical debates and concerns addressed in your course.
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Research for Independent Project: PR & Communication: In this unit, you will choose a brand that will be the focus of your Independent Project. Developing the primary research skills you have acquired already, you will be expected to conduct rigorous research into a brand of your choice. The focus of this research is to identify specific challenges, and potential communication opportunities for the brand, that y will define the direction of your Independent Project.
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Independent Project: Based on research undertaken in the previous project, you will now develop a 12- month PR and communication campaign for your chosen brand. Embracing recent developments in how brands communicate with their audience and stakeholders, you will produce a compelling campaign that is contemporary and relevant to your brand.
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Realising Your Tactics This unit you will prepare for the transition from study to industry. Through realising one of your tactical concepts formulated in your Independent Project, you will have the opportunity to showcase your work and share your achievements with others. You will also enhance your professional and career development skills in preparation for your future pathways.
