
Specialising in Womenswear or Menswear, you will leave the course with a portfolio and realised design work to support future study or entry into employment. This course is part of the Fashion programme.
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The Graduate Diploma in Fashion is structured to support designers, equipping them to work in the international market. The course offers fashion graduates, or those from closely related disciplines, the opportunity to take a fresh look at their work. You will specialise in Womenswear or Menswear, with opportunities to explore other specialisms such as knit or print.
The course will support your creative development with design, technical and professional skills. Studies on the course are project-based, allowing you to experiment and redefine yourself in a creative environment. Through its tutorial structure, the course emphasises breadth and depth of research and an innovative approach to design. The curriculum will also introduce you to visual communication approaches, the articulation of design ideas and the development of presentation skills. You will graduate with a portfolio and realised design work which will support your progression into postgraduate study or entry into employment in the fashion industry.
During your studies, you will be guided by current practitioners in the field of fashion. This will allow you to benefit from the learning and teaching methods which have produced some of the world’s leading fashion design professionals. Graduates from the course go on to work across a wide range of careers in fashion. Many graduates also go on to postgraduate study, including Master’s degrees in Fashion and Fashion Communication at Central Saint Martins, London College of Fashion, Goldsmiths, Parsons School of Design and Polimoda.
The course begins with projects which support you in identifying and developing your design strengths. You will develop your work in consultation with staff on an ongoing basis. As you progress throughout the course, projects will be negotiated with course staff and become increasingly self-directed. This will give you the opportunity to demonstrate independent learning in the context of your final projects.
This unit has a diagnostic function, introducing you to the course team and the Fashion programme. You will be expected to present your work for presentation and critique. You will work on a number of projects, allowing the course team to assess your practice and support your development. You will also be introduced to London as a fashion and cultural capital and a resource for research. The unit culminates in a project which enhances and consolidates your skills in working creatively to a design brief.
In this unit, you will define the rationale for your final design project. You will use the skills and knowledge developed in Unit 1 to realise design work which is targeted at a specific market. The major part of this period is given over to completion of the final project which defines what you have gained from the course. This comprises realised creative work, together with a portfolio of design work. This unit concludes with final assessment, examination and your degree exhibition.
The Graduate Diploma in Fashion is offered in full-time mode which runs for 30 weeks over one academic year.
The course is credit-rated at 120 credits at HE Level 6. All units must be passed in order to achieve the Graduate Diploma and there is a single exit point. The classification of the award is derived from the marks of all units.
During your course you will engage with learning and teaching that includes both online and face-to-face modes. Typically, this will include:
Please note: Whilst access restrictions are in place due to the Covid 19 pandemic, teaching will be a blend of in-college studio/workshop teaching and making (taking into account current UK government distancing guidelines), and on-line teaching and technical workshops. Some tutorials and seminars will be on-line and others, where your work needs to be handled and discussed, will be face-to-face.
Programme Director, Fashion
Course Leader: David Kappo
Design Tutor: Aimee McWilliams
Fabric and Fibre: Veronica Shattuck
Designer/Cutter: Kaori Homma
Course Technical Co-ordinator: Becky Edwards
Course Lead Administrator: David Mansfield
Home/EU Student Administrator: Richie Kaboh
Overseas Student Administrator: Colin Tebb
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.
The standard entry requirements for this course are as follows:
Exceptionally applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered. The course team will consider each application that demonstrates additional strengths and alternative evidence. This might, for example, be demonstrated by:
OR a combination of these factors.
Each application will be considered on its own merit but cannot guarantee an offer in each case.
IELTS score of 6.5 or above, with at least 5.5 in reading, writing, listening and speaking (please check our main English language requirements webpage).
We select applicants according to potential and current ability in the following areas:
Evidence of research skills:
3D sense:
Sensitivity to fabric and colour (including digital images of fabric samples where appropriate):
Technical skills:
In addition to the skills demonstrated in the portfolio, you should demonstrate by means of your personal statement in the application, your:
We are seeking students who are dedicated, motivated, ambitious, hardworking and serious about progressing their fashion careers by using the course as a stepping stone to the College's MA Fashion or other postgraduate courses or to gaining employment in the fashion industry. Students are expected and encouraged to take full advantage of all that London offers as a fashion, social and cultural capital.
You should apply by clicking on the link to the direct form below. The application form can be saved as you fill it out, so you do not need to complete it all at once. You will also have the chance to review all the information and make any necessary amendments before you submit the application form.
If you are currently studying at another institution and if you have successfully completed 60 credits in the equivalent units and modules on your current postgraduate course and wish to continue your studies at Central Saint Martins, 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 unit transcripts.
You will need to provide an official document (translated into English) from your current university, explaining the learning outcomes of the units you have completed.
Central Saint Martins does not accept applications for deferred entry. You should therefore apply in the year you wish to study.
Before you apply, please take time to read the guidance below. You will be asked to provide the following information when completing the online application form:
Personal details (including legal full name, date of birth, nationality, addresses)
Current English language level
Current and/or previous education and qualification details
Employment history
Your personal statement should give us information about yourself and why you want to join the course (write between 300-500 words):
We cannot consider your application if you do not provide all the information above.
After you have successfully submitted your application, you will receive an email confirming we have successfully received your application and providing you with your login details for the UAL Portal. We will request any additional information from you, including inviting you to upload documents / portfolio / book an interview, through the portal. You should check your UAL Portal regularly for any important updates and requests.
Please add csm.ukeu@arts.ac.uk to your contacts to ensure that you do not miss any important updates re: your application to UAL. Also consider altering your spam or junk mail filter to ensure that emails from @arts.ac.uk get through to you.
15 May 2021
We recommend you apply as soon as possible before this date, for equal consideration. We may still be able to accept applications after this date, depending on availability.
Once you’ve sent in your application, this will be sent through to our course teams for review. We’ll be in touch shortly after you apply with information about next steps. Find out more about what happens after you apply.
There are two ways international students can apply:
There are two ways international students can apply:
If you are applying directly you click on the link to the direct form below. The application form can be saved as you fill it out, so you do not need to complete it all at once. You will also have the chance to review all the information and make any necessary amendments before you submit the application form.
If you are currently studying at another institution and if you have successfully completed 60 credits in the equivalent units and modules on your current postgraduate course and wish to continue your studies at Central Saint Martins, 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 unit transcripts.
You will need to provide an official document (translated into English) from your current university, explaining the learning outcomes of the units you have completed.
Central Saint Martins does not accept applications for deferred entry. You should therefore apply in the year you wish to study.
Before you apply, please take time to read the guidance below. You will be asked to provide the following information when completing the online application form:
Personal details (including legal full name, date of birth, nationality, addresses)
Current English language level
Current and/or previous education and qualification details
Employment history
Your personal statement should give us information about yourself and why you want to join the course (write between 300-500 words):
You will need to complete an immigration history check to establish whether you are eligible to study at UAL. If you do not complete the check we will not be able to proceed with your application.
We cannot consider your application if you do not provide all of the information above.
After you have successfully submitted your application, you will receive an email confirming we have successfully received your application and providing you with your login details for the UAL Portal. We will request any additional information from you, including inviting you to upload documents / portfolio / book an interview, through the portal. You should check your UAL Portal regularly for any important updates and requests.
Please add csm.international@arts.ac.uk to your contacts to ensure that you do not miss any important updates re: your application to UAL Also consider altering your spam or junk mail filter to ensure that emails from @arts.ac.uk get through to you.
15 May 2021
We recommend you apply as soon as possible before this date, for equal consideration. We may still be able to accept applications after this date, depending on availability.
Once you’ve sent in your application, this will be sent through to our course teams for review. We’ll be in touch shortly after you apply with information about next steps. Find out more about what happens after you apply.
We check your application to see if you meet the standard entry requirements for the course. If you do, you will be invited to upload a digital portfolio through the UAL Portal.
Your portfolio should be no more than 30 pages and must include:
Please organise your work by project, with supporting work presented alongside final outcomes.
The only files that can be uploaded as part of the portfolio are:
Your portfolio should demonstrate creative development, whether for a college project or in your personal work. By creative development, we mean ideas that have originated through your own experience and research and progressed towards potential visual proposals. Ideas, visual research and experimentation are more important than finished design solutions and can be shown in 2D work, or through photos of 3D objects and maquettes.
It is important that the creative work you include reflects and demonstrates your thinking, initiative and personal commitment to a particular project, theme or idea. We are interested in you as an individual, your personal interests, your creativity and initiative in finding out about your proposed area of study. We would also like to know about your favourite designers and artists, where you have seen their work at first hand and how you have acquired more information about the work that interests you.
For more portfolio advice please visit the Portfolio advice page
You will receive the outcome of your application through the UAL Portal.
£11,220 per year
This fee is correct for 2021/22 entry and is subject to change for 2022/23 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 resident nationals. However, the rules are complex and you can find out more on our tuition fees pages.
From 2021/22 entry, most EU students will be charged the International tuition fee rate, although this may depend on your individual circumstances. If you started your course in October 2020 or earlier, you’ll continue to pay Home (UK) fees for the duration of your course. Read more advice for EU students on our Brexit information webpage
£22,920 per year
This fee is correct for 2021/22 entry and is subject to change for 2022/23 entry. Tuition fees for international students may increase by up to 5% in each future year of your course. For this course, you can pay tuition fees in instalments.
International fees are currently charged to students from countries outside of the UK. However, the rules are complex and more information can be found on our tuition fees pages.
From 2021/22 entry, most EU students will be charged the International tuition fee rate, although this may depend on your individual circumstances. If you started your course in October 2020 or earlier, you’ll continue to pay Home (UK) fees for the duration of your course. Read more advice for EU students on our Brexit information webpage
The Graduate Diploma in Fashion is one of a number of related courses in the Fashion programme.
During their studies students are guided by some of the most eminent and experienced current practitioners in the field of fashion enabling them to benefit from the teaching and learning methods which have produced some of the world's leading fashion design professionals.
The Graduate Diploma in Fashion has been created to produce mature and sophisticated designers equipped to work in and design for the international market. You will leave the course with a portfolio and realised design work that will effectively support entry into employment in the fashion industry and access to postgraduate study.
Graduates of the course progress to postgraduate study on a wide range of well established courses in London, the UK and elsewhere in Europe including: Central Saint Martins' MA Fashion (Womenswear and Menswear) and MA Textiles Futures courses; MA Fashion at the Royal College of Art; MA Fashion at Arnhem; MA Fashion Design and Technology (Womenswear and Menswear), MA Digital Fashion, MA Fashion Marketing and MA Footwear Design (all at London College of Fashion); MA Design and Environment at Goldsmiths and MA Fashion at Westminster University, or go on to establish design careers in London, the UK and Europe as well as their home countries.
Looking back on my time on the Graduate Diploma in Fashion course, of all the things I gained, I feel that the most important was a sense of self-confidence in my work. Through various self-guided projects, I became more comfortable with making decisions about the direction I wanted my work to progress, along with identifying any faults along the way. It also helped me to look at the way I design in a more objective sense, where my aesthetic fit in amongst other labels, and how I could differentiate myself in that landscape.
For me, the course was not only about gaining self-confidence, but a better understanding of fashion on an international scale. Along with various projects, I had the opportunity to acclimatize myself to London through work experience with such labels Richard Nicoll and Jonathan Saunders, along with taking part in both London and Paris fashion week. I was also encouraged to integrate myself into the fashion and design culture of London, in an effort to open myself up to the idea that inspiration doesn’t always need to come from an obscure art book or magazine. Needless to say, most of the friends I have today I met within the first few months of that experience.
At the end of the course, I felt I had the right tools needed to create and construct a professional collection, which was new and directional, along with the confidence to build a personal design aesthetic. Soon afterwards, I was accepted on to MA Womenswear at Central St. Martins, graduated and debuted my collection during LFW 2010, and have since completed my first solo presentation for Spring Summer 2011. I’ve been featured in Dazed Digital, POP Magazine, Style.com, Fashion 156, and an upcoming book shot by Rankin.
Personally, I think Graduate Diploma was the perfect course for me to take a quick peek at what London’s (and of course, one of the world’s) most famous fashion school is like. More specifically, it helped me to grasp better ideas of London fashion, like an A to Z guidebook of London fashion. I could learn where to buy fabrics from, how to revamp my portfolio, and the first project (the London Project) even taught me where to hang out to see all the fashionable people. Moreover, it was just such a great place to get to know people from all the different continents around the world. Even just by being in the school, I could see the most fashionable people passing by in the hallways. I was really surprised to realise how fabulous they look but also how hard all of them were working. Saint Martin’s whole ambiance was very creative, the energy from people was amazing, but obviously, it was a really tough course and the amount of work was demanding. It was almost like an intensive boot camp to completely reshape me to be a better fashion designer. The course surely pushed me really hard
Plus, for me, it helped me deciding my future plans, so that I am doing my MA now. Overall, I am really satisfied that I did the course, that I did actually recommended it to the people I know who are actually thinking about doing their MA (or further studies) in London, but don’t know where to start.
I was happy to take the Graduate Diploma course last year. It gave me a great experience and a great opportunity to apply for an MA course this year. In spite of the fact that the course seems to be quite a long one, as it lasts the whole year, it is still a very hard one. We had many projects going one by one and sometimes we had to do two projects at the same time which was quite tough but this type of working process prepares you for the work in fashion industry or for the study on MA. I am so grateful for my tutors David Kappo and Tristan Webber who helped me during the course and I am happy to know them. A good thing about the course was to have different artists and designers coming to work with us. For example, we had Katie Eary for our London project and Richard Gray for our Muse project and that it was a pleasure to work with them!
I had a great experience since my arrival at Central Saint Martins. I enjoyed my time at this course and have met a lot of interesting people.
I have also benefitted hugely from this course which helped me to open my mind and understand the fashion industry better from the inside. The various tasks and projects I have done have taught me varied ways of designing garments, sourcing inspiration and ideas, and consequently I now feel that I can design a collection confidently and be able to work independently.
I finished a BA course in Korea, and worked as a womenswear designer. Through this course I learned a great deal about how to manage my time according to the schedule that MA courses go through, and the importance of expressing my illustration ideas through to realisation as actual garments.
I feel that it was a very important diagnostic phase to prepare myself for further development in finding out what my strengths and weaknesses are. My tutor was very passionate in helping me realise what to do to enhance my abilities in the most productive way, and I was able to see a clearer way forward after each tutorial.
MA studies are tough, and I think I would have had trouble adjusting without what I've learned in Graduate Diploma. I am relieved I took the course.
I have launched my own label and have been selected to showcase my collection in Lakme Fashion Week (one of the biggest fashion weeks in India).
The collection that I had sent to be selected for was my final collection at CSM. This collection was developed under the guidance and supervision of the course tutors, who I learnt a lot from and owe my success to as their time and patience with me helped me grow as a designer.