MA Fashion Design Technology (Womenswear)

The standard entry requirements for this course are as follows:

• An Honours degree at 2.1 or above in a related discipline. Applicants with a degree in another subject may be considered, depending on the strength of the application;
• 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 each case.

English Language Requirements

IELTS level 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in reading, writing, listening and speaking. Please check our main English Language Requirements.

The course seeks to recruit students from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, and welcomes applications from mature students.

The course seeks to recruit students who can demonstrate:

• a strong commitment towards innovation and research in an aspect of the fashion industry and the motivation towards a career in the industry;
• an awareness of current fashion and relevant experience in the fashion arena;
• appropriate knowledge and skills commensurate with the course, including the ability to develop complex concepts, design, pattern cut and manufacture clothing.

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.
• Explain 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).

Study proposal

Your study proposal should be no more than 600 words (excluding research sources, bibliography and appendices).

It should:

• propose a research question and state briefly your research area;
• Reference and briefly discuss specific texts and images relevant to your proposal;
• refer to critical ideas and/or theories that may underpin your practice;
• set out clearly and concisely your aims for the period of study within the course structure;
• State the form of realisation/outcome of the study proposal.

Submit your Study Proposal using the following structure only:

Introduction

• research question; 
• state briefly your research area.

Introduce your work and your area of study. Propose a research question (this will develop over the course of your study).  Indicate your area of specialism and your proposed innovation within the fashion industry.  

Background 

• Reference and briefly discuss specific texts and images relevant to your proposal;
• Refer to critical ideas and/or theories that may underpin your practice;

Demonstrate your knowledge of the historical and contemporary context of your proposal. Focus on specific areas or issues that underpin and frame your ideas.  Discuss relevant theories and critical ideas that relate your work referencing all your sources. (you may add images to discuss in this section)

Programme of study 

• Set out clearly and concisely your aims for the period of study within the course structure;
• State the form of realisation/ outcome of the study proposal.

Describe the proposed outcome of your study and the methods that you propose to use to answer your research question.  For example outline a sequence of practical and theoretical forms of research that you intend to follow.

Research sources

Give details of libraries, exhibitions, museums, galleries and special archives that you have visited as part of your research towards the proposal.

Bibliography

Keep a full record of all original and documentary material consulted.  List appropriate material using the Harvard Referencing System.

Appendices

Insert any additional material that you consider relevant but not part of the core of the study proposal. This could include links to notes, drawings and additional research material.

Portfolio

You will be required to submit a digital portfolio with a maximum of 30 images that you consider would help support your application.  Submit your portfolio via the university’s digital portfolio tool, PebblePad. More details will be sent to you after you have submitted your application. 

You should include clear concepts and edited design journeys, with key development work and final presentations pages plus clear photographs of your garments.  The quality of the work is more important than the quantity.

Your digital portfolio should evidence drawing for research and presentation and innovative visual communication skills; 

You should evidence a high level of research, exploration and experimentation evident in: 

• concept development;
• fabric and material selection/knowledge; 
• construction/technical competence; 
• ability to think/work in 3D.

Label and present any visual work with care, including dates and captions. If selected for interview, you will be asked to bring garments with you and additional portfolio work.

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.

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

Masters graduates have an acknowledged advantage in the employment market, obtaining work in a wide range of vocational and academic fields related to fashion. The course provides the industry with graduates who will have the capability to work as part of a creative team as a colleague and an individual. The graduate will have transferable skills for the creative industries including an understanding of high levels of design, time and project management, production and technical knowledge of types of manufacture supported by an aesthetic awareness and academic underpinning.

The course in the past has benefited from constant contact with the industry. External assessors and tutors, leading buying and merchandising teams, stylists and photographers, journalists and editors, entrepreneurs and business consultants show an increasing interest in the emerging talent the course generates. International employers include Alberta Ferretti, Alexander McQueen, Zac Posen, Chloe, Loewe, Pringle, Hussein Chalayan, Roland Mouret, Topman, Savile Row Tailors, Browns Focus, Harvey Nichols, Topman, Savile Row Tailors and Browns Focus.

Graduates from the current MA Fashion Design and Technology have gained employment as innovators within the broad field of fashion design and technology or have identified a fashion house, large corporate company or alternatively choose to build their own identity through the launch of their own design label. Further employment of graduates has included trend prediction, stylist, illustrator, freelance designer or broad aspects of the creative industries.

Further employment opportunities include trend prediction, stylist, illustrator, freelance designer or broad aspects of the creative industries. The MA also provides an excellent preparation for higher level research degrees (MPhil or PhD), with an increasing number of graduates undertaking research in fashion related subjects.

• 

  MA Pattern and Garment Technology

  This postgraduate pattern-cutting degree will develop your skills in innovative pattern-cutting and garment technology to prepare you for a successful career in the commercial fashion industry.

• 

  Graduate Diploma Fashion Design Technology

  This intensive one-year course is for students who want to build upon their knowledge of fashion design principles to progress onto a Masters or into industry.