Pre-degree

International Preparation for Fashion (Certificate in Higher Education)

College
UAL School of Pre-degree Studies Start date
September 2025 Course length
1 year

International Preparation for Fashion (Certificate Higher Education) is a unique international Level 4 course designed to prepare students for undergraduate study at London College of Fashion.

Why choose this course at UAL School of Pre-degree Studies

Skill development: the course is dedicated to developing and integrating your academic language and communication skills in the context of fashion studies.
Creative opportunities: the course provides opportunities to explore your creative potential within a range of fashion-related disciplines linked to the 3 schools within London College of Fashion: Fashion Business School, School of Design and Technology and School of Media and Communication.
Writing for fashion: this unit prepares you for the development of your academic skills within the theoretical and practical contexts of social, climate and racial justice principles.
Cultural and historical studies: a cultural and historical students unit prepares you for the theoretical study of fashion.
Guaranteed interview: All students on this course are guaranteed an interview for an undergraduate course at London College of Fashion, if an interview is required for your chosen course.
Outstanding facilities: Based at the UAL School of Pre-degree Studies in Lime Grove, West London, you’ll have access to facilities including a dedicated library, learning zones and digital suites, textile, stitch and printmaking workshops and a loan store.

Course overview

Introduction

This is a unique international course designed to prepare you for undergraduate study at London College of Fashion. It provides opportunities to explore your creative potential within a range of fashion related disciplines. You will develop your academic communication skills in visual, verbal and written forms. The course team will direct you to an appropriate specialism for LCF degrees.

What to expect

You are required to complete 120 credits at level 4 in order to complete your Certificate in Higher Education:

Introduction to Study in Fashion (20 credits)
Cultural and Historical Studies for Fashion (20 Credits)
Writing for Fashion (20 Credits)

Specialism Studies in a pathway

Specialism Studies: Fashion Business (20 credits)

Or;

Specialism Studies: Fashion Design and Technology (20 credits)

Or;

Specialism Studies: Fashion Media and Communication (20 credits)
Progression Project (40 Credits)

A 20-credit unit is approximately equivalent to 200 hours of learning time, which includes a mixture of taught time, independent study and assessment.

Mode of study
International Preparation for Fashion (Certificate Higher Education) runs in full time mode and is delivered over three terms: Autumn, Spring and Summer.

Climate, Social and Racial Justice
The course is committed to embedding UAL’s Principles for Climate, Social and Racial Justice. This is particularly addressed through the Writing for Fashion and Cultural and Historical Studies units.

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Course units

Term 1:Introduction to Study in Fashion

This unit will introduce you to a range of subjects covered at London College of Fashion. You will investigate different approaches to visual, spoken and written communication. You will begin to explore the specialist pathways to help identify your direction for future studies.

Term 1 and 2: Cultural and Historical Studies for Fashion

This unit will help to prepare you for the study of fashion and its relationship to culture and history. In classes you will be introduced to a range of concepts and theories relating to fashion, art, design, culture and identity, with a focus on social, racial and climate justice. You will be encouraged to formulate and articulate your own informed opinions in class discussions. You will be introduced to imagery from the worlds of art, design, and popular culture, and you will also go on a range of exhibition visits, where you will be encouraged to examine and collect visual images of all kinds and to discuss these in relation to the themes of your classes. As a result of these discussions, visits, and your own independent research, you will begin to develop the analytical and communication skills needed to produce academic work at undergraduate level.

Term 2: Specialism Studies: Fashion Business

The unit will help you to develop creative and theoretical approaches to fashion business. You will be introduced to the importance of research and analysis for investigating and communicating business ideas. This will include practising a range of strategies used in analysing and developing fashion businesses. You will start working more independently to produce a portfolio of written and visual work. This portfolio will show your research and development process.

Or;

Specialism Studies: Fashion Design and Technology

The unit will help you to develop creative and theoretical approaches to fashion design and technology. You will be introduced to the importance of research and analysis for investigating and communicating your ideas. This will include experimenting, analysing and developing your ideas for a range of fashion products. You will start working more independently to produce a portfolio of visual work. This portfolio will show your research and development process.

Or;

Specialism Studies: Fashion Media and Communication

The unit will help you to develop creative and theoretical approaches to fashion media and communication. You will be introduced to the importance of research and analysis for investigating and communicating your ideas. This will include experimenting, analysing and developing your ideas for a range of media outcomes. You will start working more independently to produce a portfolio of visual work. This portfolio will show your research and development process.

Term 2 and 3: Writing for Fashion

This unit will support you in developing the academic literacy and specialist vocabularies expected in higher UK education and in line with the academic conventions for undergraduate study at London College of Fashion. You will begin to enhance your written and spoken communication skills, with a focus on social, racial and climate justice. You will also develop skills to research, structure and analyse in order to produce a critical essay.

In term 3: Progression Project

This unit will encourage you to take further responsibility for your learning through the construction of your own project – reflecting your personal interest in fashion. Building on knowledge gained in all previous units you will research, develop and evaluate your ideas. You will select and present your work in a visually considered way appropriate to your specialism.

Programme specification

Download course specification (PDF File 408.5 KB)

Learning and teaching methods

The following teaching and learning methods are employed to support the integrated aims of the course outcomes:

Lectures
Seminars
Tutorials
Face to face and some online teaching
Critiques
Studio-based workshops
Open access facilities
Demonstrations
Self-directed study
Collaborative working
Guest speaker seminars

Assessment methods

The following assessment methods are employed to support the integrated aims of the course outcomes:

Formative Assessment is designed to support and improve learning, and concentrates on giving useful feedback to help students improve their work, rather than on giving a grade. Formative assessment is provided in a variety of ways including during teaching and in digital forms.
Summative Assessment is designed to formally assess work for each unit. Work is submitted in digital format, including portfolios of work and written work.
Work is submitted in a digital format.

Work by Ashley Lee,
Work by Ashley Lee, Student work by Ashley Lee
Work by Ashley Lee,
Work by Ashley Lee,
Work by Bryan Lee,
Work by Rakshita Arvind, Rakshita Arvind, International Preparation for Fashion (Certificate in Higher Education)
Work by Rakshita Arvind,

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Student at sewing machine in sewing room at Lime Grove, London College of Fashion. Photography by Ideal Insight.
Media Lab at Lime Grove, Image courtesy of UAL
Costume studio at Lime Grove | London College of Fashion | University of Arts London

Staff

Sarah Le Marquand is the Course Director for IPF. Sarah holds a degree in Fashion and Textiles and is a fellow of the higher education. She has extensive knowledge and experience of working on art and design foundation courses prior to working on the IPF (Certificate HE). She has also worked in Beijing to deliver 2 condensed art foundation experiences to a cohort of students and observed by teaching staff and key management. Her key research interests have been in the quality of student learning, focusing on assessment. Her past research has been disseminated through conferences, staff development, student induction and publication. Prior to entering a career in education she designed her own label and worked as a buyer for a high end designer womenswear independent retailer.

Suzanne Rankin-Dia, Academic Language and Language Acquisition Skills lecturer, is an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) lecturer on the International Preparation for Fashion (IPF) cert. HE course. She holds a BA in French and an MA in Education and has worked at HE level for 20 years in France, Senegal and the UK. She has been working with international students at UAL since 2001. She has a particular interest in global citizenship and multiple perspective approaches to teaching and learning and aims to implement innovative and creative approaches into an EAP classroom and to empower International students to reach their full potential.

Mandeep Ahira is Cert HE IPF Pathway tutor and Pathway leader for Fashion Media & Communication on the IPF course. Mandeep is responsible for introducing students to the wide range of exciting opportunities in fashion media. He uses his professional experience of lens-based and contemporary interactive media to inform his teaching and learning practice. Mandeep has a growing research interest in alternative pedagogies and curricular innovation. He also works on the Fashion Media Degree. Mandeep’s professional practice is focused on the interaction between video, print and digital formats. He continues to work as a freelance filmmaker and editor.

David Garner, senior lecturer LCF. David teaches in Fashion Media and Communications, focusing on theory and practice of photography, visual research methods and reflective practice. He has extensive interdisciplinary experience of undergraduate courses at LCF, from year one to dissertation supervision, which he brings to his learning, teaching and enhancement work across the IPF curriculum. In his role as Referral Officer, David draws on his knowledge of University academic systems and experience of leading funded pedagogic research projects at LCF to help students to build towards future academic success. David has presented on art and design pedagogy at international conferences, and is currently studying for a PhD in Philosophy of Education at UCL: Institute of Education. David has a professional background in journalism and documentary photography. In 2007, an image he shot at LCF was selected for the National Union of Journalists '100 Years: 100 Photographs' Exhibition, celebrating editorial photography. He was invited to speak to students about photography, and his career teaching at LCF began soon after. David is now a senior member of the team with experience of academic leadership, quality assurance processes and course development.

Nadege Sokolowski is an Academic English Tutor on the International Preparation for Fashion at London College of Fashion. Specialising in Academic skills, such as essay and project proposal writing, research methodology and presentation skills, she has been a member of UAL since 2013. Her extensive teaching experience of 20 years in London, during which she obtained her MA in Applied Linguistics and English Education has enabled Nadege to lead many academic roles including Academic Management, teacher training, course design and development, test assessment for Cambridge and French teaching. Her current projects include collaborating on the development of the Academic English unit of the International Preparation for Fashion, at the London College of Fashion and raising IPF students’ awareness towards sustainability issues within the industry.

Supporting staff

Martha Zmpounou
Heidi Stokes
Eleanor Warrington
Sina Shamsavari

Fees and funding

International fee

£23,940

This fee is correct for 2025/26 entry and is subject to change for 2026/27 entry.

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.

Additional costs

You may need to cover additional costs which are not included in your tuition fees, such as materials and equipment specific to your course. Typical approximate costs for this course include: 

Materials and resources (Term 1): £70-£100
Materials and resources (Term 2): £100-£300
Adobe Creative Cloud: £42 per year
Visual research (e.g. exhibition visits): £20-£30 each
Digital storage: £30

For a list of general digital equipment you may need (and how you can borrow equipment), visit our Study costs page.

Accommodation

Find out about accommodation options and how much they will cost, and other living expenses you'll need to consider.

Scholarships, bursaries and awards

Find out more about bursaries, loans and scholarships.

If you’re based in the UK and plan to visit UAL for an Open Event, check if you’re eligible for our UAL Travel Bursary. This covers the costs of mainland train or airline travel to visit UAL.

How to pay

Find out how you can pay your tuition fees.

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Entry requirements

The standard minimum entry requirements for this course are:

An internationally recognised qualification which is equivalent to one A level at Grade C or above, plus passes in three other subjects at GCSE Grade C or above (UK qualifications). For equivalent International qualifications, you can consult the UCAS Guide.

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 5.5 with a minimum of 4.5 in reading, writing, listening and speaking. You must take the IELTS Academic Test for UKVI, no other test can be accepted. Please check our main English Language Requirements

Selection criteria

The course team seeks to recruit students who can demonstrate:

A focused interest in a particular area of fashion, such as fashion business, fashion media or fashion design
A broad interest in the arts, the media and current affairs
Motivation to succeed on the course
Evidence of research and investigative skills

We are looking for focused students and all students will study the same units and do the same projects in Term One before going into the relevant specialist pathway in Term Two. Please note that you may change direction as a result of consultation with the course team, in conjunction with the work done in the diagnostic first term.

Information for disabled applicants

UAL is committed to achieving inclusion and equality for disabled students. This includes students who have:

Dyslexia or another Specific Learning Difference
A sensory impairment
A physical impairment
A long-term health or mental health condition
Autism
Another long-term condition which has an impact on your day-to-day life

Our Disability Service arranges adjustments and support for disabled applicants and students.

Read our Disability and dyslexia: applying for a course and joining UAL information.

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Application deadline

This course is only open to International students. Please apply using the International applicants tab.

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Application deadline

26 February 2025 at 1pm (UK time)

If there are places available after this date, the course will remain open to applications until places have been filled.

If you apply by the deadline, we will get back to you with a decision by 14 May 2025.

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Start your application

Apply with a UAL Representative

Based across the world, our local UAL representatives can support you with your application from your home country. Check to see if there is a representative available in your country currently.

Find your representative

How to apply

Follow this step-by-step guide to apply for this course

Step 1: Initial application

You will need to submit an initial application including your personal statement.

Personal statement advice

Your personal statement should be maximum 500 words and include:

your reasons for choosing the course
your current creative practice and how this course will help you achieve your future plans
any relevant education and experience, especially if you do not have any formal academic qualifications.

Visit our personal statement page for more advice.

Step 2: Digital portfolio

We will review your initial application. If you have met the standard entry requirements, we will ask you to submit a digital portfolio.

You’ll need to submit this via PebblePad, our online portfolio tool.

Digital portfolio advice

For your portfolio, we would like you to focus on at least 1 of the following tasks. You can cover all of them if you think this best demonstrates your knowledge and skillset but it is not compulsory.

You should also include other work that you have completed in your current studies or free time. Your portfolio must be maximum 30 pages long.

Task 1:

Make individual drawings by hand of 4 items in your wardrobe. They can be on a hanger or freestanding. They do not need to be on models.
2 should be in pencil only and show details of seams and construction.
2 should be in colour or mixed media.
Please do not use digital drawing tools.

Task 2:

Create 3 photos that show your creative approach to contemporary fashion imagery.
These photos should communicate a fashion statement and something unique to you.
Think about how you can reflect your personal aesthetic, personality, culture and more in your images. We want to see your creative style.

Task 3:

In 300 words, describe a new idea for a fashion concept and explain what makes it new and unique.
It could be a new brand, shop or product but it must represent a gap in the market for contemporary fashion.
If relevant, you can use images to support your idea.

For more support, see our Portfolio advice and PebblePad advice.

Step 3: Interview

You may be invited to an interview following our review of your application. All interviews are held online and last 15 to 20 minutes.

For top tips, see our Interview advice.

You also need to know

Communicating with you

Once you have submitted your initial application, we will email you with your login details for our Applicant portal.

Requests for supplementary documents like qualifications and English language tests will be made through the applicant portal. You can also use it to ask questions regarding your application. Visit our After you apply page for more information.

Visas and immigration history check

All non-UK nationals must complete an immigration history check. Your application may be considered by our course teams before this check takes place. If your course requires a portfolio and/or video task, we may request these before we identify any issues arising from your immigration history check. Sometimes your history may mean that we are not able to continue considering your application. Visit our Immigration and visas advice page for more information.

External student transfer policy

UAL accepts transfers from other institutions on a case-by-case basis. Read our Student transfer policy for more information.

Alternative offers

If your application is really strong, but we believe your strengths and skillset are better suited to a different course, we may make you an alternative offer. This means you will be offered a place on a different course or at a different UAL College.

Deferring your place

We do not accept any deferral requests for our pre-degree courses. This means that you must apply in the year that you plan to start your course and you will not be able to defer your place to start at a later date.

Careers

All of our undergraduate 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:

An on-course work experience or placement year. Please note, this is not available on every course; please see the Course Details section for information about work placement opportunities.
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

Students who successfully complete the course gain a Certificate in Higher Education award, which is recognised nationally and internationally.

The course represents the scope of opportunity within the global fashion industry and reflects the progression opportunities available to the three undergraduate Schools of London College of Fashion:

School of Fashion Business.
School of Design and Technology.
School of Media and Communication.

The course will encourage you to maximise your individual potential. It will provide the stimulus and creative environment necessary to support your progression, through theoretical, multidisciplinary and experimental approaches to your studies. You will develop a range of transferable skills that will support both your development on the course and in your future educational career.

You will embark on a specialist pathway and be supported throughout your studies towards an appropriate undergraduate course in negotiation with your tutors. Students who successfully complete the course gain a Certificate in Higher Education award, which is recognised nationally and internationally.

Please note that any offer you receive will be conditional on meeting the entry requirements, including holding an up-to-date IELTS test (or equivalent certificate) at the right level for your destination course.

Graduate Futures

Graduate Futures provides a comprehensive career management service supporting our students to become informed and self-reliant individuals able to plan and manage their own careers.

Find out more about Graduate Futures.

LCF alumni

Many of our alumni are now impressive, leading industry figures.

Find out more about LCF alumni and join the alumni community.

Alumni

Founder and Designer – Ivar by Ritika Ravi
Rikita Ravi

International Preparation for Fashion (Certificate in Higher Education)

Course summary

Why choose this course at UAL School of Pre-degree Studies

Course overview

Contact us

Enquire about this course

Course units

Programme specification

Learning and teaching methods

Assessment methods

Student and graduate work

Latest news from this course

410 Gone

Facilities

Staff

Supporting staff

Fees and funding

International fee

Additional costs

Accommodation

Scholarships, bursaries and awards

How to pay

Scholarship search

Entry requirements

APEL (Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning)

English Language Requirements

Selection criteria

Information for disabled applicants

Apply now

Application deadline

Apply now

Application deadline

Apply to UAL

Apply with a UAL Representative

How to apply

Step 1: Initial application

Personal statement advice

Step 2: Digital portfolio

Digital portfolio advice

Task 1:

Task 2:

Task 3:

Step 3: Interview

You also need to know

Communicating with you

Visas and immigration history check

External student transfer policy

Alternative offers

Deferring your place

Careers

Careers

Career paths

Graduate Futures

LCF alumni

Alumni

UAL School of Pre-degree Studies

Contact

Address