Fashion Marketing BA(Hons)

The first year of the degree introduces you to the broad knowledge required to become a professional creative marketer. You’ll develop core skills in business, communication, creative research, development and production.  

Through lectures, seminars, tutorials and workshops, the academic and technical course team will support learning in research methods, idea generation and writing skills for different contexts. You’ll learn to use digital software tools and experiment with practical production techniques. 

Modules

Marketing Essentials

You’ll be introduced to the core principles of marketing and gain a solid understanding of the role of marketing, its language and its purpose. This module is written to align with the CIM curriculum and forms part of the exemption subjects for the course accreditation.

Fashion Marketing Communications

You’ll identify a range of marketing communications concepts, technologies and creative processes in a commercial fashion context. Analysing traditional and digital marketing communication frameworks, you’ll apply theories of marketing to the production of a communications strategy.

Belonging

Collaborating with students across the Fashion & Textiles Institute, you’ll engage with themes of inclusivity and diversity, situated in the context of global histories and subcultures. You’ll explore the ethical language of fashion in the context of visual and written communications.

Branding

This module looks at the fundamentals of a brand. You’ll explore a range of brand development challenges, take a look at fashion industry case studies and break down brand auditing, leading through to exploring how brand identity creation works.

Visual Communications

You’ll explore visual language in the context of fashion image-making and content generation. You'll experiment with styling and art direction for still and moving-image, graphic design and editorial content, using industry-standard production techniques for print and digital channels.

Histories

In this module you’ll produce a piece of written work; enhancing your skills in critical thinking and positioning your practice in the context of cultural, theoretical and historical concepts.

Year two sees the focus on exploring the industry as professional practitioners. You’ll examine the global ecosystem and analyse a broad range of future-facing topics using challenge-based learning, collaboration, practical planning and production methods. 

Modules

Global Fashion Futures

This module examines globalisation relative to the production and consumption of fashion and textiles and its subsequent impact on the production ecosystem. You’ll analyse a broad range of topics, such as emerging consumer behaviours, socio-cultural drivers and new technologies, in order to forecast future scenarios and to communicate potential sustainable and ethical development solutions.

Promotion

The Promotion module takes a practical approach in supporting your understanding of campaign planning and production methods. You’ll develop creative solutions to promotional challenges, marketing and PR campaigns, in a range of commercial contexts.

Retail

You’ll gain insights into the contemporary fashion retail environment through buying, merchandising and visual presentation techniques. You’ll investigate the theory through practical application and working with industry professionals throughout the module.  The world of physical retail and e-commerce is fast-paced, and this module will teach you how to navigate the uncertainty and understand how marketing plays a role in the dynamics, from supply chain to the consumer and back-again.

Collaboration

You’ll focus on communication skills, problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork, listening, negotiation and reflection. In joining interdisciplinary teams across the University, you’ll work towards common project goals which will enhance your employability and communication skills.

Theories

You’ll produce a written piece of work, enhancing your skills in criticality and positioning of your practice in the context of cultural, theoretical and historical concepts. You’ll also develop your ideas for your final year dissertation or extended research project.

You'll begin this 30-week work sandwich year by creating a study and work plan – advised on and approved by your course team and the University's career service. Then, under the direction of an employer, you'll learn first-hand about different roles and your position in the industry. This is your chance to reflect and develop the kind of work-based skills required by longer live projects, typically seasonal buying cycles.

Modules

Employment Experience

This is an industry placement option. You will undertake a period of supervised work experience of 30 weeks or more, under the direction of an employer or several employers, and with a university-based academic mentor. This will enable you to develop and operate in a course-related working environment. You are required to evidence your experiences, reflecting on your skills acquisition and professional outlook in a report or blog-style documentary.

You’ll align your professional practice and apply core marketing and critical analysis skills in this employability focused year. With an optional sandwich year in industry or final year of study. The Fashion Marketing degree culminates in a self-defined, negotiated project. 

Modules

Professional Strategies

In this module, you will evaluate your own learning journey and skills acquisition in preparation for opportunities after graduation. You'll create a communication strategy and portfolio of presentation materials reflecting your personal professional identity in a range of print and digital formats. 
You'll also have the chance to explore and plan for your final major project. The focus will reflect your individual interests, as you work towards creating the perfect portfolio of work in the context of your personal career aspirations. 

Marketing Strategies

In this module, you’ll evaluate contemporary practice and performance of fashion marketing strategies using marketing planning frameworks and methodologies. You’ll focus on digital communications, consumer behaviours and broader business insights.  

Investigations

You’ll complete a dissertation or extended research project. You’ll reflect on your personal research strengths and engage in considered debate and detailed discussion of a chosen topic. This is an independently led project with academic support. 

Final Major Project Part 1

Undergoing your own research and planning, you will devise a project proposal for a detailed marketing opportunity or action in a fashion or lifestyle context, whilst aligning with current and future-facing global issues.   

Final Major Project Part 2

You’ll expand your project proposal and produce a set of deliverables to a client, consumer, colleague or organisation, generating digital and /or physical outputs. 

Why study an Integrated Foundation Year route?

If you’re taking on a new subject that you haven’t studied in depth before, have been out of education for a while or have a non-standard educational background then an Integrated Foundation Year degree may be the right choice for you. It is a four-year degree with an Integrated Foundation Year to start, which allows you to explore the primary elements of your subject before progressing on to the remaining three years of the BA(Hons) degree.

What you'll learn

If you choose this pathway, you'll study five core modules in your Foundation year. These are all designed to help you explore the foundational elements of your subject. You'll gain relevant technical skills, learn to experiment and take risks, develop an understanding of professional practice, have opportunities to work across disciplines and collaborate with other students on live project briefs.

Modules

Explore

You'll begin your foundation year by working collaboratively with others to explore themes of the future. You'll take risks, experiment through play and be supported to break through barriers.

Technique

You'll take subject-specific workshops and develop essential technical and practical skills in your area of study. You'll also enhance your analytical and organisational abilities.

Apply

You'll work with your peer group to think beyond discipline by addressing a societal or global issue. You'll then showcase your work to your peers and deliver an accompanying evaluation of your process.

Industry

You'll enhance your creative and practical skills in your subject specialism by responding to typical industry briefs, underpinned by focused research and experiments. You'll also gain industry insights through guest lectures and workshops.

Launch

You'll develop your unique identity in your specialism through the production of a self-initiated body of work. Your final project will be the bridge to your next year, fully supported by evaluative reviews and critical analysis of the work you have created.

After the Foundation year, you progress into Year One of the full three-year degree, equipped with a deeper knowledge of your subject, a clear understanding of your strengths, and develop a practical and technical skillset and the confidence to excel in your chosen subject.

The Integrated Foundation Year pathway for this course is new for entry year 2023 and subject to validation.