Curious about studying Fashion Design - BA (Hons)at Birmingham City University? We've gathered all the key details—entry requirements, modules, fees, and more. Hear from real students by checking out reviews, or take the next step by booking an open day to explore it for yourself.
Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
City Centre Campus (The Curzon Building)
Full Time
Sep 2027
3 Year
Our BA Fashion Design Course will provide you with a comprehensive fashion design education. The course encourages innovation in both design skills and technical craftsmanship with a focus on sustainability, system thinking and socioeconomic practice. We will provide you with international opportunities and integration with our industry partners to empower you to explore your individuality, creativity, and future employability. You will work with industry experts and a dedicated team of academic researchers and practitioners. A decolonised curriculum structures the innovative approach to 2D and 3D design resulting in diverse experts of your craft. Within your first year of study, you will explore pure fashion design skills through a fundamental grounding in garment knowledge, construction, materiality, fabric and fibres analysis, tailoring and drape delivered in an atelier environment. In your second year you will discover systems thinking in relationship to Fashion design and our course’s structure will allow you to strategically balance between physically traditional and virtually digital craftmanship. Your final year of study provides you with the opportunity to express your individual design methodology in one of many creative formats, including a collection of garments, fashion products, material research and digital design technology. We will guide you with the decision of taking a placement year between your second and final year of study. Our dedicated internal careers team will support you through this process. We are proud that our recent cohorts have taken year placements with renowned designers such Paul Smith, Christopher Kane and Craig Green as well as industry super brands such as Superdry, NEXT and Adidas. We let you choose your design identity and tread your own design path. Our Fashion Design Course has built a reputation for students entering the industry as original, creative, independent thinking employable designers. Our award-winning graduate portfolios and fashion collections are showcased on international, digital, and local west-midland based platforms. You will study on a programme that is specifically designed to produce job-ready graduates with transferrable skills that can form and reshape our industries.
Professional Placement YearThis course offers an optional professional placement year. This allows you to spend a whole year with an employer, following successful completion of your second year, and is a great way to find out more about your chosen career. Some students even return to the same employers after completing their studies. If you choose to pursue a placement year, you will need to find a suitable placement to complement your chosen area of study. You will be able to draw on the University’s extensive network of local, regional, and national employers, and the support of our Careers teams. If you are able to secure a placement, you can request to be transferred to the placement version of the course. Please note that fees are payable during your placement year, equivalent to 20% of the total full-time course fee for that year.
In this module you will explore the connections between the creative fashion and textile industries in the past, and how this informs present and future trends. You will be introduced to the way individuals have influenced culture, freedom of expression and experimentation, and how this pushes boundaries and explores identity. Through reflection you will analyse your research and the connections that you discover, developing core skills and communicating your findings and ideas through the use of industry-standard software. Shared content is delivered via blended learning, this is underpinned by your course-specific content which is delivered on campus.
During this module you will unleash your creativity and explore the vibrant role of fashion designer. You will undertake a multidisciplinary journey where you will craft and design garments with the intent to hone and develop your own set of specialist skills to inform your artistic vision. You will be tasked to create original concepts and to play with 2D and 3D forms, sourcing fabrics, and sketching mixed media illustrations.
The Fashion design technology module will require you to explore the rich heritage of traditional flat pattern cutting techniques, guided by seasoned pattern cutting experts. Engage in a dynamic series of introductory workshops and seminars that will take you from the art of drafting patterns to the construction of physical toiles. You will acquire core skills in flat pattern cutting, draping, stand manipulation, and the cutting-edge Lectra technology processes. You will develop a solid foundation in pattern cutting that is crucial for becoming a well-rounded fashion designer.
You will be introduced to systems thinking to create designs that not only look incredible but also make a statement and drive an impact for change. Connect the dots between conceptual design and garment functionality to understand the bigger role of fashion designer and the Fashion supply chain. You will be encouraged to explore the fashion archives, delve into historical garments, research contemporary fashion designers and current global trends to shape your innovative design approach.
AI Integration will form part of your approach to problem-Solving: To kickstart the creative process, you will design something using AI on the first day of the module. You will receive a half-designed technical drawing and be tasked with solving a problem, sparking innovative thinking from the outset. Workshops, skill seminars, and technical sessions will then empower you to develop samples that will be included in your rudimentary design pack.
This level 5 undergraduate module is designed to equip students with the essential skills and knowledge necessary for a successful transition into the industry work placement and beyond. The module focuses on cultivating a deep understanding of professional practices, industry expectations, and personal development strategies. Through a combination of theoretical knowledge, practical exercises, case studies, and industry guest lectures, this module provides students with a solid foundation for their future careers empowering them to thrive in a competitive and dynamic industry landscape.
Tailoring serves as the backbone for honing your understanding of form and silhouette manipulation. You will learn traditional bespoke techniques from menswear tailoring such as padding, pitch, fit, function, hand and pad stitch, moulding and building shape into fabric, and sewing and pressing techniques. These traditional technical skills will serve as tools for your artistic innovation. They will enable you to not only meet industry standards but also push creative boundaries. Traditional tailoring techniques are not just methods; they become the language through which your unique design voice will be articulated.
In this experimental fashion design module, you will aim to create a body of work that will form the essential skills and knowledge needed to create a work placement portfolio that showcases your creativity but also reflects a commitment to sustainability and ethical practices. The focus will be on merging cutting-edge digital design skills, advanced technical expertise, an understanding of fabric properties, and a thoughtful approach to design that minimises environmental impact and engages with a community output.
This Level 6 undergraduate module is designed to further develop your research and inquiry skills within the context of the fashion and textile industry. You will undertake a range of research methods on a topic of personal interest. You will investigate and critically analyse the findings. You will be applying a reflective comment to the evidence to deepen your understanding of your field and considering real-world challenges in the industry. You will present conclusions and recommendations in a proposal that feed into an independent project.
Your pre-collection module will ask you to focus your previous learning and provide you, the designer, with the opportunity to unleash your creativity, implement your acquired technical skills, and showcase a personalised design methodology that reflects your unique perspective. The module emphasises negotiation with your tutor to explore diverse outcomes in the realms of digital design, material selection, and garment creation, fostering an environment where your ideas flourish and push the boundaries of conventional fashion.
During your Collection Construction Module, you will embark on an advanced journey, seamlessly integrating your accumulated design knowledge into the meticulous construction of a signature collection and or body of negotiated work. You will be required to refine your design methodologies through close collaboration and negotiation with tutors, ensuring that creative visions align with industry standards, and sustainable ethical practice. You will be required to document the fit, form, silhouette, and function of your garments, as you reflect on the development during construction of your collection and how those garments interact with the human and/or 3D forms.
You will immerse yourself in a comprehensive exploration of your creative abilities, culminating in a multifaceted showcase of your skills. You will have the opportunity to direct and create your own Lookbook photoshoot, where you conceptualise and execute a visually compelling documentation of your previous collection outcomes, Recording your proficiency in design, styling, and storytelling. Additionally, emphasis is placed on the art of presentation and curation, where you learn to articulate your design concepts effectively and curate a cohesive narrative during an internal platform or external showcase. You will refine your communication skills and enhances your ability to engage new audiences with your work.
4.2
