Create your own fashion designs from year 1 in our workshops at Cambridge School of Art, and launch your career with a professional portfolio and stand-out final collection.
Our BA (Hons) Fashion Design degree will help you forge an identity as a designer, specialising in menswear or womenswear.
You’ll be hands-on from day one, creating your own fashion designs and engaging with all aspects of the design process in our studios, including pattern cutting, draping, textiles and digital media. You’ll also learn about contemporary fashion promotion, including marketing, styling and fashion photography and art direction, and create campaigns to attract consumers and influencers to your brand.
You will learn about the ethics of the fashion industry, and consider issues of sustainability that will help you to develop as a responsible industry professional for the future.
You’ll work closely with fashion students in other years and with students from across our creative community, including photographers and filmmakers to create eye-catching campaigns and digital content. Perhaps most importantly, you’ll get time, guidance and support from our team of including Fashion technical staff and course leader Mark Hart who has worked on projects for brands such as Chloe, Alexander McQueen, Warner Bros. Records & London Records.
As a BA (Hons) Fashion Design student at ARU, you’ll have the chance to find placements and internships with high-profile fashion houses including Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood and contemporary designers such as Mary Katrantzou, Marcus Lupfer and Mother of Pearl; attend trade fairs, such as Pure in London (the UK’s leading fashion buying event) or the fabric and trend show Premiere Vision in Paris; and visit suppliers and other businesses connected with the fashion industry.
Many of our students go on to establish their own labels or work for fashion houses and other well-known brands, including:
Yasmin Lucy Greener - Assistant Accessories Designer (John Lewis).
Stephanie Cornforth - Lingerie Designer (Something Wicked).
Olivia Welsh - Creative Director (Olivia Annabelle).
Emily Jeffrey - Design Assistant, Accessories (Cath Kidston).
By the end of the course, you too will have a new collection ready to show to the fashion industry at Graduate Fashion Week in London, and also to the public at our own Graduate Fashion Show and Degree Show.
All our Fashion Design students can access our dedicated fashion workshops; industrial sewing, finishing, embroidery and seam sealing machines; use of the WGSN trend forecasting digital platform; the full Adobe Creative suite; Apple iMacs with wide-format printers and scanners; vintage printmaking presses and letterpress machine; 3D workshop; photography equipment, and more.
Our team of technical officers will be on hand to offer training and support.
**Careers**
Many of our students go on to establish their own labels or work for fashion houses and major brands.
Our BA (Hons) Fashion Design degree will help you develop your individual style as a designer, with a portfolio ready to present to fashion houses. Or you might pursue other roles, such as styling, buying, pattern cutting and trend forecasting.
If you’re a budding entrepreneur, you can explore the prospect of starting your own business – supported by the commercial know-how you’ll gain at ARU.
Whichever path you follow, you can be sure you’ll graduate with the knowledge, skills and abilities that employers need. They help us review what we teach and how we teach it – and they offer hands-on, practical opportunities to learn through work-based projects, internships or placements.
Graduation doesn’t need to be the end of your time with us. You might decide to stay at ARU and study for a Masters. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and get 20% off your fees.
Course Details - Modules
Year 1 Core modules:
Cut, Form and Construction
Design: Visual and Material Practice
Visual Communication and Portfolio
Year 2 Core modules:
Contemporary Issues and Debates
Design and Professional Practice
Fashion Communication and Promotion
Year 3 Core modules:
Fashion Design Major Project and Professional Portfolio
Year 3 Optional modules:
Research Project
Working in the Creative Industries
Course Details – Assessment Method
This is a hands-on, practical course and our assessment is based on the coursework you complete for each of your modules. This includes completed project work as well as accompanying material such as sketchbooks and illustrations.
We’re looking to see how you research, analyse and develop your work – in other words, how you think as a fashion designer.
You’ll also attend lectures and produce written material. We’ll look at these when we’re reviewing your progress.
Assessment is ongoing and includes one-to-one feedback, group crits and class presentations, so you can be sure you’re receiving structured, insightful feedback throughout your degree course.
Modules are subject to change.
Course Details – Professional Bodies
Professional Bodies are not listed for this Course.
How to Apply
26 January This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application Codes
Course code:
W230
Institution code:
A60
Campus Name:
Cambridge Campus
Campus code:
Points of Entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
Year 1
Entry Requirements for Advanced Entry (Year 2 and Beyond)
Entry Requirements for Advanced Entry are not listed for this Course.
International applicants
Standard Qualification Requirements
96 UCAS Points from a minimum of 2 A Levels (or equivalent), including Grade C in Art, Design or Media subject.
From a minimum of 2 A Levels (or equivalent), including Grade C in Art, Design or Media subject.
UCAS Tariff points from Scottish Advanced Highers are accepted, related subjects are required.
UCAS Tariff points from Scottish Highers are accepted, related subjects are required.
UCAS Tariff Points accepted.
UCAS Tariff points acquired from BTEC Level 3 Diplomas in a related subject are accepted
2020 Entry requirements are under review for the next cycle and have been published using the current cycle information. Please check back when apply opens for the exact requirements.
If English is not your first language you will be expected to demonstrate a certificated level of proficiency of at least IELTS 6.0 (Academic level) or equivalent English Language qualification, as recognised by Anglia Ruskin University.
Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course
