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Entry requirements
Here's what you will need to get a place on the Fashion Design course at Birmingham City University.
Select a qualification to see required grades
A level
B,B,C
A Level: 112 UCAS tariff points / BBC (or equivalent). AS Level: Must be in a different subject to A Levels. A maximum of four subjects will be considered.
You may also need to
Submit a portfolio
Most popular A-levels studied
See who's studying at Birmingham City University. These students are taking Fashion Design or another course from the same subject area.
| Subject | Grade |
|---|---|
| Fine Art | B |
| Graphics | B |
| Psychology | C |
| Sociology | B |
| Photography | A |
Course summary
What this course is about
UCAS code: W230
Here's what Birmingham City University says about its Fashion Design course.
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 Year
This 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.
Source: Birmingham City University
Course details
Qualification
Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Department
School of Fashion and Textiles
Location
Parkside Building | Birmingham
Duration
3 Years
Study mode
Full-time
Subjects
• Fashion design
Start date
September 2026
Application deadline
14 January 2026
Tuition fees
| Location | Fees |
|---|---|
| England | £9,790 per year |
| Scotland | £9,790 per year |
| Wales | £9,790 per year |
| Northern Ireland | £9,790 per year |
| EU | £18,570 per year |
| International | £18,570 per year |
Birmingham City University student reviews
2 years ago
Birmingham City University is a wonderful place to be, very accommodative irrespective of your ethnicity. Staff are well approachable
Graduate
Showing 596 reviews
3rd year
Paramedic science
7 months ago
Great simulation facilities for practicing skills learnt in university
3rd year
Paramedic science
7 months ago
The staff are very helpful and always available when needed. I feel the course has well prepared me for life as a graduate paramedic.
3rd year
Paramedic science
7 months ago
Very supportive staff and students, wide range of activities available
Graduate
Fashion design
7 months ago
In terms of societies and events, I always found things to do on campus. The Freshers' fair was always really good with lots to do and lots of freebies. I loved the society I joined too.
Graduate
Fashion design
7 months ago
I was mostly as City Centre campus so I was close to the city centre area. I always found things to do in my free time, had shops close by for my food shopping and could always find somewhere to meet friends. My friends and I really enjoyed the pub quiz at the Eagle and Ball and this became a week...
Graduate
Fashion design
7 months ago
I think I managed pretty well at uni with my finances. I did work a part time job which helped out with extra costs and I thankfully had family support too. My biggest financial concern would probably be financing my course itself - like my equipment and materials. But this is quite course specifi...
National Student Survey (NSS) scores at Birmingham City University
The NSS is an annual survey where final-year students are asked to rate different aspects of their course and university experience.
Here you can see ratings from Birmingham City University students who took the Fashion Design course - or another course in the same subject area.
Select an option to see a detailed breakdown
Teaching on my course
92%
high
Teaching on my course
92%
high
How often does your course challenge you to achieve your best work?
94%
high
How good are teaching staff at explaining things?
96%
high
How often do teaching staff make the subject engaging?
92%
high
How often is the course intellectually stimulating?
87%
high
Learning opportunities
89%
high
Learning opportunities
89%
high
To what extent have you had the chance to bring together information and ideas from different topics?
89%
med
How well does your course introduce subjects and skills in a way that builds on what you have already learned?
91%
high
How well has your course developed your knowledge and skills that you think you will need for your future?
91%
high
To what extent have you had the chance to explore ideas and concepts in depth?
92%
med
To what extent does your course have the right balance of directed and independent study?
82%
med
Assessment and feedback
90%
high
Assessment and feedback
90%
high
How well have assessments allowed you to demonstrate what you have learned?
93%
high
How fair has the marking and assessment been on your course?
92%
high
How often does feedback help you to improve your work?
87%
med
How often have you received assessment feedback on time?
94%
high
How clear were the marking criteria used to assess your work?
87%
high
Academic support
92%
high
Academic support
92%
high
How easy was it to contact teaching staff when you needed to?
92%
med
How well have teaching staff supported your learning?
93%
high
Organisation and management
87%
high
Organisation and management
87%
high
How well were any changes to teaching on your course communicated?
89%
high
How well organised is your course?
85%
high
Learning resources
89%
high
Learning resources
89%
high
How well have the IT resources and facilities supported your learning?
87%
med
How well have the library resources (e.g., books, online services and learning spaces) supported your learning?
91%
med
How easy is it to access subject specific resources (e.g., equipment, facilities, software) when you need them?
91%
high
Student voice
90%
high
Student voice
90%
high
How clear is it that students' feedback on the course is acted on?
89%
high
To what extent do you get the right opportunities to give feedback on your course?
92%
high
To what extent are students' opinions about the course valued by staff?
91%
high
How well does the students' union (association or guild) represent students' academic interests?
83%
high
Other NSS questions
Other NSS questions
During your studies, how free did you feel to express your ideas, opinions, and beliefs?
96%
high
How well communicated was information about your university/college's mental wellbeing support services?
85%
high
Student information
See who's studying at Birmingham City University. These students are taking Fashion Design or another course from the same subject area.
Graduate prospects
What graduates do next
We have no information about graduates who took Fashion Design at Birmingham City University.
Earnings after graduation
Earnings from Birmingham City University graduates who took Fashion Design - or another course in the same subject area.
Earnings
£20.1k
First year after graduation
£22.6k
Third year after graduation
£24.5k
Fifth year after graduation
Shown here are the median earnings of graduates at one, three and five years after they completed a course related to Fashion Design.
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree
Discussions
Discussions
Students are talking about Birmingham City University on The Student Room.
Chat with Birmingham City University
Thinking about studying at Birmingham City University? Whether you're exploring courses, wondering what student life is like, or curious about accommodation, we've got you covered.
Chat directly with official Birmingham City University reps
Get accurate, up-to-date answers from the people who know the Birmingham City University best.
With 2 official university representatives active on The Student Room, you can ask about everything from course content to campus life and get responses you can trust.
Ask the Student Room community
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Ask a question on The Student Room and hear directly from those living the experience from lectures to student support services and everything in between. No question is too small. Whether you're comparing universities or need advice on your application, you'll get real answers from students.
Birmingham City University open days
Open Days are the perfect way to find out more about university, you’ll be able to attend course talks, meet lecturers, chat to current students, find out about finance and other support services. It also offers a great way to get a feel for campus life and help you see firsthand why Birmingham City University is a great place to study.
Our next open days are taking place on:
• Saturday 4 October
Source: Birmingham City University
