Fashion Design
Entry requirements
From a minimum of 2 A Levels
Accepted when studied alongside other Level 3 qualifications
Access to HE Diploma
Pass in Access course with 60 credits overall including 45 Level 3 credits passed with a minimum of Merit.
This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.
HNC (BTEC)
HND (BTEC)
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.
OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma
This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.
This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.
This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.
This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.
This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.
Pearson BTEC Diploma (QCF)
Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF)
This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.
This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.
T Level
UCAS Tariff
From a minimum of 2 A Levels or equivalent qualifications such as BTEC Extended Diploma or OCR Extended Diploma. For detailed information on accepted qualifications, please view our Course Entry Statement (https://www.solent.ac.uk/how-to-apply/documents/course-entry-requirement-statement.pdf) Solent University is a proud champion of widening participation. For further information about our contextual offer, please visit our website (https://www.solent.ac.uk/how-to-apply/what-next/contextual-offers)
This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.
You may also need to…
Attend an interview
About this course
**BA (Hons) Fashion Design scored 96% overall student satisfaction for NSS 2020.**
Do you love fashion design and dream of seeing your designs on the catwalk? Solent’s dynamic and challenging fashion degree nurtures creativity and design innovation, while developing a sound knowledge of industry practice – preparing you for a fantastic career after graduation.
For the past three years, our students’ work has been selected to promote Graduate Fashion Week and has been featured in Vogue.co.uk, Elle.co.uk and Drapers.
Throughout the course you will be supported to gain an in-depth knowledge of the fashion design process from initial concept, research and design development, through to the realisation of final design outcomes. With the freedom to explore both menswear and womenswear, you are encouraged to include print design and textiles into fashion design projects.
The academic team have a real focus on getting to know each student individually, and with a wide range of design briefs, from the highly creative to live commercial projects, you will be encouraged to push your creative design skills and develop your individual design identity - gaining an understanding of where you fit best in the industry.
You will study a wide range of advanced technical skills such as creative pattern-cutting, garment manufacturing and digital print design in our industry-standard facilities. Our facilities include specialist machine rooms, digital and sublimation printers and a range of laser cutters.
Emphasis is also placed on developing professional visual communication skills, including fashion illustration, technical drawing and mood board presentation, enabling you to build an exciting and industry-ready portfolio of design work.
To complement your studies and gain professional industry experience, you will be required to do a work placement. Past students have gained internships at House of Holland, Timberland, Alexander McQueen, Ted Baker and Marks & Spencer amongst many others.
Students have access to industry standard pattern-cutting and sewing studios. In the third year, students have their own space in the studios.
**What does this course lead to?**
This course primarily prepares students for design and studio assistant roles in menswear and womenswear, for a wide range of market levels from the high street to high-end.
Graduates also have the relevant skills to go into print and textile design roles. Graduates have also entered into roles such as; assistant buyer, production assistant, pattern-cutter and trend forecaster.
**Who is this course for?**
Solent’s BA (Hons) Fashion degree is for students who are passionate about fashion design; who are keen to advance their creative design ability, knowledge of fashion industry practice and develop advanced creative technical skills.
Applicants should have previously studied a creative art and design subject, and have a portfolio of design work that demonstrates their skills and love of the subject area.
Modules
YEAR 1 - CORE MODULES
Fashion Illustration
Research and Concept Development
Fashion Design Development
Fashion Theory I
2D Fashion Design
Design Realisation
YEAR 2 - CORE MODULES
Tailoring
Streetwear
Professional Practice I
Capsule Collection
Fashion Theory II
YEAR 3 - CORE MODULES
Collection Research and Development
Work Based Learning
Fashion Design Major Project
Fashion Portfolio
YEAR 3 - OPTIONS (please note that not all options are guaranteed to run each year)
Professional Practice II
Dissertation
Assessment methods
This course is assessed via design projects including sketchbook research and design development, the production of garments, portfolio work, two-three written assignments and one of two presentations.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
Extra funding
Solent University offers a number of bursaries, grants and scholarships. For more information, please visit https://www.solent.ac.uk/finance/grants-bursaries-scholarships/bursaries
The Uni
Solent University (Southampton)
Department of Art and Music
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Design studies
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
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Design studies
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Design studies
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£16k
£20k
£23k
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.
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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