Find the perfect course for you - chat with Diggory, our new AI uni coach.

Fashion Design

Arts University Plymouth

UCAS Code: W290 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

Arts University Plymouth

UCAS Code: W290 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

Entry requirements

UCAS Tariff

104-120

Although many of our students do come in with top grades and high UCAS points, these aren’t necessarily essential for entry. We typically ask for a minimum of 104 UCAS points, but we understand that talented artists, designers and makers can have a wide range of relevant strengths and skills beyond formal qualifications. We’re just as interested in exploring your portfolio as we are in seeing your grades.

You may also need to…

Present a portfolio

image

About this course

This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2026

Other options

4 years | Sandwich | 2026

6 years | Part-time | 2026

Subjects

Fashion design

Fashion

Join our dynamic **BA (Hons) Fashion Design** program, tailored to nurture independently-minded fashion thinkers and makers poised to lead change in the industry. Our comprehensive curriculum equips you with the skills and knowledge essential for influencing change. With a focus on creativity, innovation, and practical application, our program prepares you for a rewarding career in fashion design.

We empower aspiring fashion thinkers, makers, and designers to embrace their creative journey and carve their path in the ever-evolving fashion landscape. By seamlessly blending traditional craft techniques with cutting-edge digital technologies, you'll transcend your ideas from concepts to tangible, three-dimensional creations. Join us as we redefine design, take creative risks, and communicate your unique style through your craft.

**Why Choose This Course?**
Our interdisciplinary approach ensures that you'll develop not only your fashion design skills but also expertise in textile surface pattern, print, digital media, and production. You’ll collaborate with professionals across various fields, from presentation and marketing to designing a portfolio, working closely with photographers, graphic designers, and filmmakers throughout the university and in industry.

Our philosophy focuses on nurturing independently-minded fashion thinkers and skilled makers who confidently challenge industry conventions. With an innovative curriculum and strong industry links, including opportunities for entrepreneurship and live projects, our course equips you with the skills and connections needed to thrive in today's fashion landscape.

Equipped with cutting-edge industry-standard technologies, our studios serve as your creative sanctuary. You'll embrace a culture of cross-disciplinary collaboration, where you'll hone your skills in our professional textile print studios, jewellery and ceramics workshops, and our innovative Fab Lab. Here, you'll have access to the latest in laser cutting, 3D printing, and design technology, expanding your horizons and unleashing your creativity to its fullest potential.

You'll have the freedom to refine your signature aesthetic without the constraints of a predefined house style. Our comprehensive program covers every facet of the design process, including trend analysis, research, design development, drawing, and illustration. Dive into the realms of colour and fabric development, and immerse yourself in historical and cultural studies that inform your creative vision.

Whilst studying this course, you'll utilise global trend forecasting tools like WGSN and The Future Laboratory, and master software such as Adobe Creative Suite and Gerber Accumark for CAD pattern cutting. Our curriculum covers every aspect of the design process, from future forecasting to concept and design development, and from creative pattern cutting to the leadership of compelling marketing campaigns.

Throughout this course you’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of sustainable design and ethical manufacturing, gaining insight into every step of the commercial supply chain.

Students on this course explore the factors influencing design, development, and production while participating in industry events worldwide, including London, Paris, New York, and Berlin. Showcase your work at prestigious events like Graduate Fashion Week and leverage our extensive professional network to secure placements with leading fashion houses like Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, and more.

Fashion is one of the largest employers in the UK’s creative industries, offering endless opportunities for forward-thinking individuals. Our students pursue various career paths, such as fashion designers, knitwear designers, stylists, buyers, tailors, fashion illustrators, pattern cutters, trend forecasters, visual merchandisers, studio managers, garment technologists, production coordinators, merchandisers, and lecturers.

Modules

Throughout the programme, you’ll be encouraged to explore other creative practices and work on multidisciplinary projects, through collaborations across the college and with industry. You’ll graduate with a final collection that showcases your individual style and approach to design, and a professional portfolio to launch you into this vibrant industry as a confident fashion practitioner. Many of our modules incorporate business skills, and you will gain hands-on experience in construction and textile techniques, trend-forecasting and more.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,535
per year
England
£9,535
per year
EU
£17,250
per year
International
£17,250
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,535
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,535
per year
Scotland
£9,535
per year
Wales
£9,535
per year

The Uni

Course location:

Arts University Plymouth

Department:

Arts, Design and Media

Read full university profile

What students say

We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

92%
Fashion design
92%
Fashion

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

81%
Staff make the subject interesting
88%
Staff are good at explaining things
82%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
76%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

71%
Library resources
82%
IT resources
79%
Course specific equipment and facilities
67%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

99%
UK students
1%
International students
9%
Male students
91%
Female students
63%
2:1 or above
17%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
A*
B

After graduation

The stats in this section 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.

Fashion design

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.

£22,000
low
Average annual salary
88%
med
Employed or in further education
45%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

Fashion

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.

£22,000
low
Average annual salary
88%
med
Employed or in further education
45%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

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.

£15k

£15k

£19k

£19k

£18k

£18k

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.

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here