
Fashion Design BA (Hons)
Course Overview - Fashion Design BA (Hons)
This is a Connected Degree
Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after youve started your course.
Overview
Bring your creative and original ideas to life on our multi-award-winning Fashion Design degree course.
Youll develop your innovation, self-awareness, and cr...
<strong>This is a Connected Degree</strong><br/>Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after youve started your course.<br/><br/><strong>Overview</strong><br/>Bring your creative and original ideas to life on our multi-award-winning Fashion Design degree course. <br/><br/>Youll develop your innovation, self-awareness, and critical thinking via our teaching approach – which integrates sustainable and ethical design principles, focuses on your unique strengths, and shapes you into a confident and cultured professional. Youll also develop communication, leadership, and collaboration skills through exchange and enterprise projects, and you’ll build a deep knowledge of traditional and digital making skills using industry-level facilities.<br/><br/>Using innovative research methods, you’ll be able to deliver authentic, imaginative work that pushes the boundaries of what fashion and textile design means now and in the future.<br/><br/><strong>Course highlights</strong><br/><br/><br/>• Master traditional and innovative fashion design methods, including pattern-cutting, fashion illustration, silkscreen print, embroidery, and constructed textiles and biomaterials<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Explore sustainable design methods to help you change the fashion industry for the future<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Gain valuable industry experience and entrepreneurship skills by taking an optional placement, either with a company or as self-employed<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Enhance your collaboration and team-working skills by working with other students on other courses in the Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Get insight into the fashion industry by attending guest lectures by visiting international professionals—previous visitors include Mohsin Sajid, Niccolo Casas and Shingo Sato<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Showcase your skills by exhibiting your work at the University’s annual graduate show<br/><br/><br/><br/><strong>Careers and opportunities</strong><br/>Our collaborative and project-orientated course will give you the skills to become highly employable.<br/><br/>Graduate areas<br/><br/>Our graduates have worked across design, marketing, communications and commerce in areas such as:<br/><br/><br/>- fashion, textile or accessories design<br/><br/><br/>- trend prediction<br/><br/><br/>- buying<br/><br/><br/>- visual merchandising<br/><br/><br/>- teaching or lecturing<br/><br/><br/>- journalism or writing<br/><br/><br/>Graduate destinations<br/><br/>Our graduates have worked with some of the biggest names in fashion and major retailers, including:<br/><br/><br/>• Ralph Lauren<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Hugo Boss<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Matthew Williamson<br/><br/><br/><br/>• River Island<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Fat Face<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Marks and Spencer<br/><br/><br/><br/>After you leave the University, you can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years from our Careers and Employability service as you advance in your career.<br/><br/>Graduate startups<br/><br/>Previous students on this course have also set up their own fashion and textile labels. For example:<br/><br/><br/>• Sunny Williams set up his label, House of Sunny, in 2011 and has developed minimal, androgynous aesthetic womenswear, which sells internationally and is stocked by ASOS<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Nikki Strange created her own-name line for Marks and Spencer in 2015 and also works as a freelance textile designer and visiting lecturer.<br/><br/>
Course Information
2 options available
Some courses vary and have tailored teaching options, select a course option below.
Course Details
Information
Study Mode
Full-time
Duration
3 Years
Start Date
21/09/2026
Campus
Main Site
Application Details
Provider Details
Codes/info
Course Code
W231
Institution Code
P80
Points of Entry
Year 1, Year 2, Year 3
Entry Requirements
UCAS Tariff
104
120
104-120 points to include a minimum of 2 A levels, or equivalent, to include a relevant subject.
Scottish Higher
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications in a relevant subject.
Access to HE Diploma
106-122 Tariff points from the Access to HE Diploma in a relevant subject.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
GCSE/National 4/National 5
2 GCSEs at grade C/4 or above to include English.
Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications in a relevant subject.
Scottish Advanced Higher
104-120 Tariff points, to include a relevant subject.
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
Cambridge Pre-U score of 44-50 to include a principal subject in a relevant subject.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications in a relevant subject.
A level
B,B,B
B,C,C
104-120 points to include a minimum of 2 A levels, to include a relevant subject.
T Level
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (last awarded Summer 2024)
104-120 points from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate including 1 A level in a relevant subject, plus the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate.
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