Fashion Knitwear MA

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Level of study:
Masters
Entry Requirements:
More information
Start date:
September 2026
Duration:
1 year (45 weeks)
Attendance:
Full-time
Course delivery:
On-campus (City Campus)

Information for 2026/27

About this course

Our MA Fashion, Textiles and Knitwear courses provide a platform for diverse and creative thinking and design practice to challenge and drive the future of fashion and textiles.

This will be your opportunity to think and do creatively, as be agents of change, to be innovative, take risks, to explore and solve problems.

We encourage a personalised approach to practice and theory that takes account of social, political, environmental, and technological issues, from local and global perspectives.

A critical approach to notions of progress encouraging a deeper understanding of craft, traditional and digital practices, and wider technological developments.

Learn from fashion and knitwear experts

Benefit from visiting industry professionals including Lewis Heath, senior pattern cutter at Simone Rocha; Katie Greenyer, Creative Director at Pentland Brand; and Chris Slesser from Creative UK.
Present your work to industry

You will have the opportunity to exhibit your work in the NTU Showcase events, any relevant competition events.
Take your research to the next level

Opt for an additional advanced research module if you’re thinking of progressing to PhD or Professional Doctorate study.
Access bursaries and industry support

You will have the opportunity to apply for specialist bursaries including ‘The Worshipful Company of Framework Knitters’ and sponsorship of yarns through links with industry and individual networking opportunities.

With more than 30 years’ experience and an international reputation for excellence in fashion knitwear design, we will support you through ﬂexible and responsive teaching and learning, helping you to explore and challenge the limits of fashion knitwear design.

The modular structure of our MA Fashion Knitwear course provides opportunities for cross-school community building, interdisciplinary thinking and collaboration.

Optional modules provide a bespoke learning experience geared towards individual professional futures.

Module information

Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll be studying throughout the course:

Core modules

Optional modules

We regularly review our course content based on student and employer feedback to ensure they remain current and relevant. This may result in changes to module content or availability in future years. Optional modules will only run where there is sufficient demand. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis to protect the academic and student experience.

Katy Grieve

student

“With many types of jobs in the knitwear sector, having MA Fashion Knitwear Design on my CV will add an extra level of curiosity to anyone who views it.”
Read Katy's profile
Charlotte Cameron

student

“Fashion Knitwear Design has a highly supportive course structure that embraces individuality. The course has unrivalled facilities, knowledgeable and passionate staff and fantastic industry connections.”
Read Charlotte's profile
Kate Morris

MA Fashion Knitwear student

“I now have a body of work that can act as a launching collection to my own brand and will gain the exposure I need.”
Read Kate's profile
Fintan Mulholland

student

“NTU offer the best facilities. The technicians and the support from tutors really do encourage you, and allow you to explore your own set brief”
Read Fintan's profile
Motohiro Tanji

student

“I think the knitting facilities at NTU are the best in the UK. There are many industrial knitting machines here.”
Read Motohiro's profile

Teaching and learning experiences will include:

lectures
tutorials
seminars
inductions
workshops
live projects
study visits
self-directed research
independent studio practice

Specific workshops for MA Fashion Knitwear Design could include:

dyeing
drawing and illustration
knit CAD programming software (Shima & Stoll)
Dubied hand ﬂatbed knitting
Domestic knitting
linking and trim development
industry specific Adobe CAD software
embroidery digitization CAD software

Find out when our postgraduate term dates for the Nottingham School of Art & Design are. Please note that these are slightly different to other Schools within the University.

Artificial Intelligence and Innovation in Fashion

Our Postgraduate Fashion courses are exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI can support creative practice, research, and industry innovation. Students are encouraged to experiment with AI tools in ways that protect and celebrate human creativity, while also thinking critically about the ethical, cultural, and societal impact of these technologies. Through workshops, collaborative projects, and future-facing assessments, students are supported to develop foundational AI literacy and explore its potential to drive transformative change in fashion. This is a space for curiosity, collaboration, and responsible innovation. Find out more about AI, Creativity and Innovation at the Nottingham School of Art & Design | Nottingham Trent University.

How you're assessed

Assessment is 100% by coursework and involves:

Project Proposal
supporting fashion knitwear research and development work
evidence of reflective practice
experimental designs
formal presentations of key developments
resolved fashion knitwear swatches and garments
portfolio and CV

Contact hours

For each 20-credit module, you’ll spend about 200 hours learning overall. Around 40 of those hours will be taught in lectures or seminars. The rest of the time is for independent study, reading, research, or working on assignments.

Pinky Bazaz

Principal Lecturer

A passionate advocate for inclusivity and innovation in fashion education, Pinky leads postgraduate study in Marketing and Branding at Nottingham School of Art & Design.
Visit Pinky Bazaz's staff profile
Debbie Gonet

Senior Lecturer

Debbie is the Course leader for MA Textiles and a senior lecturer in the BA (Hons) Textile Design course .
Visit Debbie Gonet's staff profile
Maria Stafford

Senior Lecturer

Maria Stafford is a Lecturer / Senior Lecturer and is responsible for the delivery and management of the PGC Creative Pattern Cutting course including pattern cutting workshop.
Visit Maria Stafford's staff profile
Katherine Townsend

Professor

Katherine is a Professor in Fashion and Textile Practice in the Fashion, Textiles and Knitwear department in the School of Art and Design.
Visit Katherine Townsend's staff profile

Entry requirements

UK students

Academic entry requirements: 2.2 honours degree in a related subject.

Other requirements: a creative portfolio.

Additional requirements for UK students

There are no additional requirements for this course.

Other qualifications and experience

We welcome applications from students with non-standard qualifications and learning backgrounds and work experience. We consider credit transfer, vocational and professional qualifications, and any work or life experience you may have.

You can view our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy which outlines the process and options available, such as recognising experiential learning and credit transfer.

Getting in touch

If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form.

International students

Academic entry requirements: Bachelors degree grade 2.2 or equivalent qualification. We accept equivalent qualifications from all over the world. Please check your international entry requirements by country.

Other requirements: a creative portfolio.

English language requirements: See our English language requirements page for requirements for your subject and information on alternative tests and Pre-sessional English.

Additional requirements for international students

There are no additional requirements for this course.

English language requirements

View our English language requirements for all courses, including alternative English language tests and country qualifications accepted by the University.

If you need help achieving the language requirements, we offer a Pre-Sessional English for Academic Purposes course on our City campus which is an intensive preparation course for academic study at NTU.

Other qualifications and experience

You can view our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy which outlines the process and options available, such as recognising experiential learning and credit transfer.

Sign up for emails

Sign up to receive regular emails from the International Office. You'll hear about our news, scholarships and any upcoming events in your country with our expert regional teams.

Getting in touch

If you need advice about studying at NTU as an international student or how to apply, our international webpages are a great place to start. If you have any questions about your study options, your international qualifications, experience, grades or other results, please get in touch through our enquiry form. Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world.

Policies

We strive to make our admissions procedures as fair and clear as possible. To find out more about how we make offers, visit our admissions policies page.

Fees and funding

UK students

- see the fees for this course, as well as information about funding and support.

£10,300

Please note that if you are considering a course that runs over more than one year, the tuition fee stated is for the first year of study. The course fee for the second year may be subject to annual review.

Find out about the extra support we may be able to provide to help pay for uni, including scholarships, discounts and loans.

Scholarships

You might be able to get a scholarship to help fund your studies. We award scholarships to those who can demonstrate excellent achievement, passion and dedication to their studies. See which courses are eligible for scholarships.

Alumni discount

We’re happy to offer a 20% alumni discount to most current NTU students and recent NTU alumni. This discount is currently available for those starting an eligible postgraduate taught, postgraduate research or professional course.

Postgraduate loans

There is a government postgraduate loan scheme for Masters degrees. The loan contributes towards costs of study, and students can put it towards tuition fees, maintenance costs or other costs at their discretion. Find out more about postgraduate loans.

International students

- see the fees for this course, as well as payment advice and scholarships.

£18,300

Find out about the extra support we may be able to provide to help pay for uni, including scholarships, discounts and loans.

Scholarships

Alumni discount

Living costs

See our advice on managing your money, the cost of living as an international student in Nottingham and how to budget.

Paying fees

As an international student, you'll need to make an advance payment as part of your offer conditions. You'll then need to pay your tuition fees in full, or have an agreement to pay in two further instalments, in order to enrol on the course.

Find out how and when to pay your fees, including information about your advance payment, instalment dates and how to make payments securely to the University.

Enquiries

If you have any queries relating to advance payments or arrangements to pay, please contact our friendly and experienced international enquiries team.

Additional costs

Your course fees cover the cost of studies and include loads of great benefits, such as the use of our library, support from our expert Employability team and free use of the IT equipment across our campuses. There are just a few additional things you may need to budget for:

Department of Fashion material costs

Students should budget for practice specialist consumables and equipment, such as toile fabric, final fabric, trimmings, pattern paper, sketchbooks, artists materials. This cost varies considerably according to final fabric selection, some students use 'dead stock' fabric or recycle fabric which keeps costs low, if purchasing new fabrics and trimmings, as an average, fabric prices can range from £10 - £60 per metre, students are advised to plan for between £400 - 600 for this area of materials.

A personal laptop suitable for creative and academic work is recommended. Students may wish to subscribe to additional learning support software, which could cost around £150 per year.

A printing budget of approximately £100 is advisable.

For those undertaking research or visiting exhibitions across the UK, a travel budget of around £300 is recommended. All costs are indicative and may vary with market conditions. Subsistence and personal spending are not included.

Fees and funding advice

For more advice and guidance, phone the Student Money Team on +44 (0)115 848 2494.

Cost of living information and support

Managing your money can help you make the most of life at NTU. Here's how we can support you, and now you can make your funding go further.

Cost of living in Nottingham

Our student benefits and free services

Money advice for international students

Careers and employability

Career prospects

This course leads to a wide range of career opportunities including:

knitwear / knitted textiles designer
product developer
sourcing manager
technologist
buyer, merchandiser
production manager
trend forecasting
styling within companies and brands.

Some graduates also use this course to support careers in teaching, lecturing, journalism and progression to MPhil or PhD study.

Recent graduates have set up their own successful businesses, or work within related careers in the fashion and textile design sector. Others have returned to their previous job with a renewed focus and enhanced career prospects.

If you are interested in starting your own creative business, the University provides start-up training and support through NTU Enterprise, our centre for entrepreneurship and enterprise.

Connections with Industry

You will have the opportunity to take up short periods of work experience, learn entrepreneurship skills through business development courses and attend events held by our Employability team and other organisations. You will also be encouraged to undertake research into fashion, textile or knitwear design companies, or appropriate contexts, for retailing or showcasing your completed project.

In addition to the main focus of your project as set out in the project proposal, you are encouraged to enter national and international competitions such as the Shima Seiki Competition, where the winner is awarded an all-expenses paid trip to the Shima Seiki headquarters in Japan for a two-week training course. Other competitions include the Redress Design Award (formerly EcoChic), SpinExpo - Shanghai, Woolmark Performance Challenge and the Arts of Fashion Competition. Prestigious competitions provide you with opportunities to demonstrate and promote your creative and technical skills and ability to answer an industry brief to a global audience, that can lead to employment and press opportunities.

You will be invited to collaborate in projects and attend research events and symposia. Recent exhibitions our students have been involved in include:

Crafting Anatomies
Knitting Nottingham
Journeys in Lace: Parts 1&2 (Lace:Here:Now)
Lace Unravelled with Nottingham Castle.
Our students also benefit from visits to Nottingham Castle to explore their extensive fashion and textiles archives.

Study trips

Your learning goes beyond the classroom! You’ll enjoy inspiring research trips to exhibitions, events, and fashion hubs across the UK—such as London.

Showcase

Explore our showcase ‘We Are Creatives’ - celebrating the work of the Nottingham School of Art & Design students. Take a sneak peek of some of our students’ work and gain a real insight into what it’s like to be part of the NTU creative community.

YouFirst – working with our Employability Team

Our friendly, experienced careers consultants will work closely with you at every stage of your career planning, providing personal support and advice you won't find in a book or on the internet. You can benefit from this at any time during your studies and up to three years after completing your course.

Re:search Re:imagined

To us, research is about more than writing papers and proposing new ideas. By daring to think differently, we’re disrupting the research landscape and finding the answers to the questions that really matter. From electronic textiles to the history of lace, we’re inspiring the brightest minds to rise up and find solutions to some of the most significant global challenges facing society.

Employability Promise

Personalised support, one-on-one coaching and industry-specific advice – it’s all part of our Employability Promise. And it doesn’t end when you leave NTU – you’ll have access to all our careers services for three years after you graduate (conditions apply).
Assessed work-like experience

We’ve embedded at least eight weeks of assessed work-like experience into all of our courses. This gives you the opportunity to apply your learning in real-world scenarios, build your confidence, and develop the experience employers are looking for.
NTU Enterprise

If you’re a budding entrepreneur, NTU Student Enterprise can help you to develop your ideas and innovations and turn them into a reality. We also offer training, mentoring, workshops, financial advice and more to develop your business skills.

Campus and facilities

You will work in our outstanding knit facilities, with access to hand ﬂat and power knitting machines, including Shima Seiki and Stoll.. You will also have space to work in our dedicated postgraduate studio, alongside other MA Fashion, Textiles and Knitwear Design students.

Our fashion, textiles and knitwear design facilities are based in the Bonington building, our dedicated art and design hub. Our lively and creative studios are home to an extensive range of equipment, enabling students to experiment with both traditional and digital practices.

Explore all of our facilities in our Nottingham School of Art & Design Facilities Hub.

Applying

UK students

Ready to join us? Apply through our NTU Applicant Portal.

Please read our application guidance before you start your application.

Don’t worry if you’re waiting for results – we recommend applying now, and then adding them to your Application Portal once they arrive.

Apply now

International students

Ready to join us? Apply through our NTU Applicant Portal.

Your portfolio

If your initial application is successful, you may be asked to upload a portfolio of your work and you may also be asked to attend an interview. Portfolio advice.

Please read our application guidance before you start your application.

We advise you to prepare and apply as early as you can as Student visa processing time can vary.

We'll send you important emails throughout the application process. Please check your emails regularly, including your junk/spam mail folder.

Apply now