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Fashion Communication and Promotion BA (Hons)
- Level(s) of Study: Undergraduate
- UCAS Code(s): WN2M
- Start Date(s): September 2023
- Duration: Three years full-time
- Study Mode(s): Full-time
- Campus: City Campus
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Entry Requirements:
More information
Introduction:
On this course you will investigate, develop and create meaningful and forward-thinking forms of visual communication, promotion and advertising. The focus is on the visual communication of brands through which innovative messages and narratives for products and services are built for the global fashion and lifestyle industries.
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You’ll have the opportunity to complete a work experience placement of up to a year in length. Dependent on the duration of your placement, you could gain an additional Diploma or Certificate in Professional Practice. -
Enter industry competitions like L’Oréal Brandstorm and All Walks Beyond the Catwalk’s Diversity NOW! where our students have had great success. You will also work on live projects with brands such as All Saints, Boots, BMW, Levi, Speedo, Reiss and Unilever. -
Go on optional study trips to places like New York, Paris, Berlin, and Tokyo. Visit companies, exhibitions and trade fairs to learn about the international market. You can also apply for a European or international exchange to places like the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. -
There is an opportunity to work on a student committee to plan, design and take part in events that promote your work including Zine fairs, degree shows and Graduate Fashion Week.
What you’ll study
The course combines industry knowledge and experience with creative processes and explores the relationships between advertising, retail and visual merchandising, fashion media and journalism, art direction and styling, and fashion analysis and trend prediction.
Develop visual communication skills across a range of creative media, including photography, film, graphics, print, digital design, interactive media, and 3D and retail design. Explore how brands communicate and learn to use software packages such as Adobe Creative Cloud, so you can develop your creative ideas to communicate with consumers.
Fashion Communication and Contexts
(60 credit points, first half of the year)
This first module tackles the fundamental debates and discussions of fashion communication and fashion promotion. You will explore past and current creative fashion landscapes and explore the structures and processes. You will be introduced to creative processes designed to develop your visual awareness, your ability to make connections, and your ability to develop solutions to challenges.
Fashion Promotion and Message
(60 credit points, second half of the year)
Develop your understanding of the vital role of society and culture in the fashion and lifestyle industry and the intersection of contemporary and future debates in this area of study. Through independent and collaborative work, you will expand your understanding of research, observation and critical thinking in a visual context and you will continue to build your communication skills using a range of software, media and technologies.
Applied Creative Process
(40 credit points, first which half of the year)
The second year of study builds on the foundations of the first year with an emphasis on the application of creative practice and problem-solving. You will engage with a variety of briefs that introduce you to the many and varied areas of practice within fashion communication and promotion. You will respond to these challenges through the application of the creative process in order to plan and produce relevant responses, considering how cultural, commercial and historical frameworks inform contemporary practice in communication and promotion.
Creative Concepts and Professional Context
(40 credit points, second which half of the year)
This module further develops your creative process and problem-solving abilities. Through experimentation and application of skills and knowledge you will be given opportunities to respond to existing and future challenges in the fashion and lifestyle industry. A strong emphasis is placed on the cross-disciplinary and multidisciplinary nature of areas of practice within fashion communication and promotion and your personal motivations and ethical position through the development, refinement and delivery of your creative outcomes.
CoLab: Research, Exploration and Risk-taking
(20 credit points, second half of the year)
Through active participation with team-based problem solving, you will work together in mixed teams on a project where you will use your creative ideas to generate solutions to the challenge or brief. Your project will allow you to explore how creativity can make an impact in society, as you choose a theme of sustainability, social justice, enterprise and innovation or community. This collaborative learning experience will expose you to a range of new processes and approaches that will develop your creative thinking.
You will also choose one 20-credit module from:
- Trend Forecasting
- Publishing: Experimental Formats
- Ethical Design
- Digital Marketing and Communication
- Telling Stories
- Responding to the Visual World
- Typography: Use and Expression
- Creative Live Event Production
Personal and Professional Practice
(20 credit points, full year)
Personal and professional development and critical reflection is embedded throughout the course and this module builds on your learning to compete in the fashion and lifestyle industry or in the creative sector.
You will look closely at the variety of paths available to you and consider a range of business and / or academic options and engage with professional and educational organisations in your career planning activities. You will participate in national and international design competitions, graduate exhibitions and industry events to direct your professional or academic career and further your understanding of the professional practice of fashion communication and promotion.
Negotiated Projects
(100 credit points, full year)
In your final module, you will be supported to achieve ambitious projects showcasing your knowledge, abilities and expertise in the development, design and delivery of forward-facing fashion communication and promotion outcomes that respond to, meet and challenge industry standards.
You will be challenged individually and as part of a team in response to both self-devised and live projects. Your projects will be developed and delivered with a demonstrable awareness of the need for risk and creativity, studentship and professionalism and that demonstrate your creative abilities, intellectual depth, proficiency in communication and ability to be self-directed.
Further information on what you'll study
You will learn to use software such as Adobe InDesign and Photoshop, so you can develop your creative ideas to communicate with consumers.
Video Gallery
How you’re taught
Teaching and learning experiences will include:
- lectures
- workshops
- seminars
- tutorials
- demonstrations
This is combined with visiting industry professionals providing guest lectures and special events with visiting professional that will enhance your understanding of industry.
Collaboration across courses
Our collaboration module gives you the opportunity to work collaboratively with your contemporaries from a range of different art and design subjects and beyond. You’ll be working alongside artists, designers, photographers, illustrators, animators, and filmmakers on daring and creative projects that prepare you for a rewarding career in your chosen industry. Your project will allow you to explore how creativity can make an impact in society, as you choose a theme of sustainability, social justice, enterprise and innovation or community.
Assessment
Assessment is by individual and group coursework. You will receive feedback throughout each module, and we use group and individual tutorials extensively to provide opportunities to review your feedback and progress. At the end of each module you will be awarded a grade.
The work you produce will be a combination of creative development work, text-based submissions and creative outcomes consisting of 2D and 3D artefacts and audio-visual components.
Your final degree mark will be based 100% on your final year work.
Showcase
You will be given the opportunity to exhibit your work during your time at NTU to members of the creative industries. You may also be selected to showcase at Graduate Fashion Week in London – where many of our previous students have won awards.
Visit our ‘We Are Creatives’ showcase to take a look at the work of this year's graduating students’.
Contact hours
- Year 1 lectures/seminars/workshops (26%), independent study (74%).
- Year 2 lectures/seminars/workshops (20%), independent study (80%).
- Year 3 lectures/seminars/workshops (15%), independent study (85%).
Further information
NTU is in the UK’s Top 15 for Art & Design in the Complete University Guide 2023 (Ranked 15th).
How you’re assessed
- Year 1 coursework (100%).
- Year 2 coursework (100%).
- Year 3 coursework (100%).
Careers and employability
Our students secure fashion communication and promotion related jobs both nationally and internationally, in areas such as advertising; art direction and styling; digital communication and web design; fashion analysis and trend prediction; fashion media and journalism; PR and event management; and retailing and visual merchandising. Students also use their well-developed transferable skills for alternative careers in freelance promotion and media roles, and in teaching. Some decide to undertake postgraduate study in fashion or a related subject.
Recent destinations include:
- Artist Residence
- Dr Martens
- Elsie & Fred
- F&F Clothing
- Global Radio
- L’Oréal
- ODD London
- Primark
- Secret-7
- SEEN Connects
- The Future Laboratory
- Treatwell
- Whistles
- Zone Digital.
Work placement and internship opportunities
We encourage our students to find out about the different roles within the industry which will enable you to better shape your learning. In order to achieve this, you may opt to go on a year-long industry placement as part of our sandwich option and achieve a Placement Diploma in Professional Practice in addition to your degree qualification.
Alternatively, you may choose to undertake work experience or industrial placements of shorter duration which may lead to a Placement Certificate in Professional Practice.
Recent placements include:
- ASOS
- Alexander McQueen
- Calvin Klein
- Pentland
- Puma
- River Island
- Skinny Dip
- Stella McCartney
- Tommy Hilfiger.
Connecting with industry
While studying on this course you will work on exciting live projects and enter high-profile competitions in collaboration with major brands and industry leaders. These industry interactions are embedded within the curriculum. Previous collaborations have included large multinational lifestyle and fashion brands such as Unilever and L’Oréal, luxury brands such as Anya Hindmarch and Stephen Jones, major High Street players such as Boots, Levi’s and Reiss, and emerging star retailers, such as Illamasqua, TSPTR, and Universal Works.
Entering industry competitions will help you to gain experience and to network. Our students have been successful in competitions such as:
- Graduate Fashion Week’s Boohoo.com Fashion Innovation Award
- L’Oréal Brandstorm
- River Island Rocks, and more.
Creative Industries Federation
We are members of the Creative Industries Federation (CIF), which means students in the Nottingham School of Art & Design have the opportunity to sign up to free student membership. Creative Industries Federation are an organisation that represents, champions and supports the UK’s creative industries and membership grants students exclusive access to their selection of resources and events to help advance your career and connect with industry.
International exchanges and study trips
We provide opportunities to find out more about the global industry through various visits to major fashion capitals. These are open to change, as we adapt to the shifting influence and culturally importance of international locations. Our recent opportunities have included: a first-year study trip to New York taking in the American fashion, beauty and lifestyle market first-hand, with a visit to Manhattan’s Fashion Institute of Technology; a second-year study trip to some of Europe’s major fashion capitals including Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen, Rome and Florence and visiting top international trade exhibitions; a third-year trip to Tokyo for a week-long study experience to one of the world’s most vibrant and directional fashion destinations.
The course also has study exchange agreements with a number of international institutions such as the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, and you can apply to go on exchange in Year Two for one semester.
What our students are doing now
Fashion Management students host International Women's Day Event
To celebrate International Women’s Day, our Final Year Fashion Management students hosted a community event with inspirational industry experts.
Fashion students attend design brief workshop with iconic Nottingham designer
Campus and facilities
You will be based in the Barnes Wallis building at the heart of the City Campus, with its modern teaching rooms, collaborative working spaces and Mac suites. View our Nottingham School of Art & Design Facilities Hub here.
Entry requirements
What are we looking for?
- 112 - 120 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications (two of which must be A-level equivalent).
- GCSE English and Maths grade C / 4.
To find out what qualifications have tariff points, please use our tariff calculator.
Other qualifications and experience
We may also consider credits achieved at other universities and your work/life experience through an assessment of prior learning.
This may be for year one entry, or beyond the beginning of a course where applicable, for example, into year 2. Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available for this route.
Contextual offers
A lower offer may be made based on a range of factors, including your background (such as where you live and the school or college you attended), your experiences and individual circumstances (you may have been in care, for example). This is called a contextual offer and we get data from UCAS to make these decisions. NTU offers a student experience like no other and this approach helps us to find students who have the potential to succeed here but who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university. Find out how we assess your application.
Getting in touch
If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form.
International qualifications
We accept qualifications from all over the world – check yours here:
Undergraduate preparation courses (Foundation)
If you don’t yet meet our entry requirements, we offer Foundation courses through our partner Nottingham Trent International College (NTIC), based on our City Campus:
English language entry requirements
You can meet our language requirements by successfully completing our pre-sessional English course for an agreed length of time, or by submitting the required grade in one of our accepted English language tests, such as IELTS:
Advanced standing (starting your undergraduate degree in year 2 or 3)
You may be able to start your undergraduate course in year 2 or 3 based on what you have studied before. This decision would be made in accordance with our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy.
Would you like some advice on your study plans?
Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.
- Complete this simple form to keep in touch with the International Office.
Fees and funding
Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, but there's no need to feel anxious and confused about it. We hope that our fees and funding pages will answer all your questions.
Getting in touch
For more advice and guidance, you can contact our Student Financial Support Service.
Tel: +44 (0)115 848 2494
What's included in the course fees?
The School will cover the costs of any mandatory study trips.
In Final Year, the Nottingham School of Art & Design will provide infrastructure costs for the Showcase. If you’re selected to showcase your work at Graduate Fashion Week in London, the School will cover the cost of transporting your work and the exhibition stand.
Additional costs
Print and copy costs
Depending on the materials you choose to work with, you should budget a minimum of £50 - £150 in each year to cover printing costs.
The University allocates an annual printing and copying allowance of £20 depending on the course you are studying. For more details about costs for additional print and copying required over and above the annual allowance please see the Printing, photocopying and scanning information on the Library website.
Stationery and reading materials
Most study modules will recommend one or more core textbooks, which most students choose to purchase. Book costs vary between courses and further information is available in the University’s bookshop, Blackwell’s. A good supply of these essential text books are available in the University libraries, which students can easily borrow or access directly whilst studying in the library. You should budget £50 - £100 (minimum) per year for stationery and reading materials.
Material costs
Depending on the materials you choose to work with, you should budget a minimum of £50 - £100 (Year One), £50 - £100 (Year Two), and £150 - £500 (Final Year) to cover the production costs associated to your course, including things like your final year exhibition.
Field trips
All essential field trip costs will be included in your course fees. There may be the opportunity to take part in optional field trips, which do incur additional costs.
If you choose to join optional study trips, you’ll need to budget:
- £950 – optional study trip to New York (Year One)
- £450 – optional European study trip (Year Two)
- £40 – optional 2 night London residential trip (Year Two)
- £1,600 – optional trip to Tokyo (Year Three)
Placements
If you're undertaking a placement year, you'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst on placement. Many of our placement students do earn a salary whilst on placement which can help to cover these living costs.
If you undertake work experience or a longer placement, you will have the chance to gain an additional Certificate or Diploma in Professional Practice, dependent on duration. The Diploma in Professional Practice incurs a fee for the additional placement year.
Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, but there's no need to feel anxious and confused about it. We hope that our fees and funding pages will answer all your questions.
You might be able to get a scholarship to help fund your studies. We award scholarships to those international students who can demonstrate excellent achievement, passion, and dedication to their studies.
Please take a look at our International students page for information about fees, scholarships for international students, visas and much more.
Getting in touch
For more advice and guidance, you can contact our Student Financial Support Service.
Tel: +44 (0)115 848 2494
What's included in the course fees?
The School will cover the costs of any mandatory study trips.
In Final Year, the Nottingham School of Art & Design will provide infrastructure costs for the Showcase. If you’re selected to showcase your work at Graduate Fashion Week in London, the School will cover the cost of transporting your work and the exhibition stand.
Additional costs
Print and copy costs
Depending on the materials you choose to work with, you should budget a minimum of £50 - £150 in each year to cover printing costs.
The University allocates an annual printing and copying allowance of £20 depending on the course you are studying. For more details about costs for additional print and copying required over and above the annual allowance please see the Printing, photocopying and scanning information on the Library website.
Stationery and reading materials
Most study modules will recommend one or more core textbooks, which most students choose to purchase. Book costs vary between courses and further information is available in the University’s bookshop, Blackwell’s. A good supply of these essential text books are available in the University libraries, which students can easily borrow or access directly whilst studying in the library. You should budget £50 - £100 (minimum) per year for stationery and reading materials.
Material costs
Depending on the materials you choose to work with, you should budget a minimum of £50 - £100 (Year One), £50 - £100 (Year Two), and £150 - £500 (Final Year) to cover the production costs associated to your course, including things like your final year exhibition.
Field trips
All essential field trip costs will be included in your course fees. There may be the opportunity to take part in optional field trips, which do incur additional costs.
If you choose to join optional study trips, you’ll need to budget:
- £950 – optional study trip to New York (Year One)
- £450 – optional European study trip (Year Two)
- £40 – optional 2 night London residential trip (Year Two)
- £1,600 – optional trip to Tokyo (Year Three)
Placements
If you're undertaking a placement year, you'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst on placement. Many of our placement students do earn a salary whilst on placement which can help to cover these living costs.
If you undertake work experience or a longer placement, you will have the chance to gain an additional Certificate or Diploma in Professional Practice, dependent on duration. The Diploma in Professional Practice incurs a fee for the additional placement year.
How to apply
Apply through UCAS.
You can apply for this course through UCAS. If you are not applying to any other UK universities, you can apply directly to us on our NTU applicant portal.
Application advice
Apply early so that you have enough time to prepare – processing times for Student visas can vary, for example. After you've applied, we'll be sending you important emails throughout the application process – so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.
Writing your personal statement
Be honest, thorough, and persuasive – we can only make a decision about your application based on what you tell us:
Would you like some advice on your study plans?
Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.
- Complete this simple form to keep in touch with the International Office.
The University's commitment to delivering the educational services advertised.