Heriot-Watt University

Go Global:

  • European Exchange
  • Non-European Exchange

The course

Duration
2 years
Location
Edinburgh
Delivery type
Full-time

Our Fashion Communication degree is aimed at students interested in how fashion and clothing is communicated, promoted and creatively presented to different audiences.

Find out how to apply More about this subject area

Contact

Please note that this programme is avaliable for Year 2 and 3 direct entry only.

Overview

As the only fashion communications course in Scotland, we offer a unique opportunity to develop your own creative style on a course that wins awards year in year out. In the last three years our students have won the ‘Fashion Photography Award’ twice and the ‘Fashion Styling and Creative Direction Award’ at Graduate Fashion Week.

Fashion photography. Styling and image making. Film. Digital media. Music. Advertising. Journalism. This course takes you on a fascinating journey through the world of fashion communication. Get under the skin of contemporary pop culture, understand how changes in our society drive new fashion concepts, and develop your knowledge and ideas to effectively communicate a contemporary fashion image. 

The broad skillset you’ll develop opens the door to an wide variety of exciting careers. Our recent graduates include fashion photographers, fashion stylists, PR and fashion journalists working for businesses like Dazed and Confused, J.W Anderson, Matches, Hunter and Barbour.

The course is taught in our Scottish Borders Campus, which sits close to the heart of Scotland’s luxury textile industry. This is your chance to study in an area that’s home to some of the UK’s top design and production facilities for textiles and fashion. Find out more about what this hippest of courses has to offer on our School pages.

BA (Hons) Fashion Communication Programme Director, Theresa Coburn and a third-year student talk about what it's like on the programme. (Press 'c' on your keyboard to turn YouTube auto-captions on and off.)

Go Global

With Go Global, Heriot-Watt's global student programme, you can carry your studies to new places and experience new cultures, expanding your horizons on the way.

You'll discover what it means to be a true global citizen and emerge prepared for wherever your career journey will take you.

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Course content

Detailed course guide

Year 2

Explore ideas and further develop specialist fashion communication knowledge. This year goes into much more depth with engaging courses in fashion photography, digital application, typography and graphics, promotion and advertising. You’ll be introduced to new skills in all of these areas and be encouraged to research and develop an individual approach to subjects.

Year 3

You will work on cross-disciplinary projects and fashion industry collaborations through a combination of independent study, team working and external projects. Our students have worked with the National Museum of Scotland, The National Library of Scotland, The Worshipful Company of Woolmen, Camden Town Unlimited and the Young Fathers to name but a few. You’ll have opportunities to work across events and brand promotion — this external activity boosts your industry awareness and gives you first-hand knowledge of how to contextualise your work in the contemporary marketplace.

Year 4

Consolidate your skills and explore your individuality through the initiation, development and completion of your individual final degree project. This may take the form of a fashion publication, fashion film or other form of contemporary fashion communication.

Entry requirements

Year 2

  • HNC A in graded unit (in a relevant HNC)
  • BTEC DDD (in relevant subject)

Year 3

  • HND A in graded unit (in relevant HND)

Additional information

  • Portfolio submission will normally be a prerequisite and will demonstrate your interest in fashion and fashion communication. This can be communicated through any media including traditional, observed and expressive drawing, painting, photography and digital media. Our portfolio requirements are explained in the Guidelines to Applicants for Portfolio Programmes.

English language requirements

  • If English is not your first language, you have to show that your English is good enough to succeed on your course. Please see our English language requirements.

Fees

Tuition fees for 2021 entry
Status* Scotland England / Northern Ireland / Wales** International***
Fee Paid by SAAS £9,250 £15,384

* Your residency 'status' is usually defined as the country where you have been ordinarily resident for the three years before the start of your course. Find out more about tuition fees.

** 'Rest of the UK' (RUK) students entering at Level 1 receive a fee waiver of one year's tuition fee. Normally this will be the final year, or a year during which students study abroad (either at a partnership institution, or at one of Heriot-Watt's overseas campuses).

*** 'International' includes applicants from European Union countries who do not hold Pre-Settled or Settled status in UK. Read more about the application process for EU nationals.

Additional costs

You may incur additional costs in the course of your studies at Heriot-Watt over and above tuition fees in an academic year. Depending on your programme of study, these may include: protective equipment, field trips, professional memberships, studio fees, required course texts or other study resources.

Scholarships and bursaries

Featured scholarships

Bursaries for students from England, Northern Ireland or Wales starting undergraduate degree courses in 2021

In addition to government loans and grants towards the costs of fees and living costs, we are offering generous financial support to attract and support eligible students from England, Northern Ireland or Wales:

View our full range of undergraduate scholarships.