BA (Hons) Fashion Communication

Course content

Year 1

Get an introduction to your chosen course and take the first step towards a career in your chosen area of fashion. This broad common Level 1 for all Fashion, Communication, Marketing and Retailing students encourages you to research and develop individual strengths and skills in the analysis, evaluation and contextualisation of fashion communication within the fashion industry.

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.

Employability

Managerial/professional position

• 90% of those working are in a professional/managerial position six months after graduating.

Jobs

These are the most common jobs students go into six months after graduating:

• Media Professionals
• Design occupations
• Business and public service associate professionals
• Managers, directors and senior officials
• Artistic, literary and media occupations

Entry requirements

Year 1

Standard entry requirements

• Highers ABBB (including English)
• A-Levels BBC
• Int. Baccalaureate 29 points
• BTEC DMM (in a relevant area)

Minimum entry requirements*

• Highers BBBC (including English)
• A-Levels BCC

* Minimum: under our Fair Access Policy, we will relax our standard entry requirements for some Scottish students depending on their circumstances. Our minimum requirements will apply if you:

• live in an area within the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation lowest 20% (SIMD20), or
• are care experienced.

We can also make exceptions for some Scottish students with grades above minimum but below standard. Read more about our Minimum and standard 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.

• For all years, applications are welcomed from holders of non-school qualifications,  mature candidates and overseas students. 
• If you do not see your qualifications here please contact us at studywithus@hw.ac.uk
• Please check that you meet our University-wide National 5/GCSE (or equivalent) English and Maths requirements.

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

* 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.

** European Union countries (not including England, Northern Ireland or Wales).

*** '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).

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

View our full range of undergraduate scholarships.