Key information
Gain the technical expertise and business acumen necessary to transform your creative concepts into impactful realities for the contemporary and future fashion design industry.
- Programme code
- W230
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Degree qualification
- BA (Hons)
- Duration
- 4 years
- Location
- Scottish Borders
Our BA (Hons) Fashion degree focuses on developing your creative and intellectual capabilities to set you up for a career in fashion design across a broad industry such as luxury fashion houses, high street brands, and independent designers. You’ll create a variety of garments from mass-produced ready-to-wear to custom bespoke pieces.
You’ll develop a theoretical and practical understanding of pattern cutting and garment construction which will allow you to develop your design style and ideas from drawings into finished garments. You’ll also learn about current influences and the changing forces in design across the fashion design industry.
The programme explores a cross-section of market sectors, ranging from high-street fashion to ready-to-wear, suitable for both UK and global markets. Undertaking internal and external projects as part of your learning journey will help shape your understanding of the worldwide fashion industry. These skills can ultimately open the door to incredible career opportunities in your chosen sector.
You’ll explore the industry’s responsibility to work towards a more sustainable, ethical, and diverse future. Through briefs and projects, you’ll respond to these challenges currently facing the industry and develop solutions to real-life scenarios.
The programme is taught at our Scottish Borders Campus, which sits close to the heart of Scotland's luxury textile industry. We are committed to supporting textile heritage, by working with many local and national industries to help ensure that traditional craftsmanship will always have a place alongside contemporary fashion.
You’ll study a range of specialised courses in fashion design, creation, and related marketing and photography studies. You’ll develop the skills, techniques, and knowledge to create your fashion collection in your final year, which will be unveiled during your final year Graduate Showcase. This will provide you with a great opportunity to establish your style and skills, and present your work to industry and help set you up for a successful career after graduation.
Your student experience
Your learning will be informed by our fashion and textiles faculty and staff, whose work covers many key areas including:
- Smart Nanotextiles – Nanofibres and Nanoyarns
- Fashion Technology
- Fashion Sustainability
- Design Innovation
- Printed Textile Design
- Medical Compression Design
- Textile and Apparel Supply Chain Management
- Brand Management and Marketing
- Garment Making and Pattern Cutting
During your studies, you’ll benefit from our unique and purpose-built workshops and studies, providing a supported creative yet academic setting to study fashion.
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.
European Exchange
Worldwide Exchange
Course content
September Intake - Scottish Borders
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 in the contemporary fashion marketplace.
Mandatory September
- Rethinking Design 2: Develop and Deliver
- Rethinking Design 1: Discover and Define
Mandatory January
- Garment Construction
- Introduction to Photography
- Textiles 1
Programme Video
Fashion & Textiles at Heriot-Watt University
Heriot-Watt students and academics explore the importance of Fashion and Textiles. Watch our video to find out more about the Fashion and Textiles' course content, facilities, equipment and projects. Experience what studying Fashion and Textiles at Heriot-Watt can offer you.
Entry requirements
We have standard entry requirements for all of our courses that you will have to meet.
Standard entry requirements
- Highers ABBB (including English)
- A-Levels BCC
- Int. Baccalaureate 29 points
- BTEC DMM (in a relevant area)
- Please check that you meet our University-wide National 5/GCSE (or equivalent) English and Maths requirements.
- Please see below for details of Portfolio submission
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
Why Heriot-Watt
We're the top university in Scotland for graduate outcomes which means that more of our graduates are employed or in postgraduate education than any other institution in the country and we ranked 5th in the UK.
We're also rated number one in the UK for CEO or MD roles, meaning more of our graduates go on to become CEOs or MDs than any other university in the whole of the UK. On top of that, we have beautiful campuses, across the globe, so you'll get a truly international education. Our Edinburgh Campus is home to Oriam, Scotland's National Sports Performance Centre combined with plenty of wellbeing resources, prioritising fitness and mental health for all students. Our Global Research Institutes look at solving real world issues such as climate change and saving our oceans as well as working on the next medical technological breakthrough and the future of AI and robots.
Student life
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