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BA (Hons)

Fashion Promotion

Fashion Promotion shapes the very fabric of the industry through inspiration, aspiration, and influence. On this practical degree you will learn how fashion brands connect with their audiences through insightful strategies, bold ideas, and immersive experiences.

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Key Course Details

  • UCAS Code

    WN25

  • Start Date

    September

  • Location

    Cardiff

  • Campus Code

    B

Fees

  • Home students

    £9,000*

  • International students

    £14,950*

  • Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.

  • UCAS Code

    WNF5

  • Start Date

    September

  • Location

    Cardiff

  • Campus Code

    B

Fees

  • Home students

    £9,000*

  • International students

    £14,950*

  • Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.

You will learn how to create campaigns driven by trends and culture across digital and print media to drive business growth and consumer engagement. Behind every successful brand, there are a team of expert communicators. Strategic thinking. Creative solutions. Commercial impact.

DESIGNED FOR

This course is aimed at students from a variety of backgrounds with an interest in how fashion engages with culture, politics, emerging technology, the environment, and the arts. We welcome applications from students with a range of academic backgrounds including fashion, media, photography, sociology, psychology, business, English, art and design as well as those with industry experience.

Career Paths

  • Social Media and Content co-ordinator
  • Digital marketing Executive
  • Public relations Executive
  • Campaign Manager
  • Advertising Executive

Skills taught

  • Collaborate with industry professionals creating advertising and marketing campaigns for independent and international fashion brands
  • Create written and image-based content for PR, fashion journalism and social media. 
  • Shoot, style and edit for fashion photography and video. 
  • Design graphic communications using the latest software and industry technology. 
  • Analyse consumer psychology and apply it to emerging fashion and lifestyle trends.

Course Highlights

Storytelling and Brand Identity

Fashion Promotion is all about storytelling. It allows fashion brands to craft narratives that connect with their audience on a deeper level. By communicating the brand's vision, values, and inspirations, fashion promotion shapes a distinct brand identity.

Promotion and Marketing

Effective Fashion Promotion is crucial for promoting fashion products, collections, and brands. Through various channels such as advertising, social media, and public relations, fashion promotion creates awareness and generates interest. It drives consumer desire, leading to increased sales and visibility.

Trends and Influencing

Fashion Promotion plays a significant role in setting trends and influencing consumer preferences. Through editorials, fashion shows, and influencer endorsements, fashion promotion disseminates the latest styles and designs, shaping what is considered fashionable and desirable.

Creativity and Innovation

Fashion Promotion is about boundless creativity and innovation. It challenges professionals to think outside the box, experiment with visuals, and find unique ways to communicate a brand's essence. This creativity fuels the industry's evolution and keeps it vibrant and dynamic.

Module Overview

In the first year of the degree, students focus on building a strong foundation in the subject. This year introduces concepts, theories and skills which will be expanded on and refined in years two and three. The coursework starts off broad, aiming to provide a well-rounded understanding of the industry. 

Introduction to the Fashion Industry 
Introduction to the Fashion Industry covers fashion's history, design, production, marketing, and cultural impact. It explores the dynamic world of clothing and trends, from creation to consumer. 

Consumer Psychology and Trends 
Consumer Psychology and Trends studies how individuals' thoughts, emotions, and behaviours influence buying decisions. Trends include sustainability, e-commerce growth, personalized experiences, and ethical consumption shaping modern consumer preferences. 

Fashion Styling 
Fashion Styling involves curating outfits, accessories, and visuals to convey a desired aesthetic or message. It combines clothing, makeup, and accessories to create compelling and cohesive looks.

Visual Communication for Fashion 
Visual Communication for Fashion explores how information, ideas, and emotions are conveyed through visual elements like images, graphics, and design. It teaches how to effectively communicate complex concepts and engage audiences using visual cues and creativity.

Fashion Branding 
Fashion Branding covers how a brand's identity, values, and perception shape the market. It combines design, marketing, and storytelling to show how distinctive brands resonate with consumers and foster loyalty.

Fashion Studies 1 
Fashion Studies explores clothing and trends’ cultural, historical and societal significance. It examines design, production, consumption, and lifestyle, offering insights into the dynamic interplay between fashion and identity. 

The second year of the degree involves a deeper dive into the subject. Students begin to apply theory and key concepts to develop skills in writing, digital photography and video. Students undertake industry experience to take their learning beyond the classroom and start specialising in their preferred area of field.  Students have the opportunity to take a break from their classes to engage in a year-long placement I.e., ‘Sandwich Year’. During this time, they work in a professional setting gaining practical experience and earning a salary. This work experience is valuable as it provides real-world insights, enhances employability skills and allows students to apply what they’ve learned in a practical context.

Fashion Industry Experience 
Fashion Industry Experience prepares students to arrange work placement at a host company of their choice to gain hands-on experience, develop professional skills, and establish industry connections before graduating. 

Fashion Media and PR 
Fashion Media and PR covers how to manage brand image through media and communication. Various media platforms, events, and relationships are explored, showing how to enhance visibility, create narratives, and engage audiences within the fashion industry.  

Fashion Photography and Video 
Fashion Photography and Video shows students how to capture the essence, style, and emotion of clothing and products through image.  Fashion Photography and Video covers how to transform designs into visual narratives, shape trends, and convey brands' aesthetics through creative visuals and storytelling techniques.  

Marketing Communications for Fashion 
Marketing Communication for Fashion teaches students how to craft compelling messages and strategies to promote clothing brands. It encompasses advertising, social media, PR, and events, and explores how to engage consumers and foster brand loyalty through effective storytelling.  

Campaign Management 
In Campaign Management, students will learn to coordinate all aspects of a project, from planning and execution to analysis. The module emphasises efficient resource allocation and goal achievement, optimizing processes for successful outcomes.

Fashion Studies 2
Fashion Studies 2 develops ideas from Fashion Studies 1, exploring clothing and trends’ cultural, historical, and societal significance at a deeper level. On this module, students will have the opportunity to communicate issues they are passionate about through academic research and writing.

Employment and experience diploma 
The Sandwich Year diploma is designed to bridge the gap between academic theory and practical application, enhancing students' overall understanding of their chosen field and boosting their employability upon graduation. It provides a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience, develop professional skills, and establish industry connections before entering the job market. After the placement, students return to complete the academic requirements of the degree.

The third year is the most specialised and academically demanding. Students engage in advanced coursework, projects and live briefs. The Major Fashion Project allows students to demonstrate their mastery of their preferred specialism by applying their skills and research to an original brief. The dissertation allows students to explore complex topics and cutting-edge research in their field. During the third year, students also engage in career and entrepreneurial workshops to prepare for post-graduation plans and careers. 

Major Fashion Project 
The Major Fashion Project involves substantial research and creative efforts to conceptualize, develop, and execute a significant project outcome. This allows students to demonstrate their interests, skills and knowledge to enhance employability. 

Co Lab (Collaboration and Innovation) 
Co Lab is a collaborative project entailing teamwork to ideate, design, and create a collective fashion concept. Students pool skills and creativity to produce innovative and diverse outcomes for print and digital platforms. 

Portfolio 
Portfolio offers a real-time creative assignment given to fashion students by a fashion brand. It challenges students to conceptualize, design, and execute a fashion project based on current industry trends and demands. 

Fashion Industry Futures 
Fashion Industry Futures prepares students for graduation and entrepreneurial futures. Fashion Promotion careers involve roles like marketing, PR, social media management, and advertising.

Fashion Studies. 3 
In Fashion Studies 3, students develop a dissertation project with in-depth research and original findings on a specific topic of their choice. The dissertation demonstrates scholarly analysis, critical thinking, communication skills and contributes to academic knowledge.  

 

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

UCAS points: 96 (or above)

Typical qualification requirements:

  • A Level: BCC
  • BTEC: BTEC Extended Diploma Distinction Merit Merit
  • Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate: Grade C/B in the Skills Challenge Certificate and BC - CC at A Level
  • Access to HE: Pass the Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 104 UCAS tariff points.

Additional requirements include:

The University normally requires a minimum 5 GCSEs including Mathematics/Numeracy and English at Grade C or Grade 4 or above, or their equivalent, but consideration is given to individual circumstances.

Selection for this course is based on a suitable application. If you do not meet the entry criteria you may also be required to attend an interview to help us assess your suitability for the course.

International applications welcomed:

We welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications of our entry requirements. For more details related to your country of residence please view our dedicated country pages.

English language requirements

International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 72 overall and a minimum of 18 in reading, 17 in listening, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing or equivalent.

Equivalents can be located on our English Language pages.

If you have previously studied through the medium of English IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your country is not featured, please contact us.

If you do not meet the English entry criteria please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages.

Contextual offers

We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions.

USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university.

 

We're here to help

Whether you a have a question about your course, fees and funding, the application process or anything else, there are plenty of ways you can get in touch and we'd to talk to you. You can contact our friendly admissions team by phone, email or chat to us online.

 

Fees and Funding

UK Full-time Fee

£9,000

per year*
International Full-time Fee

£14,950

per year*
International Full-time Fee

£14,950

per year*

Further Information

Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).

*Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee is anticipated to remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course except as described below.

Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy.  We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.

 

Fees and Funding Scholarships and Bursaries Cost of Living Support

Additional Costs

As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.

  • Materials in Year 1: £50
  • Years 1 and 2: Sourcing, printing and finishing of outcomes: £0 - £100
  • Year 3: Research and printing costs: £0 - £500

  • Years 1 and 2: £50
  • Year 3: £350

Top ten in UK for assessment in Fashion and Textiles (Guardian University Guide 2024).

  • Top in Wales for teaching and assessment in Fashion and Textiles (Guardian University Guide 2024).

92% of our BA (Hons) Fashion Promotion students were satisfied with their course (NSS 2024).

  • Top in Wales for teaching and assessment in Fashion and Textiles (Guardian University Guide 2024).

Course Highlights

How you’ll learn

BA (Hons) Fashion Promotion employs a diverse range of assessments, spanning presentations, written reports, portfolios, and creative projects. These assessments evaluate students' theoretical understanding and practical skills. 

The delivery style combines traditional lectures for theoretical grounding with practical interactive workshops, providing hands-on experience. 

Additionally, industry collaborations, live projects, and internships expose students to real-world scenarios, enhancing their industry adaptability. 

This multifaceted approach cultivates well-rounded fashion communicators proficient in both conceptual knowledge and practical application. 

Teaching Staff

Emma is Course Leader and Senior Lecturer of BA (Hons) Fashion Promotion and teaches across the programme, providing specialist teaching in Visual Communication, Marketing Communications and Creative Direction. 

Dr Jenn Whitney is a Lecturer on BA (Hons) Fashion Promotion. She has a PhD is Critical and Cultural Theory and teaches across the critical, cultural, historical, and creative storytelling aspects of the course.

Placements

At USW we are committed to embedding employability and enterprise within our curriculum. We strive to provide accessible and inclusive opportunities for students to develop the skills, knowledge, experiences, behaviours, and graduate attributes that enable them to achieve and succeed

After completing two years of the academic studies, students can take a break from traditional classes and engage in a year-long work placement supported by the Careers Team and lecturers. During this time, they work in a professional setting related to their interest in the fashion industry, gaining practical experience and often earning a salary.

Facilities

  • Atrium is Creative Industries capital. 
  • Industry standard software – Adobe Creative Suite, PC’s and Macs. 
  • Photography Studios 
  • Media Loans eg 
  • Fashion Design Studios 
  • Library 
  • Student Union 
  • Café 
  • Therapy Dogs
  • Advice Zone 

Careers and Employability

Graduate careers

Social Media Campaign Manager – Carys  

Social Media Content Co-ordinator – Sophie 

PR Executive – Becks 

Stylist – Nicole 

Visual Merchandiser – Emma & Rosie 

Buyer – Amie Biggs 

Merchandisier – Alicia 

Graphic Designer – Fran Bushell,  

Possible career paths

Fashion Promotion involves key careers such as Fashion Marketer, Brand Strategist, Public Relations Specialist, Social Media Manager, Event Coordinator, Creative Director, Fashion Photographer, Stylist, Visual Merchandiser, and Copywriter. These professionals collaborate to create compelling campaigns, manage brand image, engage audiences on various platforms, organize events, curate visual displays, and generate captivating content to promote fashion brands and products effectively. Their combined efforts drive brand awareness, consumer engagement, and ultimately contribute to the success and growth of fashion businesses. 

Careers support

Next Steps

Apply Through UCAS
Book an Open Day
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