BA (Hons) Fashion Promotion and Communication
- Study Mode: Full Time
- Location: High Wycombe
- Duration: Three or Four Years
- Start Date: September 2023
If you are an ambitious, creative individual who is keen to develop a career in fashion styling, image-making and digital media, this course could be for you. Join a fast paced and ever-evolving industry; whether you want to go on to become a stylist, photographer, art director, social media content creator or fashion editor, this course will ensure you are fully prepared.
Your ideas could pave the way for future fashion trends and movements. Inspire and empower others with your creations.
I decided to study this course at BNU because of the amazing facilities on offer across the board. The Art & Design school has a great community and you get to work alongside students from other courses, which makes it a great experience to meet more people with similar interests and get to collaborate on projects together.Wiktoria Zapadka
Open Days
We understand that when it comes to deciding where you’d like to study, there are a lot of things to consider. Come along to our Open Day and discover why BNU could be the place for you. You can find out more about your course, meet the course team, and get all your questions answered.
Application Guide
For everything you need to know about applying, check out our Application Guide. You can find useful information for each stage of your application journey – from before you even apply to what to do if you receive an offer, and everything in between.
Why study this subject?
As the rise of social media has transformed the way we consume fashion, the industry has opened a plethora of opportunities beyond the fashion designer’s role, in areas such as fashion photography, trend forecasting, styling and art direction, branding and fashion media. With the right teaching and learning opportunities, it’s possible to break into this industry and turn your passion into a rewarding and successful career.
This course is also offered as a four-year programme, including an initial Foundation Year. The Foundation Year will allow you to develop your academic study skills and build confidence in your abilities, identifying your own strengths and development needs for progression onto an undergraduate programme.
Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?
With a history of delivering expert craft, art and design education for more than 130 years, Buckinghamshire New University is the perfect place to start your creative career.
As part of the Art, Design and Performance School at BNU, you’ll benefit from a practiced-based course, supported by contextual studies. You’ll also have the opportunity to work collaboratively across the school with other courses, ensuring during your studies you are building a varied network, like you would in the real world.
Led by a dedicated and experienced course team, you’ll benefit from their industry knowledge and the industry links they bring to the course. You’ll get direct access to guest lectures, who are specialists in the sector, and can benefit from live project briefs, master classes, and networking opportunities. As a member of the British Fashion Council, UKFT and WGSN our students are supported by industry to reach their full potential.
We’re proud of the many achievements of our students and staff and throughout your course you will have the opportunity to take part in international competitions, including British Fashion Council reviews, exhibitions and the BNU Summer Show.
We’re also only 30 minutes by train into London, enabling you to visit exhibitions, shows and watch emerging styles from one of the world’s fashion capitals.
Our fashion and textiles programmes are ranked 3rd best in the UK (The Guardian University Guide 2023) and we celebrated 95% overall student satisfaction in the 2022 National Student Survey.
Stay updated with all our latest BA (Hons) Fashion Promotion and Communication news by following us on Instagram @bnu_fashionpromotion.
Opportunity modules are a key part of the BNU curriculum. You’ll choose modules in both your first and second year from a broad selection in areas such as sustainability, entrepreneurship, creativity, digital skills, personal growth, civic engagement, health & wellbeing and employment. Opportunity modules are designed to enable you to develop outside the traditional boundaries of your discipline and help you to further stand out from the crowd to future employers.
What facilities can I use?
We’ve spent a lot of love and care making the Fashion and Textile Studios the perfect creative space and one of the best-equipped workshops in the country.
Using our industry-standard photography and film studios, Mac computer suites and dedicated print area, you’ll develop knowledge, skills and techniques, whilst creating a portfolio to impress future employers.
In our professional-working studio you’ll have you own workspace which you’ll be able to turn into your own personal area, where you can bring your designs to life and surround yourself with inspiration.
We also have specialist technicians and demonstrators on site to support and share their knowledge with you, when and if you need it.
What will I study?
At the core of the BA (Hons) Fashion Promotion and Communication course is the key themes of creativity, multi-disciplinary practice and innovation.
The fashion industry is a broad sector and roles are no longer focused solely around the designer. Designers need a team to help them promote their collections, through photography, press releases and events. This course will introduce you and let you explore the different mediums in which you can promote and communicate fashion effectively.
Looking at key areas, including photography, styling, illustration, film, the use of digital platforms, trend analysis, marketing, branding and P.R. This course fuses theory with creative practice, allowing you to develop intellectual, technical and professional skills and knowledge to succeed professionally upon graduation.
Starting with the fundamentals, you’ll start to explore this creative practice through technical workshops, masterclasses and seminars. You’ll also gain an understanding of the historical development of fashion promotion including the impact of globalisation and introduction of new technologies, as well as the ethical responsibilities of fashion media. We encourage you to research and develop individual approaches to fashion promotion and communication.
As you progress on the course you experiment and explore more individual creative responses to a series of industry-led projects. You’ll also start to build your final degree project, using innovation and creativity to create a portfolio of eye-catching work.
Upon graduating from this course, you’ll be able to work collaboratively with designers and the team that sit behind them to problem-solve and push creative ideas, to promote collections and trends through both new and traditional media.
My course allows so much freedom to be creative with my work, I’ve also gained industry experience through live briefs with big brands such as AllSaints. Coming to Buckinghamshire New University was definitely the right choice, I have developed massively in terms of my confidence and my skills.Charlotte Denton
How will I be taught and assessed?
The BA (Hons) Fashion Promotion and Communication degree encompasses a wide variety of teaching and learning methods. Most of this degree is studio-practice based, here we aim to create the ethos of a professional real-world environment.
The course sits within a creative community and draws from close collaborations with the Fashion Design course, to encourage an awareness and an experience of working in the industry. You'll be able to gain a holistic view of the fashion industry and will acquire first-hand insight into the fashion process, from original concept to design through to the promotion of the final project. This will help give you the edge in a competitive market.
You’ll also have the opportunity to work on live briefs with fashion industry brands, which will challenge and enhance your skills, knowledge and approaches. Our collaborations with industry will foster professional working practices, further preparing you for employment once you’ve graduated.
You’ll also be assessed though; 1:1 or small group tutorials, lectures and seminars, portfolio and presentations, written assessments, sketchbooks, group critiques and self-directed study.
Industry Projects 21/22
Visual Merchandising for international fashion retailer AllSaints
Social media marketing for London based social enterprise brand Pivot
Visual Merchandising for the Lone Design Club’s London Fashion Week pop-up store
Graphic packaging design competition for Graphic Design Agency JDO Global
What are the course entry requirements?
A typical offer will require a UCAS tariff score of: 88 - 112 (Full-time) or 32 - 56 (Foundation Year)
A minimum of two full A-levels (or equivalent) is required. Every application is considered on an individual basis.
Applicants will need to complete an interview and/or demonstrate portfolio work, further guidance is given on the interview and portfolio advice section.
For further details of our international English entry requirements, please visit our international pages.
Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements for the three-year undergraduate programme, or those who do not feel fully prepared for a degree course, can apply for a four-year programme including a Foundation Year.
Modules
This provides a guide of the modules that make up your course. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our Academic Advice section.
This course has Opportunity modules.
Opportunity modules are a key part of the BNU curriculum. You’ll choose modules in both your first and second year from a broad selection in areas such as sustainability, entrepreneurship, creativity, digital skills, personal growth, civic engagement, health & wellbeing and employment. Opportunity modules are designed to enable you to develop outside the traditional boundaries of your discipline and help you to further stand out from the crowd to future employers. Find out more.
You must choose 2 x 10 credit Level 4 Opportunity modules from the Opportunity module catalogue.
You must choose 2 x 10 credit Level 5 Opportunity modules.
What are the tuition fees
Home
Home, Academic Year 2023 - 2024
£9,250 per year
International
Overseas/International, Academic Year 2023 - 2024
£15,000 per year
What are my career prospects?
Throughout your time with us we’ll support you on the route to your chosen career. We’ll help you to develop crucial skills, encouraging you to become enterprising, employable and good leaders. Our Careers and Employability Team also help you find employment after graduation.
Upon graduation, you will be prepared for a range of career possibilities. Using the skills and knowledge learnt on this course, you could find yourself performing the following roles all over the world:
- Fashion stylist
- Fashion photographer
- Videographer
- Fashion editor
- Social media manager/ content creator
- Visual Merchandiser
- Art Director
- Fashion-show producer
- Fashion marketing and PR
- Fashion Journalist
You may also choose to stay on at Buckinghamshire New University and study a postgraduate programme.
Course leader
