This degree will nurture your creativity through practical experience spanning tailoring to streetwear, and silhouette to textile experimentation.
Throughout the course you'll be supported to gain an in-depth knowledge of the fashion design process from initial concept, research and design development, through to the realisation of final design outcomes. With the freedom to explore both menswear and womenswear, you are encouraged to include print design and textiles into fashion design projects.
The academic team have a real focus on getting to know each student individually, and with a wide range of design briefs, from the highly creative to live commercial projects, you will be encouraged to push your creative design skills and develop your individual design identity - gaining an understanding of where you fit best in the industry.
You'll study advanced technical skills such as creative pattern-cutting, garment manufacturing, and digital print design in our industry-standard facilities which include specialist machine rooms, digital and sublimation printers, and a range of laser cutters.
Emphasis is also placed on developing professional visual communication skills, including fashion illustration, technical drawing, and mood board presentation, enabling you to build an exciting and industry-ready portfolio of design work.
To complement your studies and to gain professional industry experience, you'll be required to do a work placement. Past students have gained internships at House of Holland, Timberland, Alexander McQueen, Ted Baker and Marks & Spencer.
Work from our final year students across our fashion-related degrees is showcased at Graduate Fashion Week (GFW). In 2023, seven students have been shortlisted by the Graduate Fashion Foundation across a number of different categories at the GFW23 awards. Read more about the students and their work.
If you're looking to study our fashion design degree but don't have the relevant qualifications or experience, the art and design foundation year will help you develop the core skills and knowledge to progress. Find out more about the art and design foundation year.
Who is this course for?
Solent’s BA (Hons) fashion design degree is for students who are passionate about fashion design; who are keen to advance their creative design ability, knowledge of fashion industry practice and develop advanced creative technical skills.
Applicants should have previously studied a creative art and design subject, and have a portfolio of design work that demonstrates their skills and love of the subject area.
What does this course lead to?
This course primarily prepares students for design and studio assistant roles in menswear and womenswear for a wide range of market levels, from the high street to high-end.
Graduates also have the relevant skills to go into print and textile design roles. Graduates have also entered into roles such as assistant buyer, production assistant, pattern-cutter, and trend forecaster.
YEAR ONE
CORE MODULES
The Silhouette
Fashion Fundamentals
Concept to Consumer
Fashion Fabrication
YEAR TWO
CORE MODULES
Future Focus
Semiotics of Style
Form and Functionality
Capsule Collection
OPTIONAL MODULES - Please note: Not all optional modules are guaranteed to run each year
Creating a Product Range
FINAL YEAR
CORE MODULES
Portfolio and Professional Presence
ReFashion the Future
Final Collection Research and Development
Final Collection: Production
You may be assessed at the end of each block by:
Creative design projects
Garment production
Portfolios
Written assessments
Group presentations
As part of this course, you will study one module at a time, giving you the chance to build a deeper understanding and see the results of your hard work more quickly. With regular assessments and feedback, rather than exams all at once, you’ll also benefit from improved focus, and a more manageable workload.
This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.
Southampton, Solent University has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.
See why these ratings were awarded
What does this TEF outcome mean?
The following entry points are available for this course:
• Direct entry to years 2 (Level 5) or 3 (Level 6)
We welcome applications from students currently studying a Foundation Degree, DipHE, HNC, HND or modules of an undergraduate degree course at another university, who wish to enter directly into Years 2 or 3 of one of our undergraduate degree courses.
• Level 5 (year 2) entry
To directly enter the second year of this course you will need to show appropriate knowledge and experience. For example, you are an ideal candidate if you have 120 undergraduate credits at Level 4 or a CertHE in a related subject area.
• Level 6 (year 3) entry
To directly enter the third year of this course you need to show appropriate knowledge and experience. For example, you are an ideal candidate if you have 240 undergraduate credits (at Levels 4 and 5), a DipHE, Foundation Degree or HND in a related subject area.
Entry requirements for students joining after Year 1: Direct entry to years 2 (Level 5) or 3 (Level 6)
We welcome applications from students currently studying a Foundation Degree, DipHE, HNC, HND or modules of an undergraduate degree course at another university, who wish to enter directly into Years 2 or 3 of one of our undergraduate degree courses.
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6 | with a minimum of 5.5 in each component |
TOEFL IBT tests taken from 21 January 2026 Minimum overall score of 4.5 with a minimum of 4 in each individual component. TOEFL IBT tests taken prior to 21 January 2026 Minimum overall score of 80 with a minimum of 20 in each individual component. Duolingo English Language Test - 115 overall with minimum of 95 in each component or equivalent.
We understand that each student is unique. At Solent we encourage individuality and have adopted a balanced approach to Admissions, by considering exam results alongside portfolios / interviews or auditions.
Our contextual offer scheme allows offers below our standard academic entry criteria to those who have faced challenges which has impacted their performance and predicted higher grades, by taking into account additional selection criteria such as a strong portfolio, interview or audition.
This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course with (learn more).
It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place.
Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.
We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.
This report uses your grades to show how students with similar results have done when applying to this course in the past. Sometimes, there isn’t data for every possible set of grades. When that happens, universities and colleges occasionally fill in the gaps for sets of grades that are typically accepted.
| Location | Fee | Year |
|---|---|---|
| England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland & Channel Islands | £10050* | |
| EU | £10500 | |
| International | £18508 |
* This is a provisional fee and subject to change.
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.
No additional fees or cost information has been supplied for this course, please contact the provider directly.
Solent University offers a number of bursaries, grants and scholarships. For more information, please visit https://www.solent.ac.uk/finance/grants-bursaries-scholarships/bursaries
Email:admissions@solent.ac.uk
Phone:+44 (0) 23 8201 5066
Email:student.funding@solent.ac.uk
East Park Terrace
Southampton
SO14 0YN
At Southampton, Solent University
