Fashion Marketing and Business BA (Hons)
Length:
3 or 4 year options
UCAS Code:
W240
Institution Code:
N39
Optional Diploma Years:
Creative Professional Development (1 year, Level 5 diploma), or Creative Computing (1 year, Level 5 diploma), available between years 2 & 3
Unite your love for fashion innovation and business strategy as you delve into the marketing mechanisms of the global fashion industry.
Our course is designed for aspiring fashion entrepreneurs and leaders who want to innovate and reshape the global fashion industry. BA (Hons) Fashion Marketing and Business provides a unique insight into the commercial fundamentals, marketing strategies and core brand development techniques used in the fashion industry, allowing you to fully understand, create and operate successful fashion businesses.
You’ll create dynamic marketing campaigns, retail concepts, buying proposals and business plans that will allow you to fully understand and operate within successful fashion businesses. As you build your knowledge of fashion marketing, you will develop skills in marketing and promotional strategies, international fashion branding, fashion retail and visual merchandising and fashion buying and merchandising.
You will follow the path of graduates from our sister course, Fashion Communication and Promotion, who are set up for successful careers after work experience and internships at brands such as Vivienne Westwood, Jimmy Choo, Net A Porter, and Adidas.
Why Study with us
- Share the first-year curriculum with BA (Hons) Fashion Communication and Promotion allowing you to study shared core fashion fundamentals including fashion history, branding, marketing and effective communication techniques.
- Build your knowledge of fashion marketing and awareness in key areas including fashion retail and visual merchandising, buying and merchandising, business models and planning, corporate responsibility and law, and international fashion strategy.
- Develop an understanding of the fashion industry, organisational management and fashion business fundamentals.
- Create dynamic marketing campaigns, retail concepts, buying proposals and business plans to fully understand and operate within successful fashion businesses.
- Understand how brands respond to consumer demands, from global social change to sustainability, and why incorporating it into future creative business strategies is essential for success.
2024 graduate showreel
Course Content
Integrated Foundation Year (optional)
Our Integrated Foundation Year is designed to equip students with the necessary skills, knowledge and confidence to thrive in their chosen degree subject. The course provides a comprehensive introduction to various disciplines, blending critical thinking and creative problem-solving with practical hands-on experience. This year serves as a bridge to undergraduate studies, allowing students to explore their interests within a supportive and inspiring environment, while familiarising themselves with the campus, workshops, and tutors.
Year 1
This unit introduces you to the concepts surrounding fashion trend reporting, image making, industry innovators and culture. You will share a joint first year with our BA (Hons) Fashion Communication and Promotion degree allowing you to explore a broader range of fundamental theories and skills. We will show you to how to identify fashion and colour trends, how professional trend agencies operate, how to write trend reports and the social, cultural trends and ethical issues affecting the fashion industry today. You will have the opportunity to explore image making and experiment with fashion shoot production and execution.
40 credits
This unit will introduce key fashion marketing theories and principles, such as strategic branding, competitor analysis, consumer behaviour and the macro fashion environment. Our creative thinking technique workshops will support you on how to create unique branding solutions, creative assets and content. You will have the opportunity to explore the fashion publication landscape, looking at target readers, business costs, and how to develop media and advertising packs. Through workshops you will explore key graphic design techniques, including layout design and font explorations. In addition, you will consider the impact great design and clear communication can have within a professional industry setting. You will be introduced to new areas of practice and will explore opportunities for working within brands, within creative agencies, and as a freelance creative practitioner.
80 credits
The first week of each academic year is called Wayfinding week. It’s an opportunity get your bearings, establish new connections and, after your first year at Norwich, re-establish old ones. Your course team will talk you through the year ahead and explain the expectations for the year. We’ll help you navigate new encounters and identify areas to focus on as you progress through your course.
An important element of Wayfinding Week is taking part in our annual ‘Make it Manifest(o)’ project. Your course team will introduce the project in which we’ll ask you to consider your hopes and vision of the year ahead at Norwich and work with students in other year groups to bring your ideas to life. The project culminates in a celebratory display of work across the campus. The project will help you to develop your critical creativity through different approaches, concepts, and mediums. You’ll encounter diverse perspectives and build friendships and networks within our university community.
Interchange weeks are opportunities to step away from your disciplinary studies and engage in projects, workshops, visits and talks that extend your knowledge and understanding of the world. Whether you learn a new skill or take part in a global challenge project with students from other courses, you will come away with new insights to take back to your course. Interchange is part of the schedule for all Norwich students with sessions held across and beyond the campus led by university staff, visiting lecturers and students.
Year 2
This unit explores the world of fashion retail, visual merchandising, fashion buying, social media, and international fashion marketing. You will dig deep into sustainable and ethical practice, industry awareness and analysis, as well as communication methods for diverse global fashion markets. You will be introduced to new theories and practice in relation to PR and event management, retail environments (in-store and online) and digital technologies, as well as campaign strategy and project management. Industry sessions will explore key and emerging roles within the industry, freelance roles, start-up opportunities, CV writing and how to apply for internships.
80 credits
This unit focuses on collaboration, helping you to develop your strategic thinking, project management and team working skills to respond to creative client briefs. You may, for example, get involved in collaborations within your course, cross-course collaborations and/or collaborations with industry. Lectures and seminars will explore the key historical, cultural and industry issues facing the fashion industry today, and you’ll identify your own areas of interest within the fashion marketing and business field. You will begin to investigate your own area of research interest, supported by lectures and workshops exploring research techniques, ethical practice and report writing.
40 credits
The first week of each academic year is called Wayfinding week. It’s an opportunity get your bearings, establish new connections and, after your first year at Norwich, re-establish old ones. Your course team will talk you through the year ahead and explain the expectations for the year. We’ll help you navigate new encounters and identify areas to focus on as you progress through your course.
An important element of Wayfinding Week is taking part in our annual ‘Make it Manifest(o)’ project. Your course team will introduce the project in which we’ll ask you to consider your hopes and vision of the year ahead at Norwich and work with students in other year groups to bring your ideas to life. The project culminates in a celebratory display of work across the campus. The project will help you to develop your critical creativity through different approaches, concepts, and mediums. You’ll encounter diverse perspectives and build friendships and networks within our university community.
Interchange weeks are opportunities to step away from your disciplinary studies and engage in projects, workshops, visits and talks that extend your knowledge and understanding of the world. Whether you learn a new skill or take part in a global challenge project with students from other courses, you will come away with new insights to take back to your course. Interchange is part of the schedule for all Norwich students with sessions held across and beyond the campus led by university staff, visiting lecturers and students.
Diploma Year (optional)
Students have the opportunity to spend a year after the second of their degree (or the third year if studying for a degree with an Integrated Foundation Year) enhancing their employability options through a Level 5 Diploma. They can choose from courses designed to provide:
- opportunities to gain industry insight, developing employability skills through a series of supported experiences, expanding professional networks and building confidence in the workplace, or
- an introduction to creative computing, building an understanding of how coding skills can be used to advance and complement creative practice.
Final year
This is the first and shorter of the two units that make up your final year of study. You will continue to explore key areas within the fashion business industry to determine your area of individual focus within entrepreneurship, retail, buying, marketing, product development or industry innovation. Our industry lecture series will support your investigations by exploring key talking points, theories and issues affecting the fashion industry today. The unit gives you the opportunity to identify, investigate and plan a self-determined, critical research project, culminating in a 5,000-word written report.
40 credits
Your final unit allows you to research, conceptualise and create a self-determined final year project, building on the skills, knowledge, and understanding you have gathered throughout the course. Your final year project will be a business plan or marketing strategy that outlines the research, development, and launch of a new campaign, product, or service. Outside your project, you will continue to explore concept generation, business planning, campaign strategy, budgeting, and finances, marketing and communications, and digital technologies. You’ll also produce a professional website showcasing the visual products, services, and promotional tools, for your final concept. Careers and employability sessions, like My Fashion Future, explore industry platforms, job roles, CVs, cover letters, interviews, and self-promotion so that you are industry-ready once you graduate.
80 credits
The first week of each academic year is called Wayfinding week. It’s an opportunity get your bearings, establish new connections and, after your first year at Norwich, re-establish old ones. Your course team will talk you through the year ahead and explain the expectations for the year. We’ll help you navigate new encounters and identify areas to focus on as you progress through your course.
An important element of Wayfinding Week is taking part in our annual ‘Make it Manifest(o)’ project. Your course team will introduce the project in which we’ll ask you to consider your hopes and vision of the year ahead at Norwich and work with students in other year groups to bring your ideas to life. The project culminates in a celebratory display of work across the campus. The project will help you to develop your critical creativity through different approaches, concepts, and mediums. You’ll encounter diverse perspectives and build friendships and networks within our university community.
Interchange weeks are opportunities to step away from your disciplinary studies and engage in projects, workshops, visits and talks that extend your knowledge and understanding of the world. Whether you learn a new skill or take part in a global challenge project with students from other courses, you will come away with new insights to take back to your course. Interchange is part of the schedule for all Norwich students with sessions held across and beyond the campus led by university staff, visiting lecturers and students.
Careers Information
The focus throughout the course is very much on work-related learning and work placements. Dedicated employability workshops covering networking, personal brand building, CV and cover letter writing will help find you the appropriate opportunities within the industry.
Through engagement with industry guests, and bespoke workshops, graduates will go on to be the fashion CEOs, strategists, marketing directors and innovation leaders of the future.
Typical career paths include
- International fashion marketing
- Fashion retailer
- Fashion campaign manager
- PR and event manager
- Digital content creator
- Brand strategist
- Social media strategist
- Visual merchandiser
- Fashion buyer
- Fashion merchandiser
- Fashion business manager
- Fashion entrepreneur
You’ll also get specialist creative careers advice from our Business and Employability Team to help support you as you plan your career.
Lucy Walls
Tabbed Section
Typical UK offers
A / AS Levels – GCE
GCE A/AS Levels 3 A-level qualifications at grades BCC (104 UCAS Tariff points) or above. Where candidates are not taking 3 A-levels, Norwich University of the Arts will consider combinations of A-level/AS-level and other Level 3 qualifications.
BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF or RQF)
Distinction, Merit, Merit in an art, design or media related subject
BTEC Diploma (QCF or RQF)
Distinction*, Distinction* in an art, design or media related subject
T Levels
A T Level in any subject with overall grade Merit or above
UAL Extended Diploma
Merit
UAL Level 3 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
Pass
UAL Level 4 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
Pass
Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
Pass
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Art and Design)
Pass
International Baccalaureate Diploma
A minimum of 26 points
Norwich University of the Arts welcomes applicants of all ages from all backgrounds. Your application will be primarily assessed through your portfolio (if required), responses to questions asked and personal statement, so even if you have no formal qualifications or do not meet our typical offers it can still be worth applying.
If you are studying at the time of your application and your application is successful it is likely that you will receive a conditional offer.
If the qualification that you are studying is not shown, do not worry as we are able to accept other pre-entry qualifications as well as combinations of different qualifications. Please do contact our Student Recruitment Team if you have any queries.
International applications
We accept qualifications from all over the world. To find our entry requirements from a specific country, please check our dedicated international pages.
Most international students are required to hold an English language qualification. Applicants are required to have a minimum UKVI approved IELTS exam score of 6.0 overall, with a minimum of 5.5 in each section. Equivalent English language qualifications are acceptable such as, IB English language syllabus A or B/English Literature (Grade 4).
We also accept some alternative English qualifications. Learn more about our English entry requirements.
You can email us on international@norwichuni.ac.uk if you’d like to discuss your application individually.
2024/25 University fees for new entrants
Norwich University of the Arts will assess students’ tuition fee status using the guidance provided by the UK Council for International Student Affairs
Students from the UK or Ireland and EU students with ‘Settled’ or ‘Pre-Settled’ status will be charged ‘Home’ fees if they meet the relevant residency requirements. They will usually be eligible for a tuition fee loan from the UK government, meaning that they won’t have to pay Norwich University of the Arts’ tuition fees upfront.
Students who do not meet the necessary residency requirements will usually be charged ‘Overseas’ fees and will not be eligible for the UK government tuition fee loan. Since 2021/22, this includes new entrants from the EU, EEA, and Switzerland who do not have ‘Settled’ or ‘Pre-Settled’ status, because the UK has now formally left the EU.
| Fee status | Course | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|
| Home | Undergraduate degree (full-time three and four year degree) | £9,250 |
| Overseas | Undergraduate degree (full-time three and four year degree) | £18,000 |
Inflation in subsequent years
The rules for inflation on fees in subsequent years depend on the type of fee status and level.
- For Home undergraduate students starting in 2024, inflation may be applied to your fees in later years, if the UK government were to increase the fee cap beyond the current limit of £9,250 per year. If such an increase were to apply, we would confirm this in advance to you of each academic year, and we would limit the increase to the maximum allowed by the Office for Students.
- For Overseas undergraduate students starting in 2024, inflation will be applied to your fees in later years. We will confirm this in advance to you of each academic year, and we will limit the increase to no more than the Office for Students’ recommended inflationary measure, which is RPI-X. RPI-X is calculated by the Office for Budget Responsibility. In setting fees for the following year, we will use the Office for Budget Responsibility’s RPI-X forecast for quarter 3 of the relevant year.
For Home and overseas postgraduate degree students starting in 2024, fees will remain the same for each year of your course.
Financial support for UK students in 2024
Tuition fee loans and loans for living costs are usually available to UK and some EU students, as well as non-repayable Norwich University of the Arts bursaries based on family income. Find out more about applying for funding.
International students
We offer a range of scholarships for international students to support your studies with us.
- Group briefings
- Academic tutorials
- Group tutorials
- Lectures
- Workshops
- Critiques (crits)
- Seminars
- Finished pieces of work
- Presentations
- Written work
- Your research
- A reflective journal
Work-based Learning Opportunities
Between Years 2 and 3 of this course, you’ll have the opportunity to undertake one of the following additional qualifications:
Creative Professional Development (1 year, Level 5 Diploma)
Our Creative Professional Development Diploma gives you the chance to spend a year exploring your post-uni job options through a structured programme of input sessions and work-based learning. This year offers two much-sought-after industry placements – the first lasting six weeks, the second 12 weeks, and a group project or ‘hackathon’ exploring freelancing and business start-up.
Creative Computing (1 year, Level 5 Diploma)
Our Creative Computing Diploma introduces you to coding and computational skills that will advance and complement your creative practice. No prior experience of coding is needed, just a curiosity about creative computing and a desire to push your own practice into new realms. You’ll also develop a wider knowledge of the creative tech industries, available roles and opportunities.
Integrated Foundation Year – BA (Hons) Fashion Marketing and Business
An Integrated Foundation Year offers students a chance to build on their experience within their undergraduate course of choice.
An Integrated Foundation Year will help to build confidence and develop subject specific practical, creative and conceptual skills – making full use of University studios and workshops.
Typical UK offers and entry requirements for Integrated Foundation Year entry
GCE A/AS Levels
2 A-level qualifications at grades CC or higher.
BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF or RQF)
Merit, Merit, Pass in an art, design or media related subject
BTEC Diploma (QCF or RQF)
Distinction, Merit in an art, design or media related subject
T Levels
Pass (D or E on the core)
UAL Extended Diploma
An overall Pass
UAL Level 3 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
An overall Pass
Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
Pass
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Art and Design)
Pass
International Baccalaureate Diploma
A minimum of 24 points
Norwich University of the Arts welcomes applicants of all ages from all backgrounds. Your application will be primarily assessed through your portfolio, responses to questions asked and personal statement, so even if you have no formal qualifications or do not meet our typical offers it can still be worth applying.
If you are studying at the time of your application and your application is successful it is likely that you will receive a conditional offer.
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