Fashion Management with Marketing MA

Course modules

Modules

Term one

Research Methods (Compulsory)

Teaches you a range of conceptual and practical research skills, such as questionnaire design and interview techniques. As part of this module, you will formulate your major project proposal, specifying your aims, objectives, research methods and expected outcomes. You will also learn how to undertake the literature review for your major project.

Integrated Brand Management

Provides a practical exploration of branding from both a business and design perspective. You will investigate brand management with an emphasis on brand narrative and explore the holistic approach to brands by examining sensory branding, emotional branding, spiritual branding and experience design. You will learn how brands are used to promote business both internally and externally and how to apply the principles of a design audit to a brand of your choice in order to explore how it supports the business objective.

Fashion Promotion and Marketing

The module reviews both theoretical concepts & current approaches to communication and commerce in global fashion markets. Exploring key aspects of fashion marketing and promotion via case studies of retailers, brands and designers, to enable you to develop creative strategies and commercial solutions to real-life industry challenges.

Global Fashion Management 1

This module focuses upon the management of the various activities involved within the product development process, from concept to production. Exploring sourcing strategies, critical path management and customer analysis along with practical elements to develop an understanding of the processes to develop products to commercial quality standards. A contemporary vision of the global fashion industry is also gained through reflecting on future market and industry trends.

Term two

Global Fashion Management 2

This module builds on Global Fashion Management 1 and focuses upon the supply of products from production to consumption. You will explore a range of global supply chain activities, including the management of all of the processes to ensure that the products are produced at the right time, in the correct quantities and are available by specified deadlines while working to tight budget constraints and maintaining the expected quality standards.

Critical Perspectives in Ethical and Sustainable Fashion

Investigates the impact of ethical and environmental considerations on designed products, garment production and business ideology. It will enable those looking to work in fashion manufacturing or retail to provide future designers and buyers with a clear overview of the major sustainability issues within the industry.

You will select two modules from the following term two optional modules:

Managing Business Web Presence

Teaches you how to critically appraise website designs, social media activity and wider networking channels while learning about creative production and management processes. You will learn how best to evaluate the role of website design in business, marketing and the creative industries, while examining advances in web architecture, technology, interface and management.

Business Planning for the Creative Entrepreneur

Develops your business knowledge and planning skills enabling you to identify the potential for a new product or service. You will study the key issues in starting a business and covers topics such as business plans, leadership, investment and risk management.

Global Markets: Designing businesses for international growth

Examines the key issues involved in developing new international markets and the role of the design manager and entrepreneur in enabling design and creative businesses to compete effectively in the global economy.

Design for Retail

Covers all aspects of in-store retail design, including product, environment, technology, communication and service. You will also examine brand perception, buyer behaviour and engagement with the retail experience.

Term three

Final Project: Dissertation

The course culminates in a Dissertation; a research project allowing you to focus on a specific subject area of your choice often focused upon a topic associated with future career objectives. This is an opportunity to deepen your knowledge and understanding to demonstrate critical understanding of your chosen area of investigation.

OR

Work based project

This work-based module allows you to use the skills developed during your course and enables you to undertake a negotiated investigative project in a real-world setting. You will be expected to demonstrate that you can exercise initiative, take personal responsibility, embrace complex decision-making processes and act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional level. As part of the project, you will be required to produce a project proposal, 10,000 word report and a 30-minute presentation. (Note that students are responsible for securing their own suitable work experience)

Teaching and assessments

Overview

The programme is delivered primarily through lectures and seminars as well as tutorial guidance. Lectures deliver a discourse on a particular subject followed by seminars which are used for holding discussions or for the exchanging of information in a smaller group. Tutorials are provided usually to discuss a subject on a one to one basis between the tutor and yourself; however you may find yourself in a small tutorial group to benefit from the contribution of others.

The Fashion Management with Marketing MA is a theoretical programme and assessments are mostly by the submission of fully referenced and structured reports. Presentations are also fundamental as an opportunity for you to present your work to others either for assessment or within a scheduled class activity. One module also includes the formulation of a weekly blog for you to keep abreast of topical issues and sometimes to provide a framework for seminar discussions, as well as being an assessed module component. You will be required to submit a project proposal which will act as your plan for future research, especially for the dissertation.

As a postgraduate student you will be expected to conduct a substantial amount of self-directed learning. This is important for you to contextualise your studies and to broaden your knowledge. It is the breadth and depth that will add so much to your work and your studies.

Through receiving feedback on your work, you will be able to reflect on aspects of your learning and develop an action plan that will help you to progress.

The fashion and textile business is highly competitive and we encourage you to develop networking opportunities by becoming a student member of trade associations and to engage in conferences and seminars delivered by industry members. We expect you to be proactive and attend presentations provided by visitors from the fashion and textiles business to the university, as extra curricular activity.

Throughout the programme the curriculum is enhanced by visiting lectures from a variety of business experiences, where appropriate to the module curriculum.

Contact hours

In your first two terms you will normally attend around 12 hours of timetabled taught sessions including lectures, tutorials and workshop and studio sessions each week, and be expected to undertake at least 23 hours of independent study each week. Your third term will be pre-dominantly self-directed (including meetings with your supervisor), during which you can expect to undertake 35 hours of independent study each week

Part-time study is normally undertaken on a half-time basis.