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Prepare to launch your career in the rapidly growing and exciting world of the fashion industry. Explore every aspect of fashion, from styling and manufacturing to visual merchandising, buying, and selling. Gain invaluable skills and an understanding of fashion design, fashion promotion, and marketing.
Looking to make your mark in the fashion industry but can’t decide between fashion design, or fashion promotion and marketing? Our Fashion Design and Promotion course gives you skills and crucial understanding in both areas.
In fashion design, you’ll develop concepts, explore materials, design everything from fabrics to full fashion collections, and develop an understanding of the manufacturing processes. You’ll gain all the skills you’ll need to construct garments – such as pattern making, cutting, sewing, fabric printing, and craftsmanship. You'll also have the opportunity to discover new technologies, using software such as CLO 3D to bring your designs to life.
In the fashion promotion and marketing pathway, you’ll consider the whole fashion market, analyse future trends, develop brands, learn the marketing mix, understand visual merchandising, create promotional materials, and plan and manage events, including fashion shows. You’ll learn graphic design, styling, and photography, and will have access to our fashion journalism expertise.
Our team will guide you and help choose your preferred pathway. The course will prepare you for a successful career in areas including design, styling, promotion, marketing, manufacturing, visual merchandising, buying and selling.
Teaching is almost entirely practical and studio based, supported by lectures, seminars, tutorials, e-learning, and independent study and research. Assessment is all coursework based.
In the first year, you’ll cover the fundamental foundation subjects across both fashion design and fashion promotion. In the second year, you'll build on, grow, and develop your knowledge and learning in both disciplines through a series of live projects, competitions and the annual second year Fashion Show.
You'll have the opportunity to apply to undertake an optional placement year out in industry between your second and final year, this is sometimes known as a sandwich degree.
In your final year, you'll specialise in your chosen pathway, developing your own unique Final Major Project. Previously these have included the creation and production of a full fashion line, developing a brand identity and look book, producing a fashion publication, and creating and delivering a fashion event.
Part-time study
If you study this course on a part-time basis you will typically complete 40-80 credits in a year, rather than the 120 credits of full-time students. All modules are taught during the day time and you will be studying alongside full-time students.
Our typical offer is:
| Qualification | Minimum grade |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma along with one of the following at the required grade: SAT I and SAT II, ACT or Advanced Placement | GPA 3.0 or above and: Sat score of 1100/1600 from SATs AP (Grades 3+ in at least 2 subjects) ACT (score of 26+) |
If you don't meet our standard entry requirements, you can take one of the foundation pathways at our partners ONCAMPUS Sunderland. Find out more information and whether your course is eligible on our ONCAMPUS page.
If your qualification is not listed above, please contact the Student Administration team at studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk for further advice.
Our admissions policy uses a range of flexible options to support you in studying with us. This may include a reduced offer of up to 16 UCAS tariff points, (or equivalent). Find out if you are eligible.
If English is not your first language, please see our English language requirements.
If you are studying an HND or Foundation Degree you may be able to enter the final year of our degree courses. For more information, please contact studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk.
Interview/portfolio requirements
We’ll invite you to an informal interview where we'd like to see evidence of your creative potential. Please prepare a portfolio of work you have completed so far. We're not looking for perfection as we appreciate you may still be developing work. We would like to see:
If you are an international applicant, please send a link to your online portfolio.
The annual, full-time fee for this course is:
*Undergraduate fees are set according to rules from Government in line with forecast inflation. The fee for your first year of study for 2025/26 will be £9,535. You will pay tuition fees for every year of study. Fees may increase every year based on the Retail Price Index.
Tuition fees for part-time students are £7,145 per 90 credits. Please note that part-time courses are not available to international students who require a Student visa to study in the UK.
Read more about EU fees and funding in our Help and Advice article.
Take a look at the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.
This information was correct at the time of publication.
The UK fashion industry is worth £26 billion to the economy and growing. More than 800,000 people are working in fashion in the UK and we want you to be part of it.
Students on our course have previously worked with brands such as Barbour, NeuThreads, and have designed the football strip for SAFC Women. This invaluable industry experience will prepare you for work in areas including design, styling, promotion, marketing, manufacturing, visual merchandising, buying, and selling.
Graduates from this course have gone into a wide range of careers, from fashion design, pattern cutting and garment technology to sourcing and allocating, buying, branding, marketing, merchandising, communications, styling and more.
The professional skills graduates obtain from this course also allow them to build successful freelance careers.
Past graduates have gone on to work for well renowned design companies such as Abercrombie and Fitch, River Island, Debenhams, TopMan, All Saints and Matalan.
Get real life experience by organising your own fashion event in the city in your second year. Working together to liaise with venues, planning music, branding and marketing, booking models, and not forgetting creating pieces for the show.
Previous events have included a fashion film premiere, a catwalk show in London, a dance performance and DJ. The fundraising event, which is part of an event planning module, helps our students raise money for their final year Degree Show.
You’ll also get the opportunity to enter your work into national awards ceremonies. Our successful students in the past have been finalists at The Golden Shears awards.
Creative Industries Week gives everyone in Arts and Creative the opportunity to participate in a range of projects, workshops, talks, industry visits and career events. This exciting week encourages interdisciplinary working, broadens your experience, builds your confidence and helps to develop your career path.
Sunderland Culture is a collaboration between the University, council and the city’s key cultures organisations. This partnership brings big-name creatives in contemporary visual arts, glass, ceramics and performance to the city; showcases exciting local talent; and gives our students unique experiences including exceptional career-enhancing opportunities.
I'm working as a Senior Menswear Designer, running a menswear department as the sole designer.
This is a great course to figure out what you like because it covers fashion design and promotion.
My favourite part of the course was the opportunity for creative expression and experimentation.
I think the skills that I gained while I studied here have helped me get to where I am today.
