The MA Fashion program is meticulously structured to cultivate your expertise in the specialized world of fashion, guiding you on a journey to become a true Fashion Master.
Throughout the four distinct units of this course, you will be challenged to critically examine your personal approach to fashion and deepen your commitment to your creative work. Intensive and thorough research and exploration will be at the heart of your learning experience.
Learning is delivered through project-based methods, incorporating individual tutorials, engaging workshops, insightful seminars, constructive group critiques, and valuable peer reviews. These diverse learning environments are designed to hone your self-critical judgment and refine your thinking processes. From the initial stages of exploration and contextualization to experimentation, development, and finally, the effective communication of your innovative ideas and outcomes, you will be supported at every step.
A strong emphasis is placed on fostering creativity, nurturing your unique identity as a designer, and facilitating professional development. The program champions the creation of authentic and sustainable solutions within the fashion industry, instilling a sense of accountability in design practice. Digital learning is also integrated to empower you to experiment with cutting-edge technologies, applying them to design development and communication. The program embraces innovation, allowing for fully digital outcomes in project and unit assessments, reflecting the evolving landscape of the fashion world.
Unit 1: Foundational Knowledge and Essential Skills for Fashion Mastery
This introductory unit is designed to be an immersive learning experience through practical dialogue. Projects within this unit are carefully crafted to encourage deep reflection on your existing knowledge base, honed skills, and inherent abilities within the fashion domain. Discussions are designed to challenge pre-conceived notions and broaden your understanding of fashion as a multifaceted and dynamic subject of advanced study.
Individual and group tutorials and critiques provide platforms to openly discuss your strategies for research, development processes, practical making, and the crucial communication of responsible and ethical design. Workshops and seminars will facilitate collaborative learning and in-depth discussions exploring key themes such as design and identity, accountability within the fashion industry, and planetary justice in fashion practices. These interactive sessions encourage the exchange of shared perspectives and the exploration of diverse concerns, helping you to refine and articulate your ideas with clarity and precision on your path to becoming a fashion master.
Unit 2: Collaborative Practices: Forging a Path to Fashion Leadership
Unit 2 offers unique opportunities for interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary research and practical collaborations with fellow postgraduate courses within Central Saint Martins. This collaborative spirit is essential for future fashion masters who need to work across disciplines.
This unit, undertaken during the Spring term, is specifically designed to foster robust practice development across the College, aligning with the University’s overarching social purpose: ‘to change society through our knowledge and creativity’. By engaging in collaborative projects, you will broaden your perspectives and develop crucial teamwork skills essential for leadership roles in the fashion industry.
Unit 3: Independent Projects: Pre-Collection & Independent Major Project – Part 1
Unit 3 transitions to a focus on independent and industry-led project briefs, challenging you to take ownership of your creative vision and develop your unique style as a future fashion master.
Individual tutorials and group critiques will continue to support your progress, providing platforms to discuss your approach to research, development processes, practical making, and effective communication of your design concepts.
This unit emphasizes investigative methodologies, encourages calculated risk-taking in design exploration, and promotes critical self-assessment of your work. The Pre-collection project allows you to rigorously investigate your design ideas and test innovative solutions in a practical setting. This exploration directly informs the development of your Rationale (research proposal, reasons, and aims) for your Independent Major Project, Part 1 – Portfolio. This portfolio will encompass a substantial body of preliminary research and initial design development, demonstrating your growing mastery of fashion design principles.
Unit 4: Independent Major Project – Part 2 – Realization: Achieving Fashion Mastery
The rationale, research, and design development meticulously produced in Unit 3 form the bedrock of this culminating course unit. Unit 4 allows you to fully immerse yourself in the making and realization of your Major Project, bringing your vision to life and solidifying your journey to fashion mastery. Throughout this final stage, you will receive dedicated support in planning, developing, and completing your self-directed development work. Individual supervision and invaluable in-progress feedback will be provided during scheduled garment fitting sessions, specifically designed to advance your professional and academic skills to the high level demanded for successful post-graduation practices in the competitive fashion industry.
Two significant outcomes are required to successfully complete your MA and achieve recognition as a fashion master. These typically include a comprehensive design portfolio showcasing your creative journey and a meticulously crafted garment collection demonstrating your specialist knowledge and mastery of fashion design. The option for wholly digital outcomes for projects and unit assessments remains available, reflecting the industry’s move towards digital innovation.
Important Note on Academic Progression: To ensure you maintain momentum in your pursuit of fashion mastery, it is crucial to note the academic progression policy. Should you be required to retake a unit, you will need to temporarily pause further study on the course until you have successfully passed the unit in question. Upon successful completion, you will be able to seamlessly proceed to the next unit in your journey to becoming a fashion master. Retaking a unit may necessitate a period of time out of study, which could potentially impact student loans or visa status for international students.
Mode of Study:
The MA Fashion program is offered in full-time mode, spanning 45 weeks over 17 months of intensive study. You will be expected to dedicate a minimum of 40 hours per week to your studies, encompassing both scheduled teaching time and essential independent study crucial for developing your expertise as a fashion master.
Credit and Award Requirements:
This prestigious course is credit-rated at 180 credits, reflecting the rigorous and comprehensive nature of the program designed to cultivate fashion masters.
Upon successful completion of all course requirements, you will be awarded a Master of Arts (MA degree), signifying your achievement of fashion master level education.
Within the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications, an MA is classified as Level 7, recognizing the advanced level of study and expertise attained. While all units must be successfully passed to achieve the MA, the final award classification is determined solely by the mark achieved in the final unit, emphasizing the importance of culminating your studies with a strong demonstration of fashion mastery.
In the event that you are unable to continue on the course, a Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) will typically be offered following the successful completion of 60 credits, or a Postgraduate Diploma (PG Dip) upon successful completion of 120 credits, providing recognition for the modules completed.
