We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified*:
IELTS Academic module overall 6.5 with 5.5 in each component.
TOEFL-iBT (including Special Home Edition) 92 or above with 20 in each section. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
Cambridge English: Advanced or Proficiency overall 176 with 162 in each component.
Trinity ISE: ISE II with a distinction in all four components.
We also accept a wider range of international qualifications and tests.
English language qualifications must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the degree you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, or Trinity ISE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.
Our dynamic and award-winning fashion programme puts emphasis on your personal creative freedom and design innovation. We believe that the only way to create the fashion innovators of the future is to promote your individual design identity while developing and nurturing your full creative potential.
Our ambition is to ensure that you have the best chance of employment and career development upon graduation. We believe in cultivating expressive, visionary and provocative designers with a broad range of abilities, addressing all sectors of the fashion design community.
Social responsibility is core to our programme's educational structure. This ensures that emotionally-considerate design, and empathetic knowledge of diverse consumers and their needs, is placed at the core of intelligent design solutions. Our students strive to create products that have a sustainable and meaningful place in the contemporary design world.
Integrated with the practical studio work, Design and Screen Cultures courses provide a contextual and theoretical understanding of the holistic nature of contemporary design.
Year 1
Year 1 offers you a dynamic and highly creative approach to design. You will be introduced to the foundations of fashion drawing and communication, creative cutting, research methods and garment construction.
In Design and Screen Cultures you will address the key histories and theories of design.
You will be encouraged to develop key awareness of the discipline through both contemporary and historical analysis.
You will be able to take up to 60 credits of option courses, either within ECA, or across the wider College, subject to availability and discussion with your Personal Tutor and relevant course organisers.
This offers you the flexibility to construct a suite of courses that reflects your interests and enhances your main study.
Year 2
At this level you will be introduced to our fashion diversity awareness initiative, learning skills in designing for celebrating and understanding diverse consumer markets. You will also design and produce garment work to be showcased at the annual fashion shows.
Computer-based technical drawing and portfolio building is introduced through our renowned DesignBook project.
Again, alongside Design and Screen Cultures courses, you will be able to choose an option course from the wider College, subject to availability.
Introductory methods of classic pattern-cutting and technical garment construction are taught comprehensively throughout the year, providing fundamental skill sets required for study at Year 3 and 4.
Year 3
This is an externally facing professional practice year where there are a range of opportunities for exchange, competitions and live projects with industry.
You will develop business awareness through a live collaborative project designing new brands with acute retail, marketing, costing and consumer awareness.
At this level, you will develop knowledge of materials, tailoring and outerwear, knitwear and accessory design.
In addition, you will take a further Design and Screen Cultures course. Opportunities for study abroad will help broaden your understanding of the discipline.
Year 4
In Year 4, you will develop a personal research plan, designing a six-outfit graduate collection that may be showcased at the annual ECA Fashion Shows and exhibited externally if applicable.
At this level, creativity is married with an understanding of the context for your design work. You will be encouraged to develop innovative approaches to materials, design and garment construction methods.
You will also produce a DesignBook, which will serve as a professional portfolio for the industry and career development.
You will also produce a written dissertation.
Programme structure
Find out more about the compulsory and optional courses in this degree programme.
To give you an idea of what you will study on this programme, we publish the latest available information. However, please note this may not be for your year of entry, but for a different academic year.
Careers in fashion can be varied, with students proceeding to gain employment in fashion sectors including:
Design
Styling
Buying and merchandising
Establishing own brands
Journalism and media
Graduates have also gone on to work in academia.
