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Fashion Marketing and Retailing BA

  • UCAS Code WN25
  • Duration Up to 4 years
  • Delivery type Full Time
  • Study location
  • Scottish Borders
  • Number of places
  • 30

Overview

The Course

Fashion Marketing and Retailing combines fashion management and marketing with a retail specific focus. Designed to allow students to experience elements of product development and materials evaluation this programme is based on both practical and industrial based projects. The programme will discipline the students in the management of a retail outlet, assessing merchandising and store environment, exploring the use of technology and marketing in replenishment.

Career Prospects

Graduates can pursue an extensive range of careers within the fashion industry, including retail management, fashion marketing, buying and merchandising.

This course is taught at our Scottish Borders Campus in Galashiels.

Programme content

Level 1

This broad common first year for all Fashion, Communication, and Marketing and Retailing students, provides an introduction to students' chosen programme and to the related programmes. Students are encouraged to research and develop individual strengths and skills in the analysis, evaluation and contextualisation of their work in the contemporary fashion marketplace.

Level 2

The first year complement of skills, equip students with evaluation skills to further explore retail management. Service management, promotions and advertising support the students' understanding of managing retail design, delivery and marketing. Events management provides opportunities to plan, manage and coordinate live events whilst retail logistics assesses the role of distribution.

Level 3

With an industrial focus the students embark on a year of liaising with fashion, retail and voluntary organisations to develop solutions to current dilemmas/opportunities within the retail sector. It provides opportunities to apply their skills from the first two years of study to a range of industrial challenges.

Level 4

Focus is on a global appreciation of retail and the key influences promoted by sourcing opportunities, threats from foreign retail rivals and strategic focus on company development. A report will investigate an issue within the retail sector to develop the student?s research skills and abilities to collect and summarise data.

Laura Mackay Helen Finlayson Annika Arvidsson

Laura Mackay

Degree BA (Hons) in Design for Textiles (Fashion, Interior, Art)
Present Job Designer
Laura Mackay

I chose Heriot-Watt because of the reputation the School has for excellence in the field and links with
industry. After visiting, I loved the look of the print room and the facilities, not to mention the friendly
technicians!

I specialised in print and thoroughly enjoyed screenprinting and mixing up different dyes. I spent half of my time in the CAD lab and the other half in the print room combining digital prints with discharge, devore and foils. I was lucky enough to win a placement with Tigerprint and this helped me gain valuable work experience. I also spent my other two summers in work placements, Cath Kidston in London and John Robshaw in New York City.

I have now been at Cath Kidston for two years and have moved on to design prints specifically for our fashion range. I would highly recommend Heriot-Watt for anyone wishing to begin a career in the textile industry.

Helen Finlayson

Degree BSc (Hons) Fashion Technology
Present Job Owner of 'nelfin'

I decided the Fashion Technology course would be best suited to me. My initial interest was in design but I was keen to take advantage of the invaluable technical production and business skills that the course also offers. I feel this balanced outlook on fashion design has thoroughly equipped me for my chosen career path. I am now running my own bespoke fashion label, nelfin, in Glasgow, utilising the broad skillset gained at Heriot-Watt.

I design and produce all my garments from start to finish, which is my favourite part of the job. I also deal with the business and marketing side of things, which may not be quite so much fun but fortunately the Fashion Technology course has given me a good grounding. I hope to develop my label further into a respected design brand, as well a commercially viable business.

Annika Arvidsson

Degree BA (Hons) Fashion
Present Job Paul Smith, Knitwear Technical Design Assistant

The Fashion course gave me a good insight into what to expect in real working life. It was here that I discovered my passion for knitwear. There are quite a few textile businesses in the Scottish Borders, so I managed to get a job with a knitting studio where I learned a lot of skills and gained excellent work experience between study terms.

After graduating, I worked as a designer/assistant/sales person for 'Suttle Textiles' in Leicestershire. This gave me a lot of invaluable contacts and taught me more of the basics. With all these combined experiences, I was able to move into a really exciting role as a Knitwear Technical Design Assistant at Paul Smith in Nottingham. I have learnt that hard work and determination can take you anywhere you want!

Entry Requirements

The University offers as its normal entry routes:
- entry at Level 1, mainly for students with Scottish Highers (or similar),
- entry at Level 2, mainly for students with A-levels (or similar).

There is nevertheless considerable flexibility, depending on the level of qualifications, for entrants with A-levels to opt to enter at Level 1 and for Scottish students to enter at Level 2. Direct entry into Level 3 is also possible for students who already have certain HE qualifications.

Level 1 entry

  • Scottish Highers minimum of ABBB including English
  • GCE A Level minimum of BBB including English at a minimum of GCSE
  • Irish Leaving Cert (Higher) minimum of BBBB

Level 2 entry

  • SQA Higher National Cert A in graded unit. Entry into second year may be available for applicants who have completed an appropriate HNC/HND/BTEC (dependent upon places available).

Level 3 entry

  • SQA Higher National Dip A in graded unit. Entry into third year may be available for applicants who have completed an appropriate HND/BTEC (dependent upon places available).

Tuition fees

Status* Scotland / EU** England / Northern Ireland / Wales International
Fee Paid by SAAS £9,000 £10,730

* Your residency "status" is usually defined as the country where you have been ordinarily resident for the 3 years before the start of your programme. Find out more about tuition fees.

** European Union countries, not including England, Northern Ireland or Wales.

Scholarships & bursaries

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