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Fashion Buying with Marketing BA (Hons)

This versatile and dynamic course, with its emphasis on buying, business and marketing, will prepare you for a range of careers in the fast-paced fashion industry.

Entry Criteria
Structure and assessment
Facilities and features
Opportunities and careers
Take your next steps
Contact us

Overview

Fiona Bailey discusses the different pathways students can study with Fashion Buying at DMU.

Fashion buying requires both strong commercial understanding as well as theoretical knowledge. After looking at the roles and responsibilities of buyers – from design concept to point of sale – you’ll focus on the business side of fashion, building your knowledge of planning, branding, public relations/communications and social media platforms.

You will study computer-aided design (CAD) to ensure that your design and marketing concepts can be presented and communicated in a professional, and industry-recognised, style. You will also cover report writing, data selection, presentation and critical analysis.

Develop the practical skills needed to take on the challenges of our rapidly evolving industry, focusing on the shift in consumer demand from high street to online shopping. With an emphasis on sustainability and social responsibility, we aim to give you the tools you will need to drive innovation at all stages of the buying process.

Key features

DMU was named best in learning experience in 2019 by The Business of Fashion, the internationally renowned website which assesses the world’s top programmes.
Work on live projects with industry partners to learn from buying, marketing and creative experts. Previous briefs include sustainable projects with Stella McCartney and Ted Baker, and a trend forecasting project with Next.
Learn how to analyse consumer behaviour in order to develop targeted marketing and promotional campaigns for retailers.
Enhance your career prospects by choosing a year-long placement. Our students have worked at Next, Urban Outfitters, Mamas & Papas, Joules, Yours Clothing and O’Neill.
Our graduates have gone onto work at companies including Reiss, Next, Marks & Spencer, River Island and Selfridges, while others have started their own successful companies.
Develop highly sought after CAD skills in our state-of-the-art labs to enhance your fashion industry prospects.
Take part in our international experience programme, DMU Global. Students have benefited from trips to Porto, Antwerp, Amsterdam, Hong Kong and New York, meeting key influencers at top fashion brands.
Utilise an award-winning workshop and design space – the Vijay Patel Building – containing specialist facilities to foster fresh ideas and creativity.

Student brochure Graduate showcase

The Green Gown Award puts DMU at the forefront of sustainable fashion and textiles education in the UK. Our comprehensive approach to sustainability is empowering our students to be agents of change within the industry.

Professor Carolyn Hardaker, Head of School of Fashion and Textiles

More courses like this

Fashion Buying with Design BA (Hons)

Fashion Buying with Merchandising BA (Hons)

Fashion Communication and Styling BA (Hons)

UK
EU/International

Institution code: D26

UCAS course code: WN25

Duration: Three years full-time, four years full-time with a placement. Six years part-time.

Fees and funding:

2024/25 tuition fees for UK students: £9,250

Find out more about tuition fees and available funding.

Additional costs: Here at DMU we provide excellent learning resources, including the Kimberlin Library and specialist workshops and studios. However, you should be aware that sometimes you may incur additional costs for this programme.

Contact us: For more information, call us on +44 (0)116 2 50 60 70.

How to apply

Order a prospectus

Book an Open Day

Submit a study-related enquiry

Duration: Three years full-time, four years with placement.

Fees and funding:

2024/25 tuition fees for international students: £15,750

Contact us: For more information, call us on +44 (0)116 2 50 60 70.

How to apply

Order a prospectus

Submit a study-related enquiry

Entry criteria

Typical entry requirements

We welcome applicants from a range of backgrounds.

Art and Design Foundation or

112 points from at least 2 A ‘levels
BTEC Extended Diploma DMM

International Baccalaureate: 26+ Points

Plus five GCSEs grades 9-4 including English Language or Literature at grade 4 or above.

Pass Access with 30 Level 3 credits at Merit and GCSE English (Language or Literature) at grade 4 or above

We will normally require students to have had a break from full time education before undertaking the Access course.

We also accept the BTEC First Diploma plus two GCSEs including English Language or Literature at grade 4 or above

English language requirements

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with 5.5 in each band (or equivalent) when you start the course is essential.

English language tuition, delivered by our British Council-accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.

Structure and assessment

First year

Core Buying 1
Textile Materials 1
Fashion Communication (CAD)
Introduction to Fashion Business
Design Cultures 1

Second year

Core Buying 2
Fashion Marketing
Fashion Business Innovation
Design Cultures 2
Fashion Business Entrepreneurship

Third year

Sourcing and Supply
Advance Fashion Marketing
Major Project - Dissertation

Click here for more detailed module information

Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

There is an optional opportunity for a year-long industry placement between second and third year.

Structure

This includes design studio practice, formal lectures, group seminars, tutorials, lab work and practical workshops. There are regular tutorials and reviews which allow you to reflect and develop your work ready for your final presentation at the end of the year.

Contact hours

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials, seminars, group work and self-directed study. Assessment is through coursework (presentations, phase-testsessays and reports) Your precise timetable will depend on the optional modules you choose to take, however, in your first year you will normally attend around 15 hours of timetabled taught sessions (lectures and tutorials) each week, and we expect you to undertake at least 25 further hours of independent study to complete project work and research.

Facilities and features

Art and design facilities

Our award-winning Vijay Patel building has been designed to provide the space and facilities where all of our art and design students can develop their ideas and flourish.

The creative industries require imaginative graduates who can develop new ideas and products. Students use our sophisticated and contemporary workshops, labs and studios to experiment and test in the same way they will in industry, while the open and transparent spaces in the building encourage collaboration between disciplines. In doing so, the building prepares students for industry and helps develop them as future leaders in their respective fields.

Take a look at our stunning showcase of the building at dmu.ac.uk/aad.

More flexible ways to learn

Our Universal Design for Learning (UDL) has been recognised as leading the university sector. It builds upon our pledge to offer an equitable and inclusive approach to learning and teaching for all of our students.

UDL means we offer a wide variety of support, facilities and technology to all students, including those with disabilities and specific learning differences. Just one of the ways we do this is by using ‘DMU Replay’ – a technology providing all students with anytime access to audio and/or visual material of lectures. This means students can revise taught material in the way which suits them best, whether it's replaying a recording of a class or adapting written material shared in class using specialist software.

Campus Centre

The home of  De Montfort Students' Union, (DSU) our Campus Centre offers a welcoming and lively hub for student life. Conveniently located at the heart of campus, it includes a convenience store, a Subway and a Starbucks. Here you can find the DSU-owned charitable accommodation service Sulets and DSU’s shop, SUpplies, selling art supplies, stationery and clothing, and printing and binding services. The building is also home to the DSU officer team.

Opportunities and careers

Placements

This course gives you the option to enhance and build your professional skills to progress within your chosen career through a placement. Our dedicated team offer a range of careers resources and opportunities so you can start planning your future.

We have excellent links with the fashion industry, ensuring you work on industry relevant projects and clients’ briefs to gain more experience and build your external reputation before you graduate. This invaluable experience can enrich student capabilities as well as their projects for their final year. This year some of our students have gone to companies Marks & Spencer, ASOS, George, F&F Tesco, Timberland, Matalan.

Maisie Bee secured a year-long placement at one of Britain’s largest fashion and home retailers, Next, in its online department

DMU Global

Our innovative international experience programme DMU Global aims to enrich studies, broaden cultural horizons and develop key skills valued by employers.

Through DMU Global, we offer an exciting mix of overseas, on-campus and online international experiences, including the opportunity to study or work abroad for up to a year.

Students on this course have recently been to Porto, where they learnt about the fashion manufacturing cycle by visiting spinners, knitters, dye houses and manufacturers. New York trips have involved visits to local museums, colleges, suppliers, product data management head offices, and a tour and talk at Gap’s head office.

Graduate careers

Our graduates go on to a variety of areas within fashion buying. Recent employers include ASOS, Selfridges, Next, Reiss, Marks & Spencer, River Island, and Joules, among many others.

Rosie Haymes won an award from the Ideal Marketing Company (IMC) and landed a full-time job for Simply Be.