ABOUT THE COURSE
Do you want to apply your marketing and business skills to the fashion industry? Are you fascinated to learn how fashion products are developed and branded? Solent University's fashion management programme will help to equip you with the strategic marketing skills and fashion industry awareness required to pursue a commercial career.
You’ll study the complete range of professional disciplines within fashion, from retailing, store management and operations to consumer behaviour, fashion buying and merchandising. You'll also have opportunities to gain practical, hands-on experience, leaving you well-prepared for a range of graduate roles.
This innovative course teaches students a diverse range of skills required for fashion management, enabling them to gain a deeper understanding of marketing principles, finance, business, communications and the retail environment, as well as strategies used to promote events, designers and collections.
The course places a strong emphasis on gaining practical skills and work experience. Past students have had the opportunity to set up their own business at our stunning student-run store, Re:So, which sells a unique mix of fashion, accessories, publications, furniture and art. The store’s upper floor ‘learning zone’ has previously hosted guest speakers from the fashion industry, workshops, photo-shoots and exhibitions – all with an emphasis on developing student retail, enterprise, networking and employability skills.
Students have also had the opportunity to go on site visits - recent trips have included the Fashion and Textile Museum and the TM Lewin headquarters.
YOUR FUTURE
This course is designed to give you all the skills you'll need to develop a career behind the scenes of the fashion industry, combining your interest in fashion with a creative approach to business and management.
Suitable roles for graduates include:
- Marketing and PR assistant
- Marketing assistant
- Menswear production assistant
- Merchandising assistant
- Production assistant
- Projects co-ordinator
- Assistant buyer
- Merchandiser
- Retail department manager
- Graduate administrator
- Stock management officer
- Visual merchandiser
- Buyers admin assistant
- PR assistant
- Sales assistant.
INDUSTRY LINKS
Some units are co-delivered by industry experts. Solent University has relationships with a range of retail and fashion companies including TM Lewin, Tesco, Next, Fat Face and Rapanui. These businesses contribute to course content, ensuring the units you study remain up-to-date and relevant.
Industry experts also provide guest lectures. Recent speakers have come from BHS, Schuh, TM Lewin and Ted Baker.
On the four-year version of the course, you’ll have an opportunity to spend a year working in the fashion industry, drawing on the University’s employer network to find a placement.
You’ll be able to get involved in university projects such as Southampton fashion week, which is organised by final-year students. This high-profile project provides opportunities to work in many roles including market research, event organisation, fashion design, contract management and community involvement.
PLACEMENTS
The course has a keen focus on building employability skills through live projects. You’ll have the opportunity to get involved with our unique Re:So project, a student-run retail enterprise within the local Marlands shopping centre, or help organise a fashion show/conference and other events, forging links throughout the fashion industry.
Students have the opportunity to spend a year on work placement during the course, enabling them to experience first-hand the day-to-day operations of a fashion business. Previous work placements have been at exciting brands including Hugo Boss, Harvey Nichols, Stella McCartney, Calvin Klein and Sweaty Betty.
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