• Postgraduate

International Fashion Brand Management: Fashion Buying and Merchandising MA

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Overview

Overview

If you are passionate about fashion but do not want to follow the design route then our MA International Fashion Brand Management: Fashion Buying and Merchandising is perfect for you.

This course places a distinctive emphasis on fashion product management, covering the entire fashion chain and encompasses a wide range of aspects including:

  • development and range planning
  • brand management
  • sourcing
  • buying and merchandising
  • PR and communications
  • omnichannel strategy
  • consumer promotion focusing on digital developments and sustainable strategies. 

Throughout the course, you will enhance your interpersonal, creative, technical, and critical abilities to make informed decisions while gaining a solid academic foundation around the processes and elements of the fashion industry.

As well as preparing you for a diverse range of career opportunities within the global fashion industry you will also benefit from access to the wealth of resources available in London such as retailers, suppliers, museums, prominent shows plus world-famous fashion and retail events.

The course seeks to recruit students from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds and welcomes applications from mature students.  

View some of our students' recent work.

A woman standing in front of a desk and rails of clothes

Select your desired study option, then pick a start date to see relevant course information:

Study options:
We support flexible study by offering some of our courses part-time or via distance learning. To give you real world experience before you graduate, we also offer some courses with a placement or internship. All available options are listed here. Your choices may affect some details of your course, such as the duration and cost per year. Please re-check the details on this page if you change your selection.

Start date:

If your desired start date is not available, try selecting a different study option.

Why study International Fashion Brand Management: Fashion Buying and Merchandising with us?

Why study International Fashion Brand Management: Fashion Buying and Merchandising with us?

A collage of students

What our students say…

The industry links on my course are really important to me, as is the community feel of the University.

Stella Webb
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Top London University Fashion
Lifelong careers support from the UWL Careers Service.
Industry focused teaching
Graphic advising on-site Macs and PC Labs
Course detail & modules

Course detail & modules

The curriculum of MA International Fashion Brand Management is informed by contemporary and international professional practice in the fashion industry.

The course places strategic fashion brand management at its core and offers a unique combination of fashion buying, merchandising and supply chain subjects to equip you with the high-level professional skills and knowledge needed to succeed. 

You will be encouraged to innovate and experiment with innovative ideas to produce distinctive and original work as solutions to real-world problems as well as develop a critical and self-directed approach to fashion brand management practices.

Additionally, you will develop your analytical thinking, problem-solving, and practical skills throughout your course, all while establishing valuable industry connections. 

Live project briefs

The briefs for live projects are prepared jointly by UWL staff and industry consultants to satisfy academic and professional learning outcomes and include an option to collaborate with fellow students from other MA pathways within UWL. 

Industry exposure

The program's experimental and collaborative approach is reinforced by a meta-module, "Professional Fashion Contexts," designed to provide you with the highest level of industry exposure and accelerate your employability through visits to companies, exhibitions, events and talks by guest speakers. 

Optional study trip

There is a possibility of an optional study trip to one of the key fashion cities, for example, Paris. The cost, estimated at approximately £450 and not included in the tuition fees, is dependent on student numbers and economic factors at the time.

Placement

There is an option of undertaking a placement within the Professional Fashion Contexts module in the third semester or undertaking an industry research project. 

ArtsFest

You will have the opportunity to present your work at our annual presentation of highlights from UWL students' portfolios, showreels and performances. To learn more about this platform, please visit ArtsFest .

Compulsory modules

  • Research Methods for Creative Industries

    (20 credits) On this module you will develop the academic and research skills/tools, and learn the latest research methodologies and strategies, used in creative industries’ research, to underpin the creation and critical reflection expected in all other course modules.

  • Strategic Fashion Brand Management

    (20 credits) This module incorporates the latest thinking and developments from both academia and the fashion industry, and provides you with an interconnected understanding of fashion branding and business strategies by combining a comprehensive theoretical foundation with numerous techniques and practical insights for making better day-to-day and long-term fashion brand management decisions and thus improving the long-term profitability of specific fashion brand strategies. 

    The module uses a "how-to" and "why" approach throughout, and enables you to take a strategic approach to branding at a product/service level so that it is consistent with the corporate brand and impacts reputation positively. It provides you with specific tactical guidelines for establishing and positioning fashion brand strategy, and also managing the brand so it continues to deliver the brand promise.

  • Professional Fashion Contexts

    (40 credits) In this module, you will begin by getting acquainted with the common specialism and academic jargon, following exposure to and discussion of current social, economic, political, environmental, technological, cultural, and artistic issues and contexts that have been or are influencing the fashion industry. 

    You will gain professional creative and technical skills that anchor industry through seminars and practical workshops, while exploring the working life of a professional, the fashion industry narratives, and historical approaches to the field. Visits to companies/exhibitions/events, guest speakers take place within the context of this module.

  • MA Project/Dissertation

    (60 credits) The Master’s Project or Dissertation module will provide you with the opportunity to develop a personally relevant topic and will translate the research ideas and concepts you have developed throughout the whole MA course. 

    You will achieve a resolution to your Project/Dissertation Proposals and the key research questions by demonstrating evidence of advanced conceptual and theoretical capability over an extended period of self-directed study.

    As the course progresses, you will be introduced to combined and alternative approaches in your field of interest. At the end of the Define stage, you will present and submit your Master’s Project proposal.

  • Fashion Buying and Merchandising

    (40 credits) In this module, you will gain vital knowledge of current fashion buying and merchandising practices, in addition to professional communication, presentation and negotiation skills. The curriculum combines the research of fashion trends and consumer analysis with product design practice. You will learn how to integrate buying, merchandising, design and garment technology functions into a fashion range in the current omni-channel fashion retail context. This will help ensure that the merchandise mix has the appeal to turn potential customers into shoppers and maximizes turnover and profit margins, and minimizes the inventory risk. The module culminates in a live-industry project.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

You should have an honours degree (2:2 or above) from a UK university or equivalent.

We may also offer you a place based on relevant experience or training, normally from within the work environment. All applications are considered individually. Find out more about our processes for recognising previous experience.

We look for students with enthusiasm and a passion for fashion, you will have previous study or professional experience.

You will need to provide the following documents:

1. Curriculum Vitae (CV) 
Your CV should include your full education and employment history. It is not a requirement to have any work experience to apply for this course.

2. Extended personal statement 
Tell us why you want to study this course in no more than 750 words. You can use the following points as a guide:

  • a strong interest in and understanding of retail branding, visual merchandising / retail space design and brand communication
  • your potential for creating original visual merchandising concepts
  • any fashion / creative industry experience,
  • team working skills
  • your main area of research interest.

3. Portfolio
A portfolio is not a requirement for this course but it will increase your chances to be accepted. You can submit a link to your online portfolio of your fashion related work, you must evidence problem solving, creative thinking, learning journeys and the development and completion of independent projects through your portfolio. You can include a link to your portfolio at the end of your Personal Statement.

Please attach the documents requested above along with your online application.

All applicants, who fulfil the above criteria, will be either invited to an interview in person or via video conference.

6.5 IELTS or above

You need to meet our English language requirement of 6.5 overall score for IELTS, with a minimum of 5.5 for each of the 4 individual components (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening). Visit our English language requirements page for information on other English language tests we accept.

You also need academic qualifications at the same level as UK applicants. In some countries where teaching is in English, we may accept local qualifications. Check for local equivalents.

We offer pre-sessional English language courses if you do not meet these requirements. Find out more about our English Language courses.

We look for students with enthusiasm and a passion for fashion, you will have previous study or professional experience.

You will need to provide the following documents:

1. Curriculum Vitae (CV) 
Your CV should include your full education and employment history. It is not a requirement to have any work experience to apply for this course.

2. Extended personal statement 
Tell us why you want to study this course in no more than 750 words. You can use the following points as a guide:

  • a strong interest in and understanding of retail branding, visual merchandising / retail space design and brand communication
  • your potential for creating original visual merchandising concepts
  • any fashion / creative industry experience,
  • team working skills
  • your main area of research interest.

3. Portfolio
A portfolio is not a requirement for this course but it will increase your chances to be accepted. You can submit a link to your online portfolio of your fashion related work, you must evidence problem solving, creative thinking, learning journeys and the development and completion of independent projects through your portfolio. You can include a link to your portfolio at the end of your Personal Statement.

Please attach the documents requested above along with your online application.

All applicants, who fulfil the above criteria, will be either invited to an interview in person or via video conference.

Fees & funding

Fees & funding

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Additional costs

There may be an opportunity to engage in an optional study trip to a key fashion city (e.g. Paris) depending on interest and numbers. If a trip goes ahead, the cost (accommodation, travel, food, visa fees, personal expenses etc.) would be in addition to the course tuition fee.

If your course runs for two years or more, you will need to pay the fee for each academic year at the start of that year. If your course runs for less than two years, the cost above is for your full course and you will need to pay the full fee upfront. Government regulation does affect your fees, so what you pay may go up in future. For example, government regulation around future inflation may increase your course fees.

If no fee is shown above then the fees for this course are not available yet. Please check again later for updates.

Funding your studies

A range of loans, bursaries and scholarships are available to help you fund your studies.

If you are studying a Masters course you may be eligible to apply for a Postgraduate Loan, this may help contribute towards your course fees and living costs.

Additional funding is available to some types of students, such as disabled students. 

Within the university, we offer a range of scholarships and bursaries. View full details including conditions and eligibility.

Help with funding
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Additional costs

There may be an opportunity to engage in an optional study trip to a key fashion city (e.g. Paris) depending on interest and numbers. If a trip goes ahead, the cost (accommodation, travel, food, visa fees, personal expenses etc.) would be in addition to the course tuition fee.

If your course runs for two years or more, you will need to pay the fee for each academic year at the start of that year. If your course runs for less than two years, the cost above is for your full course and you will need to pay the full fee upfront. Government regulation does affect your fees, so what you pay may go up in future. For example, government regulation around future inflation may increase your course fees.

If no fee is shown above then the fees for this course are not available yet. Please check again later for updates.

International students - funding your studies

We offer scholarships for international students including International Ambassador Scholarships. 

Further information about funding and financial support for international students is available from the UK Council for International Student Affairs.

 

Financial support for international students
Study & career progression

Study & career progression

London

When you graduate you may be qualified for a broad range of careers. You could work as a:

  • fashion buyer
  • fashion merchandiser/planner
  • fashion product manager
  • concept designer  
  • wholesale/Inventory coordinator
  • retail manager
  • e-Commerce manager 
  • creative director
  • brand partnerships manager
  • demand manager/planner
  • digital marketing executive 
  • web merchandiser
  • business development coordinator 

You may also be able to work with international fashion and luxury brands or progress to study a PhD at UWL.

How to apply

How to apply

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ARTSFEST

A collage of images demonstrating fashion at the University of West London.

Find out more about the work our students produce and view some of their recent work by visiting our Fashion ARTSFEST page.

Find out more

Important notes for applicants

Disclaimer

*Modern universities - defined as higher education institutions that were granted university status in, and subsequent to, 1992.

**The National Student Survey 2023 and 2024 - Average of answers to all questions by registered student population. Excludes specialist institutions.

Testimonials - our students or former students provided all of our testimonials - often a student from the course but sometimes another student. For example, the testimonial often comes from another UWL student when the course is new.

Optional modules - where optional modules are offered they will run subject to staff availability and viable student numbers opting to take the module.

Videos - all videos on our course pages were accurate at the time of filming. In some cases a new Course Leader has joined the University since the video was filmed.

Availability of placements - if you choose a course with placement/internship route we would like to advise you that if a placement/internship opportunity does not arise when you are expected to undertake the placement then the University will automatically transfer you to the non-internship route, this is to ensure you are still successful in being awarded a degree.