Location

Epsom

Start date

Sept 2026, Sept 2027

Duration

3 years full-time

UCAS logo

UCAS codes

Course: W233
Institution: C93

+1

Foundation year

Optional extra year of study

+1

Placement year

Optional extra year of study

Entry requirements

Check qualifications

Fashion Design at UCA

Study Fashion Design built around your vision, your direction, and your future on our degree course at UCA Epsom.

Fashion and textiles, together

Opportunities to learn textile processes will sit alongside your fashion design learning here. You'll develop a material intelligence that few students have the chance to: understanding  the influence of textiles for fashion. It's a rare combination in UK fashion education, and it gives you a deeper understanding of materials, sustainability, and craft that sets your work apart.

Turn passion into profession

Commercial ready-to-wear, plus-size, adaptive, activewear, luxury – we champion you to choose the path that you’re most drawn to. Every experiment is part of your journey to finding your voice in fashion. Above all, this course champions individuality.

Where you'll find your people

The fashion industry can be high-pressure and competitive. We'll prepare you for a fast-paced career, but we’ll support you to experiment, discover, and develop whilst you’re with us. The studio culture is collaborative – it’s a place to find your people and find out exactly what you want to do.

Smaller campus. Bigger support

Epsom is compact, connected, and close to London's fashion industry – without the intensity that can come with studying in it. You'll know your tutors and they'll know your work. With several fashion courses on one campus, you'll share skills, collaborate across disciplines, and be part of a creative community that will stay with you for life.

Recognised and trusted by industry

In 2025, nine students were shortlisted for Graduate Fashion Foundation Awards – including the Zandra Rhodes Fashion Textiles Prize and the Silver Award for Best Catwalk Show. Graduate Fashion Week also featured a UCA winner for Best Solo Catwalk, as well as placing silver for Best of Graduate Fashion Week. Students have secured internships at Burberry, Alexander McQueen, Givenchy, JW Anderson, Simone Rocha and Tommy Hilfiger.

What you'll study

The content of the course may be subject to change. Curriculum content is provided as a guide.

UCA’s Integrated Foundation Year is designed to give you the skills you’ll need to start your degree in the best possible way – with confidence, solid knowledge of creative practice, study skills and more.

You’ll explore a range of creative techniques and develop your portfolio, with your chosen subject in mind. We’ll work with you throughout the year to ensure you’re on the right track and give you the tools to achieve your highest potential on your degree.

Find out more about the Integrated Foundation Year

Creative Concepts: 30 credits
This module introduces a variety of research methods that supports the exploration and development of creative concepts and design ideas. Through this you will begin to discover your creative identity by engaging with stimulating intellectual and creative practice.

Career Catalyst: Skills & Capability: 30 credits
Building a Skills Toolkit is a module that develops your creative, technical and/or digital fluency through experimentation, problem-solving and discipline-specific workshops, establishing the direct and transferable skills needed for confident future study and professional growth.

Creative Directions: 30 credits
Connecting learning from the previous modules, you will creatively explore a range of concepts to support identification of an emerging creative direction that focusses on your strengths and skills.

Creative Contexts 1: 30 credits
This module introduces you to historical and contemporary contexts that serve to locate creative practice within wider social and cultural frameworks and promotes cultural research, exploration and synthesis.

Creative Focus One: 30 credits
Drawing upon and building on a range of skills and knowledge developed so far you will engage in extensive creative exploration, experimentation and application. Your progression will be informed by synthesising individual narratives, conceptualising through design and refinement of your individual aesthetic. You will situate your practice and develop a body of work for a relevant audience.

Career Catalyst: Communities & Influence: 30 credits
Communities, Connections, Collaborations is a module that develops your ability to work with communities, industries and/or publics by applying creative skills in real-world contexts, expanding your professional awareness through teamwork, contextual analysis and meaningful engagement with others.

Creative Focus Two: 30 credits
Drawing upon and building on learning from the previous modules, this module centres on the development of a directional body of work that reflects individual creative identity and a defined creative fashion focus with 3D realisations or equivalent applications. The module encourages the cultivation of a personal learning journey, supporting the ability to sustain and self-initiate a deeper level of independent study in preparation for study in year 3.

Creative Contexts Two: 30 credits
This module focusses on a range of contexts and perspectives that reflects the interrelationships between creative practice and concepts. And prepares you to explore the disciplinary and/or interdisciplinary concepts and contexts that foster authentic and innovative future creative practice.

If you opt to complete a professional practice year, this will take place in year three. You will undertake a placement within the creative industries to further develop your skills and CV.

While on your Professional Practice Year, you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee for that year. This fee will be determined using government funding regulations. Based on current regulations, we expect this to be a maximum of 20% of the tuition fee rate that you are charged for your second year of study. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during this year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this as you approach your Professional Practice Year.

Please note: If you are an international applicant, you will need to enrol onto the course ‘with Professional Practice Year’. It will not be possible to transfer onto the Professional Practice Year after enrolment

Creative Research: 30 credits
This module supports independent, practice-based research enabling you to develop and articulate a self-directed line of enquiry. And prepares you for the Major Project module by supporting the development of a rigorous research framework that integrates critical thinking, experimentation and reflective practice

Career Catalyst: Futures & Direction: 30 credits
Preparing for Professional Practice is a professional-development module that supports you in defining and presenting your creative identity by producing independent work, evaluating global contexts and preparing for future career pathways through reflective, industry-facing practice.

Major Project: 60 credits
Your final module enables you to critically consider the future directions of your creative practice as you prepare to transition beyond undergraduate study. You will take ownership of your creative practice and to demonstrate critical awareness and professional readiness through a resolved, coherent and substantial body of work.

This course is designed to offer you (if eligible) the opportunity to study part of your degree aboard at a UCA partner university, while still earning credits towards your UCA degree.

For more information please visit the Study Abroad section

Integrated foundation year

  • Independent study: 72%
  • Scheduled teaching: 28%
  • Maximum percentage of scheduled delivered online: 20%

Year one

  • Independent study: 72%
  • Scheduled teaching: 28%
  • Maximum percentage of scheduled delivered online: 20%

Year two

  • Independent study: 74%
  • Scheduled teaching: 26%
  • Maximum percentage of scheduled delivered online: 20%

Year three

  • Independent study: 76%
  • Scheduled teaching: 24%
  • Maximum percentage of scheduled delivered online: 20%

Professional placement or International year (if undertaken)

  • Independent study: 98%
  • Scheduled teaching: 2%
  • Maximum percentage of scheduled delivered online: 100%

Please note: these details are for 2026 entry and could be subject to change for other years of entry.

Course specifications

Please note, syllabus content indicated is provided as a guide. The content of the course may be subject to change in line with our Student Terms and Conditions for example, as required by external professional bodies or to improve the quality of the course.

Upcoming webinars

We offer a range of webinars throughout the year that you may be interested in.

You can also view recordings of all previous sessions through the UCA webinar archive.


Fees & financial support

Tuition fees - 2026/27

    • Integrated Foundation Year: £9,790
    • BA course: £9,790

    If you opt to study the Professional Practice Year, you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee, for 2026/27 this is £1,955. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during your Professional Practice year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this.

    Government guidance indicates that tuition‑fee caps will rise annually with inflation from 2026, subject to legislation, so tuition fees are likely to increase each year of study. 

Tuition fees - 2026/27

  • Integrated Foundation Year: £9,790 (see fee discount information)
  • BA course: £9,790 (see fee discount information)

If you opt to study the Professional Practice Year, you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee, for 2026/27 this is £1,955. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during your Professional Practice year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this.

Government guidance indicates that tuition‑fee caps will rise annually with inflation from 2026, subject to legislation, so tuition fees are likely to increase each year of study. 

Tuition fees - 2026/27

  • Integrated Foundation Year: £18,000
  • BA course: £18,000

If you opt to study the Professional Practice Year, for 2026 you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee of £3,490. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during your Professional Practice year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this.

The fees listed here are correct for the stated academic year only, for details of previous years please see the full fee schedules.

UCA scholarships and fee discounts

At UCA we have a number of scholarships and fee discounts available to assist you with the cost of your studies.

Financial support

There are lots of ways you can access additional financial support to help you fund your studies - both from UCA and from external sources. Discover what support you might qualify for please see our financial support information.

Additional course costs

In addition to the tuition fees there may be other costs for your course. The things that you are likely to need to budget for to get the most out of a creative arts education will include books, printing costs, occasional or optional study trips and/or project materials.

These costs will vary according to the nature of your project work and the individual choices that you make. Please see the Additional Course Costs section of the Course Information Document for more details of the costs you may incur.

Find out what's included in your tuition fees.

Fashion Design career opportunities

Our Fashion Design degree enjoys an international reputation. We've forged strong connections with many high-profile brands, including:

  • Alexander McQueen
  • Jenny Packham
  • Jonathan Saunders
  • Reiss
  • Roksanda Ilinic
  • Roland Mouret

UCA’s Fashion Design degree enjoys an international reputation, and our graduates have progressed into a variety of rewarding careers – from design and illustration to pattern cutting and garment technology, and with leading fashion companies all over the world. These include:

  • Comme Des Garçons
  • Balenciaga
  • Lanvin
  • Givenchy
  • Max Mara
  • Pucci
  • Burberry
  • Stella McCartney
  • Reiss
  • Jigsaw
  • River Island
  • Karen Millen
Dorcas Omoyi Woho, BA (Hons) Make-Up & Hair Design

What careers can you do with a fashion degree?

Studying fashion at university will open doors to various creative, technical and business-focused jobs.

You may also like to consider further study at postgraduate level.


Fashion Design entry requirements

For both the BA (Hons) course and the Integrated Foundation Year we will need to see your portfolio, please see the portfolio requirements section for more details.

 

 

Select your country to find the equivalent requirements

Portfolio requirements

For both the BA (Hons) course and the course with the Integrated Foundation Year we will need to see a portfolio.

  • UK applicants: We will invite you to attend an Applicant Day so you can have your portfolio review in person.
  • International applicants: We will ask you to submit an online portfolio. 

Your portfolio should visually express who you are as a creative individual and include 15 to 25 examples of your current work, that showcases your level and range of achievements. 

Please check our Fashion Design portfolio advice and read our advice on creating a strong fashion portfolio.

UCAS applicants should also check our UCAS personal statement guide for a fashion applicants.

Full portfolio requirements and advice

MA Fashion Design Studios, The Wells, Epsom

What our fashion students say

“The difference is that everyone’s a creative here, on your course and every other course. That’s what sold it to me, it’s nice to work in an environment like that. Plus, everyone’s just so lovely too! It has really lived up to my expectations.”

Read Sky's story

Chat to our Fashion students

Mary, a BA Fashion Design student

Mary - Fashion Design BA (Hons)

From: Greece 🇬🇷

Chat to Mary

Savana, a BA Make-Up and Hair Design student

Savana - Make-Up & Hair Design BA (Hons)

From: United Kingdom 🇬🇧

Chat to Savana

Viktorija, a BA Fashion Business & Management student

Viktorija - Fashion Business & Management BA (Hons)

From: United Kingdom & Lithuania 🇬🇧 🇱🇹

Chat to Viktorija

Fashion Atelier Studios, The Wells

Find more Fashion students to talk to

Explore more students profiles and chat to them about their UCA experience

See more students

Apply to BA (Hons) Fashion Design

Please use the following fields to help select the right application link for you:

UCAS codes

  • UCA institution code: C93
  • Three year degree: W233
  • Plus professional practice year: W238
  • Plus integrated foundation year: W23F
  • Plus integrated foundation year and professional practice year: W23G

BA (Hons) Fashion Design key statistics

Courses related to Fashion Design