Digital Fashion MA

Course overview

Our ground-breaking MA Digital Fashion course, taught by an award-winning team of researchers, industry practitioners and academics, takes creative fashion thinkers and designers into an exciting and emerging digital world.

This one year, full-time course, which was the first of its kind when launched by UCA, presents you with a unique programme of study designed specifically to meet the requirements of a growing number of major brands – from Gucci and Louis Vuitton to major high street players – who are moving into the virtual marketplace, where fashion is fast paced, eye-catching, sustainable and digitally created.

You will learn how to create garments which are free from the material world, and how to fit them digitally for a client – whether they are a model for a virtual catwalk, a social media influencer looking to boost their reach, a gaming avatar in need of a fashion edge or a movie character being given a bespoke costume.

Currently, designer virtual garments are selling for thousands of pounds – a virtual Gucci gown which will never exist in the physical world recently sold for $9,000 – showing just how lucrative the market is.

The digitisation of fashion and the digital fashion marketplace will extend to the High Street, where consumers will have the chance to “try before they buy” in a virtual changing room or from the comfort of their own home online via a personalised avatar.

These innovations allow fashion brands and businesses to market their collections in a more sustainable way, reducing cost and waste by eliminating the need for samples and broadening their market to a wider range of communities.

Owing to the broad range of clients keen to take advantage of virtual fashion, this course is open to both fashion graduates and those with a background in games, film, animation or graphic design – though if you come from one of these fields, you should expect to undertake some intensive learning that will bring you up to speed on creating fashion garments.

Based in the School of Fashion and Textiles at Epsom, you will benefit from our extensive industry links and industry standard technology and we’ll provide you with the knowledge and skills to step into a growing and competitive job market with confidence, giving you the creative skills and confidence to dress the virtual world.

Find out more about this new course in the recent Guardian article

Course entry options

Select from the options below to find out more about the different study options available for this course:

What you'll study

Integrated International Pre-Masters (if undertaken)

For our students coming from a non-UK educational background, UCA has launched an Integrated International Pre-Masters year.

On this course you’ll prepare for postgraduate study with a mix of online and face-to-face learning that will give you the study skills required to complete a Master’s, and you’ll also improve your English for academic study.

Term one

Digital Practice
This unit focuses on experimentation with digital design technology used in fashion and textiles, including 3D pattern cutting design software.

You will analyse and reflect on your research ideas and pre-existing analogue and digital skills, in order to identify the digital fashion concept you wish to develop. You will look at trend forecasting and abstract concepts to explore how consumers might interact, identify with, and consume digital fashion/ garments in the future. These methodologies will help you to create a self-negotiated project proposal which will be developed and refined throughout the course.

Term two

Project Development
You will apply skills from term one to support and inform the design and modification of your digital fashion concept. You will start to build a body of work which must be appropriate for an intended market, target consumer and season and should clearly demonstrate an evolving practice as a digital fashion designer.

Exploring the relationship between the material and virtual world, physical and digital capabilities, you will use different tools, methods, concepts and process to develop your digital fashion collection. You will design unique and immersive fashion content specific to the chosen creative sector, platform or audience and consider how fashion can exist and be consumed in the future.

Term three

Final Project Realisation
In the final term of the course, you will apply the knowledge gained through your research and the skills acquired in terms one and two to create your final body of work and exit portfolio. This unit is the culmination of your studies and an exposition of the skills, understanding and creative approach you have developed through your MA.

On successful completion of the course, you’ll be able to realise and launch a future-proofed creative statement demonstrating your skills at the highest level. You will be able to communicate a clear design aesthetic and conceptual approach, showcasing innovative digital design solutions.

Fees and additional costs

Tuition fees - 2023 entry

UK students:

Integrated Pre-Masters course - £10,500
MA course - £10,500

EU students:

Integrated International Pre-Masters course - £10,500 (see fee discount information)
MA course - £10,500 (see fee discount information)

International students:

Integrated International Pre-Masters course (30 weeks) - £17,500
Integrated International Pre-Masters course (15 weeks) - £8,750
MA course - £17,500

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 your Course Information for details of the costs you may incur.

Further information
For more detailed information about our course fees and any financial support you may be entitled to please see our fees and finance pages.

The fees listed here are correct for the stated academic year only. Costs may increase each year during a student’s period of continued registration on course in line with inflation (subject to any maximum regulated tuition fee limit). Any adjustment for continuing students will be at or below the RPI-X forecast rate.

Fee discounts and scholarships

To support our students and alumni to progress to the next level of study, we have developed a new range of fee discounts across a range of courses.

Read more about fee discounts

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.

Alana Conlon, MA Digital Fashion, UCA Rochester

Ritambhara Patel, MA Digital Fashion, UCA Rochester

Aparna Nair, MA Digital Fashion, UCA Rochester

Explore our Gradshow

Visit our grad show site to see the incredible work created by our graduating students

Visit the Gradshow website

Entry requirements

UK entry requirements

MA course

An honours degree or equivalent qualification in the subject or a related discipline

and/or

Relevant work experience, demonstrating your ability to study at postgraduate level.

Consideration will also be given to applicants who can make a strong case for admission in relation to a particular project and can demonstrate their potential to satisfactorily complete the course.

International and EU entry requirements

Check the equivalent qualifications for your country and the English language requirements:

Non-UK equivalent qualifications

English language requirements

Any additional entry requirements listed in the UK requirements section, e.g., subject requirements, work experience or professional qualifications, also apply to international applicants applying with equivalent qualifications.

MA course with Integrated International Pre-Masters course
A recognised bachelor degree or 3 year diploma with a strong portfolio in a relevant subject.

Don't meet the international entry requirements or English language requirements?
You may be able to enter the course through the following entry pathways:

Portfolio requirements

MA course
MA course with Integrated International Pre-Masters course

For these courses, we’ll need to see your visual or written portfolio for review. We’ll invite you to upload your portfolio online via your Applicant Portal – further information will be provided once you have applied. If you would prefer to meet the Academic Team in person for a review of your work on campus, this can also be arranged for you.

More portfolio advice