2024/25 Undergraduate Programme Catalogue

BA Sustainable Fashion (For students entering from September 2024 onwards)

Total credits: 360

Entry requirements:

Entry Requirements are available on the Course Search entry

School/Unit responsible for the parenting of students and programme:

School of Design

Examination board through which the programme will be considered:

Relevant QAA Subject Benchmark Groups:

Art & Design

Programme specification:

The information on this page is accurate for students entering the programme from September 2024. For students who entered the programme before September 2024, you can find the details of your programme:

BA Sustainable Fashion

Consumers, brands, governments, NGOs and students recognise the sustainability challenges that the fashion industry faces now and in the future. Many of these stakeholders also recognise the importance of fashion to individuals’ self-identity and self-esteem, and the role fashion can play in supporting the worker communities involved in making the clothes we all wear. Balancing the sustainability of the industry with the benefits it can bring requires specialist knowledge of the fashion system and there are new employment opportunities for graduates who understand sustainable fashion.
The BA Sustainable Fashion will provide graduates with a broad understanding of the complex sustainability issues the fashion and the textile industry currently faces and explores the future opportunities for a more sustainable approach for the sector. This is based on taking a systemic view of sustainability and fashion, where fashion is considered a cultural phenomena, as well as a globalised industry providing employment for millions of workers. The importance of society, business, technology and consumer factors are used to develop understanding of the complex interactions within the industry.
Sustainability is explored from a theoretical and from a practical perspective, with real life industry case studies and cutting-edge research from the University of Leeds used to illustrate the complexity of sustainability for fashion. With a diverse teaching team, consisting of researchers and experienced teaching fellows many of whom have many years of industrial experience, the programme aims to provide a multi-disciplinary view of sustainability and fashion that explores and unravels the multifaceted nature of the subject area.
To support this approach students will be encouraged to consider sustainability in terms of:
• the globalised nature of fashion
• the role of fashion for consumers, workers and for industry
• importance of creativity and innovation for the development of sustainable solutions
The programme dissects sustainability by exploring real world challenges and by considering opportunities to improve the industry by using the Triple Bottom Line (environment, society, and economics) framework. Application of the framework requires an understanding of the full lifecycle of fashion products. This lifecycle approach is used throughout the 3 years of the programme and explores sustainability through a focus on materials, production, distribution (retailing), consumer use and end of life.
The lifecycle approach is supplemented by, and is underpinned by the following themes:
• Understanding consumer behaviour for the purchase and use of fashion
• Design and product development processes
• Principles of business and management
Graduates from this programme will be aware of the positive and negative impacts of fashion for consumers, workers and the industry. Graduates will also have an understanding of the personal and professional opportunities they can have in shaping the future sustainability of the industry throughout their chosen career.

They will develop knowledge of the dynamics of the fashion industry as it is today and be cognitive of the future directions for the industry. As there will be an emphasis on the role innovation can play in addressing the key challenges the industry faces in the future, they will have skills that set them apart from other graduates in this field.

Graduates will be equipped with the skills, knowledge and practical experience that will allow them to develop their career opportunities across a diverse range of roles within the fashion industry including sustainability, buying, product development, technology, and retail and supply chain management. There will also be career opportunities to work in areas such as corporate social responsibility, policy making and the supply chain. Alternatively graduates may wish to exploit their skills and knowledge to pursue research opportunities.

Year1 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

Compulsory modules:

Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory modules

Optional modules:

Candidates may study up to 20 credits from the following optional or discovery modules:

Discovery modules:

Year2 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

We are currently refreshing our courses to make sure students have the best possible experience. Full module details for years 2 and 3 are not yet available. Before you enter years 2 and 3 details of modules for those years will be provided.

Compulsory modules:

Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory modules

Design Studies: Exploration- 20 credits

Optional modules:

Candidates may study up to 20 credits from the following optional or discovery modules:
* Collage Culture - 20 Credits
* Contemporary Photography- 20 credits
* Advanced Colour- 20 credits

Discovery modules:

Design Studies: Exploration

Year3 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

We are currently refreshing our courses to make sure students have the best possible experience. Full module details for year 3 are not yet available. Before you enter year 3 full details of modules for that year will be provided.

Compulsory modules:

Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory modules
Major Research Project- 40 credits

Optional modules:

Candidates may study up to 20 credits from the following optional or discovery modules:

* Social Design- 20 credits

Discovery modules:

Last updated: 22/10/2024 12:04:50

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