Course specification and structure
Undergraduate Course Structures Postgraduate Course Structures

UDFMBSMN - BA Fashion Marketing and Business Management

Course Specification


Validation status Validated
Highest award Bachelor of Arts Level Honours
Possible interim awards Bachelor of Arts, Diploma of Higher Education, Certificate of Higher Education, Bachelor of Arts
Total credits for course 360
Awarding institution London Metropolitan University
Teaching institutions London Metropolitan University
School Guildhall School of Business and Law
Subject Area Business and Management
Attendance options
Option Minimum duration Maximum duration
Full-time 3 YEARS 6 YEARS
Part-time 4 YEARS 8 YEARS
Course leader  

About the course and its strategy towards teaching and learning and towards blended learning/e-learning

Teaching, learning and assessment strategies are designed to engage, motivate and support students within an active learning environment. The course is modular in structure, delivered over 15 weeks which include two 12-week teaching (optional modules are available in either, or both, of the Autumn and Spring semesters at Levels 5 and 6) with the programme offered at each level building on the ‘scaffolding’ constructed during previous study. A course delivery plan involves developing a list of Guest Speakers from industry and exploiting the wide-ranging expertise of GSBL staff through the time-tabling of teaching blocks addressing specialist topics. A blended learning approach involves direct delivery of the syllabus though lectures-seminars, with content reiterated on the university’s e-learning platform. Supplementary materials and information regarding extra-curricular learning opportunities (relevant articles, information about exhibitions, trade fairs, symposia etc) are also made available via Weblearn. A range of assessment methods are mobilised to gauge the achievement of constructively aligned learning outcomes with feedback disseminated in a timely, constructive and developmental manner. Student achievement is supported through access to a range of generic activities offered by the Resource Centre. Students will be encouraged to take advantage of the many opportunities to experience and learn from the fashion culture of the metropolis in the form of visits to exhibitions at the design-oriented museums, trade fairs and festivals as these arise.
Rationale for developing the course is provision of an outstanding educational experience that meets increasing demand for, and builds on the success of, subject-specific degrees in marketing. Located in a global ‘fashion city’ it provides a comprehensive and holistic programme of study based on the commercial realities of the apparel sector. Engaging with practical aspects such as branding, buying, retailing and merchandising, learners are equipped with a range of skills and understandings necessary for graduate employment in the creative industries. In a burgeoning and competitive field, Fashion Marketing and Business Management is unique as the title of a degree programme and reflects an underlying philosophy that education should prepare individuals for specialist professional practice while nurturing critical and creative approaches to the wider issues that the discipline of fashion, as a driver of contemporary visual, material and intellectual culture, encompasses.

Course aims

The course aims, informed by the QAA Subject Benchmark Statement on Business & Management 2019, are:

i) i) to facilitate students in gaining knowledge and understanding of the organisations involved in global apparel business, their management and the changing external environments in which they operate;
ii)
iii) ii) to prepare and develop students for particular career paths within the creative economies;
iv)
v) iii) to enhance in students a range skills and attributes to enable them to become effective global citizens, all delivered in a motivational learning environment that promotes equality, diversity and inclusivity.

The course content is organized in a manner that provides students from differing educational and experiential learning backgrounds with introductions to the disciplines of management and marketing through consideration of the tasks, roles, processes and practices of a variety of institutions, together with the application of theoretical models and frameworks. Generic understandings are complemented by more targeted approaches, addressing the cultural contexts and the commercial environments that fashion business operates in to ensure all students are operating at a similar level by the conclusion of Level 4. At Level 5 core modules focus on specialist tasks in the fashion industry – buying, branding, merchandising (digital marketing is offered as an option) and entrepreneurship – familiarizing learners with the requirements of specific career paths. At Level 6 core modules become broader in scope - engaging with international strategy and the impacts of a globalised industry from both academic and practitioner perspectives. Discussion of topics including sustainability, ethical consumption, the environment and corporate social responsibility is designed to encourage development of critical attitudes and innovative solutions towards individual and institutional behaviours. A final year dissertation/project or consultancy project completes the cycle of the educational journey from the generic to the specific

At each level there are opportunities to interact with industry professionals as well as work-based learning modules. Acquisition of transferable skills is embedded throughout the programme alongside development of interpersonal skills including delegation, team-working and time-management. Overall, the syllabus meets course aims by providing students with differentiated experiences and ample opportunities to gain the knowledge, understanding and skills required to succeed in professional contexts in the disciplines of fashion marketing and business management.

Course learning outcomes

The University learning outcome that cuts across the entirety of the London Metropolitan University provision, and thus, the BA (Hons) Fashion Marketing and Business Management, is:

On completion of this course, students will be able to: demonstrate confidence, resilience, ambition and creativity and will act as inclusive, collaborative and socially responsible professionals in their discipline (ULO)

Thus, upon graduating with an honours degree in Fashion Marketing and Business Management, students will be able to:

LO1: Have the confidence needed to take leadership decisions in challenging situations (LO1).
LO2: Possess the necessary communication skills that will help them adopt a global and multicultural perspective in their professional context (LO2).
LO3: Be cognisant of the effects of the social and environmental of their decisions and will remain active citizens of the places they live and work (LO3).
LO4: Demonstrate application of creative thinking skills to practical problems, and possess the analytical and organizational skills to translate creative ideas to operational solutions (LO4)
LO5: Have a wide knowledge and understanding of the broad range of areas of Fashion Marketing and Business Management and the detailed relationships between these and their application to practice relevant to the Fashion industry.

LO6: Consistently demonstrate a command of subject-specific skills as well as proficiency in generic skills and attributes.

LO7: Command both practical and theoretical understandings of the core disciplines of their programmes of study and be able to apply this knowledge appropriately across a range of sectors within the creative industries.

LO8: Have mastered a range of research-related skills appropriate for study at higher educational levels and be equipped to benefits from the practice of life-long learning.

Principle QAA benchmark statements

Business and Management (2019)

Assessment strategy

The course exploits are range of assessment methods including formal examinations; in-class tests; structured literature-based assignments in the form of essays, case studies, reports; and semi-structured coursework, such as oral presentations, portfolio work or blogs. Level 6 features a research project/dissertation/Consultancy project.

• Assessment and feedback practices are informed by subject-specific and educational scholarship of individual members of staff and are constantly reviewed in light of reflection on opportunities such as staff development days, conference participation and consideration of professional initiatives practice

• Dialogue between students and staff regarding the basis on which academic judgements are made takes place specifically in the introduction to each assessment task and more generally in trouble-shooting sessions. Descriptors for each assessed criterion are articulated in the module handbooks

• Good academic practice is disseminated to students specifically through critiques of student responses to previous tasks and more generally through seminar discussions of scholarly articles, reports and case studies. The basic skills of citation, referencing and narrative structure are reiterated at regular intervals and posted on the course page.

• The course is organised is a manner that, as far as possible, avoids the clumping of assessments and the variety in the nature of these is designed to take account of the range of student learning styles, thereby promoting inclusivity. The volume of assessment, determined by the university tariff, allows students ample opportunity to demonstrate the extent to which they have achieved the intended learning outcomes for the course.

• Formative assessments are embedded at each level of the programme. At L4 this exercise is extended into an assessed component and all modules take advantage of the opportunity of feeding-forward to support student achievement.

• The course page lists the dates by which students may expect to have received feedback on all assessed components. It is expected that feedback will identify areas of strength in addition to articulating how areas of weakness might be improved, and suggests how students may use the commentary in a manner that has a developmental impact on future responses to assessment tasks.

• Marking and moderation procedures are set out in all module handbooks and discussions between members of the teaching teams ensure consistency in gauging achievement of assessment criteria. The course leader has access to detailed metrics that facilitate identification of outlier modules.

Organised work experience, work based learning, sandwich year or year abroad

15-credit work-related learning modules are embedded in the syllabus and appropriate work opportunities are disseminated via the course page. Students are able to programme plan a work experience year between Levels 5 and 6 (30-credits, non-contributory to the award) and to take advantage of opportunities to study abroad.

Course specific regulations

Modules are required to be taken as indicated in section 22 above. Where a student is taking less than 90 credits in an academic year within the maximum permissible time limit, they may be designated as Part Time.

There are no course specific regulations

Modules required for interim awards

Modules are required to be taken as indicated in the course structure.

Arrangements for promoting reflective learning and personal development

Reflective learning strategies are mobilised throughout the course. Seminars featuring articles, visual resources and/or other relevant materials provide students with opportunities to identify and reinforce learning outcomes achieved in the workshops and lectures. Supplementary material posted on Weblearn facilitates further reflection in order to inform the level of subsequent discussion. In Level 6 the research module is predicated on the idea that a dissertation/project is, in essence, a series of reflective learning opportunities compiled over an extended period of self-directed study; in certain modules students are tasked with self-assessing their performance in the context of a group project

Personal Development Planning starts informally during the induction sessions when new learners are asked to consider their own learning styles and what they hope/expect to gain from the course. The Developing Your Potential study skills sessions are embedded into one of the core modules taken at Level 4. These elements of the learning experience are supported in meetings with academic mentors, when issues such as engagement, attendance, academic performance and the development of action plans addressing agreed targets are discussed. At Levels 5 and 6 such meetings also encompass strategic programme planning, career aspirations and learning strategies designed to achieve the optimal degree classification.

Other external links providing expertise and experience

N/A

Career, employability and opportunities for continuing professional development

The programme furnishes graduates with the skills and abilities appropriate for a range of career opportunities in the fashion business or other sectors of the creative industries. Specifically, the course delivers the numerical abilities required of fashion buyers or merchandisers, the visual literacy that underpins fashion marketing practice and understandings of entrepreneurship necessary for fashion business start-ups. More generally, practical experience gained in work-based learning modules adds to employability and the digital literacy developed throughout the programme is considered a basic skill in graduate level positions. Career education is also embedded into the curriculum in the form of three Enhancement weeks, guest speakers from industry and input from Careers & Employability Service. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the university-wide learning opportunities that become available, such as Master Classes in digital skills and training in the Bloomberg Room. Applications to post-graduate programmes are encouraged and the course’s dissertation modules provide opportunities for students who wish to progress to further study destinations to demonstrate to develop research proposals and hone their academic skills.

Career opportunities

On completion of the course, you’ll have the skills and experience you need for a wide range of graduate opportunities across the fashion industry, including specific head office roles within retail organisations and clothing companies.

Alternatively, you could take inspiration from former graduates and set up your own fashion business start-up, develop a work-at-home business or become a one-person firm. To help you succeed, you can access help and guidance on developing your start-up at our Accelerator, London business incubator.

You could also follow in the footsteps of Armando Cabral, a London Metropolitan University graduate who has built his own fashion empire and been part of Paris Fashion Week whilst modelling for H&M.

Entry requirements

In addition to the University's standard entry requirements, you should have:

  • a minimum grade C in three A levels or minimum grades BC in at least two A levels in academic or business subjects (or a minimum of 96 UCAS points from an equivalent Level 3 qualification, eg BTEC National, OCR Diploma or Advanced Diploma)
  • English Language and Mathematics GCSE at grade C (grade 4 from 2017) or above (or equivalent)

If you don't have traditional qualifications or can't meet the entry requirements for this undergraduate degree, you may still be able to gain entry by completing our Business Management (including foundation year) BA (Hons) or Marketing (including foundation year) BA (Hons) degree.

To study a degree at London Met, you must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. If you require a Tier 4 student visa you may need to provide the results of a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as Academic IELTS. For more information about English qualifications please see our English language requirements.

If you need (or wish) to improve your English before starting your degree, the University offers a Pre-sessional Academic English course to help you build your confidence and reach the level of English you require.

Official use and codes

Approved to run from 2013/14 Specification version 1 Specification status Validated
Original validation date 01 Sep 2013 Last validation date 01 Sep 2013  
Sources of funding HE FUNDING COUNCIL FOR ENGLAND
JACS codes N500 (Marketing): 50% , N200 (Management Studies): 50%
Route code FMBSMN

Course Structure

Stage 1 Level 04 September start Offered

Code Module title Info Type Credits Location Period Day Time
MC4013S The Business of Fashion Core 15 NORTH SPR TUE AM
MC4057 Contextualising Fashion Core 15 NORTH AUT FRI AM
MC4060 Practice of Marketing Core 15 NORTH AUT WED AM
          NORTH AUT TUE PM
          NORTH AUT MON AM
          NORTH AUT FRI AM
MC4061 Principles of Marketing Core 15 NORTH SPR WED AM
          NORTH SPR MON AM
          NORTH SPR TUE PM
MC4062 Media Culture and Society Core 15 NORTH AUT MON PM
          NORTH AUT MON AM
          NORTH AUT WED PM
MC4063 Frameworks of Fashion Core 15 NORTH SPR TUE PM
MN4062 Principles of Management Core 15 NORTH AUT FRI AM
          NORTH AUT FRI PM
          NORTH AUT THU AM
          NORTH AUT MON PM
          NORTH AUT MON AM
          NORTH AUT THU PM
MN4W50 Learning Through Organisations Core 15 NORTH SPR THU AM
          NORTH SPR THU PM
          NORTH SPR WED AM
          NORTH SPR TUE PM
          NORTH SPR TUE AM
          NORTH SPR WED PM

Stage 1 Level 04 January start Offered

Code Module title Info Type Credits Location Period Day Time
MC4013S The Business of Fashion Core 15 NORTH SPR TUE AM
MC4057 Contextualising Fashion Core 15        
MC4060 Practice of Marketing Core 15        
MC4061 Principles of Marketing Core 15 NORTH SPR WED AM
          NORTH SPR TUE PM
          NORTH SPR MON AM
MC4062 Media Culture and Society Core 15        
MC4063 Frameworks of Fashion Core 15 NORTH SPR TUE PM
MN4062 Principles of Management Core 15        
MN4W50 Learning Through Organisations Core 15 NORTH SPR THU PM
          NORTH SPR THU AM
          NORTH SPR WED PM
          NORTH SPR WED AM
          NORTH SPR TUE PM
          NORTH SPR TUE AM

Stage 2 Level 05 September start Offered

Code Module title Info Type Credits Location Period Day Time
MC5062 Online Fashion Retailing Core 15 NORTH SPR WED AM
MC5077 Consumer Insights Core 15 NORTH AUT MON PM
MC5079 Fashion Buying (and Apparel Supply Chain) Core 15 NORTH AUT WED AM
MC5080 Marketing Communications Core 15 NORTH SPR FRI PM
          NORTH SPR MON PM
MN5070 The Practice of Consultancy Core 15 NORTH AUT FRI PM
          NORTH AUT MON AM
          NORTH AUT MON PM
          NORTH AUT TUE AM
          NORTH AUT TUE PM
          NORTH AUT WED AM
          NORTH AUT WED PM
          NORTH AUT THU AM
          NORTH AUT THU PM
          NORTH AUT FRI AM
MN5W50 Creating a Winning Business 1 Alt Core 15 NORTH SPR FRI PM
          NORTH AUT WED AM
          NORTH SPR WED AM
          NORTH AUT WED PM
          NORTH SPR WED PM
          NORTH AUT THU AM
          NORTH SPR THU AM
          NORTH SPR THU AM
          NORTH AUT THU PM
          NORTH AUT FRI AM
          NORTH SPR FRI AM
          NORTH AUT FRI PM
MN5W55 Learning through Work Alt Core 15 NORTH AUT WED AM
          NORTH SPR WED AM
          NORTH AUT WED PM
          NORTH SPR WED PM
          NORTH AUT THU AM
          NORTH SPR THU AM
          NORTH SPR THU PM
          NORTH AUT FRI AM
          NORTH SPR FRI AM
          NORTH AUT FRI PM
          NORTH SPR FRI PM
          NORTH AUT THU PM
LT5078 Sustainability, Business and Responsibility Option 15 NORTH SPR WED PM
          NORTH SPR MON AM
          NORTH SPR TUE AM
          NORTH SPR WED AM
LT5094 Field Trip Option 15 NORTH SPR FRI AM
MC5055 Digital Marketing Option 15 NORTH SPR MON AM
          NORTH SPR THU PM
MC5078 Crafting Advertising Campaigns Option 15 NORTH SPR WED PM
MC5082 Business to Business Marketing and Sales Option 15 NORTH SPR FRI AM
OL0000 Open Language Programme Module Option 15 NORTH SPR NA  
          NORTH AUT NA  

Stage 3 Level 06 September start Offered

Code Module title Info Type Credits Location Period Day Time
MC6091 Brand Management Core 15 NORTH SPR MON AM
MC6095 Strategic Marketing Core 15 NORTH AUT FRI PM
MC6096 International Fashion Strategy Core 15 NORTH SPR TUE PM
MC6098 Leading Innovation (Fashion) Core 15 NORTH AUT TUE AM
MN6P05 Consultancy Project Core 30 NORTH AUT+SPR MON PM
          NORTH AUT+SPR TUE PM
          NORTH AUT+SPR WED AM
          NORTH AUT+SPR WED PM
          NORTH AUT+SPR TUE AM
FE6052 Personal Finance Option 15 NORTH SPR WED PM
LT6092 Creative Artists Rights and Legal Disputes (Opt... Option 15 NORTH SPR TUE AM
MC6093 Global Marketing and Sales in the Digital Age Option 15 NORTH AUT WED PM
MN6070 Social Marketing Option 15 NORTH AUT WED AM
          NORTH AUT WED PM
OL0000 Open Language Programme Module Option 15 NORTH SPR NA  
          NORTH AUT NA