PMFAMAMN - MA Fashion Marketing and Management

The MA in Fashion Marketing is a specialist course with integrated foundation focusing on fashion marketing, marrying the creativity of the fashion industry, the commercial aspects of marketing with key management practices.

Our MA is an innovative programme developed by our experienced and knowledgeable academics and our partners within the fashion marketing industry. This course masters the balance between theory and practice, helping our graduates to maximise career opportunities within an enormously exciting industry, known for its accelerated pace of change. The course offers you an approach to management specifically applied to the fashion and creative industries, including modules in digital marketing and sustainability which are key for a career in fashion industry.

Guest lectures by industry insiders and masterclasses from sector experts, help develop your skills and capabilities, so you can access incredible career opportunities.

Also, students have the opportunity to work on one or more concrete projects under real-life conditions. These projects may also take place in partnership with SMEs, brands, associations or media allowing students to put their knowledge into play in a concrete and applied way.

Being in London facilitates a stronger interaction and integration with the fashion industry. London has long been recognised as one of the most important fashion centres in the world, with many international visitors attending London fashion and shopping events including the famous London Fashion Week. The fashion marketing industry in the UK offers diverse career opportunities, covering the whole supply chain from design and manufacturing, to branding and promotion. Our undergraduate and postgraduate fashion marketing courses reflect on the richness, depth and currency fashion marketing activities in the UK.

Teaching strategy

The course will be taught through lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops and practical sessions. Industry talks and guest lecturer visits complement the teaching strategy together with topical case studies and business stimulations as appropriate.

Lectures are designed to cover the fundamental issues, concepts and practices pertaining to the course and further enhanced by recommended reading and supplements.

Also, this course is a part of a coherent portfolio within a practitioner subject area and its position within the marketing and enterprise subject area brings together strong business expertise.

Employability focus (including attribute development)

When we crafted the modules in the MA Fashion Marketing and Management, on one hand we considered the integration between the fashion practice with theories and learning in the classroom and on the other hand we had our eye on the current and future fashion trends and the requirement of the job market. Modules cover many aspects of modern fashion business such as;

• on-line retailing,
• digital marketing,
• multi-sensory branding,
• sustainability,
• consumer behaviour,
• fast fashion,
• upcycling,
• omni-channel marketing and communications

as well as many contemporary issues such as counterfeiting and the seismic cultural shits in industry. These are designed to widen our students’ employability horizons in key areas including, for example:

• Fashion marketing management,
• Fashion buying and merchandising
• Marketing / e-Commerce,
• Fashion PR and advertising,
• Ethical and sustainable fashion consultancy,
• Sales and fashion market analysts,
• Fashion operations,
• Customer service,
• Franchise sales support
• Creative content editing
• CRM management,
• Visual merchandising,
• Retail operations,
• Project management.

Also, we believe networking is crucial and students can increase their confidence and often find employment by establishing relationships with industry insiders and companies.

Many modules in addition to the inclusion of case studies and business stimulation are structured to provide opportunities to work on projects with SMEs and fashion brands. Fashion Business Market Practice and Professional Development and Work Placement Modules equip students with competencies which increase their chances of successful employment. Specific emphasis on those two modules helps students develop the desirable skill set needed in the fashion marketing job market. In addition to the hard skills students obtain through learning with specialised modules.

Through an appreciation of individual learning styles and group behaviours students will reflect on their development and the work experience needed to develop a coherent action plan for future success within the industry and the academic environment.

Underpinning the delivery of the course is a strong focus on developing skills essential to effective learning within the academic and commercial environment.

The MA Fashion Marketing Course aims are achieved through a structured learning experience that also aims to enhance the lifelong learning skills and personal development of its participants to enable them to contribute to the wider creative industries and society.

The key aims of the course are to:

1. Deliver an academically rigorous programme of study, which provides students with the opportunity to study the major disciplines in fashion marketing management and to relate these to the professional practice.
2. Explore and evaluate new fashion markets, product and trends from a commercial and strategic perspective.
3. Critically evaluate and debate current issues and methodologies in the fashion industry and in relation to other creative industries.
4. Develop leadership and fashion business management knowledge and skills and gain the ability to select appropriate business models for implementation and evaluation of change in the fashion industry.
5. Provide a comprehensive and informative global overview of notions of fashion value chain and market across various locations and cultures.
6. Explore evolution of commercialisation of fashion and personal luxury, with respect to different cultural settings and industries and enables students to understand the importance of consumer behaviour in the process of marketing Fashion goods and services.
7. Provide problem solving skills that can deal with complexity, uncertainty and incomplete data
8. Provide understanding of environmental scanning in order to manage effectively in a changing world particularly in relation to climate change, technology disruption and global politics
9. Provide insights into the wider role of fashion businesses in addressing societal problems in a sustainable manner

Knowledge and Understanding (KU)

On completion of the course our students will be able to:

1. Have the confidence needed to take leadership decisions in challenging situations (ULO1).
2. Possess extensive communication skills that will help them adopt a global and multicultural perspective in their professional context (ULO2).
3. Be critically cognisant of the effects of the social and environmental of their decisions and will remain active citizens of the places they live and work (ULO3).
4. Demonstrate application and ability to reflect on creative thinking to practical problems, and possess the analytical and organizational skills to translate creative ideas to operational solutions (ULO4)
5. Have extensive knowledge and understanding of the broad range of areas of fashion (ULO5).
6. To identify and understand the breadth and width of cultural, social and historical influences that have shaped 20th and 21st century fashion. (LO6)
7. To discuss the implications of current social and political trends and their possible impact on future fashion design, production and distribution decisions. (LO7)
8. To critically evaluate and apply an advanced variety of current marketing strategies and skills together with current customer analytics and trends to apply and communicate ideas and conclusions clearly and effectively to a variety of audiences. (LO8)
9. To demonstrate a systematic understanding of strategy in the context of the fashion and wider industry and to be able to critically evaluate the issues and challenges facing firms in product sourcing and managing the supply chain. (LO9)
10. To enable students to make informed judgements on complex issues whilst understanding the benefits of adopting strong negotiation skills through group work assessments. (LO10)
11. To demonstrate a thorough understanding of the art of negotiation by demonstrating a clear understanding of conferring and finding ways to reach mutual agreements in all aspects of decision making and the full meaning of entrepreneurialism. (LO11)
12. Analyse and evaluate the impact of digital technologies on business and how they are reshaping strategic priorities, business models and associated risk management. (LO12)
13. To demonstrate a culture that promotes and encourages students to critically evaluate and adopt a proactive and reflective approach to their career prospects and employability through networking and personal development. (LO13)
14. To produce an original business report based on research and analysis that is critically relevant to the chosen area of study and it’s informed by current industry practice. (LO14)
15. To critically evaluate and analyse the developments and implications of disruptive technology and technological innovation and how they can affect the fashion industry. (LO15)
16. To demonstrate originality in the application of knowledge, together with a practical understanding of techniques applicable to their own research or advanced scholarship in the field of fashion business management. (LO16)

QAA Subject Benchmark Statement for Master’s Degrees in Business and Management

https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/quality-code/master's-degree-characteristics-statement8019abbe03dc611ba4caff140043ed24.pdf?sfvrsn=86c5ca81_12

For 20 credit modules there are two summative assessments for each module; these may be group or individual and involve the creation of various artefacts including reports, presentations, videos, reflective writing, market and business analysis, personal development planning, case study solutions and a research proposal.

Assessment strategy

Principles

The course adopts the four assessment strategy principles of the School that are developed in the spirit of ESJ. These are:

i) The School is committed to ensuring that each student should not have more no more than 2 assessment points per 20 credit modules.

ii) We provide balanced forms of assessment, both in terms of its overall volume (measured in terms of assessment points and output required (see Table below)) and the types used.

Assessment Tariffs

Credits: 20

Assessment Points: 1

Assessment Type (weighting): Individual Essay

Tariff: 3,000 words

Credits: 20

Assessment Points: 2

Assesment Type (weighting): Individual Essay (60%)/ Exam (40%)

Tariff: 1800/80 minutes

Credits: 20

Assessment Points: 1

Assessment Type (weighting): Exam

Tariff: 3.0 hours

Credits: 20

Assessment Points: 2

Assessement Type (weighting): Group presentation (20%)/ Individual Report (80%)

Tariff: 20 minutes/ 1,000 words 20 minutes/1,500 words

i) At PGT level group activities are part of the learning and teaching strategies but assessment should be at the level of the individual. Thus, assessment should focus on individual reflections and learning from participating in a group activity.

ii) Flexibility/choice in assessment methods will be introduced wherever possible (subject to PSRB requirements and QAA subject benchmarks) in order to facilitate different learning studies and support personalization

Marking will be competed in all cases online within TurnItin, following university guidance, and feedback provided both as comments in the student’s submission and in the TurnItin feedback box. Feedback / feedforward will be supportive and motivational.

Marking will be completed in all cases online within TurnItin, following university guidance, and feedback provided both as comments in the student’s submission and in the TurnItin feedback box. Feedback / feedforward will be supportive and motivational.

Students are encouraged to participate in consultancy projects, pro bono clinics, The Passport Module, business consultancy in SMEs.

For their final 60-credit capstone module, the students will have three options to choose from : a) Business Consultancy Project (MC7P77), b) Dissertation (FE7P64) , and c) Work Placement (MN7W01).

Students have the opportunity to take an industry placement module over one year to gain first-hand experience in the industry and develop their understanding of hands-on practice. This year long placement module replaces the traditional dissertation/business consultancy module and it’s examined through a portfolio assessment. For this year long placement module international students need to apply before joining the course.

This PG course offers students the ability to complete a work placement component as part of the 60 Credit alternative core modules within the award. The Work placement module (MN7W01) is one of the alternative core modules. The placement will last nine months, starting within two months of the successful completion of semester two in summer. It will be credit-bearing (60 credits) and will be offered as an alternative to the ‘Dissertation’ and ‘Business Consultancy Project’ with the same credits. There will be a series of work readiness and career preparation workshops/ seminars to ensure students are engaging critically with their experiences.

For students unable to undertake the work placement after starting the programme, they will be required to complete a Business Consultancy Project or Dissertation, bearing equivalent credits, and complete their whole course within one year, however, this will be strongly discouraged due to the complex tier 4 visa arrangement requirements if applicable.

International students studying on a Student Visa will be required to submit weekly timesheets for the hours undertaken for the work placement. The timesheets will need to be signed by the student’s line manager to meet Visa regulations.

Please also note that the choice of MN7W01 alternative core module will have the effect of extending the course length by one more year. The student needs to have secured a one-year work placement within 6 months of the start of teaching i.e., if their course starts in September/October the deadline for securing the placement will be 31 March of the following year; if their course starts in February/March the deadline for securing the placement will be 31 August of the same year. If a student has difficulty securing a placement within the deadlines above they will switch to alternatives bearing equivalent credit as stated in the first paragraph.

Those who are taking the 60 credit Work placement option will be contacted early in their course to receive support in securing a graduate placement in good time. It is a student's responsibility to apply for opportunities and to engage with the University and/or partner organisations to assist them. The suitability of any opportunities will be assessed by the Module and Work Based Learning Teams and all placement roles must meet the Health and Safety requirements for Higher Education Accredited Work Placements.

Students have the opportunity for networking with industry insiders and companies through our contacts and partnerships, in addition to opportunities to explore businesses practice through topical case studies and business stimulations. Many modules in addition to the inclusion of case studies and business stimulation are structured to provide opportunities to work on projects with leading fashion brands.

Part Time students will complete modules as following:

Semester 1 and 2, 2 modules. Semester 3 and 4, 1 module and in the final semester they take the research module.

PG Cert – 60 credits from any three 20 credit modules

PG Diploma – 120 credits from all 20 credit modules must be completed.

Reflective Learning

This MA in Fashion Marketing and Management promotes the development of critical and reflective abilities through the analysis of visual and written material relevant to various disciplines within Fashion Industry.

Therefore, students reflective learning in this course could be facilitated through exposure to fashion marketing industry practices, contemporary marketing and strategy as well as sustainable practices in action.

It also highlights the importance of critical thinking, reflection and analysis within creative practice. Students’ outputs from this course will reflect on the context of management, media, communication, traditional and contemporary marketing and sustainable practices and approaches within the Fashion Marketing Industry.

This course advances students’ ideas in the final business consultancy project and/or dissertation by bringing together theories and practices taught throughout the course.

Reflective learning also incorporated in the areas of studies including:

• Fashion Strategy and Innovation
• Fashion Business Consultancy Project
• Business and marketing stimulation
• Reflective case studies
• Industry-integrated assessment and real-life presentation situation
• Effective communication and content marketing

Personal Development Planning

Throughout the course you would have access to our career and employability team which in conjunction with the course team we work tirelessly in helping you to outline your personal and career plan and to identify steps for a timely implementation.

This course complies with the QAA Characteristics Statement for Master’s Degrees

https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/quality-code/master's-degree-characteristics-statement8019abbe03dc611ba4caff140043ed24.pdf?sfvrsn=86c5ca81_12

Studying in the area of fashion marketing and management potentially unleashes a wealth of opportunities in an industry known for the extensive supply and value chains and fast pace of change. This is an industry which regenerates itself on a regular basis and has proven relatively resilient to challenges presented by geo-economic downturns.

As a successful graduate of MA Fashion Business Management, students will have developed skills that enable them to:

• Continue to work for their current organisation but at a more senior level
• Enter and/or progress within the fashion business management sector of their choice
• Go back out into the workplace with skills which will enable them to move into a related fashion business field and to maximise opportunities.
• Change organisation and possibly industry in search for more responsibility and reward
• Start their own fashion business
• Have the confidence needed to take leadership decisions in fast moving fashion industry particularly in the area of sustainability and digital communication
• Possess communication and networking skills and confidence that will help them adopt a global and multicultural perspective in their career
• Employ innovative resources with emphasis on enterprise, research and new technical innovations and integrate them into their practices
• Develop visual research to reflect originality and innovation in their fashion career

The skills, knowledge and abilities gained in the course are expected to enable the student to identify and negotiate new opportunities and to able to perform successfully at the next level.

Given the nature of the GSBL MA Fashion Marketing and Management further higher education study becomes more attainable for those interested. In addition, the course provides the basis for life-long learning and exploration of new and innovative ideas.

This course is a great way to get into the fashion marketing industry, either working in-house at a fashion brand or working at a marketing agency with fashion clients. You could also go on to work in the business development side of fashion buying and merchandising.

If you’re already working in fashion, this course could serve as a platform to boost your career and allow you to move up into a management role.

After the course, you’ll be able to explore various other professional courses and qualifications in marketing topics such as social media, Google ads, search engine optimisation (SEO) and other marketing skills.

You'll be required to have:

• a minimum of a lower second-class (2.2) honours degree in a broadly related degree such as marketing, management, psychology, international business strategy (or equivalent international qualification).
• an IELTs score of 6.0 as standard.

If your degree is outside of these subjects, you may still be considered.

For mature applicants without a degree you may be considered on merit of 2+ years appropriate work experience and other professional development or professional qualifications.

Applicants from more diverse backgrounds and/or work experience are encouraged to send their CV for consideration.