Textile Design & Design Management: The University of Manchester

Course description

Designers and design managers have crucial roles to play in providing the market place with the right designs at the right time and price. Awareness of technical, commercial, marketing and fashion aspects of the industry is essential. The  course aims to develop creativity, self-reliance and motivation and is ideal for those who want a mix of arts and science subjects.

This programme has a strong emphasis on developing the multi-disciplinary skills that are necessary in today's competitive marketplace. You learn to transfer your creative ideas successfully into fabrics, using our extensive range of industrial equipment.

Studio-based design projects, fabric production lectures and labs form the core of the first two years. You will learn about the fundamental textile processes of fibre-to-yarn and yarn-to-fabric conversion as well as design management, design processes and Computer Aided Design.

In the final year, you undertake a major design project and a dissertation. At the end of the year this work is exhibited at the annual degree show.

Career opportunities

The programme prepares you for a variety of careers. Graduates go into both the manufacturing and retail sectors of the textile and clothing industry as designers, design managers, selectors, buyers, stylists and producers. Our graduates have also gone into other professions such as accountancy and teaching.

Recent positions graduates have taken up include: assistant buyers, merchandisers & selectors; knit, weave & print designers; and recruitment consultants. Graduates have also gone on to take postgraduate degrees in textile technology, design, fine art, museum studies and teaching.

Companies employing graduates include Accenture, Benetton, Bhs, British Rail, Edinburgh Weavers, Gap, John Lewis, Laura Ashley, M&S, Mothercare, Next, and Paul Smith.

Entry requirements

• English language:
  • Grade C or above in GCSE English language.
  • Grade C or above in Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency.
  • IELTS average score of 6 with not less than 5.5 in any one component.
  • Test of English as a Foreign language (TOEFL) minimum score of 550 (paper based); 213 (computer based); 80 (Internet-Based).
• A level: Grades ABC. This should include Art or Art and Design at grade B or above.
• Unit grade information: The University of Manchester welcomes the provision of unit grade information which, like all other available information, will inform the consideration of applications.
• GCSE: Minimum grade C in English Language, Dual Science and Mathematics.
• Key Skills qualification: The University warmly welcomes applications from students studying the Key Skills qualification.
• International Baccalaureate: 32 points overall, including three subjects at Higher Level. This should include Art or Art and Design.