Elsewhere Academics TR
Home / Careers

Fashion Design

Fashion Design

Fashion design teaches how to design clothing and accessories from the idea stage to the finished product. Fashion drawing and illustration, computer aided design (CAD), textile processes and design development are core topics.

Design and arts

Example courses

Fashion drawing and illustrationComputer aided design (CAD)Design developmentTextile processesPortfolio preparation and presentation

What do graduates do?

  • Fashion designer
  • Textile designer
  • Stylist
  • Retail buyer
  • Merchandiser
  • Visual merchandiser
  • Fashion magazine journalist
  • Marketing specialist
IN HIGH SCHOOL

Which subjects matter?

The University of Edinburgh does not ask for a specific A-level subject for its fashion bachelor's; most applicants hold ABB. A digital portfolio showing artistic skill is requested with the application.

Example: University of the Arts London (UAL), first-year courses

  1. Introduction to Fashion Design and Development
  2. Creative Technologies
  3. Fashion Cultures and Histories
  4. Product Development

Length by country

United Kingdom
UAL LCF BA Fashion Design and Development, 3 years; 4 years with an industry placement year.
USA
A bachelor's degree is usually completed in 4 years of full-time study.
Netherlands
A bachelor's at a research university takes 3 years (180 ECTS). At an HBO (university of applied sciences) it takes 4 years (240 ECTS).

Exams required for this field

Portfolio United Kingdom

UAL London College of Fashion BA Fashion Design and Development assesses a portfolio for admission. The portfolio can be up to 30 pages and is uploaded through PebblePad.

TOLD (Test del Design) Italy

TOLD is used for entry to Politecnico di Milano design bachelor's degrees for 2026/27.

SCHOOL EXAMPLES

Examples of schools where you can study this subject

5 schools in 5 countries. Programmes were checked on the schools’ own websites. These are only examples; every country has many more options. We choose the schools that fit your budget, documents and goals together.

Take the My Place test

Canada

Toronto Metropolitan UniversityFashion · Toronto

United Kingdom

University of EdinburghFashion BA (Hons) · Edinburgh

Spain

IE UniversityBachelor in Fashion Design · Madrid and Segovia

Switzerland

Franklin University SwitzerlandFashion Studies · Lugano

Dubai

Heriot-Watt University DubaiFashion · Dubai
BY COUNTRY

What to know, country by country

For each country where you can study this subject: an example tuition fee and the next step in the timeline. You can find the details in our country guides.

Canada1 schoolCountry guide
Bachelor's, Arts, first year, full course loadC$51.530,40per year · 2026/27University of British Columbia (Vancouver)
  • 7 November 2026

    Recommended application date for the University of Toronto first review rounds (OUAC 105)

United Kingdom1 schoolCountry guide
Bachelor's, international student, fields other than medicine and dentistry£27,650 to £34,670per year · 2027/28The University of Sheffield
  • 26 October to 21 December 2026

    Booking period for the January 2027 session of the ESAT, TMUA and TARA exams (for universities other than Oxford and Cambridge).

Spain1 schoolCountry guide
Bachelor's (grado), student from outside the EU without residence status, Nivel 3 (e.g. Law, Psychology, History); 60 ECTS€6.822,60per year · 2026/27Universidad Complutense de Madrid
  • 15 January 2027

    Deadline for IE University bachelor's round 2 applications. Decisions by 19 February 2027 at the latest

Switzerland1 schoolCountry guide
Bachelor's, foreign student tuition (tripled since autumn 2025)CHF 2,190per semester · 2026/27 (in effect since autumn 2025)ETH Zürich
  • November to December 2026

    Prepare for a language certificate. At ETH the main language of the bachelor's is German, and a German certificate may be asked

Dubai1 schoolCountry guide
YOUR OWN LIST

Let’s build your school list for Fashion Design together

  • We choose schools from 26 countries that fit your grades, budget and documents.
  • We gather every school’s application timeline, required documents and exam scores in one list.
  • We put tuition fees and living costs side by side.
  • We prepare your application file and personal statement together.
Write on WhatsAppPlan your first meeting My Place test
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is there a placement year in fashion design education?

In some programs, yes. UAL London College of Fashion's Fashion Design and Development bachelor's takes 3 years. If an industry placement year is added, the program becomes 4 years.

Ask your question on WhatsApp
Can you study fashion design in English in Italy?

Politecnico di Milano's Fashion Design bachelor's is taught in Italian. The program is at the Milano Bovisa campus and takes 3 years.

Italy page Ask your question on WhatsApp
Is a portfolio requested when applying for fashion?

At the example schools, yes. UAL London College of Fashion takes a portfolio of up to 30 pages through PebblePad. The University of Edinburgh also asks fashion applicants for a digital portfolio.

ElsewhereCampus Ask your question on WhatsApp
DESIGN AND ART

Other fields of study in this category

ElsewhereCampus ElsewhereNext
ArchitectureInterior ArchitectureUrban and Regional PlanningGraphic DesignIndustrial DesignFilm and Television ProductionMusicFine Art

Last checked: October 2026.

Is Fashion Design right for you?

Let's talk about interests, strong subjects and target countries, and narrow down the subject and school options together.

Write on WhatsAppPlan your first meeting
WhatsApp Email Phone