2013
Course overview
The goal of this stimulating master’s course is simple: to be an innovative, challenging and inspiring programme for those who want to be future leaders in fashion merchandise management/the fashion industry.
With competition in the retail sector at an all-time high, the role of professionals responsible for visual presentation has taken on greater importance than ever before. Exploiting innovation and creativity allows modern retailers to transform the most pedestrian environments into exciting shopping arenas.
This course will maximise your ability to create design solutions that work in the real world. It aims to progress your understanding of contemporary visual merchandise practice and teach you how to manage the wider requirements of the fashion retail industry. You will gain a thorough understanding of how design can contribute to a business's decision-making process and influence the strategic planning of fashion retailers and their approaches to marketing.
The key elements of this course focus on research, with an emphasis on practical skills and portfolio development. Working closely with professionals who offer insider knowledge of industry strategies, we encourage you to develop pioneering approaches to fashion merchandise management. You will analyse new technological methodologies, creative marketing concepts, display and retail environments and innovations in business for the fashion industry.
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Industrial focus
We encourage you to seek relevant work experience at a fashion or design company while on the course. This is part of the ethos of the Fashion School, where flexible programmes and strong links with industry have led to placements in important areas of the industry and organisations such as:
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trend reporting for WGSN
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Mudpie Design/Trend Consultancy
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design at Jenny Packham
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marketing department at Harvey Nichols
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MRA Retail Architects
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Calvin Klein Jeans, visual communication.
Course content
Research Methods
This unit explores the principles of academic research, presenting the variety of research methods available and discussing their relevance in relation to the students' study paths. The unit will guide you in the selection of appropriate and ethically managed research methods, enabling you to develop confidence in research and autonomy in execution in preparation for the final Major Project.
Retail Space Analysis and Design
The importance of visual merchandising, in-store branding,
and increased customer involvement with the product through the retail store environment provides the focus for this unit. You are encouraged to research all aspects of point-of-sale, retail design, store architecture and environment and how consideration of display techniques can enhance sales opportunities and customer experience.
Consumer Behaviour, Marketing, Innovation and Enterprise
This unit explores the psychological and cultural factors that influence consumer shopping habits and behaviours. New ways of shopping and improving competition throughout consumer markets are investigated through reacting to global, technological and ethical developments and considerations.
Professional Contexts and Practice
This multi-disciplinary unit explores current debates, emerging areas of research and professional practice within fashion. A diverse programme of guest lectures, including representatives from the fashion and creative industries, provides a critical awareness of the cultural and professional contexts associated to students' chosen fields. Strengthening your knowledge of the fashion and creative industries, the unit will help you refine the necessary skills for articulating a specific career plan.
Buying and Merchandising
You will explore the theory of fashion buying and merchandising and its application to retailing procedures. An in-depth understanding of both roles is encouraged throughout with a detailed study of the broad range of responsibilities involved and how fundamental these are to the effective running of a fashion business.
Major Project
The creation of a design portfolio provides the opportunity to apply the range of knowledge and skills developed on
the course. Your portfolio of work
will demonstrate your career aspirations and how important research and theory underpins final project outcomes.
Assessment
Assessment includes projects, reports and a dissertation.
Key career skills
Creative thinking, critical analysis, initiative and personal responsibility, presentation and teamwork.
Projects/work experience
You will be encouraged to gain work experience as part of the course and we will support you in your quest for a placement at a top agency.
Why Solent is special
The course will run from January 2012 to December 2012. January 2012 is the last January intake, and from then on it will run from September to September.
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You will have access to fashion studios, design and make workshops, multimedia suites, photography studios, IT suites and the library.
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There are opportunities to take part in trips abroad, as well as regular trips to museums and exhibitions in and around London.
Graduate quote
Carly Millett
Achieved a position as a Trainee Marketing Account Manager
with a large fashion wholesale company called ICD in London,
2 weeks after leaving the course.
“I would definitely recommend the MA in Fashion Merchandise Management to anyone wishing to pursue a career in fashion, whether your undergraduate degree specialised in fashion or not. I came from a Business Studies degree background and around 4 years marketing experience in other industries. I found the skills and knowledge I already had helped me to gain a deeper understanding of the course modules.
The modules themselves cover a variety of areas which helped me to gain an in depth knowledge of the fashion industry and understand the wide variety of career choices available to me afterwards.
"The course also allowed me to research a number of different areas and retailers that I was interested in. This freedom helps to make the Masters so much more personal and interesting which increased my level of enthusiasm towards all of my projects.
"The teaching on the course is excellent and a mix of academic lecturers and industry professionals are an added bonus.
"I have now entered a marketing based career in the fashion industry and strongly feel that I am now able to apply the knowledge and skills achieved through this course.”
2012
Course overview
The goal of this stimulating MA Fashion Merchandise Management course is simple – to be an innovative, challenging and inspiring Merchandise and Management programme for those who desire to be future leaders in the fashion industry.
Delivering an innovative and relevant fashion merchandise curriculum, this course will equip you for a visual merchandise management career at a senior level in the domestic or international fashion industry.
What is it?
This dynamic course offers an inside knowledge of industry strategies and cultures on a global basis, combined with a strong underpinning of key research and business skills and essential fashion industry management knowledge. It is a practically applied course that allows you to express your capabilities in developing concepts for the future of retail space design.
Who is it for?
This course is ideal for you if you are a self-motivated individual who wishes to develop or enhance both your career prospects and your intellectual and creative potential in the challenging field of visual merchandise management, building on previous fashion and/or retail knowledge, skills and experience.
Research and practice
The key elements of this course will focus on research, with an emphasis on practical skills and portfolio development, which assists in the proposition and exhibition of pioneering strategies within a retail industry context. Working closely with industry professionals who will offer an insider knowledge of industry strategies, these innovative approaches are encouraged through the analysis of new technological methodologies, creative retail environments and innovation in display concepts for clothing collections.
Innovation
While creative aspirations will be supported through personal tutorials and group workshops, the emphasis will be on innovation and the encouragement of the development of strategic and entrepreneurial vision. These elements are key in expressing your capabilities in developing concepts for the future in design through a stimulating portfolio of work.
What are we looking for?
This course is for individuals who can respond to challenges, are articulate and can contribute visual skills, original ideas and a keen awareness of current issues in many areas of fashion retail. Graduates will have increased employment prospects and be in a position to gain employment as innovators with the field of visual fashion merchandise.
Industrial focus
We actively encourage you to seek relevant work experience within a fashion or design company while on the course. This is part of the ethos of the fashion department, where flexible programmes and the strong links with industry which have led to placements such as:
-
Trend Reporting for WGSN
-
Mudpie Design
-
Design at Jenny Packham
-
Marketing Department at Harvey Nichols.
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Course content
Research Methods
The unit explores the principles of academic research, presenting a variety of research methods whilst discussing their relevance in relation to the students' study paths. Providing background knowledge and preparing students for their Major Project, this unit will guide students in the selection of appropriate and ethically managed research methods. Furthermore, it will enable students to develop confidence in research and autonomy in execution.
Retail Space Analysis and Design
The importance of visual merchandising, in-store branding, and increased customer involvement with the product through the retail store environment provides the focus for this unit. Students are encouraged to research all aspects of point-of-sale, retail design, store architecture and environment and how consideration of display techniques can enhance sales opportunities and customer experience.
Consumer Behaviour, Marketing, Innovation and Enterprise
This units explores the analysis of psychological and cultural factors that influence consumer shopping habits and behaviours. New ways of shopping and improving competition throughout consumer markets are investigated through reacting to global, technological and ethical developments and considerations.
Professional Contexts and Practice
A multi-disciplinary unit exploring current debates, emerging areas of research and professional practice within fashion. A variegated program of guest lectures, including also representatives from the fashion and creative industries, will provide the students a critical awareness of the cultural and professional contexts associated to their chosen field. Strengthening the students' knowledge of the fashion and creative industries, the unit supports the students in refining the necessary skills for articulating a specific career plan.
Buying and Merchandising
The theory of fashion buying and merchandising and its application to retailing procedures is explored. An in-depth understanding of both roles is encouraged throughout with a detailed study of the broad range of responsibilities involved and how fundamental these are to the effective running of a fashion business.
Major Project
The creation of a design portfolio that will provide students with the opportunity to apply a range of knowledge and skills developed on the course. This is were students have the opportunity to develop a portfolio of work that demonstrates their career aspirations and how important research and theory underpins final project outcomes.
Assessment
Assessment includes project, report and dissertation.
Key career skills
Creative thinking, critical analysis, initiative and personal responsibility, presentation and teamwork.
Projects/work experience
You will be encouraged to gain work experience as part of the course and we will support you in your quest for a placement at a top agency.
Solent's special features
Image courtesy of Checkland Kindleysides.|
"Checkland Kindleysides are delighted to endorse this new course and look forward to working in partnership with the University to offer our creative inspiration, project advice and the creation of a CK Internship award in response to a 'live' brief we will provide"
Andy Turnbull, Creative Director, Checkland Kindleysides.|
Fees
Fees for the 2012/13 academic year are:
Full-time
UK and EU students: £6,500 per annum
Overseas students: £10,000 per annum
Part-time
UK and EU students: £3,250 pa
Overseas students: £5,000 pa