Postgraduate Diploma in Fashion Design

Programme Specification

Programme Title: Postgraduate Diploma in Fashion Design
EQF Level: 6–7
Total Credits: 25
Programme Duration: Approximately 250 Guided Learning Hours

Programme Description

The Postgraduate Diploma in Fashion Design is an advanced professional programme designed to develop high-level creative, conceptual, and industry-oriented fashion design skills. The programme focuses on specialized fashion sectors, advanced styling strategies, fashion branding, marketing, textile experimentation, professional portfolio development, and independent project realization.

Students explore complex fashion design contexts including uniform design, swimwear, maternity fashion, stylistic consultancy, textile printing, fashion criticism, branding, and fashion marketing while strengthening their professional identity and design methodology. The programme integrates conceptual thinking with market awareness, visual communication, technical refinement, and fashion innovation aligned with contemporary global fashion industries.

Special emphasis is placed on:

• Fashion identity and brand development
• Advanced garment specialization
• Fashion communication and criticism
• Textile experimentation and surface design
• Consumer analysis and fashion marketing
• Styling and image consultancy principles
• Professional portfolio and independent project development

The final stage of the programme focuses on self-directed fashion research, advanced portfolio presentation, and a comprehensive final fashion design project demonstrating professional-level creative and technical competence.

Who Is This Programme For?

This programme is suitable for:

• Graduates of fashion design or related creative disciplines
• Students progressing from an Advanced Diploma in Fashion Design
• Fashion designers seeking professional specialization and portfolio enhancement
• Individuals interested in fashion branding, styling, textile design, and fashion marketing
• Creative practitioners preparing for employment or independent practice within the fashion industry

The programme is intended for learners with prior fashion design knowledge who wish to develop advanced creative and professional capabilities.

Programme Aims

The programme aims to:

1. Develop advanced fashion design and specialization skills
2. Strengthen conceptual thinking and fashion innovation
3. Explore branding, fashion criticism, and fashion marketing strategies
4. Develop textile design and surface experimentation techniques
5. Build professional styling and image consultancy competencies
6. Enhance portfolio presentation and professional communication skills
7. Prepare students for industry practice, entrepreneurship, or higher academic progression

Programme Structure / Module Outline

1- Fashion Design 5

EQF Level: 6 Credits: 3 Duration: 30 Hours

Module Description

This course explores professional uniform design and specialized workwear development for public and private sectors. Students investigate functional clothing systems, workplace identity, environmental considerations, safety requirements, and visual communication within occupational fashion design.

The course focuses on designing uniforms that balance practicality, aesthetics, branding, comfort, and professional identity across various job sectors and workplace environments.

2- Fashion Design 6

EQF Level: 6 Credits: 4 Duration: 40 Hours

Module Description

This course focuses on specialized garment sectors including swimwear, bikini design, maternity wear, and long-wear fashion solutions. Students examine body shape, comfort, movement, and functionality while developing creative fashion concepts responsive to diverse users and fashion markets.

3- Branding & Fashion Criticism

EQF Level: 7 Credits: 2 Duration: 20 Hours

Module Description

This course investigates advanced branding theories, fashion criticism, fashion collections, and the cultural impact of influential designers and super brands. Students critically analyze fashion identities, iconic collections, and contemporary fashion discourse while exploring the relationship between branding, aesthetics, communication, and consumer perception.

4- Fashion Marketing

EQF Level: 6 Credits: 2 Duration: 30 Hours

Module Description

This course introduces students to fashion marketing, merchandising, forecasting, promotion, and fashion brand management. Students examine consumer behavior, branding strategies, trend analysis, and fashion communication techniques while developing awareness of the commercial structure of the fashion industry.

5- Stylistic Principles

EQF Level: 5 Credits: 3 Duration: 40 Hours

Module Description

This course examines advanced styling principles related to chromatics, body analysis, image consultancy, and personal fashion coordination. Students investigate relationships between clothing, colour, body shape, social identity, and visual perception while developing styling solutions for diverse individuals and professional contexts.

6- Textile Design & Printing

EQF Level: 6 Credits: 2 Duration: 20 Hours

Module Description

This course introduces textile design, fabric printing, and surface experimentation techniques. Students explore geometric and organic pattern development, textile categories, fibre systems, manual printing, and fabric painting methods while developing creative textile concepts for fashion applications.

7- Portfolio Development

EQF Level: 6 Credits: 3 Duration: 30 Hours

Module Description

Portfolio Development is a supervised studio-based module focused on the selection, refinement, organization, and professional presentation of fashion design work completed throughout the programme. Students develop a coherent portfolio that reflects their creative identity, technical abilities, conceptual thinking, and professional aspirations.

The module is delivered primarily through individual supervision, critiques, and portfolio review sessions rather than formal taught content.

8- Final Project

EQF Level: 7 Credits: 6 Duration: 80 Hours

Module Description

The Final Project is an independent capstone module requiring students to develop a comprehensive fashion design project that demonstrates advanced creative, technical, and conceptual abilities acquired throughout the programme.

Students undertake research-led design development leading to a professionally resolved fashion collection, branding proposal, textile project, or specialized fashion concept supported by visual research, technical studies, illustrations, styling, and professional presentation materials.

The project emphasizes originality, innovation, technical refinement, fashion communication, and industry-level presentation standards.

Teaching & Learning Methods

The programme is delivered through:

• Studio-based design workshops
• Fashion research and trend analysis
• Textile experimentation and printing workshops
• Branding and marketing seminars
• Styling and fashion communication exercises
• Portfolio supervision and critiques
• Independent project development

Assessment Methods

Assessment may include:

• Fashion collection development
• Styling and branding projects
• Textile and surface design studies
• Fashion marketing presentations
• Critical analysis and research work
• Professional fashion portfolio
• Final independent fashion project

Progression Opportunities

Graduates may progress to:

• Master’s degree programmes in Fashion Design, Fashion Communication, Textile Design, or Creative Industries
• Fashion branding and marketing sectors
• Fashion styling and consultancy practice
• Independent fashion label development
• Fashion illustration, merchandising, and creative direction roles

Software & Creative Tools

Students may use:

• Adobe Photoshop
• Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe InDesign
• Textile printing and manual fabric experimentation tools
• Professional fashion illustration and styling materials