Sustainable Fashion student

Sustainable Fashion MA (Online)

Become a conscious changemaker in the 21st century fashion industry.

Key details
Location
Online
Course duration
2 years
Attendance
Part-time

Course overview

This course is new for entry year 2023

Develop a radical and circular approach to designing a pioneering, sustainably focused fashion system and challenge existing industry practices through ethical, regenerative and inclusive change. Through this online master's degree in Sustainable Fashion, you will gain the knowledge and skills to design the pioneering transformation needed to address the complex environmental, social, cultural and economic challenges we face throughout the fashion system.

Joining a global community of informed, visionary and collaborative change-makers, you will design innovative solutions to global and local challenges that deliver a responsible, sustainable and ethical impact on people and the planet.

By fostering a conscious mindset, you will envision new sustainable futures, question the purpose of design, develop responsible systems and assess the impact of social innovations within fashion communities.    

Different to a traditional studio maker-based course, this Sustainable Fashion MA is designed to empower you to influence the future of fashion through the development of advanced creative and systems thinking practices, and to design outcomes in a multitude of forms that will affect systemic change.

You will: 

  • Graduate as a pioneering fashion practitioner, empowered to lead and reform the fashion industry 
  • Build a deep understanding of the fashion industry in the global sustainability context and learn how to drive the changes needed to deliver positive, responsible change 
  • Develop advanced knowledge of social innovation design, systems thinking and design thinking 
  • Utilise creative problem-solving approaches to find strategic solutions to complex problems across design, production, and business functions 
  • Seek and create diverse networks across the fashion sector 
  • Develop a conscious practice that filters decision making through a sustainable and ethical lens 

 

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Start dates: January / May / September

(Three intakes per year) 

Course details

On this empowering sustainable fashion course, you’ll acquire a radical, conscious, professional and courageous sustainable fashion practice, while creating meaningful and effective connections with other fashion practitioners. 

You’ll build your knowledge throughout the course, starting with an understanding of the fundamental sustainable themes in the fashion sector and the problems facing the industry.   

Developing advanced knowledge of systems and design thinking will allow you to build a transformative toolbox of creative skills to question and reframe the challenges of the sector, and test and prototype responsible design interventions. 

Throughout the course you will build valuable project management skills, networking approaches and techniques, and strategy development expertise, enabling you to bring clarity to complicated and demanding projects. 

Honing your investigative and academic research skills will enable you to ask the right questions, interrogate current industry practice and then forecast your own vision of a future sustainable fashion world. You’ll also sharpen your cultural awareness and sensitivity to global issues and events, thereby developing inclusive working practices and approaches.    

At the end of the sustainable fashion course, you will establish yourself as an entrepreneurial industry leader, through the creation of sustainable and collaborative solutions for a self-identified problem - either within the fashion system as a whole, or within a specific area that you are passionate about. 

 

Modules  

This sustainable fashion course is comprised of five modules, four 30-credit modules and one 60-credit project (180 credits in total). The modules have been specifically designed to be studied in a non-linear order, with the order in which you’ll study the modules depending on when you begin the course. All modules on the course are compulsory and must be passed in order to complete the award.

MA 

You will need to complete four 30-credit modules and one 60-credit project (180 credits in total). All modules on the course are compulsory and must be passed to complete the award.  

From module information to course aims and assessment criteria, discover the full course details for the MA.

PGDip

You will need to complete four 30-credit modules (120 credits in total). All modules on the course are compulsory and must be passed in order to complete the award. A dissertation (major project) is not required. 

From module information to course aims and assessment criteria, discover the full course details for the PGDip.

Module details

Re_Imagine asks you to harness the power of imaginative storytelling, grounded by research into how today’s fringe ideas and technologies look to the future. Through global case studies from multicultural and inclusive perspectives, alongside independent research, you will develop an in-depth overview of how the fashion product lifecycle sits within the contexts of environmental, social and economic sustainability.  

You will examine the reasons why change is needed and the approaches the industry is taking to solve these complex challenges such as circular business models, regenerative practices, engaging with social justice and defining governance structures to regulate the industry, looking at the UN Sustainability Goals and the Inner Development goals.     

Linked design thinking techniques and horizon scanning will enable you to speculate about how things could be and translate your knowledge to envision alternative fashion systems that question how we source materials, design, manufacture and distribute products, and communicate and experience fashion. You will materialise this future worldview through the production of a creative platform that defines your sustainability agenda and core values and create a proposal for a set of interventions to bring about this change in global and local contexts.  

(30 credits)   

Re_Make will challenge you to develop a positive sustainable relationship between the sourcing of materials, the design of fashion products and the sustainability of environments and regenerative eco-systems. Utilising design thinking processes you will analyse and evaluate sustainable product design solutions through investigation into responsible materials, circular technologies, and ethically transparent processes.  

You will then propose innovative ideas and directions for the design of visionary fashion product opportunities with a positive impact on the environment, producing a report detailing your approach to the design of a sustainable product range that attempts to meet a 100% traceability target. 

(30 credits)   

Re_Wire critiques the systems behind fashion and poses the question; how can you implement sustainable change that addresses the multiple intersecting crises in the fashion system?  Through case studies and personal investigation into fashion’s sourcing, production and distribution systems, you will question the practices of fashion’s supply chain. Ethical trade and sustainable certifications will also be explored to show how the industry can change their practices in a responsible and positive way.   

You will develop a culture of collaborative innovation to understand how fashion activities, people, ecosystems and external industries interact and how you can embed responsible decision making. Networking with each other and across the industry, open-source sharing and group work will be central to building teamworking and leadership skills. 

You will scrutinise why systems need to be radically transformed to design out the exploitative practices in fashion and identify where you can rewire the system to deliver a responsible impact for the planet and its people. 

(30 credits)   

Re_Frame critiques interactions with the fashion product lifecycle through the context of environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Focusing on how audiences engage with fashion sustainability, you will scrutinise the fashion communication and business landscape to understand; what could happen if we empower consumers to imagine and shape their sustainable futures?    

By exploring circular business models and purpose-driven communication strategies behind economic and social sustainability, you will develop a working understanding of what responsible brand narratives, platforms, services and organisations can look like. 

Through taught content and independent study, you will examine positive and negative communication methods used by brands, communities, NGOs, individuals, and activists to discuss sustainable fashion, and explore the impact these narratives have on conscious consumerism and decision-making. Studying human behaviour will also enhance your understanding of why we consume the way we do and give you the design thinking skills to develop interventions to address this consumption. 

Based on social innovation design practices, ethnographic research and applied design thinking, you will develop a presentation about a new service, communication platform or organisational model that responsibly impacts the fashion community and seeks to improve the wellbeing of individuals and communities on a global or local scale. 

(30 credits)   

Consolidating all the knowledge, research methods and design skills you have learned in the previous modules, you will identify and address a sustainable challenge through the development of positive and responsible intervention, platform or system. Using your conscious mindset, you will define yourself as a collaborative change agent, working across disciplinary borders, with an inclusive range of people or in new areas that can reform the industry in a responsible and positive direction for the planet and its people.     

Using a combination of theory, practice-led or practice-based research you will immerse yourself in your chosen theme and create an innovative iterative design strategy to inform the strategic development of your outcome within your own company, in a brand, in the community or another space. 

(60 credits) 

The modules above are those being studied by our students, or proposed new ones. Programme structures and modules can change as part of our curriculum enhancement and review processes. If a certain module is important to you, please discuss it with the Course Leader.

MA Sustainable Fashion (Online) Course Leader Tom Crisp
Tom Crisp

Meet your course leader, Tom Crisp


As a menswear designer, trend analyst and fashion lecturer, Tom Crisp has deep and varied industry knowledge. Here, he shares how a strong commitment to championing regenerative practices will help him to inspire the conscious future leaders of the fashion industry. 

Read more

How you'll learn

Our online degrees have been designed from the outset to be taught and learned online. This means that they're crafted specifically for you to study remotely. We offer a truly multidisciplinary syllabus designed to meet the demands of the creative industries, and as a postgraduate student you should dedicate at least 20-25 hours per week for study. 

You’ll learn through a blend of contextual investigation, case studies, workshops, webinars, guest talks, tasks and discussion forums, which you’ll access via our dedicated virtual learning environment. This is also where you’ll find all key documentation, get course announcements and access rich learning resources.  

You'll be supported academically by Online Tutors, who will also deliver weekly webinars and facilitate the online forums. If you need assistance with anything that isn't directly related to course material, a dedicated Student Advisor team will be on hand to help. You'll also have access to Falmouth University's excellent employability service, RealWORKs

We incorporate optional face-to-face events for all our online students. There will be up to two per year and will typically run over weekends, to fit around your other commitments. They're great opportunities to meet other students and Tutors and to explore course related topics through additional activities and discussions. You'll get the chance to hear from industry experts, offering a wider professional context for your learning and a deeper insight into your chosen industry. 

Find out more about studying online   

How you'll be assessed

Assessment on sustainable fashion this course has been carefully planned to work specifically for online delivery. Assessment provides the course team with a means of offering tailored guidance alongside advice on how to progress knowledge and skills in key areas that relate to the course Learning Outcomes. The course team will identify your strengths and weaknesses as an individual and discuss them with you throughout your time on the course.  

As you move through the modules, you will keep an assessed critical reflective journal, for weekly reflections on learning, helping you to embed critical self-evaluation into your ideas and personal development. 

You will be assessed via coursework at the end of each module in the form of visual, verbal and written assignments. You will also receive regular feedback via webinars, Q&As and workshops with other students on your course.  

 

Studying our Sustainable Fashion master's course, you'll be part of our vibrant and creative Fashion & Textiles Institute. Check out the stories below to discover more about our amazing students, graduates and staff.

A sustainable fashion student pinning their work to a wall
Sustainable Fashion student

The Our Effect Podcast | Reconnecting fashion with nature

08 February 2023

Sustainable fashion academic Tom Crisp chairs a discussion on the importance of reconnecting fashion...

The Our Effect Podcast | Reconnecting fashion with nature
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Charlie Taylor headshot

Textile Design graduate launches collection with Oasis

06 January 2023

Charlie Taylor tells us about her exclusive collection with fashion brand, Oasis.

Textile Design graduate launches collection with Oasis
A woman sat in front of a loom
Alice Moore Hook, Line and Ginger

Alice Moore on starting her own handwoven textile business

14 December 2022

Textile Design graduate starts her own handwoven textile business.

Alice Moore on starting her own handwoven textile business
A headshot of Sustainable Fashion lecturer Sabine Lettmann
Sabine Lettmann

An interview with Sabine Lettmann: module leader on MA Sustainable Fashion (Online)

25 November 2022

Sabine Lettman is a fashion designer, consultant and researcher who will lead two modules on Falmout...

An interview with Sabine Lettmann: module leader on MA Sustainable Fashion (Online)
Saidis Orda work
Orda

Orda, Saidis Orda

Falmouth graduates recognised by Arts Thread Global Design Graduate Show 2022 

25 October 2022

Meet the Fashion & Textiles Institute graduates shortlisted for the Global Design Graduate Show 2022...

Falmouth graduates recognised by Arts Thread Global Design Graduate Show 2022 
Photo of Fashion Design graduate Finlay Vincent facing away from the camera wearing black hoody with the hood up.
Finlay Vincent

Fashion graduate announced as Vanguard Education Fund winner

29 September 2022

Fashion Design graduate Finlay Vincent has been awarded funding through NET-A-PORTER's Vanguard Educ...

Fashion graduate announced as Vanguard Education Fund winner
A woman examines textiles
Textiles woman

Lecturer contributes to V&A Africa Fashion exhibition

18 August 2022

Senior Lecturer in Textile Design, Dr Simon Clarke, has seen his work featured in a landmark Africa ...

Lecturer contributes to V&A Africa Fashion exhibition
Photo of Torgeir Rorvik holding Graduate Fashion Week Award at the 2022 event
Torgeir Rorvik

Fashion Photography graduate brings home Graduate Fashion Week award

24 June 2022

This week, Fashion Photography BA(Hons) graduate Torgeir Rorvik won the Fashion Photography award at...

Fashion Photography graduate brings home Graduate Fashion Week award
A woman stands in front of the Falmouth sign on Woodlane
Frugi student

Student gets industry experience as Frugi pays campus visit

01 June 2022

First year Fashion Photography student Sinead Flanagan has assisted Frugi’s creative department on...

Student gets industry experience as Frugi pays campus visit
Logo for the Falmouth Showcase 2022
Showcase 2022

The Falmouth Showcase is coming: 21-26 May 2022

10 May 2022

Hungry for inspiration? On the hunt for fresh talent? Discover our next generation of incredible cre...

The Falmouth Showcase is coming: 21-26 May 2022
A student stands in front of a television screen and presents their business pitch to a panel of experts
Dragons' Den pitch

£6000 up for grabs as students enter the Dragons' Den

04 April 2022

RealWORKS' second annual Dragons’ Den event took place in March, and saw students compete for a sh...

£6000 up for grabs as students enter the Dragons' Den
People gather to protest the fashion industry. A placard reads 'no fashion on a dead planet'
Ecocide

Falmouth joins the Fashion Declares movement

04 February 2022

Falmouth’s Fashion & Textiles Institute has joined forces with key leaders across the fashion ...

Falmouth joins the Fashion Declares movement
Megan Leech designing
Megan Leech

Textiles graduate lands role at cutting-edge fabrics company

11 January 2022

BA(Hons) Textile Design graduate Megan Leech has landed a job as a Development Engineer with renowne...

Textiles graduate lands role at cutting-edge fabrics company
Rosie photographs her winning design
Rosie Southerden New

Textile Design graduate wins Oppo Lens of Inspiration Challenge

23 December 2021

BA(Hons) Textile Design graduate Rosie Southerden has won the Oppo Lens of Inspiration challenge. Th...

Textile Design graduate wins Oppo Lens of Inspiration Challenge
Agne stands on an old Audi, wearing white sports socks, red stilettos and an orange coat.
Agne Pic

Graduate film showcased on iconic fashion photography website

24 November 2021

2021 Fashion Photography graduate Agne Roversteinaite has had her film 'They Don't See Us' exhi...

Graduate film showcased on iconic fashion photography website

Staff

You’ll learn from a team of experts in fashion innovation, entrepreneurship, sustainability, marketing, fashion, and textile design, embedded in the future-driven and collaborative community of our Fashion & Textiles Institute

Some members of staff only teach on specific modules, and your course might not feature every staff member who teaches on the course.

Tom Crisp headshot

Tom Crisp

Course Leader, Sustainable Fashion MA (Online)

Tom Crisp was born in Kent, and currently lives and works in Falmouth. He received his BA in Menswea...

Tom Crisp
Sabine Lettmann headshot

Sabine Lettmann

Module Lead, Sustainable Fashion MA (online)

I am a fashion designer and creative consultant with a design studio based in Hamburg, Germany. Sinc...

Sabine Lettmann

Resources and Support

  • Dedicated easy-to-use virtual learning environment (VLE)
  • Accessible online audio / visual content
  • A Student Advisor to support you throughout your studies and access to our Student Support Services
  • Access to our careers and employability service RealWORKS
  • 24/7 access to Falmouth's extensive online library of contextual books, journals and resources
  • Access to online software tutorials at LinkedIn Learning
  • Students' Union community
  • Optional face-to-face events
  • Invitation to attend alumni events

Although online students don't have access to on-campus facilities as part of the course, you can hire equipment and access facilities by paying a charge. Find out more about availability and prices here.

Careers

As a graduate of this Sustainable Fashion master’s course, your career could progress into sectors such as:

  • Sustainable fashion start-ups  
  • Commercial fashion companies 
  • Sustainability strategy     
  • Sustainable corporate communications    
  • Teaching and development    
  • Environmental or social campaigning  
  • Social entrepreneurship  
  • Environmental or social campaigner 
  • Campaigning  
  • Community Organising 
  • Charities and NGO’s 
  • Diversity and Inclusion   

Within these sectors, you could go into roles such as: 

  • Sustainability Officer     
  • Product Sustainability Manager    
  • Sustainability Consultant    
  • Environmental Specialist    
  • Technical Designer    
  • Corporate Communications Manager 
  • Fashion Forecaster   
  • Creative Director    
  • Community Organiser  

Research skills embedded throughout the modules and in your Final Major Project could allow you to successfully progress into postgraduate research programmes and PhDs, MBAs or teaching and PGCHE qualifications.  

How to apply

You can apply to begin your studies in May 2023 by selecting the relevant course route below:

Apply for MA

Apply for PGDip

You can apply to begin your studies in September 2023 by selecting the relevant course route below:

Apply for MA

Apply for PGDip

You can apply to begin your studies in January 2024 by selecting the relevant course route below:

Apply for MA

Apply for PGDip

An honours degree or Level 6 equivalent qualification is desirable. However, candidates without a degree or formal qualification are still encouraged to apply. If you'd like to discuss our entry requirements, speak to an advisor.

For more information regarding equivalent international qualifications and Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) either request information with our easy online form, or read about it on our apply page.

If English isn't your first language, you'll need to demonstrate English language skills that are sufficiently developed for successful completion of your studies. We accept a range of recognised English language qualifications that are equivalent to the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic minimum score of 6.5 overall, with a minimum of 6.0 in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening.

This course has three intakes per year: January, May and September.

Academic start date* Application deadline
23 January 2023 5 January 2023
29 May 2023 8 May 2023
25 September 2023 4 September 2023 

Please note:

*Virtual Welcome Week begins the week before the academic start date. During this time, our Student Advisor team will host Welcome Webinars and be in touch with practical information on how to study online.

An Early Bird discount is available for early applications. The scheme offers a £300 MA tuition fee reduction if you apply by the Early Bird discount submission deadline:

Early Bird discount submission deadline* Academic start date
28 November 2022 23 January 2023
3 April 2023 29 May 2023
1 August 2023 25 September 2023

*If you receive an offer and within two weeks you accept the place and pay the acceptance fee, you will then qualify for a further £300 off your MA tuition fees. Both these payments would be applied to your final fee instalment.

To discuss all our discount opportunities, contact an advisor.

Speak to an advisor

Fees, costs & funding

Tuition fees

£11,795 total fee (incl. acceptance fee) - 2 years part time - MA/MSc course

£7,865 total fee (incl. acceptance fee) - PGDip course

£12,150 total fee (incl. acceptance fee) - 2 years part time - MA/MSc course

£7,921 total fee (incl. acceptance fee) - PGDip course

Tuition fees are set annually and are subject to review each year. The University may therefore raise tuition fees in the second or subsequent years of a course, in line with inflation and/or the maximum permitted by law or Government policy. Students will be notified of any changes as soon as possible. 

The figures above don't include accommodation and living costs

Typical course costs

As part of studying Sustainable Fashion MA, you'll require:  

Laptop/Computer  

You’ll require a desktop/laptop. This machine should have a minimum operating system of Windows 10 or Mac OS 10.15, at least 8GB of RAM, and an i7 processor. We recommend a 15” screen, with a minimum of 256GB hard drive space. It will also need to be capable of running our virtual learning environment.  

Adobe Creative Cloud  

You will need access to Adobe Creative Cloud. You may be eligible for discounted licenses through Adobe's education pricing and Falmouth University seeks to provide further discounts when possible. If any discounts are available, we will communicate these to you.

For more information please visit Adobe Creative Cloud.

Resources/materials 

As work during the course can be created in any medium of your choice, the exact equipment requirements may differ according to your practice and preferred ways of working. The costs of these materials will need to be covered by you.  

Optional face-to-face events 

You will be expected to cover your own travel, accommodation and subsistence costs to attend these events. 

Ask a student

What better way to find out about life at Falmouth University than by asking our current students?

From course details and academic support, to the social scene and settling in, our students are ready and available to answer any questions you might have. Simply set up your account, send them a question and they'll get back to you within 24 hours.

Request information

Do you have questions about the course or studying at Falmouth? Fill in our simple online form and we'll get in touch to support your application journey.

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