BA (Hons) Placement year available

Fashion Communication and Branding

Learn the fundamentals of fashion business and marketing and develop the commercial skills you need for a career in the £1.5 trillion fashion industry.

In an increasingly competitive, commercial and technological environment, communication and branding professionals have never played such a central role in buying, retail, import and export, digital marketing and more.

Study on our BA (Hons) Fashion Communication and Branding degree in Cambridge, and develop the skills, understanding and knowledge that are critical to international fashion design and business functions.

Logo: THE Awards 2023
 

Study at an award-winning university

We were named Times Higher Education University of the Year 2023. We've also been awarded a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework – a reflection of the outstanding education we offer our students.

Course options

Key facts

Looking for different course options?

Modules are subject to change and availability, and may vary by location. If you have the choice of optional modules, these are indicated with a *.

Year 1
  • Fundamentals of Fashion Business
  • Fashion History and Contexts
  • Fundamentals of Fashion Marketing
  • Fundamentals of Fashion Communication
  • Digital Content Creation
  • Into ARU
Year 2
  • Advanced Integrated Fashion Communication
  • Retail and Experiential Marketing
  • Critical Issues and Debates
  • Professional Studies in the Creative Industries
  • Fashion Communication, Promotion and Events
  • Ruskin Module (15 credits)
  • Digital Media Theory: Social Media, AI, and the Cultures of the Internet *
  • Online Journalism *
  • Cult Media *
  • Anglia Language Programme (15 credits) *
Year 3
  • Major Project
  • Fashion for Change
  • Working in the Creative Industries *
  • Research Project *
Module details

To prepare you for university study, you can take a foundation year at the start of this course. Find out more about foundation years.

Year 1
  • Interactive Learning Skills and Communication
  • Information and Communication Technology
  • Introduction to Business
  • Core Maths
  • Critical Thinking
  • Intercultural Studies
  • Ethics
  • Business Law
Module details

You can choose to take an optional placement year as part of this course. Placements typically happen in Year 3, and your course will take four years overall. Find out more about placement years.

Placement year
  • Work Placement - Cambridge School of Creative Industries
Module details

Read profiles of teaching and research staff on this course.

Student experience

  • Anya Hindmarch

    Guest speaker: Designer Anya Hindmarch talks about the future of luxury.

  • Designer and creative director Clare Payne

    Finding your feet in fashion - our invited speaker Clare Payne discusses her experiences of working in the creative industries. Clare is a womenswear designer and creative director of her own brand.

    • ;
  • Anya Hindmarch
  • Designer and creative director Clare Payne
  • Anya Hindmarch
  • Designer and creative director Clare Payne

Facilities

You’ll have access to all our facilities including:

  • dedicated fashion workshops with a variety of industrial sewing machines
  • Ruskin Gallery, a professional digital art gallery
  • Mac and PC suites equipped with the latest industry-standard software
  • specialist printmaking workshop including etching, screen-printing and lithography
  • 3D workshops for physical media including wood, plastic, metal and clay
  • photography and media facilities including darkrooms, studios, film processing, digital printing suite, video editing, and professional equipment loans.

Careers - What can you do with a Fashion Communication and Branding degree?

The global apparel market is projected to grow in value from £1 trillion in 2020 to about £1.6 trillion by 2025, showing that the consumer demand is on the rise across the world (Statista, 2021).

As a BA (Hons) Fashion Communication and Branding graduate, you could consider career opportunities as a:

  • creative director
  • brand manager
  • retail manager
  • account manager (wholesale)
  • branding consultant
  • global supply chain manager
  • fashion buyer
  • fashion PR
  • journalist
  • fashion editor
  • stylist
  • visual merchandiser
  • trend forecaster
  • studio manager
  • product developer
  • colour developer.

You might also consider the areas of fashion marketing, and promotions and events management – or branch out on your own as an entrepreneur.

Graduation doesn't have to be the end of your time with us. You might decide to stay at ARU and study for a Masters such as our MSc Marketing or Master of Business Administration MBA. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and get 20% off your fees.

Employability and personal career development

Informed by employers, our courses support an integrated approach to employability. You’ll have opportunities to develop the skills and abilities they are looking for and gain a deeper understanding of how your academic learning relates to the world of work through Live Briefs and Ruskin Modules.

You will need to dedicate time outside of your course to develop your employability, through placements, internships or volunteering or through our partner scheme Students at the Heart of Knowledge Exchange (SHoKE). You can evidence this experience on your CV and talk about it in interviews to give you that all important edge.

Our Employability and Careers Service offers a range of expert advice and support to build your unique professional profile, including tailored career appointments, advice on writing your CV, and help to complete job applications. You’ll have 24/7 access to the Careers Centre, our comprehensive online digital resource, which empowers you to start building a Personal Career Development Plan from the very start. Design your future at ARU.

Entry Requirements

Loading...

Entry requirements are not currently available, please try again later.

Fees and Paying for University

Apply for Fashion Communication and Branding

UK students

Visit UCAS to apply

Apply through UCAS

International students

Apply direct

Apply online
Want to talk to someone?
Contact our Admissions team Talk to a student

Loading...

Buildings and courtyard on Anglia Ruskin University's Cambridge campus

Life in Cambridge

Our friendly, bustling campus is a stone’s throw from the centre of Cambridge, often described as the perfect student city.

Our favourite places in Cambridge Did you know...? Facts about Cambridge Watch: Our Cambridge
Four people clustered around a laptop and paper notes, discussing them together

Responsible fashion

You’ll learn about the ethics of the fashion industry, and consider issues of sustainability that will help you to develop as a responsible professional able to implement and influence change in the fashion industry.