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Overview
Develop specialist business and marketing skills to shape fashion’s future ethically and sustainably with our MA Fashion Marketing (with Professional Experience) Master’s degree.
Blending the business and artistic expertise of our Business and Law and Creative and Cultural Industries faculties, this Fashion Marketing Master's is the logical next step in crystallising your marketing vision into a rewarding career path. As with many specialised fields, experience is crucial for contextualising what you learn and securing future employment. Therefore, you'll complete a six-month work placement or professional experience module as part of this Master's. Your academic studies will support and expand your practical experience.
You'll learn fundamental marketing tools, techniques, and theories, including social media marketing and analytics. By studying topics such as fashion branding and entrepreneurship, you'll develop insight into the fashion industry's mechanics. You'll also gain valuable marketing experience working on live campaigns with local, national, and international organisations.
Effective marketing is essential for successful fashion organisations. With this Fashion Marketing Master’s complementary mix of academic study, practical projects, and professional experience, you’ll graduate as a well-rounded marketing asset to any organisation of any size in the fashion and marketing industries.
Eligibility
This course accepts UK, EU, and International students.
Course highlights
- Complete a professional experience module or take part in a 6-month placement to improve your employability skills and apply what you learn in industry
- Learn how to address the contemporary challenges of fashion marketing in a sustainable and ethical way
- Get insights into making impactful marketing decisions
- Study core marketing theories and techniques alongside specialist industry-specific modules
- Be taught by experts with close links to local, national, and international businesses – including Arcadia Group, Burberry, Google, Tommy Hilfiger, Conde Nast and Twitter
- Get experience with the software and tools you'll use in your career, such as Adobe Design Suite, Google Analytics and Google Ads
- Apply what you learn in the industry by working with a fashion brand on a live brief
- Get additional professional qualifications for software like Google Analytics and Google Ads
- Present your research to a student-led conference as part of a research-based unit, which can help prepare you for potential PhD study
What you'll study
Each module on this course is worth 15, 30 or 60 credits. You'll study modules worth a total of 180 credits to achieve your Master's degree.
Modules
There are no optional modules in Year 1 of this MA Fashion Marketing (with Professional Experience) degree course.
Core modules
- Consumer Insight and Analytics – 15 credits
- Contemporary Issues in Marketing – 15 credits
- Essentials of Marketing – 15 credits
- Fashion and Luxury Retail Marketing – 15 credits
- Fashion Buying and Merchandising – 15 credits
- Fashion Entrepreneurship – 30 credits
- Fashion Marketing Major Project – 60 credits
- Social Media Marketing–15 credits
There are no optional modules in Year 2 of this MA Fashion Marketing (with Professional Experience) degree course.
Core modules
- Postgraduate Work Based Learning – 60 credits
Changes to course content
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, course content is revised and regularly reviewed. This may result in changes being made in order to reflect developments in research, learning from practice and changes in policy at both national and local levels.
Joining us as an international student
You'll feel at home in our international community and our diverse city. You'll be joining over 5,000 international students from more than 150 countries who are studying with us.
Learn more about international student life and how we can help you with visas, applications, arrival and settling in.
Careers and opportunities
Marketing is an essential part of all fashion organisations, and job opportunities exist across all areas of the industry.
The skills and knowledge you get on this course will also make you a good fit for general marketing roles in public sector and not-for-profit organisations, such as charities, local government and higher education institutions.
The additional six months of professional or workplace experience you get on this course will give you a significant advantage over graduates from similar, less vocationally focussed courses.
Careers this Master's prepares you for
You'll graduate with the skills and understanding to take up roles in many fields, including:
- Global fashion market researcher
- Fashion marketing campaign officer
- Fashion marketing executive
- Public relations account executive
- Fashion marketing consultant
- Fashion entrepreneur
- Social media manager
You could also continue your studies to PhD level.
9 reasons to do a Master's
With a taught Master's degree you can apply your knowledge in a field you're passionate about. If you already have an undergraduate degree, or are working, you can earn one.
Placements and industry connections
In this module, you'll do a work placement or a professional experience programme. You'll do this for six months between September and March after you've completed your year of taught studies.
Work placement
Your placement at the end of the course gives you the opportunity to get valuable professional experience in the fashion marketing industry.
You can begin looking and applying for placements after completing your first teaching block. You'll get support from the Careers and Employability Centre and the Faculty's Creative Careers team.
Note that work placements can't be guaranteed because it depends on their availability and the specific needs of placement providers. We'll give you the support you need to identify work placements but you'll be responsible for securing a placement successfully.
Professional experience programme
If you're unable to secure a work placement, you'll complete a professional experience programme designed to meet your career aspirations.
You'll further develop your employability and enterprise skills and prepare yourself for the workplace. This could be an entrepreneurship, industry-related or consultancy project, or other activities appropriate for your career development.
How you'll spend your time
We recognise that you'll probably be juggling more demands when you do your Master's degree, as you may be working or you may have family responsibilities.
We'll give you as much indication here as we can of how much time you'll need to be on campus and how many hours you can expect to spend in self-directed study, but please note that these indications are always subject to change. You should receive your full timetable several weeks before you start with us.
Teaching
Master's study is deeper and more specialised than an undergraduate degree. This means you'll focus on something that really matters to you and your career as you work closely with academics committed to the subject.
You'll spend more time in independent study and research than you did for your undergraduate degree, but the majority of your teaching time will be in-person and face-to-face.
Teaching methods
Teaching methods on this course include:
- Lectures
- Seminars
- Interactive teaching media
- Group learning sessions
- Personal tutoring
- Project supervision
Assessment
You'll be assessed through:
- case studies and industry reports
- online tests, individual qualifications, and certification
- an individual research project
- presentations and pitches
You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.
You can get feedback on all practical and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.
Course structure
This course runs from September to September and takes 18 months (including a six-month work placement).
During your studies per week, expect to spend:
- 8–10 hours in timetabled teaching activities
- At least 25 hours in independent study activities (alone or in a group), such as research, reading, and coursework or project work
Most timetabled teaching takes place during the day, Monday to Friday. You may occasionally need to go to University and course events in the evenings. There’s usually no teaching on Wednesday afternoons.
During the six months of your professional experience module, how you spend your time will change in line with the expectations of your workplace.
Meet your course leader
Mrs Karen Ryan
Term dates
September start
The Master's academic year runs from September to the following March. There are breaks at Christmas and Easter.
Over the summer, you'll be writing your project or dissertation.
From the following September to March, you'll undertake your professional experience module.
Supporting your learning
Master's study is more focused on independent learning than undergraduate study, but you'll get lots of support via video, phone and face-to-face from teaching and support staff to enhance your learning experience and help you succeed. You can build your personalised network of support from the following people and services:
Types of support
Your personal tutor helps you make the transition to independent study and gives you academic and personal support throughout your time at university.
You'll have regular contact with your personal tutor in learning activities or scheduled meetings. You can also make an appointment with them if you need extra support.
In addition to the support you get from your personal tutor, you’ll also have access to a Faculty student support advisor. They can give you confidential, impartial advice on anything to do with your studies and personal wellbeing and refer you to specialist support services.
If you need support with software and equipment or you want to learn additional skills (including skills not covered on your course), our creative skills tutors provide free workshops, activities and one-on-one tutorials. Skills you can learn include life drawing, film camera operation and video production.
You'll have help from a team of faculty academic skills tutors. They can help you improve and develop your academic skills and support you in any area of your study.
They can help with:
- improving your academic writing (for example, essays, reports, dissertations)
- delivering presentations (including observing and filming presentations)
- understanding and using assignment feedback
- managing your time and workload
- revision and exam techniques
Computing support staff are always available to give technical support in the Faculty's computer suites during normal working hours. There's also some support available from 5.00pm to midnight at busy times of the year.
As well as support from faculty staff and your personal tutor, you can use the University's Academic Skills Unit (ASK).
ASK provides one-to-one support in areas such as:
- academic writing
- note taking
- time management
- critical thinking
- presentation skills
- referencing
- working in groups
- revision, memory and exam techniques
If you require extra support because of a disability or additional learning need our specialist team can help you.
They'll help you to
- discuss and agree on reasonable adjustments
- liaise with other University services and facilities, such as the library
- access specialist study skills and strategies tutors, and assistive technology tutors, on a 1-to-1 basis or in groups
- liaise with external services
Our online Learning Well mini-course will help you plan for managing the challenges of learning and student life, so you can fulfil your potential and have a great student experience.
You can get personal, emotional and mental health support from our Student Wellbeing Service, in person and online. This includes 1–2–1 support as well as courses and workshops that help you better manage stress, anxiety or depression.
Library staff are available in person or by email, phone, or online chat to help you make the most of the University’s library resources. You can also request one-to-one appointments and get support from a librarian who specialises in your subject area.
The library is open 24 hours a day, every day, in term time.
If English isn't your first language, you can do one of our English language courses to improve your written and spoken English language skills before starting your degree. Once you're here, you can take part in our free In-Sessional English (ISE) programme to improve your English further.
Course costs and funding
Tuition fees
- UK/Channel Islands and Isle of Man students: £12,000 (plus £1,200 for the work-based module/placement)
- EU students (including Transition Scholarship): £12,000 (plus £1,200 for the work-based module/placement)
- International students: £18,800 (plus £1,880 for the work-based module/placement)
University of Portsmouth graduates may receive a 20% alumni tuition fee discount.
Fees are subject to annual increase. Read our tuition fees terms and conditions.
You'll be able to pay your fees in instalments. Find out how to pay your tuition fees.
Tuition fees terms and conditions
Funding your studies
Find out more how to fund your studies, including the scholarships and bursaries you could get. You can also find more about tuition fees and living costs, including what your tuition fees cover.
If you're a UK student, you may be eligible for a Government postgraduate loan, which you can use to help with course fees and living costs.
Applying from outside the UK? Find out about funding options for international students and our international student scholarships.
Loans, scholarships and bursaries
Browse funding such as the Government Postgraduate Loan, our scholarships for new and returning students, and subject specific loans.
Funding for international students
Learn more about sponsorships, scholarships and loans for students applying from outside of the UK.
Fees and funding for Master's courses
Discover how you can fund your Master's study at Portsmouth – including loans, scholarships and bursaries – and read our guidance on topics like how to budget, and how to get support if you're disabled or have dependents.
Additional costs
These course-related costs aren't included in the tuition fees, so you'll need to budget for them when you plan your spending. Additional costs could include:
- Accommodation: Accommodation options and costs can be found on our accommodation pages.
- Recommended reading: You can borrow key texts from the library and if you choose to purchase these texts they may cost up to £60 each.
- General costs: Such as photocopying, memory sticks, printing charges, binding and specialist printing. We suggest budgeting £75 per year.
- Final project transport or accommodation: where necessary, which related to your research activities. The amount will depend on the project you choose.
Read more about tuition fees and living costs, including what your tuition fees cover.
Entry requirements
Eligibility
This course accepts UK, EU, and International students.
September 2024 start
- An upper second class honours degree in a relevant subject, or equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications.
Please get in touch if you're not sure if your undergraduate subject is relevant to this degree.
Equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications will also be considered, such as previous study, employment, voluntary work and training courses, including courses and qualifications you didn't complete. Learn more about our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
- English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 6.0.
You do not need an IELTS or equivalent certification if:
- you have a UK degree
- you have a degree from a majority English-speaking country (not taught by Distance Learning)
- you are a national of a majority English-speaking country
Degrees taught solely in English from non-majority English-speaking countries will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Find out more about our English language requirements.
If you do not meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.
If you're applying as an international student with a non-UK degree, you’ll need to show you meet the UK entry requirements listed above.
To find out if your non-UK degree or other qualification is accepted, please visit our page for your country and view the UK equivalent of your qualification.
Applicants with non-standard qualifications will be invited to attend an interview. You may also be asked to submit a portfolio.
For more information on how to put together a portfolio, read our MA Fashion Marketing portfolio guide.
How to apply
Unlike undergraduate applications, which go through UCAS, applications for this Master's course are made directly to us.
There's no deadline for applications to this course. We accept applications right up until the start date in September, as long as there are places available. If you wait until September to apply, you may find that the course is full.
If you're applying as an international student, remember that you'll need to leave plenty of time to get your visa organised.
You can find more advice about applying in our Master's application checklist. International students and current students and recent graduates of the University of Portsmouth also have some different application options, which are detailed below.
Extra information for international students
If you're an international student, you can apply directly to us using the same application form as UK students.
You could also get an agent to help with your application. Check your country page for details of agents in your region. To find out what to include in your application, head to the how to apply page of our international students section.
If you don’t meet the English language requirements for this course yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.
Ready to apply?
Start this course in September 2024
I'm a current Portsmouth student, or a recent Portsmouth graduate
If you're currently in your final year of study at Portsmouth, or you graduated since July 2023, you're eligible to make a fast track application. You'll have:
- a shorter application form to complete
- access to the 20% Alumni fee discount
- a guaranteed conditional offer, for most Master's courses
After you apply
Once we receive your application, we may ask you for further information. We will then either make you an offer or suggest alternatives if your application is unsuccessful.
You'll usually get a decision within 10 working days, so you shouldn't have to wait too long. Some courses have an interview stage – we'll let you know if you need to prepare for one.
Learn more about how we assess your application.
Admissions terms and conditions
When you accept an offer to study at the University of Portsmouth, you also agree to abide by our Student Contract (which includes the University's relevant policies, rules and regulations). You should read and consider these before you apply.