Undergraduate courses
From Materials Science, nanomaterials and polymers to fashion business and technology, a degree from our Department starts your journey.
Undergraduate courses in the Department of Materials are split into two distinct subject areas: fashion business and technology, and materials science and engineering.
Whichever you choose, you'll join the largest and most diverse academic community dedicated to materials in Europe. You'll be taught by leading academics in their field and will have access to unique facilities in our new Home of Engineering and Materials Science.
Fashion business and technology
On our courses, you'll discover the exciting industry of fashion business, and all the creative, practical, technical, and business elements that contribute to the fashion industry. You'll explore how textiles and products are created, tested, sourced, manufactured, managed, marketed, promoted, and retailed.
Our four Fashion Business and Technology BSc courses share a common first year, giving you the flexibility to change courses at the start of the second year when you have gained a wider appreciation of each area.
Our BSc courses enable students to discover the exciting industry of fashion business, with a complimentary and collaborative mix of creative, practical, technical, and business elements.
Rachel Parker-Strak / Senior Lecturer in Fashion Buying and Merchandising
During the first year, all our courses cover creative and business fundamentals and you’ll study a range of core units such as fashion buying, fashion marketing and management and the apparel pipeline. You will also study complementary units that focus on practical and technical elements such as the understanding of the raw materials of fabrics, the function and aesthetics of fashion textiles and garment technology.
In your second year, you’ll experience and further understand the fashion product development process, operations management, garment production technology and fashion business economic principles. You’ll also start to focus on discipline-specific areas of study such as brand management, fashion buying and merchandising, fashion management and fibre, yarn and fabric technology. You’ll be able to individually personalise your studies with optional units that reflect key areas within the fashion industry, such as fashion promotions, in-store environments, digital branding, international business and other creative, business, practical and technical units.
In your final year, you’ll focus on higher-level strategic thinking within key projects that reflect and showcase your areas of expertise. You’ll be able to choose from optional units in the critical areas of business ethics and sustainability, how the fashion business operates within the digital age and the University-wide Manchester Leadership Programme. Each year will build your skills, knowledge, experience and confidence towards becoming a graduate within the fashion business and technology industry.
Our students graduate with experience and understanding of the science and technology behind the fabrics and garments they work with, as well as gaining critical and analytical understanding of the processes, procedures and aspects that make up the fashion industry. We equip our students with the skills to interpret the creative and technical elements that contribute to product development, as well as manage and market commercially viable fabrics and garments worldwide.
There’s no knowing where a degree in Fashion Business Technology from The University of Manchester could take you!
Accreditations
The Textile Institute
All our fashion business and technology courses are accredited by the Textile Institute.
Internationally recognised, the Textile Institute is the chartered professional body for the textile, clothing and footwear industries. Our graduates can apply for associateship of the Textile Institute when they have completed two years in industry.
The Chartered Institute of Marketing
All our fashion business courses (fashion management, marketing, buying and merchandising) are also accredited by The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).
The CIM is the leading professional body for marketers worldwide and exists to develop the marketing profession, maintain professional standards and improve the skills of marketing practitioners.