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Introduction
Why choose this course?
Key features
 We are recognised as one of the country’s most sustainable fashion and textiles schools (Green Gown Awards, 2021) and one of the best fashion schools in the world for 2022 (CEOWORLD, 2022).
 Work on live projects with industry experts to gain valuable skills and experience. Recent briefs have been set by TOMs, New Balance and Sophia Webster.
 Benefit from opportunities to enter prestigious national and international competitions to boost your industry exposure. Previous graduates have won a number of accolades, including first prizes at the Lineapelle Footwear Competition, the prestigious Bata International Design Award and the Moda Footwear Competition.
 This course has a global reputation with industry experts, with recent graduates employed as designers, buyers and agents for well-known names, including Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney and Kurt Geiger.
 Become a responsible and forward-thinking designer with the tools to adapt and innovate in the rapidly evolving world of fashion.
 The award-winning Vijay Patel Building  provides both the space and the facilities to foster creative thinking, where ideas can develop and flourish for all of our art and design students.
 Benefit from Education 2030, where a simplified ‘block learning’ timetable means you will study one subject at a time and have more time to engage with your learning, receive faster feedback and enjoy a better study-life balance.
Overview
With a rich heritage from the end of the 19th century to the contemporary footwear industry, this degree will help to equip you with the skills and experience to set you apart in the fashion sector. You will be working directly with industry professionals and big brands to gain valuable insights into new products and technologies.
Throughout the course your shoe design and technical making skills will be developed, emphasising the crucial relationship between design and manufacture and the needs of the footwear industry. You can specialise in performance footwear, which is unique for a UK university, or men’s, women’s, or children’s footwear.
You will develop drawing and illustration, bespoke biomechanics and model prototyping skills, along with the ability to present and communicate ideas and concepts to a high professional standard. You will learn technical modern shoemaking skills and make a range of prototype shoes using our excellent specialist studio facilities, including 3D design equipment.
Modules
First year
• Block 1: Design Fundamentals
• Block 2: Design Exploration
• Block 3: Design Development
• Block 4: Design Communication
Second year
• Block 1: Bespoke Principles
• Block 2: Design Concepts
• Block 3: Design Innovations
• Block 4: Concept Realisation
Third year
• Block 1: Conceptual Inquiry
• Block 2: Creative Realisation
• Block 3 and Block 4: Design Resolution
Entry Criteria
ENTRY REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
Home Office Share Code
For EU students only.
IF no Qualification
Please provide CV with at least 2 years of work experience, and employee reference letter.
Entry criteria
Typical entry requirements
We welcome applicants from a range of backgrounds.
 Art and Design Foundation or
 112 points from at least 2 A ‘levels
 BTEC Extended Diploma DMM
 International Baccalaureate: 26+ Points or
 T Levels Merit
Plus five GCSEs grades 9-4 including English Language or Literature at grade 4 or above.
 Pass Access with 30 Level 3 credits at Merit and GCSE English (Language or Literature) at grade 4 or above
We will normally require students to have had a break from full time education before undertaking the Access course.
 We also accept the BTEC First Diploma plus two GCSEs including English Language or Literature at grade 4 or above
English language requirements
If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with 5.5 in each band (or equivalent) when you start the course is essential.
English language tuition, delivered by our British Council-accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.
Interview and portfolio
Interview required: Yes
Portfolio required: Yes
Assessment
ASSESSMENT METHODS
1. INTERNAL ENGLISH TEST if you don't have an English accredited certificate
2. Academic Interview
Teaching and assessments
Structure
The focus of your first year will be to ‘Investigate’ through a grounding in research, concept development, 2D illustration, basic technical skills and design development. The second year aims to ‘Develop’ your skills and knowledge, building on the foundation gained in the first year. Your third year will ‘Consolidate’ your learning by bringing together all the skills you have learnt into a final product that reflects your chosen area of focus and individual design aesthetic.
Critical thinking and research skills related to contemporary issues in the global fashion and textiles industry are integrated in each year, alongside career development skills and opportunities. Project briefs will enable you to produce work to a professional standard for real-life clients and you will develop a personal portfolio that can be used to launch your career after graduation.
You will be taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, practical studio sessions, tutorials, workshops and self-directed study. The assessments are designed to build on each other as you progress in your studies and you will have opportunities to receive feedback on your work throughout your learning journey. Assessment covers 2D work such as research reports, design sketchbooks and presentations boards, 3D work such as shoe prototypes and marketing materials, and formal presentations to peers, staff and external clients.
You are encouraged to enter national and international competitions including the Moda competition, the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers awards, the Worshipful Company of Patternmakers awards and the CIONE biomechanical design award. Our students have had numerous competition successes with recent first prizes at the Lineapelle Footwear Competition in Bologna, the prestigious Bata International Design Award and the Moda Footwear Competition.
Contact hours
In your first year you will normally attend around 15 hours of timetabled taught sessions (lectures and tutorials) each week, and we expect you to undertake at least 24 further hours of independent study to complete project work and research.
Awards and memberships
Ranked as one of the best fashion schools in the world for 2022 (CEOWORLD, 2022) and in the top 10 in the UK for 'career after 15 months' (The Guardian University Guide 2022), our innovative and widely-respected courses help prepare students for fulfilling futures in this fast-paced industry.
Green Gown Award
The School of Fashion and Textiles won the Next Generation Learning and Skills Award in the Green Gowns Awards 2021 and received global recognition in the International Green Gown Awards 2022. These awards are the gold standard for sustainability in universities around the world and this puts DMU at the forefront of sustainable fashion and textiles education in the UK. Sustainability is at the heart of our curriculum and teaching, empowering our students to be agents of change within the industry.
UK Fashion and Textiles Association
We are members of the UK Fashion and Textiles Association which ensures our teaching stays up to date with the latest developments in the sector and provides valuable industry links that enhance our courses.
Career Opportunities
Placements
During this course you will have the option to complete a paid placement year, an invaluable opportunity to put the skills developed during your degree into practice. This insight into the professional world will build on your knowledge in a real-world setting, preparing you to progress onto your chosen career. Previous students have taken up placements at Puma, Clarks and Lacoste.
Our Careers Team can help to hone your professional skills with mock interviews and practice aptitude tests, and an assigned personal tutor will support you throughout your placement.
DMU Global
Our innovative international experience programme DMU Global aims to enrich your studies and expand your cultural horizons, helping you to become a global graduate, equipped to meet the needs of employers across the world. Through DMU Global, we offer a wide range of opportunities including on-campus and UK-based activities, overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips and volunteering, as well as Erasmus+ and international exchanges.
Students on this course have been on DMU Global trips to shoe factories, tanneries and exhibitions in Italy, France and Spain. They have also visited to Copenhagen to explore sustainability in the fashion and textiles industry and travelled further afield to New York.
Graduate careers
Our graduates have forged successful careers within the footwear industry ranging from roles in design, technical development, buying and marketing. They work for big brands internationally such as Gucci, New Balance, L.K.Bennett, Dr. Martens, Irregular Choice, Lacoste, Kickers, Kurt Geiger, Adidas, Dune, Levi’s, Office, Next and Georgina Goodman.
Graduate Sam Lilley won top prize at the prestigious Cordwainers Footwear Awards 2022 in London and las landed a job with luxury fashion house Alexander McQueen
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