Cardiff School of Management>Courses>Fashion Buying and Brand Management – BA (Hons) Degree

Fashion Buying and Brand Management – BA (Hons) Degree

Entry Year

Ready to turn your love for fashion into a career? If you dream of building a career in buying, merchandising or brand management, our BA (Hons) Fashion Buying and Brand Management degree at Cardiff Met could be your perfect fit.

Our degree combines a mix of business acumen and creative expertise, preparing you for management roles within the fashion industry. Learn how to curate the coolest collections, pick products that match a brand’s identity, decide what trends hit the shelves and shape the image of global fashion brands.

Developed with the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), our industry-aligned curriculum ensures you’re on the cutting edge of industry knowledge and practical skills. Our CIM ‘Accredited Degree’ status also provides you with the opportunity to gain exemptions from CIM Certificate and Diploma in Professional and Digital Marketing qualifications.

Having a strong brand is everything in today’s fashion world. It’s what makes your fashion label stand out, tells your story with its own unique personality and builds trust with your customers. Learn how to professionally manage brands at all levels, from value fashion, independent labels to sustainable brands and top international luxury names, along with creation of brands in a global fashion marketplace.

You’ll also develop an in-depth understanding of sustainability and responsibility within the fashion industry and supply chain management across the globe. You'll work on globally relevant projects, with opportunities to jet off for study trips or exchange visits. Creativity is a highly valued attribute in the fashion industry and assignments are designed to develop ideas, encourage risk taking and support the creation of memorable branding materials and range plans.

Get hands-on with specialist industry software and put theory into practice during your Fashion Buying in Practice module in your second year. Spending a year in industry after completing your second year is also an option to kick-start your career. Past placements include Very, Ralph Lauren and River Island.

Our lecturers, who are both research-active and industry-experienced, will teach you the key skills you need for the workplace after graduation.

By understanding the ethical issues facing the fashion industry, you’ll emerge as a strategic and responsible fashion buying and brand professional, equipped with the creative expertise and visual skills to build ranges, develop products and shape the future of fashion.


Foundation Year

This degree can be studied as a three-year full-time degree or a four-year degree that includes a year of foundational study. Our foundation year is intended to prepare you for your subsequent years of studying, offering you the chance to strengthen your skills, knowledge and confidence.

The foundation year will be relevant to:

  1. Students who have not achieved the required A-level points (or equivalent) score to enter the first year of the degree programme.
  2. Mature students who have been out of the formal education system for some time.


Find out more about the foundation year.

Please note: You will need to apply using a specific UCAS code if you wish to undertake the 4 years including foundation. Please refer to Key Course Information at the bottom of this page.

Course Content

Our degree integrates real-world experience into our teaching practices to enable a clear understanding of the Fashion Buying and Brand Management process. Assignments are based on industry examples and there are also guest lectures from fashion industry experts.


Year One (Level 4)


In your first year, all six modules (120 credits) are compulsory and designed to give you a solid introduction into the world of Fashion Buying and Brand Management.

Compulsory modules (20 credits each)

  • Introduction to Fashion Marketing
  • Fundamentals of Fashion Studies
  • Principles of Fashion Buying
  • Visual Merchandising and Promotion
  • Digital Media for Fashion
  • The Fashion Industry


Year Two (Level 5)


In your second year, five modules are compulsory (100 credits), and you select one optional module (20 credits).

You will enhance your expertise and abilities in Fashion Buying and Brand Management and put theory into practice within an industry work placement for your Fashion Buying in Practice module. You will be supported to secure a relevant work placement to gain hands-on experience and deepen your understanding of real-world marketing to boost your employability.

Compulsory modules (20 credit each)

  • Fashion Buying and Merchandising
  • Fashion Consumer Behaviour
  • Creative Marketing Communications for Fashion
  • Marketing Research Methods for Fashion
  • Fashion Buying in Practice


Select ONE optional module (20 credits each)

  • Experiential Fashion Strategies
  • Fashion Product Development and Garment Technology


Year in industry

You have the option to spend a year in industry on a work placement after successfully completing your second year of study. We have a dedicated work placement team to support you in securing a placement. A year-long placement can boost your career prospects and give you an advantage when applying for jobs after graduation.


Year Three (Level 6)


In your final year, four modules (100 credits) are compulsory, and you select one optional module (20 credits).

You have the option to select either the Fashion Buying and Brand Management Project for a practical approach or the more academically focussed Fashion Dissertation.

You will also develop an in-depth understanding of sustainability and responsibility within the fashion industry and supply chain management across the globe.

Compulsory modules

  • Strategic Fashion Brand Management (20 credits)
  • Sustainability and Responsibility in Fashion (20 credits)
  • International Fashion Supply Chain Management (20 credits)
  • Fashion Buying and Brand Management Project OR Fashion Dissertation (40 credits each)


Select ONE optional module (20 credits each)

  • Fashion Futures and Innovation
  • Fashion Merchandising and Data Analytics
  • Industrial Work Experience^


Optional modules are delivered subject to demand and availability.

^ If you're taking a year-long industry work placement between year two and three, you have the option to select 'Industrial Work Experience' as your optional module. If not, select another optional module.

Learning & Teaching​

The student-centred approach to learning and teaching will be encouraged through the use of specific teaching strategies, case studies, projects, tutorials, practical exercises, supplemented by the use of appropriate support materials, lectures from business experts, videos and computer software. Active engagement with the subject material enhances learning and many of the learning strategies used promote this.

Lectures
Lectures are a major part of the teaching strategy for the programme. Lectures are an effective way of delivering core material and establishing a framework for a module against which other material can be set.

Modular Subject Tutorials
Tutorials are meetings of a student or group of students with a lecturer or lecturers and are used in two ways within the programme:

  • Expanding upon material covered in lectures through an enquiry-driven problem solving approach
  • Remedial work to overcome any deficiencies in a student’s background knowledge.

Seminars
Seminars involve a student or students presenting previously prepared work to peers and a lecturer. This strategy is used to extend specific theoretical or practical concepts as well as introducing problem solving exercises. Seminars are used in most modules and provide students with valuable experience in presentational skills as well as providing staff with a method or assessing student-centred learning.

Practical Workshops
Practical workshops are used extensively in a number of modules throughout the programme. In these classes students are able to practise and refine their skills in a supportive environment where they can get feedback from a member of academic staff. Practical workshops represent a valuable transition between theory and practice.

Case Studies
Case studies are a teaching and learning strategy, which are employed in a range of modules; they also are a useful assessment tool. Students are presented with or asked to develop real or simulated complex problems which they are required to analyse in detail and then synthesise/present their own solution in writing or orally.

Business Experts
A key component of the learning experience is the intention to invite business experts, academic and in practice, to provide insights into their research work or business activity. A network of such experts will help provide specialist knowledge as well as bolster and promote the credentials of the programme. Such experts might be invited as guest speakers or requested to provide a more interactive workshop experience where appropriate.

All students will benefit from the team of dedicated personal tutors who provide a point of personal and regular contact. The Personal Tutors work closely with the Programme Directors and Year Tutors to ensure that the needs of students are effectively met and that their time at Cardiff Metropolitan University is both a pleasant and successful experience.

In addition to the Personal Tutors, the individual course specific academic support and guidance is provided by the Programme Director and the respective Year Tutor. This is particularly important in relation to both the choice of options which are available at year two and three and the selection of pathways.

Assessment

You are continually assessed throughout the course on the basis of coursework, presentations and examinations. Assessments take the form of examinations (seen/unseen, open book, essays/short answers), essays, practical assessment, visual work, presentations, individual and group reports, most of which are focused on real-life cases studies.​

Feedback is given throughout the course both formatively and through formal assessment. Your personal tutor relationship will also help you work with feedback and identify strengths and weaknesses in your work and approach to study.​

Employability & Careers​

Fashion Buying and Brand Management is a dynamic and fast-moving career choice. With new technologies and social communication media on the rise, the skills covered within this programme are more in demand than ever. During this course you will develop the key skills and understanding required for the fashion business. On successful completion of the course you will have the skills to gain a position in fashion buying and brand management, putting your skills to use in positions in buying, merchandising, sourcing, product development, trend research, product management, marketing, brand development and management and more.

This course has been designed in conjunction with the CIM in order to provide you with an opportunity to gain exemptions from their professional qualification. You will also be able to join the our CIM student chapter which encourages all students to engage in our marketing learning community through organising organise key speakers and managing marketing-focused events. Incorporate dynamic speakers and helpful networking events will enhance your learning experience. Finally, you will be able to engage in entrepreneurial activities such as entering the CIM Pitch.

The option of including a year of experience in industry in year three has been included to allow you to complete the degree with a level of practical experience. This option of practical experience can be incorporated in the three-year degree course undertaking practical work in industry during term time or in holiday breaks during the course.

The aim of the course is that study and practical experience give the best prospect of employability at the end of the degree course. As such, you have the opportunity to graduate with a wide base of marketing knowledge and the potential to be a specialist in strategic use of PR, marketing, digital marketing, integrated marketing communications, branding and global marketing. Furthermore, you will have had ‘real-world’ experience, the chance to engage in our CIM learning community. Cardiff Met Marketing students should stand out for their ability to apply theoretical knowledge in a practical environment.

Entry Requirements & How to Apply

Typical Offers

​​The following requirements are based on typical offers relevant to entering year 1 of the degree.

If you do not meet these entry requirements, we also offer a Foundation Year which allows progression to Year 1 upon successful completion.​

  • Tariff points: 112
  • Contextual offer: See our contextual offers page.
  • GCSE: Five GCSEs at Grade C / 4 or above to include English Language / Welsh First Language, Mathematics / Mathematics – Numeracy.
  • English Language Requirement: Academic IELTS 6.0 overall with at least 5.5 in all elements, or equivalent.
  • A level subjects: Minimum three A levels to include Grades CCC. No specific subjects required. Welsh Baccalaureate – Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate considered as a third subject.
  • BTEC National / Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma: DMM
  • T Level: Merit.
  • Access to Higher Education Diploma: No specific subjects required.
  • International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma: 2 x H5. No specific subjects required.
  • Irish Leaving Certificate: 2 x H2 grades. No specific subjects required. Higher level subjects only considered with a minimum grade H4.
  • Scottish Advanced Highers: Grades DD. No specific subjects required. Scottish Highers are also considered, either on their own or in combination with Advanced Highers.

Combinations of the above qualifications are accepted if they meet our minimum requirements. If your qualifications aren’t listed, please contact Admissions or refer to the UCAS Course Search.

Further information on Overseas qualifications can be found here.

If you are a mature applicant, have relevant experience or RPL that you would like us to consider, please contact Admissions.


How to Apply

Further information on how to apply can be found here.

Contact Us

For general enquiries please contact the Admissions Team on 029 2041 6044, email askadmissions@cardiffmet.ac.uk or tweet us @CMetAdmissions.

For course specific enquiries, please contact Catrin Cousins:
Email: ccousins@cardiffmet.ac.uk

We endeavour to deliver courses as described and will not normally make changes to courses, such as course title, content, delivery, and teaching provision. However, it may be necessary for the university to make changes in the course provision before or after enrolment. It reserves the right to make variations to content or delivery methods, including discontinuation or merging courses if such action is considered necessary. Please read our Terms and Conditions for the full information.

Key Course Information

​UCAS Codes:
721C - 3 year degree
72CF - 4 year degree (including foundation year)

Place of Study:
Llandaff Campus

School:
Cardiff School of Management

Course Length:
Three years full-time.
Four years full-time if undertaking year-long industry placement.
Four years full-time if undertaking foundation year.
Five years full-time if undertaking foundation year and year-long industry​ placement.​

Staff Profile
Blog
Experienced Fashion Buyer turned Educator at Cardiff Met reveals insider knowledge on working in the fashion industry

Experienced Fashion Buyer turned Educator reveals how studying Fashion Buying and Brand Management at Cardiff Met creates fashion industry ready graduates. Hear from Fashion Buying and Brand Management Programme Director, Catrin Cousins.
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Student and Graduate Experience
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Becoming an Assistant Merchandiser at Ralph Lauren with the Fashion Buying & Brand Management Degree at Cardiff Met

Read about Anwen’s 12-month work placement with Ralph Lauren and how she’s continuing her journey with the Ralph Lauren family as a Merchandising Assistant.
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Exploring Fashion Enter in London and growing creative confidence with the Fashion Buying and Brand Management degree at Cardiff Met

From visiting fashion factories and warehouses to creating a new product range with full artistic control, Georgia blogs about her highlights studying Fashion Buying and Brand Management.
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Starting my Fashion Buying career at Ralph Lauren with the Fashion Buying & Brand Management Degree at Cardiff Met

Read how Matti landed her dream graduate job at Ralph Lauren with the Fashion Buying and Brand Management Degree.
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Exploring Primark International HQ in Dublin as a Fashion Buying and Brand Management student at Cardiff Met

First year Fashion Buying and Brand Management Student, Molly, talks about how exploring Primark International HQ in Dublin has inspired her to apply for a placement year.
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How studying Fashion Buying and Brand Management at Cardiff Met transformed my confidence

Josh tells us how studying Fashion Buying and Brand Management has transformed his confidence, determination and motivation – with the work to back it up!
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Starting my Fashion Buying Career at River Island with the Fashion Buying & Brand Management Degree at Cardiff Met

India tells us how she has kick-started her Fashion Buying Career at River Island with the BA (Hons) Fashion Buying & Brand Management.
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Fashion Graduate Showcase
Fashion Graduate Showcase

Get ready to celebrate in style! Our annual Fashion Management Graduate Showcase is your chance to wow fashion industry guests with your best work over the three years. You’ll also leave us with a professionally printed portfolio that’s ready to launch your fashion career.