2024/

2025

MA
Creative Direction for
Fashion

Student credit: Thelma Christofidi

uca.ac.uk
MA Creative Awarded by
University for the Creative Arts

Direction for Taught by

University for the Creative Arts
Fashion Location
Epsom

Language
English

Duration
1 year Full-time

Recognition/Accreditation
Not Applicable

Regulation
The University for the Creative Arts and its
courses are regulated by the Office for Students.

This course has been designed in line with

Sector Recognised Standards and reference
points, including the Master’s Degree
Characteristics Statement and the Subject
benchmark statement for Art and Design

For further information about how the

course is quality assured see UCA’s
Quality Assurance Handbook.

2 uca.ac.uk
Entry criteria A good Honours degree or equivalent
qualification in the subject or a related discipline
and/or relevant work experience, demonstrating
an ability to study at postgraduate level.

Consideration will also be given to applicants who

can make a strong case for admission in relation
to a particular project and can demonstrate their
potential to satisfactorily complete the course.

Other relevant and equivalent UK, European and

International qualifications will be considered.

For applicants whose first language is not

English: Average IELTS score of 6.5 (or
equivalent) with a minimum achievement
of 5.5 for all components, is required.

Applicants who have non-standard qualifications

(or who wish work or life experience to be taken
into account as part of their application) will
be considered on an individual basis, in line
with the general aims and principles of the
Admissions Policy and within the terms of the
Accreditation of Prior Learning policy (APEL).

3 uca.ac.uk
What to expect Creative Directors are visionaries that navigate
within disciplines of fashion image making,
publication, advertising & editorial, brand
visualisation, fashion event & fashion film.
With our MA Creative Direction for Fashion
course, you’ll gain all the knowledge and tools
you need to take your place in the industry.

This is an industry led course, which

will expand your existing fashion image
knowledge, enhancing your skill-set
(brand identity, team working, leadership,
visual language, client pitching)

You’ll combine your creative thinking and

leadership skills to develop contemporary
currency in directing ambitious and
visually communicative projects.

Supporting your studies you will have access

to; Photographic Studios, Moving Image,
Analogue and Digital Equipment, Digital Printing,
Post-Production hardware & software.

4 uca.ac.uk
Highlights

This course offers you the unique opportunity Supported by a variety of industry based
to study Creative Direction at the UCA Epsom facilities and equipment, you will be
campus, within the School of Fashion & Textiles. encouraged to experiment and critically
challenge the notions of image making
and outputs for the fashion industry.
The course sits with MA/MFA Fashion
Photography, MA/MFA Fashion Design, MA/
MFA Textiles and MA/MFA Digital Fashion In addition to the technical facilities, UCA
in addition to a range of Fashion & Textiles Epsom benefits from a comprehensive library,
based undergraduate courses. This will providing access to an extensive range of
enable you to work collaboratively on shoots fashion resources inc. a Magazine Archive,
and projects, whilst being immersed in a Special Collections, Book Collections and
vibrant post graduate fashion community. online databases inc. WGSN, Business of
Fashion, Vogue Business & Fashion Monitor.

You will be supported by a team of

specialist academics and experienced
industry professionals and you will have
the opportunity to gain insight into industry
commissions, professional roles, and have
a chance to hear from industry leaders.

5 uca.ac.uk
Unit by unit
Exploring Creative Practice; 30 credits Major Project; 60 credits

This unit involves experimenting with various Your major project showcases your research
creative methods, defining research processes, and creative practice, requiring a significant
and producing tests and experiments (failure and work that combines creative ideas,
reflection is encouraged). The work produced is research methodologies, insights, technical
to be presented as a visual summary at the end expertise, and professional contexts.
expressing the learned knowledge about yourself
as a creative and your primary medium(s).

Critical thinking for Creative Practice; 30 credits

This unit explores historical and

contemporary debates, ethical frameworks,
and social and cultural approaches to
fashion and textiles, enhancing knowledge
and contextual understanding.

Refining Creative Practice; 30 credits

This unit will reflect on work done in

Exploring Creative Practice unit will involve
a planned exhibition, and collaboration with
fellow students to plan, fund, curate, and
promote the work in specified venues.

Collaborative Professional Practice; 30 credits

This unit introduces students to markets,

industry connections, and professional
development, allowing them to complete a
collaborative project within their course or with
students from the Business School for the
Creative Industries for a creative start-up.

6 uca.ac.uk
Who teaches this The course team consists of experienced
academics & creatives. Staff work collaboratively

course? with other disciplines to create work.

The staff team are internationally renowned

creatives and practitioners. They regularly
publish and exhibit work, and have been
commissioned by internationally renowned
clients inc. Vogue, Nike, ID, The BBC, The
Guardian & The Photographers Gallery.

The course team are supported by a

number of visiting industry professionals
from a range of backgrounds inc. Editorial,
Fashion Design, Styling & Production.

What will learning Learning and Teaching Strategy:

look like? • The MA Creative Direction for Fashion

is project-based, but is supported by
seminars, lectures, tutorials, workshops,
work-in-progress sessions and critiques.
At postgraduate level, you are expected
to identify, develop and manage your
own MA Project and further develop the
skills needed for autonomy of research.
Through a proactive relationship with
tutors, you will lead your project work and
be supported by staff through consultative
and advisory tutorial guidance.

• Your ability to carry out independent

research and to manage and appraise the
development of your project is a defining
attribute of the course. The progressive
move from staff-directed to autonomous
learning is an integral part of the structure
of this course and teaching and learning
practices encourage you to develop the
abilities of student-led or independent
learning as thoroughly as possible.

7 uca.ac.uk
• On-line teaching and learning support are achieving the final Masters award have
provided principally through myUCA and achieved standards commensurate
email. You will receive an induction into the with the nationally defined expectations
use of myUCA as part of your introduction for academic awards at this level.
to the course. It is the main means of
communication between course staff and • The assessment strategy for the MA
you, providing timetable information, tutorial course is concerned with the student’s
support, tutorial times and announcements. development in two areas: understanding
It also provides a database for MA of bodies of knowledge and the
students containing course documentation application of a range of advanced skills
and links to web-based resources. In in the deployment of this knowledge.
addition, e-mail is used as a means of
communication and tutorial support. • The development of applied skills is
progressive throughout the course structure
• PDP (Personal Development Planning) is an and therefore these are evident in all units.
intrinsic element of the approach to your In both knowledge and applied skills, the
learning on this course. Through each of the specific requirements for assessment are
three phases of the MA course, you have articulated in the unit assessment criteria.
the opportunity to engage in activities that
will assist you in identifying your skills and • The relationship between learning outcomes,
knowledge, reflecting on your achievement assessment criteria and marking descriptors
and relating this to your professional career at each phase of the course ensures a focus
aspirations. Key elements of this are the on method and process as appropriate
development of the MA Project Proposal, to the overall course learning outcomes.
initiated in the Exploring Creative Practice Learning outcomes are mapped against
& Refining Creative Practice units. assessment criteria in each unit descriptor.

• It is our aim to develop in you a high • All courses use feedback indicator sheets
level of expertise in practical, visual, to clarify and guide the deliberations of
oral and written expression and to assessors and to enable this evaluation
equip you with the confidence to process to be accessible to students and
communicate your ideas effectively. capable of providing essential feedback.
Assessment is constructive and has an
• You gain credits through successful emphasis on personal development.
completion of units within the University’s
Common Credit Framework. Master of • Industry engagement is fundamental and
Arts degrees will be awarded on the basis encouraged whenever possible, in order for
of meeting the credit requirements. students to gain professional experience
of working outside the University and to
necessitate the appropriate contacts.
Assessment Strategy:

• Assessment has a key role to play as part

of a series of strategies that support critical
and reflective practice. Assessment points
provide clear stages of major review and
reference for students and opportunities in
view of guiding both the quality of work in
relation to Masters level benchmarks and
insights into the specific considerations
of individual research projects.

• Final unit assessments also ensure that

those passing the individual units and

8 uca.ac.uk
By the end of the • LO1 Experimentation & innovation: Take
risks, experiment & evaluate processes to

course you will be explore existing and new concepts with

making work. (subject specific, historical/
contemporary/ emerging). Embrace
able to experimental approaches to making work.

• LO2 Research & analysis: Demonstrate

a range of critical and contextual skills
including research methods, analysis and
reflection. Make connections between
theoretical frameworks, research
material and your own practice.

• LO3 Engaging with practice: Use

appropriate techniques and ethical,
environmental, collaborative, and
interdisciplinary approaches to making
work in a controlled setting.

• LO4 Realisation & communication: Reflect

upon your own work or/ and the work of
others, and the context in which it sits
(historically and professionally). Synthesise
ideas into original and cohesive outputs.

• LO5 Personal & Professional connectivity:

Recognise the importance of professional
connectivity in relation to your work. Reflect
upon local and global markets, sustainability,
ethics, inclusivity & diversity in relation to your
own discipline. Use your knowledge of the
above issues to disseminate work in context.

9 uca.ac.uk
Student support We aim to ensure, where possible, personal tutors
remain with a student throughout their degree
studies to discuss all matters relating to student
well-being and academic support. Personal tutors
and the Careers & Professional Practice Team
will also support students in discussions around
their potential or preferred career direction.

Students are further supported by:

• Unit leader for each unit
• School support staff
• Personal academic tutors
• Careers and Professional Practice Services
• Technical support with IT and software
• My UCA – a versatile online learning
environment
• Induction and ongoing re- induction sessions
• Student Staff Course Boards
• Library and Learning Resources
• Gateway Services including support for
finance, regulations, disability, well- being,
accommodation, and international students
• UCA Students’ Union

International students receive additional support

from our International Office and specialist
administrative staff not only when they first arrive
but also throughout their programme of study.

10 uca.ac.uk
Our approach to
employability is to:

Students on this course have the opportunity range of positions inc; Creative Directors,
to network both formally (during industry visits, assistants, producers, image makers,
visiting lecturers & potential live briefs) and stylists and creative freelancers.
informally (staff within the programme/ school/
UCA, visiting lecturers, alumni & fellow peers).

The course uses industry standard equipment &

offers key points where students can showcase
work externally for diverse audiences.
Graduates from this course take up a

Our commitments

Sustainability Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

University for the Creative Arts (UCA) is “Equality, diversity and inclusion are fundamental
committed to sustainable development and to our commitment to the extraordinary creativity
reducing the environmental impact of activities of our staff and students. In the UK the standards
through our teaching, research and day to day we are required to adhere to are embodied in
operations. Our courses align to Education for the 2010 Equality Act. Equally important is how
Sustainable Development as defined by UNESCO these standards are evidenced through the
(2019): ‘Education for Sustainable Development values and behaviours of the University and the
empowers learners to take informed decisions individuals of which it is comprised. As well as
and responsible actions for environmental compliance with these standards we should in
integrity, economic viability and a just society, for my opinion all be exemplars and role models.
present and future generations, while respecting In terms of everyday actions, this means we
cultural diversity. It is about lifelong learning, and should treat others with respect and dignity,
is an integral part of quality education. ESD is and value their contributions because of, and
holistic and transformational education which not despite, our differences. I am personally
addresses learning content and outcomes, committed to diversity and in this regard
pedagogy and the learning environment. It the University has the highest expectations
achieves its purpose by transforming society’. of every employee and student alike.”

President & Vice-Chancellor,

University for the Creative Arts

11 uca.ac.uk
Overall methods of assessment

Written exams: Practical exams: Coursework:

Level 7 % % 100%

Indicative course learning hours

Placement or Live
Independent: Structured:
Professional Activity

Level 7 78% 22% %

Study hours Structured Independent Placement or Live Professional Activity

Level 7

22%
35%

60%

78%

12
Additional course Course materials and equipment are provided
for productions. There may be additional

costs costs if you choose to make work further

afield, need particular props or choose to
make work in a location that charges a fee.

As you progress through the course and work

with models then you may also need to pay for
their travel, accommodation and food. In the
final year of the course the students raise more
substantial funds for their graduation show and
typically contribute up to £500 towards this.

Equipment/ As part of the course you will be given access

to 1TB of cloud storage. We recommend

materials students have a number of physical

storage devices (flash drives etc.).

recommended A laptop (Mac or PC) and a digital stills camera

for research purposes are both recommended.

Visits Visits to galleries, museums, events at the UCA

Epsom campus can take place as part of a unit
of study or for a year group. Advance notice
would be given of any associated costs.

13 uca.ac.uk