BA (Hons)

Fashion Communication and Branding

Learn the fundamentals of fashion business and marketing and develop the commercial skills you need for a career in the £1.5 trillion fashion industry.

Start date: September 2026
Location: Cambridge
Duration: 3 years
UCAS course code: W233

Start date: September 2026
Location: Cambridge
Duration: 4 years with foundation
UCAS course code: W235

Start date: September 2026
Location: Cambridge
Duration: 4 years with placement
UCAS course code: W233

1858

Since Cambridge School of Art was established in 1858, we’ve been focused on creativity and social change.

In an increasingly competitive, commercial and technological environment, communication and branding professionals have never played such a central role in the fashion business.

Study at ARU and gain an understanding of fashion, branding, journalism, PR, marketing and management, as well as the complex issues surrounding sustainable fashion and environmental impact.

Prepare to play a central role in buying, retail, import and export, digital marketing and more.

Why ARU?

Gain the commercial skills you need to start your own business or work for a fashion house
Learn about fashion, branding, journalism, PR, marketing and management in a global context
Get guidance from experienced staff who have launched and managed their own brands, and worked with top fashion companies
Graduate industry-ready, with a professional portfolio, showreel or website
Get full training in all our facilities, including our print studio and Futures Lab
Attend talks from visiting lecturers and take part in live briefs from our industry partners

Study at an award-winning university

We were named Times Higher Education University of the Year 2023. We've also been awarded a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework – a reflection of the outstanding education we offer our students.

Careers

The global apparel market is projected to grow in value from £1 trillion in 2020 to about £1.6 trillion by 2025 (Statista, 2021). Your knowledge and skills can help meet this rising consumer demand.

As a student you can build your profile by entering national and international competitions, developing a business plan and pitching for start-up funding, finding placements and internships, and visiting trade fairs and conferences.

Graduation doesn't have to be the end of your time with us. You might decide to stay at ARU and study for a Masters such as our MSc Marketing or Master of Business Administration MBA. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and get 20% off your fees.

What can you do with a Fashion Communication and Branding degree?

How can ARU help with my employability and career development?

Teaching and modules

You’ll start by learning about the fundamentals of marketing in the context of the fashion retail industry and fashion system.

In Year 2 you’ll put your new knowledge and skills to the test in more complex, and often collaborative, projects, as well as live project briefs and competitions. You’ll also further develop your understanding of career paths within the design professions.

Finally, you’ll explore sensorial marketing and personal enterprise, as well as a work placement or research project in preparation for your final Major Project, which will pull together everything you’ve learned.

Student experience

Guest speaker: Designer Anya Hindmarch talks about the future of luxury.
Finding your feet in fashion - our invited speaker Clare Payne discusses her experiences of working in the creative industries. Clare is a womenswear designer and creative director of her own brand.

What will I study?

Modules are subject to change and availability, and may vary by location. If you have the choice of optional modules, these are indicated with a *.

Year 1

Fundamentals of Fashion Business
Fashion History and Contexts
Fundamentals of Fashion Marketing
Fundamentals of Fashion Communication
Digital Content Creation
Into ARU

Year 2

Advanced Integrated Fashion Communication
Retail and Experiential Marketing
Critical Issues and Debates
Professional Studies in the Creative Industries
Fashion Communication, Promotion and Events
Ruskin Module (15 credits)
Digital Media Theory: Social Media, AI, and the Cultures of the Internet *
Online Journalism *
Cult Media *
Anglia Language Programme (15 credits) *

Year 3

Major Project
Fashion for Change
Working in the Creative Industries *
Research Project *

Module details

To prepare you for university study, you can take a foundation year at the start of this course. Find out more about foundation years.

Year 1

Interactive Learning Skills and Communication
Information and Communication Technology
Introduction to Business
Core Maths
Critical Thinking
Intercultural Studies
Ethics
Business Law

Module details

You can choose to take an optional placement year as part of this course. Placements typically happen in Year 3, and your course will take four years overall. Find out more about placement years.

Placement year

Work Placement - Cambridge School of Creative Industries

Module details

What happens on a foundation year?

What happens on a placement year?

What equipment will I need?

How is Fashion Communication and Branding assessed?

Who teaches Fashion Communication and Branding at ARU?

Read profiles of teaching and research staff on this course.

Dr Lauren Fried
Head of School (Interim)
Dr Wendy Moody
Senior Lecturer
Professor Sean Campbell
Deputy Dean for Research and Innovation
Tom Stacey
Deputy Head of School
Cassie Jones
Senior Lecturer

Facilities

You’ll have access to all our facilities including:

dedicated fashion workshops with a variety of industrial sewing machines
Ruskin Gallery, a professional digital art gallery
Mac and PC suites equipped with the latest industry-standard software
specialist printmaking workshop including etching, screen-printing and lithography
3D workshops for physical media including wood, plastic, metal and clay
photography and media facilities including darkrooms, studios, film processing, digital printing suite, video editing, and professional equipment loans.

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Entry requirements

UK students

Important additional notes

Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the course as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements.

Other equivalent qualifications may be accepted for entry to this course; please email [email protected] for further information. Applicants to undergraduate courses can also check our information about undergraduate entry qualifications.

You'll need a computer and reliable internet access to successfully engage with your course.

We don't accept AS level qualifications on their own for entry to our undergraduate degree courses. However for some degree courses a small number of tariff points from AS levels are accepted as long as they're combined with tariff points from A levels or other equivalent level 3 qualifications in other subjects.

Main

5 GCSEs at grade D, or grade 3, or above and evidence of two years post-GCSE study at Level 3.

If you have achieved at least grade E in one A level, or equivalent, you are exempt from the two years post-GCSE study requirement, but you still must meet the GCSE requirements.

Applicants who do not meet the two years post GCSE study at level 3 may be considered based on their satisfactory employment history, which must be a minimum of two years full time employment supported by employer evidence and deemed appropriate by the University for meeting the course of study applied for.

If English is not your first language you will be expected to demonstrate a certificated level of proficiency of at least IELTS 5.5 (Academic level) or equivalent English Language qualification, as recognised by Anglia Ruskin University.

See entry requirements for the BA or BSc (Hons)

International students

English language requirements

Contextual offers

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Fees and funding

UK students

£9,535 UK students starting 2026/27 (full-time, per year)

If you're a UK student, you don't need the money to pay for university now.

If you accept an offer to study at university, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your course fees.

Both full-time and part-time students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan. Part-time students should be studying more than a quarter (25% intensity) of a full-time course each year.

You'll start repaying the loan in the April after you graduate.

If you start a course on or after 1 August 2023, you won't repay anything until you earn more than £25,000. This is called repayment Plan 5. At this point, you'll repay 9% on everything you earn over £25,000. After 40 years (from the April after graduation), all remaining debt is wiped.

If you started a course on or before 31 July 2023, you won't repay anything until you earn more than £27,295. This is called repayment Plan 2. At this point, you'll repay 9% on everything you earn over £27,295. After 30 years (from the April after graduation), all remaining debt is wiped.

For example for students who are on repayment Plan 5:

If you earn £25,500, you'll repay £45 a year or £3.75 a month
That's because £25,500 is £500 above the threshold, and 9% of £500 is £45.

What you repay depends on how much you earn after university. The more you earn, the more you pay back.

For more information about student loans, see our undergraduate student finance page.

This information also applies to:

Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals benefiting from citizens’ rights under the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.

£9,535 UK students starting 2026/27 (full-time, per year)

If you're a UK student, you don't need the money to pay for university now.

If you accept an offer to study at university, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your course fees.

Both full-time and part-time students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan. Part-time students should be studying more than a quarter (25% intensity) of a full-time course each year.

You'll start repaying the loan in the April after you graduate.

For example for students who are on repayment Plan 5:

If you earn £25,500, you'll repay £45 a year or £3.75 a month
That's because £25,500 is £500 above the threshold, and 9% of £500 is £45.

What you repay depends on how much you earn after university. The more you earn, the more you pay back.

For more information about student loans, see our undergraduate student finance page.

This information also applies to:

Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals benefiting from citizens’ rights under the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.

£9,535 UK students starting 2026/27 (full-time, per year)

If you're a UK student, you don't need the money to pay for university now.

If you accept an offer to study at university, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your course fees.

Both full-time and part-time students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan. Part-time students should be studying more than a quarter (25% intensity) of a full-time course each year.

You'll start repaying the loan in the April after you graduate.

For example for students who are on repayment Plan 5:

If you earn £25,500, you'll repay £45 a year or £3.75 a month
That's because £25,500 is £500 above the threshold, and 9% of £500 is £45.

What you repay depends on how much you earn after university. The more you earn, the more you pay back.

For more information about student loans, see our undergraduate student finance page.

This information also applies to:

Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals benefiting from citizens’ rights under the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.

International students

£18,400 International students starting 2026/27 (full-time, per year)

You can pay your fees upfront, in full or in two instalments. We will ask for a deposit of £4,000 or a sponsorship letter

Find out about paying your fees.

£18,400 International students starting 2026/27 (full-time, per year)

You can pay your fees upfront, in full or in two instalments. We will ask for a deposit of £4,000 or a sponsorship letter

Find out about paying your fees.

£18,400 International students starting 2026/27 (full-time, per year)

You can pay your fees upfront, in full or in two instalments. We will ask for a deposit of £4,000 or a sponsorship letter

Find out about paying your fees.

Placement year fee

Bursaries, sponsorship and working

Living costs

Apply for Fashion Communication and Branding

UK students

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International students

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Fashion Communication and Branding

BA (Hons)

With foundation year

With placement

Careers

Teaching and modules

Student experience

BA (Hons)

With foundation year

With placement

Facilities

Entry requirements

BA (Hons)

Important additional notes

With foundation year

With placement

International students

English language requirements

Fees and funding

BA (Hons)

With foundation year

With placement

BA (Hons)

With foundation year

With placement

Apply for Fashion Communication and Branding

UK students

International students

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