mission statement
MMU’s vision is to become the UK’s leading university for world-class professionals. The vision will continue to develop within the changing environment of higher education and particular emphasis will be on a university that:
places quality and employability as our top priorities
places students first
promotes and supports employability
aims to produce effective independent learners
has a curriculum which is informed by high quality research, scholarship and enterprise
is an enterprising organisation with enterprising staff and students
invests selectively and strategically in research
has expertise, research and other resources to support the social and economic development of the region and community
international role
Manchester School of Art is the oldest undergraduate Art School in the UK and is regularly ranked in the top 20 best HE providers of Art and Design. We have always been actively engaged in international partnership activities at both staff and student level. Our partnerships are global with our students regularly undertaking exchange visits within the EU through the Erasmus scheme, India, US and Canada. New knowledge exchange relationships with China in particular now see students undertaking work placements and internships as well as study abroad opportunities. At a research level our international projects and pedagogic research are currently active in China, Brazil, Guatemala, Ecuador, Mexico, India, the Netherlands, Finland, Canada, Australia and Singapore.
Our international recruitment is also global but with the largest cohorts coming from China, India, Malaysia and Korea. Our current recruitment focus is on increasing our post-graduate intake.
The Manchester Fashion Institute has an international network of collaborative partnerships with opportunities for students through both Erasmus and worldwide exchanges in the USA, Canada, India, Hong Kong and Australia. The Faculty engages in international projects with overseas collaborative partners, which are embedded in the curriculum at Level 5 (second year degree), encouraging communication across borders and cultures to prepare students for the globalised markets they will enter on graduation. International projects are currently running with partners in Japan, China, Australia the USA and India.
national role
Manchester Fashion Institute has an impressive track record working alongside business and industrial partners both locally, regionally and nationally. We understand the needs of our industry sector and are technology specialists in fabric and garment manufacture.
We have leading textile teaching and laboratory facilities that we offer to industry partners through contracted programmes. We provide bespoke training for industry fabric and garment technologists across the sector.
At a national level we are leaders in the study of anthropometrics ‘Size and Fit’. We have worked with leading businesses in both fashion retail, specialist sportswear manufacturers and suppliers to the Ministry of Defence.
Our teaching specialises in fashion buying, merchandising, promotion and design technology.
We have a long established relationship with all parts of our industry sector through our current student placement programme. Our students work across fashion manufacturing, retail, and brand during their placement year in industry. They are placed locally to us in Manchester, across the UK and internationally. Our graduates hold high profile positions in the apparel industry across all market sectors across the globe.
main focus
Art
Architecture
Design
Fashion
Digital Arts
faculties and departments
Manchester Fashion Institute
Department of Art and Performance
Department of Design
Manchester School of Architecture
School of Digital Arts
bachelor level programs
Manchester Fashion Institute:
BA (Hons) Fashion
BA (Hons) Fashion Art Direction
BA (Hons) Fashion Business and Management
BA (Hons) Fashion Buying and Merchandising
BA (Hons) Fashion Buying and Merchandising
BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Technology – Womenswear
BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Technology – Menswear
BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Technology – Sportswear
BA (Hons) International Fashion - Practice (top-up)
BA (Hons) International Fashion - Business (top-up)
Manchester School of Art
Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
BA (Hons) Fine Art
BA (Hons) Fine Art and Art History
BA (Hons) Art History
BA (Hons) Art History and Curating
BA (Hons) Acting
BA (Hons) Graphic Design
BA (Hons) Illustration with Animation
BA (Hons) Interior Design
BA (Hons) Textiles in Practice
BA (Hons) Product Design
BA (Hons) Product Design with Craft
BA (Hons) Architecture (Manchester School of Architecture)
MArch Architecture (Manchester School of Architecture)
School of Digital Arts (launching 2021)
BA (Hons) Animation
BA (Hons) Filmmaking
BA (Hons) Photography
master level programs
Manchester Fashion Institute
MA Fashion Innovation
1 year (full-time)
MA International Fashion Business: Buying and Merchandising Management
MA International Fashion Business: Marketing Management
MA International Fashion Journalism
Manchester School of Art
MA/MFA Animation
MA – 1 year (full-time), 2 years (part-time)
MFA – 2 years (full-time), 4 years (part-time)
2 years (full-time)
4 years (part-time) Architecture and Urbanism
MA Architecture and Urbanism
1 year (full-time)
2 years (part-time) Collaborative Practice
MA/MFA Collaborative Practice
MA – 1 year (full-time), 2 years (part-time)
MFA – 2 years (full-time), 4 years (part-time) Contemporary Curating
MA/MFA Contemporary Curating
MA – 1 year (full-time), 2 years (part-time)
MFA – 2 years (full-time), 4 years (part-time) Contemporary Visual Culture
MA/MFA Contemporary Visual Culture
MA – 1 year (full-time), 2 years (part-time)
MFA – 2 years (full-time), 4 years (part-time) Design Cultures
MA/MFA Design Cultures
MA – 1 year (full-time), 2 years (part-time)
MFA – 2 years (full-time), 4 years (part-time) Design: Ceramics
MA/MFA Design: Ceramics
MA/MFA Design: Furniture
MA/MFA Design: Glass
MA/MFA Design: Jewellery
MA/MFA Design: Lab
MA/MFA Drawing
MA/MFA Embroidery
MA/MFA Fashion: Fashion Graphics
MA/MFA Fashion: Knitwear
MA/MFA Fashion: Menswear
MA/MFA Fashion: Womenswear
MA/MFA Filmmaking
MA/MFA Fine Art
MA/MFA Graphic Design and Art Direction
MA/MFA Illustration
MA/MFA Interior Design
MA Landscape Architecture
MA/MFA Media Culture
MA/MFA Photography
MA/MSc Product Design
MA/MFA Textile Practice
MA/MFA Textiles for Fashion
research activity and main areas
Bold, Creative, Directional, Excellent, Expert, Original, Relevant, Rigorous, Smart, Vibrant
Research in the Department of Apparel is collected under the umbrella of the ‘Apparel Research Group’ (ARG). ARG champions a broad definition of research, one that encompasses traditional academic scholarship, applied commercial consultancy and practice-based projects. In short, ARG is concerned with the ‘thinking’, ‘doing’ and ‘making’ of clothing and fashion.
There are well over fifty members of academic staff involved in ARG activities. Together, they present an exciting portfolio of expertise and experience, which traverses all aspects of the clothing supply chain and its global business. Research carried out, and generated, by the ARG team engages with the real world, be it through pioneering product development, through the exploration of modern consumer needs in a digital age, through the analysis of manufacturing efficiency, or, through the advanced understanding of design details and specialised craft techniques. These research engagements, in turn, offer solutions and/or new knowledge and form a basis for driving change (both in, and beyond, the world of apparel). ARG has ready access to a wealth of specialist research equipment ranging from 3-D scanning technology to a bespoke Innovation Zone, state-of-the-art laboratories and design studios. The Group enjoys, and benefits from, an established culture of applied project work and is growing in reputation, also, as a hub for practice-based research. ARG members are committed to, and celebrate, collaborative practice and have a strong track record in cross-Faculty projects, working with MMU’s leading researchers from allied disciplines. This collaborative spirit extends internationally, too. ARG has welcomed, and joined with, project partners from around the world and maintains an externally-facing ethos of collegiality and exchange. There are regular opportunities to get involved with ARG, such as: attending one of the regular research seminars; applying to be a temporary visiting scholar; winning a postgraduate research studentship, and much, much, more.
Several specialist research ‘clusters’ are linked to ARG which is an affiliate group of MIRIAD http://www.miriad.mmu.ac.uk/
All the staff in the Manchester School of Art are practicing professionals and researchers in their fields, either as creative artists and designers, or through theoretical approaches to their subject. We have just been rated as fifth in the UK for our research base, with two thirds of our research internationally excellent.
Ours staff offer role models to our students and show how creative research can both be exciting and engage with the major cultural and societal issues of the day. Staff are exhibiting in major galleries worldwide, engaging with communities to enrich their possibilities, having influence over national policy, and exploring new ways of expression through digital technologies.
Particular strengths are in Arts and Health, Asian Cultures (we host the Asia Triennial arts festival), digital arts (the 3D printing of graphene for example) and contemporary ceramics and textile arts practice, but our researchers span the full reach of art, design, architecture and media research.
Above all just as students are encouraged to find their own voice as an architect or artist or designer, staff who are engaged with the daily challenge of creating for themselves understand the risky process of making, and are able to empathise and encourage in a critical yet supportive atmosphere.
We also offer opportunities for postgraduate research degrees in art and design and the history and theory of art and design, and our longstanding doctoral research programme is highly versatile and can be purely theoretical or a practice-led interrogation of creative processes and their outcomes.
doctorate level programs
Within the School of Art there are 100 postgraduate researchers across the histories, theories and practices of art and design and architecture. There is a subject-specific Researcher Development Programme that runs from September to end of May.
For our PhD/MPhil/MSc/MA Research Degrees (either through studentships or self-funded), I particularly encourage projects that fall within our main Departmental research clusters:
• Innovative Materials & Product Development
also includes Fashion Engineering, Wearable Technologies, Product Innovation, Performance Sportswear, Smart Textiles, 3D Body Scanning
• Fashion Design & Craft
also includes Creative Design, Creative Pattern Cutting, 3D Design, Craft Techniques
• Fashion Business Management
also includes E-Commerce, Supply Chain Management, Consumer Behaviour, Retailing & Branding
• Fashion Marketing & Communication
also includes Sustainability & Ethical Fashion, Fashion Promotion
And
• Fashion Culture and Theory
also includes Perspectives on Fashion, Fashion and Art, Historical Dress, Heritage Branding
application deadlines
Deadlines to Apply for an exchange period.
Deadlines:
Erasmus Exchange: 1 May for September start and 3 November for January start.
teaching languages
English
semester dates
2019 – 2020 University Year
Autumn Term
Monday 16 September 2019 – Friday 13 December 2019
Spring Term
Monday 6 January 2020 – Friday 3 April 2020
Summer Term
Monday 27 April 2020 – Friday 19 June 2020
2020 – 2021 University Year
Autumn Term
Monday 14 September 2020 – Friday 11 December 2020
Spring Term
Monday 4 January 2021 – Thursday 1 April 2021
Summer Term
Monday 26 April 2021 – Friday 18 June 2021
cost of living per month (studying and living)
£1333.00