International Fashion PR and Communication BA (Hons) top-up

Undergraduate
Top-up courses

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This one-year intensive course aims to prepare students to become innovative strategists and creative communicators in the fashion industry.

Year of entry

2024-25 2025-26

Location

Coventry University London (City of London)

Study mode

Full-time
Part-time

Duration

1 year full-time
2 years part-time (UK only)

Course code

W230

Start date

September 2024
January 2025

How to apply

Book an Open Day

Download a prospectus

Course overview

The course is aimed at learners holding Level 5 qualifications in a diverse range of areas, including fashion design, media or business management, who wish to pursue a career in fashion public relations.

On this course, you’ll learn more about:

Brand storytelling, and how to design and manage PR campaigns.
How media relations are developed and how networks are established.
Pitching for media coverage.
Digital Marketing Analytics and measurement of return of investment (ROI).
Copywriting for fashion and identifying brand tone of voice.
Identifying brand core values, vision and mission appropriate for current consumer behaviour trends.

Global ready

An international outlook, with global opportunities

Icon of human figure in front of whiteboard

Teaching excellence

Taught by lecturers who are experts in their field

Employability

Career ready graduates, with the skills to succeed

Why you should study this course

The course is taught by experts in the field of fashion, with both academic and professional backgrounds.
Our lecturers have extensive links to the fashion industry and work hard to organise networking events, client-based projects, and an exciting programme of guest speakers².
Our City of London location provides ample opportunities for you to visit trade fairs, fashion events, publishing houses, advertising and PR agencies to gain valuable industry insights².
A continuous dialogue between our academics and industry experts ensures that the media platforms, communication tools and software most used in industry today are covered in the course content.

This is a diverse and exciting course that delves into the heart of fashion PR and the future of fashion communications. From the theories to the industry experience, it allows me to express my ideas and challenges me to be more innovative. It is more than just books.
Charis Teong, course Valedictorian, quoted April 2023

What you'll study

The programme of study blends theory with practice, and is designed to increase the academic proficiency and employability of graduates.

Through a diverse range of teaching and learning styles, students will have the opportunity to develop fashion-specific practical skills in leadership, management and teamwork, in addition to devising entrepreneurial and innovative solutions to fashion business problems. All modules are mandatory.

Modules

Fashion PR and Communication - 20 credits

Copywriting for Fashion - 20 credits

Strategic Management - 20 credits

This module provides a practical outline of a number of different approaches to strategic management, and explores their scope, purpose and outcomes. To be effective, strategic managers need to know the strengths and weaknesses of each approach and recognize where and how they might be best adopted.

Compulsory

Professional PR Practice - 20 credits

By studying this module, you have the opportunity to work on a ‘live project’ in a consulting capacity, for a real industry client. You will look at three core aspects of creating fashion PR and communications strategies, including branding, media targeting and management planning. The aim is to develop your transferable skills and analytical research, as you are encouraged to find solutions for critical business scenarios.

Compulsory

Experiential Branding and Fashion Heritage - 20 credits

Marketing and Digital Strategy - 20 credits

The aim of this module is to enable you to develop the skills needed in the new digital landscape to implement engaging marketing strategies. This module critically examines how data is collected, managed and interpreted, with the intent of providing decision-makers with reliable information. You will examine the role of digital marketing metrics within an organisation and apply a range of measurement techniques, which can enable organisations to achieve marketing insights and strategic decision-making. You will also critically appraise how measurement techniques, aligned with business objectives, can establish and determine the effectiveness of marketing activities.

Compulsory

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.

How you'll learn

Although your studies are designed to be underpinned by solid academic theory, this course provides you with the opportunity to apply what you should have learned to the real business context, both on and off campus. You will engage via several learning blocks in each module:

Knowledge and understanding: This block is concerned with the sharing of academic theory and concepts to ensure you have mastered a critical appreciation of current and relevant research in the subject area.
Application: This block brings the knowledge and understanding ‘to life’ by relating it to current practice. It takes a critical view of the theory and concepts as they are employed in the workplace to encourage you to evaluate their significance and merit.
Analysis and problem-solving: This block requires you to develop and demonstrate your analytical skills and present a rationale and strategic set of decisions, which identify risks and generate a range of hypotheses to understand their cause and effect.

This course can also be offered on a part-time basis. Whilst we would like to give you all the information about our part-time offering here, it is tailored for each course each year depending on the number of part-time applicants. Therefore, the part-time teaching arrangements vary. Please contact registry.london@coventry.ac.uk for more information about studying this course part-time.

Teaching contact hours

You will receive up to nine hours of formal teaching in a typical week of study. These study hours may be made up of a combination of face-to-face teaching, individual and group sessions, and online classes. You will also be expected to spend between 25-30 hours a week conducting independent study.

You will be encouraged to pursue self-directed learning by exploring the streets, markets and stores around you, conducting store observations to develop your research and critical-thinking skills. You’ll be encouraged to go out and examine how fashion is promoted according to its context, from high street to luxury.

With so much on offer around you, you can make the most of London’s museums, exhibitions and special collections, both contemporary and historical.
The contact hours may be made up of a combination of face-to-face teaching, individual and group tutorials, and online classes and tutorials.

As an innovative and enterprising institution, the University may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the University may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods.

Since COVID-19, we have delivered our courses in a variety of forms, in line with public authority guidance, decisions, or orders and we will continue to adapt our delivery as appropriate. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.

Assessment

Assessments can include developing and producing digital media and brand strategies, creative projects, experiential and digital campaigns, marketing copy, poster designs and dashboard analytics. You may have the opportunity to work on client-briefed projects, and produce business reports and pitches, perhaps even presenting these to industry professionals.

Assessment methods may include:

Essays
Group work
Presentations
Business Reports
Projects
Coursework
Individual Assignments

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression toward achieving the intended learning outcomes.

International experience opportunities

This course is set in an international context, so global considerations will underpin your learning. You will have the chance to explore key global issues, such as cultural diversity, sustainability and ethics.

You will gain intercultural knowledge by studying campaign activities with a global reach. You may also have the opportunity to complete consulting projects for international brands².

You’ll have the opportunity to work alongside a diverse international cohort, who will bring fascinating insights on fashion and business from their home countries.

Public relations is the cornerstone of brand storytelling and marketing success. It is my absolute pleasure to welcome students to this course, where I'll be sharing insights from my career in fashion PR, as well as exploring the future of fashion industry communications.
Leslie Whittaker, Course Director

Entry requirements

Typical offer for 2024/25 entry.

Requirement	What we're looking for
High National Diploma (HND)	HND or successful completion of 2 years appropriate academic study in Higher Education.
GCSE requirement	Minimum 5 GCSEs at 9-4 (A*-C or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics

Previous studies or experience can include business, finance, design, media, creative and/or liberal arts, but applicants should be able to demonstrate their interest in the fashion industry and professional communications sectors. If you wish to find out if your experience or if your entry criteria academically would be accepted please contact registry.london@coventry.ac.uk

We recognise a breadth of qualifications, speak to one of our advisers today to find out how we can help you.

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Are you eligible for the Fair Access Scheme?

We believe every student should have the opportunity to dream big, reach their potential and succeed, regardless of their background. Find out more about our Fair Access Scheme.

English language requirements

An adequate proficiency in English must be demonstrated. Applicants must possess a minimum IELTS of 6.0 overall with no component lower than 5.5.

If you don't meet the English language requirements for this course, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a Pre-sessional English programme with us, before starting your course.

We recognise a breadth of qualifications, speak to one of our advisers today to find out how we can help you.

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Fees and funding

2024/25 Tuition fees

Student	Full-time	Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man	£9,250	Request fee information
EU	£9,250 per year with EU Support Bursary £16,800 per year without EU Support Bursary	Not available
International	£16,800	Not available

For advice and guidance on tuition fees³ and student loans visit our Fees and Finance page.

We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.

The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:

Additional overseas ﬁeld trips or visits: £400+ per trip.  
Any costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement (whether in the UK or abroad)

*Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.

**EU Support Bursary

Following the UK's exit from the European Union, we are offering financial support to all eligible EU students who wish to study an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree with us full-time. This bursary will be used to offset the cost of your tuition fees to bring them in line with that of UK students. Students studying a degree with a foundation year with us are not eligible for the bursary.

How do you know if you need to pay UK or international tuition fees?

We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Your fee status determines your tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available to you. The rules about who pays UK (home) or international (overseas) fees for higher education courses in England are set by the government's Department for Education. The regulations identify all the different categories of student who can insist on paying the home rate. The regulations can be difficult to understand, so the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) has provided fee status guidance to help you identify whether you are eligible to pay the home or overseas rate.

If you meet all the criteria required by any one category, including any residence requirements, your institution must charge you the home rate. You only need to find one category that you fit into.

Facilities

Our students have access to a wide range of facilities⁴to help you prepare for a successful career. 

Take a virtual tour of our campus to explore all of the facilities available to you.  

Fashion studio with tables and chairs and four mannequins

Fashion studios

Our Fashion Studio has been designed to facilitate your creativity, experimentation and portfolio-building skills. This contemporary space contains a teaching area, as well as large cutting tables that are ideal for working on creative group projects.

Mac suite

Fashion students can make use of our Mac Suite, which provides full access to Adobe Creative Cloud programmes to help you complete digital and creative work. Here, you could create assets to support digital marketing and social media campaigns, as well as complete video and design-led assignments.

Photography and visual merchandising suite

Our combined Photography and Visual Merchandising Suite is designed for practical workshops and styling sessions. Here, you could learn to design global retail and visual merchandising strategies, and shoot photos for use in campaign-building projects.

Careers and opportunities

You will have access to a diverse set of technological tools and resources to enable you to enhance your abilities in creating, disseminating and analysing communications.

Your tutors will aim to keep you informed of relevant trade shows and fashion conferences, and where possible make these available to you, sometimes at special rates. We also aim to organise visits to fashion brand headquarters, magazines, event production firms, and PR and communication agencies (subject to availability)².

This course aims to develop the agile thinkers and collaborative communicators required in the fashion PR and communication industries. The course content should enable you to identify and analyse global and local challenges, so you can adapt a business’s vision and mission to create PR and Communication plans that are inclusive and supportive of business goals, recognising the values difference. Authentic assessments are designed to create industry-ready graduates who are motivated contributors that are socially responsible, mindful, and sensitive.

Graduates of this course should have the opportunity to work in several varied and exciting careers within the PR and communications sectors.

When you graduate, you should be ideally placed to begin a career as a PR professional, either in-house with a brand, or in an agency-based role. Typical roles to consider after university include working in brand management, social media management, digital marketing, advertising, creative direction, or account management. You may decide to take on freelance work as your main job, or alongside a full-time job.

Your skills will be transferable across a wide range of industries, so you won’t be limited to fashion if you’d like to branch out. You could also go into communications or marketing positions in the retail, cosmetics, lifestyle, leisure or events sectors, as well as a wide range of other sectors that require professional communication skills.

Further study

You can choose to continue your studies at Coventry University London with our International Fashion Marketing MSc, International Fashion Management MBA, or Digital Marketing with Data Analytics MSc. You may be entitled to an alumni discount on your fees if you decide to extend your time with us by progressing to postgraduate study.

Graduate Immigration Route visa

Based on current information from the UK Government, international students whose study extends beyond summer 2021 may be eligible for a visa under the UK Government’s Graduate Immigration Route, which will enable students to stay and work, or look for work, in the UK at any skill level for up to two (2) years. Check the most up to date guidance available to check your eligibility and any updates from the UK Government before making an application or enrolment decision.

How to apply

View our courses on UCAS

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UK students

Full-time students applying to start in September should apply for this course through UCAS. Part-time students should apply directly to the university. Read our application pages to find out your next steps to apply.

How to apply

For further support or more information about your course get in touch with us today.

(+44) 024 7765 2222

ukadmissions@coventry.ac.uk

Chat with our admissions team

Complete our contact form.

International students

International codes:
LONU043

Full-time students applying to start in September 2023 should apply directly to the university.

How to apply

For further support for international applicants applying for an undergraduate degree view our International hub.

Disclaimers

Coventry University together with Coventry University London, Coventry University Wrocław, CU Coventry, CU London, CU Scarborough, and Coventry University Online come together to form part of the Coventry University Group (the University) with all degrees awarded by Coventry University.

¹Accreditations

The majority of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships shall be renewed in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the university maintaining the same high standards of course delivery.

²UK and international opportunities

Please note that we are unable to guarantee any UK or international opportunities (whether required or optional) such as internships, work experience, field trips, conferences, placements or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be unpaid and/or subject to additional costs (which could include, but is not limited to, equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable travel, public authority guidance, decisions or orders and visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand any visa requirements, please contact the International Office.

³Tuition fees

The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.

For international students, we may increase fees each year, but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.

⁴Facilities

Facilities are subject to availability. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.

Student Contract

By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. A copy of the current 2023/2024 contract is available on the website for information purposes however the 2024/25 Contract is currently being updated so please revisit this page before submitting your application. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.