Master of Fashion (Design)
Student type:
Quick facts
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Entry score
Not applicable
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Duration
Full-time 2 years -
Location
Melbourne City -
Fees
AU$30,720 (2021 annual)
Next intake
FebruaryEntry score
IELTS 6.5
Duration
Full-time 2 yearsLocation
Melbourne City
Overview
In this master’s degree, you will have the opportunity to advance and expand your fashion design knowledge, and further research your design practice specialisation. You’ll define your position in the world of fashion, and pitch your work to industry through an innovative body of publicly-showcased work.
We seek to imagine future commercial contexts, create ethical design propositions, and use cross-disciplinary design strategies to drive global and competitive fashion design practices.
You will establish your design, communication and presentation methods and strategies for fashion garments, products, accessories, objects, artefacts, materials, spaces and experiences of and for the body specific to your design practice.
The course is dedicated to advancing your design practice through classes that give you the strategies create specialised propositions, and to target specific areas of commercial markets, research directions and cross disciplinary practice.s. You will choose electives that enable you to customise your study, culminating in a collection, design project, research investigation, or industry placement.
You will finish the year with a portfolio of practice, development and research to launch your career in the global industry. Additionally, you will work with academic staff and industry experts to produce a digital publication, showcasing your graduate outcomes globally.
This degree has a stellar record of students and graduates winning major fashion design awards and scholarships, and receiving the invitation to participate in national and international showcase events, including:
- International Woolmark Prize
- Australian Fashion Foundation (AUSFF) Award
- Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival (VAMFF) National Graduate Showcase
- Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia (MBFWA) St. George NextGen Showcase
- MPavilion Master of Fashion Design Showcase
Graduates create independent and niche practices, work in leading commercial, luxury and emerging contemporary brands, and go on to establish independent and collaborative research practices and enterprises.
I was included in the VAMFF National Graduate Showcase. I was really fortunate to be included in an exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria, with other emerging Australian designers, for an audience with Anna Wintour.
Amanda Nichols, Master of Fashion (Design)
Find out what's next for Amanda
Details
You will work directly with guest practitioners and industry experts, providing you with key practice experience. This will include the review and critique of your design practice, collaboration on activities and projects, masterclasses to enhance your learning experience, as well as direct collaboration with you for projects, assessments, events and activities that contextualise your practice.
You will work rigorously with staff who will guide you through advanced studio practice, bookmarked by industry-relevant assessments that link to emerging contexts, markets and research practice. You can expect to attend open studio critiques, course tutorials, guest presentations, workshops and events to support and enhance your learning experience. You will become proficient in self-directed research, experimentation, construction, prototyping and presentation in a variety of media.
This course will enable you to launch your position within the community of fashion practice, and introduce your in-depth understanding of its social and cultural context.
The School of Fashion and Textiles has strong and direct relationships across a range of industry, research and community partners that position your graduate outcomes in authentic contexts. Students collaborate and receive ongoing feedback on their work from our partners on a range of activities, ensuring you a relevant and innovative global industry practice.
Recent industry projects include students collaborating with Nike on a series of RMIT x NIKE makers labs, and graduates participating in their Global Talent Recruitment program.
Students and graduates have undertaken placements and have gained roles at the following brands and designers:
- Lanvin
- Vetements
- Thom Browne
- Dior
- Versace
Many alumni have gone on to establish independent design practices, which have recognised in national and international competitions and fashion weeks. These practices include:
- Chris Ran Lin
- Benjamin Garg
- Replica Project
- HB Peace
Dr Ricarda Bigolin, Associate Dean, Fashion and Textile Design
Chantal McDonald, Program Manager
Jamie Robertson, Manager Planning and Resources, School of Fashion and Textiles
In your first year of the masters degree, you will complete three core subjects, and select three Fashion and Textiles subjects.
In your second year, you will complete two core subjects in the first semester, which allow you to define your fashion design strategies and methods.
This will be followed by your final capstone semester of the degree, in which you will have the opportunity to select from either a masters design project, a masters design collection, or a masters design placement. This subject will be completed alongside your masters fashion presentation and folio subject.
Academic advisement will be provided to assist in determining the best options for you.
Choose a program structure
Choose a program structure
Program code: MC246
Career
As a graduate, you will be able to offer new design propositions for the challenges of competitive fashion industry practice. You will also have confidence in your advanced capabilities to launch independent and emerging brands. These roles are in fashion enterprises, emerging international brands, luxury and high fashion brands, as well as in related disciplines contexts of design, production, communications, creative direction and styling, branding, buying, media, publications, and textile and product development.
You will be an agile and engaged designer, critically aware of the larger ethical, social, cultural, environmental and political concerns that need to be addressed in contemporary relevant design practice.
Admissions
Entry requirements
You must have successfully completed:
- an Australian 3 year bachelor degree in fashion design (or equivalent overseas qualification) with a minimum overall GPA of 2.0 (out of 4.0) and a minimum GPA of at least 3.0 (out of 4.0) in the final year
OR - an Australian 4 year bachelor honours degree in fashion design (or equivalent overseas qualification)
You must complete and submit the selection task by 26 February 2021.
Entry into this program is competitive, and applications are assessed in the order that they are received until this date, if places are still available. For your best chance at admission into this program, you are encouraged to apply as early as possible. The link to submit your selection task will appear on the applicant dashboard after you have submitted your application.
The selection task requires:
- Personal statement outlining and discussing the areas of fashion design and types of practice specialisations you would like to investigate in this program. Please explain the context of fashion practice you would like to work in relating this to your current career goals, research interests in fashion design and how this program will help you achieve these. You may also wish to include how your work experience and previous studies has informed your research and practice interests (Maximum 300 words).
- A statement outlining your academic achievements and professional experience including any work experience you are currently undertaking (Maximum 150 words).
- A folio consisting of no more than 15 pieces of work.
Your folio should contain pieces from your undergraduate studies, including any major graduating projects or collections produced and professional projects undertaken covered in detail. It should include a combination of images, drawings, sketches, paintings, photographs or films showing the research and design experimentation that has led to the finalised design work. Your folio should reflect your design, problem solving and technical skills with a focus on the following:
- evidence of research and conceptual analysis
- evidence of design process
- evidence of sustained written work
- finished garments or prototypes in physical or documented form
- publications, photographs, films or other forms of fashion communication
- evidence of how ideas were developed as well as finished work.
Please include work that shows how the documentation has informed your design and research as well as the types of design processes you work with. Please include any other complimentary projects that might be from other discipline areas that also indicate the types of design specialisations you are interested in.
Your folio must be collated into a single PDF (maximum file size of 10MB). Under each image, please provide a brief explanation, including the purpose and background of the work (maximum 50 words). Please ensure to include the page number, and your full name and Application Number on each page.
Alternatively, you can provide a URL to your folio. Please provide the username and/or password if applicable. All images must be contained and visible on one webpage. Please provide a brief explanation for each image, including the purpose and background of the work (maximum 50 words).
A selection task is not required for students who successfully complete the RMIT:
- 1 year Bachelor of Fashion (Design) (Honours) (BH127)
- 3 year Bachelor of Fashion (Design) (BP328) with a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 (out of 4.0)
- 4 year Bachelor of Fashion (Design) (Honours) (BH103)
All other applicants are required to submit a selection task, as follows.
Pre-selection kit: You are required to submit a completed pre-selection kit (PDF) along with your application.
To study this program you will need to complete one of the following English proficiency tests:
- IELTS (Academic): minimum overall band of 6.5 (with no individual band below 6.0)
- TOEFL (Internet Based Test - IBT): minimum overall score of 79 (with minimum of 13 in Reading, 12 in Listening, 18 in Speaking and 21 in Writing)
- Pearson Test of English (Academic) (PTE (A)): minimum score of 58 (with no communication band less than 50)
- Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE): minimum of 176 with no less than 169 in any component.
For detailed information on English language requirements and other proficiency tests recognised by RMIT, visit English language requirements and equivalency information.
Don't meet the English language test scores? Complete an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Advanced Plus Certificate at RMIT English Worldwide.
Pathways
If you have successfully completed BH103 Bachelor of Fashion (Design) (Honours) you will be exempt from the selection task and guaranteed a place in this program with 96 credit points of credit (equivalent to one year of full-time study).
If you successfully complete BH127 Bachelor of Fashion (Design) (Honours) you will be exempt from the selection task and guaranteed a place in this program with 96 credit points of credit (equivalent to one year of full-time study).
If you successfully complete BP328 Bachelor of Fashion (Design) at RMIT with an overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.0 (out of 4.0) you will be exempt from the selection task and guaranteed a place in this program.
You may be eligible for advanced standing up to a maximum of 2 semesters (equivalent to 96 credit points). Eligibility for advanced standing is based on your previous studies and is assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Learn more about eligibility for credit transfer and recognition of prior learning.
Fees
2021 indicative fees
Full-fee places: AU$30,720.
Additional expenses
- Student services and amenities fee (SSAF): AU$313 maximum fee for 2021.
- Other items related to your program, including field trips, textbooks and equipment.
Annual fee adjustment
Amounts quoted are indicative fees per annum, and are based on a standard year of full-time study (96 credit points). A proportionate fee applies for more or less than the full-time study load.
Fees are adjusted on an annual basis and these fees should only be used as a guide.
Defer your payment
This program is offered on a full-fee paying basis only. If you are offered a place, you will need to pay the full tuition costs of your program. However, eligible students (such as Australian citizens or holders of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa) may apply to defer payment of some or all of their tuition fees via the Commonwealth Government’s FEE-HELP loan scheme.
Learn more about fees for postgraduate study.
Payments and refunds
For information on how to pay your fees or how to apply for a refund, please see Paying your fees and applying for refunds.
Eligible students (such as Australian citizens or holders of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa) may apply to defer payment of some or all of their tuition fees via the Commonwealth Government’s FEE-HELP loan scheme.
How does a HELP loan work?
If your FEE-HELP and/or SA-HELP loan application is successful, the Australian Government will pay RMIT, on your behalf, up to 100% of your fees. This amount will become part of your accumulated HELP debt.
You only start repaying your accumulated HELP debt to the Australian Government once you earn above the minimum income threshold for repayment, which is set each year by the Australian Government (this also applies if you are still studying). The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will calculate your compulsory repayment for the year and include this on your income tax notice.
For more information about loan repayment options see Commonwealth assistance (HELP loans) or Study Assist.
In addition to tuition fees, you will be charged an annual student services and amenities fee (SSAF), which is used to maintain and enhance services and amenities that improve your experience as an RMIT student. The SSAF is calculated based on your enrolment load and the maximum fee for 2021 is $313.
For more information about calculating your actual SSAF see Paying SSAF.
You may also be required to purchase other items related to your program, including field trips, textbooks and equipment. These additional fees and expenses vary from program to program.
The annual tuition fee for 2021 is AU$34,560.
The total indicative tuition fee for 2021 commencement is AU$71,040.
In addition to tuition fees you also need to pay for:
- Student services and amenities fee (SSAF) in each calendar year.
- Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) - Student visa holders must have cover for the total duration of their visa.
- Some programs incur additional expenses.
You also need to account for your living expenses. Estimate the cost of living in Melbourne.
Applying for refunds
For information on how to apply for a refund as a continuing international student, please see Refunds.
Looking for answers or more general infomation?
For frequently asked questions or how to find more information regarding applications and enrolments, fees, student support services, university policies and more, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions.