Bachelor of Fashion (Design) (Honours)
Quick facts
Student type:
Quick facts
-
Entry score
-
Duration
Full-time 1 year -
Location
Melbourne City -
Fees
Next intake
FebruaryEntry score
Duration
Full-time 1 yearLocation
Melbourne CityFees
AU$37,440 (2021 total)
Next intake
February
Overview
In this honours degree, you will have the opportunity to expand your fashion design knowledge, refine your vision, further research your design practice, and pitch your work to industry.
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 extend your design, communication and presentation methods and strategies for fashion garments, products, accessories, objects, artefacts, materials, spaces and experiences of and for the body.
You will graduate with a portfolio of practice, development and research to prepare you for your career. Additionally, you will work with academic staff and industry experts to produce a digital publication, showcasing your graduate outcomes globally.
Fashion at RMIT has a global reputation for excellence. 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. 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 both in Australia and all over the world.
Details
You will work with guest practitioners and industry experts, providing you with key practice experience. This may 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.
Your teachers 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 confident in self-directed research, experimentation, construction, prototyping and presentation in a variety of media.
This course will enable you to articulate your position within the community of fashion practice, and deepen your understanding of its social and cultural context.
Students and graduates have been invited to international events, including:
- Australian Fashion Foundation (AUSFF) Award
- Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival (VAMFF) National Graduate Showcase
- Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia (MBFWA) St. George NextGen Showcase
- Copenhagen Youth Fashion Summit
- Redress Design Award Hong Kong
The Bachelor of Fashion (Design) (Honours) has strong relationships across a range of industry, research and community partners. We collaborate with our partners on a range of activities to ensure you are immersed in current industry practices, techniques and strategies.
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:
- Louis Vuitton
- BALENCIAGA
- Vetements
- Marc Jacobs
- Calvin Klein
- Dior
- Versace
- Acne Studios
- The Row
- Alexander McQueen and McQ
- Romance Was Born
- Dion Lee
- Country Road
- Zimmerman
- Wittner
Many alumni have gone on to establish independent design practices, and have remained connected with RMIT. These practices include:
- Di$count
- Gauntlett Cheng
- FIXXED
- Arnsdorf
- Lois Hazel
RMIT’s Global Experience Office (GEO) supports students to undertake exchange or short-term mobility activities with over 165 partner universities worldwide.
- Dr Ricarda Bigolin, Associate Dean, Fashion and Textile Design
- Chantal McDonald, Program Manager
In your first semester, you will complete two core foundational topics, and one Fashion and Textiles elective.
In your second semester, you will choose between two study stream options. One stream provides you with the opportunity to select a major course in either a design project, a design collection, or a design placement. The other stream is for students intending to pursue further study in research.
Prior to starting this degree, expression of interest and academic advisement are required to determine the best option for you.
Choose a program structure
| Title | Location | Duration | Plan code | CRICOS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Fashion (Design) (Honours) | City Campus |
1 year full-time
|
1 year full-time
|
BH127 |
Choose a program structure
Program code: BH127
Career
As a graduate, you will be able to meet the challenges of competitive fashion industry practice, as well as having confidence in your 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.
As a graduate, you will be an 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
RMIT is committed to providing transparency to the admissions process. In line with this commitment, we provide you with information that will help in making informed choices about your undergraduate study options.
RMIT admits students from a range of educational pathways, including Year 12 results, previous higher education or vocational education study, work experience, and for some programs - interviews, auditions or portfolios.
To get a better understanding of admissions at RMIT, view our admissions information.
You must complete and submit the Fashion (Design) (Honours) selection task by no later than 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.
Please click the apply button to submit your direct application. The link to submit your selection task will appear on the applicant dashboard after you have submitted your application.
The selection task requires:
Applicant statement
Submit a 400-word written personal statement briefly outlining your:
- Plans for what you will investigate in this program (Maximum 100 words)
- Career aspirations and the contexts or markets of design practice (Maximum 100 words)
- Interests in fashion design research and related contemporary issues (Maximum 100 words)
- Current skills and capabilities and past experience that will support you in this program (Maximum 100 words)
Folio
The folio must comprise of no more than 15 pages of your work, and should reflect your design, thinking and technical skills in fashion design practice with a focus on the following:
- Knowledge in fashion design and specialisations of practice
- Evidence of research, critical and conceptual analysis
- Documentation of design process and design ideas
- Sustained written work including practice reflection, academic essays or creative writing
- Finished garments or prototypes in documented form
- Publications, photographs, films or other forms of fashion communication.
Each image should provide a brief explanation, including the purpose and background of the work (maximum 50 words). You may upload your folio or supply a URL to your folio online.
You must complete a pre-selection kit (PDF 96kb) which includes a folio and personal statement.
If you have successfully completed BP328 Bachelor of Fashion (Design) at RMIT with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or greater in the final year of courses in the program, you are exempt from completing the selection task and are guaranteed entry.
Applicant statement
Submit a 400-word written personal statement briefly outlining your:
- Plans for what you will investigate in this program (100)
- Career aspirations and the contexts or markets of design practice (100)
- Interests in fashion design research and related contemporary issues (100)
- Current skills and capabilities and past experience that will support you in this program (100)
Folio
The folio must comprise of no more than 15 pages of your work and should reflect your design, thinking and technical skills in fashion design practice with a focus on the following:
- Knowledge in fashion design and specialisations of practice
- Evidence of research, critical and conceptual analysis
- Documentation of design process and design ideas
- Sustained written work including practice reflection, academic essays or creative writing
- Finished garments or prototypes in documented form
- Publications, photographs, films or other forms of fashion communication
Folio presentation: You may be required to present your folio to a selection panel. You may be interviewed, either in person or via telephone/video call.
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
When you successfully complete the Bachelor of Fashion (Design) (Honours) you are guaranteed entry into the Master of Fashion (Design) with two semesters of advanced standing (96 credit points).
Alternatively, you may be eligible for entry into another RMIT postgraduate program or RMIT Masters by Research or Doctoral (PhD) program.
Fees
2021 indicative fees
In 2021, the annual student contribution amount (tuition fee) you will pay for a standard year of full-time study is between AU$3,700 to AU$14,500*.
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
You may be eligible to apply for a HECS-HELP loan, which can be used to defer payment of up to the full amount of your student contribution fees. You may also be eligible to apply to defer payment of your SSAF through the SA-HELP loan scheme.
Learn more about fees for undergraduate study.
Paying your fees and applying for 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.
All undergraduate and honours degrees have Commonwealth supported places (CSP) available.
In a CSP, your tuition fees are subsidised by the Australian Government. Your share of the fee (student contribution) is set each year by the Australian Government and is determined by the discipline areas (bands) of the courses in which you enrol, not the overall program.
How much can I expect to pay for my Commonwealth supported place?
The Australian Government has announced amendments to university funding and student contribution fees under its Job-ready Graduates Package.
The fees in the table below apply to students commencing their program in 2021 and are subject to the passage of legislation. Fees for continuing students are available at fees for Commonwealth supported students.
Each course (subject) falls into a band. The band determines the student contribution amount for the course.
Amounts listed in the table below are based on a standard, full-time study load (96 credit points per year) with all courses in the same band. A proportionate fee applies for more or less than the full-time study load or for enrolment in courses (subjects) from a combination of bands.
You can learn how to calculate your exact tuition fees for units from different bands at fees for Commonwealth supported students.
Maximum student contribution amount for Commonwealth supported places in 2021
Student contribution band by course (subject) |
Maximum annual student contribution amount in 2021 |
Agriculture, english, languages, mathematics, nursing, postgraduate clinical psychology, teaching |
$3,700 per standard year $462 per standard (12 credit point) course |
Architecture, creative arts, engineering, environmental studies, health, information technology, science |
$7,700 per standard year |
Dental, medical and veterinary science |
$11,300 per standard year |
Arts, commerce, communications, economics, humanities (excluding languages), law, management |
$14,500 per standard year |
HECS-HELP Loans
The Australian Government provides financial assistance via the HECS-HELP loan scheme, which allows eligible students (such as Australian citizens or holders of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa) to defer payment of up to the full amount of their student contribution.
SA-HELP Loans
You may be eligible to apply to defer payment of the Student services and amenities fee (SSAF) through the SA-HELP loan scheme. If you use SA-HELP, the amount will be added to your accumulated HELP debt.
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 total indicative tuition fee for 2021 commencement is AU$37,440.
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
Find information on how to apply for a refund as a continuing international student.
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.