Fashion Knitwear Design and Knitted Textiles, BA (Hons)

This unique degree offers you an exciting fusion of fashion and fabric design. You will be taught by expert academic and technical staff in our outstanding facilities and have the opportunity to take part in live projects and competitions. You can also opt to take a year-long work placement which will enhance your employability.

With over thirty years' experience, this is the only undergraduate course in the UK which focuses solely upon fashion knitwear design.

This degree will appeal to you if you have a keen interest in fashion and want to explore the artistry of:

• knitting
• modern garment design
• fashion styling.

Why choose this course?

You will have the opportunity to:

• Completely focus on fashion knitwear design.
• Undertake a year-long work placement between Year Two and Year Three.
• Take part in international exchanges.
• Get involved with national and international competitions, cultural collaborations, trade fairs and live industry focused projects.
• Learn in our outstanding knitwear facilities and be supported by our expert staff.
• Exhibit your work in Final Year in a catwalk show at our Degree Shows in Nottingham.
• Be selected to exhibit your work at Graduate Fashion Week in London.

Employability is a key feature of this course. Our graduates have gone on to exciting jobs with companies including:

• Abercrombie and Fitch
• Ralsey
• Paul Smith
• Max Mara
• Hugo Boss.

Prizewinners
This course has had lots of prizewinners, including:

• Emma Walsh, nominated for the Stuart Peters Visionary Knitwear award, Graduate Fashion Week 2012
• Lucy Mcloughlin, winner of a £2,500 bursary from the Worshipful Company of Framework Knitters, 2012
• Rory Longdon, winner of the Gold award and £20,000 at Graduate Fashion Week 2011
• Claire Hartley and Laura Coppen, winners of a £750 bursary from the Worshipful Company of Framework Knitters, 2010
• Pandora Bahrami, nominated for the Pringle of Scotland Visionary Knitwear Award and the Textile Award, Graduate Fashion Week 2009
• Ria Thomas, winner of the Pringle of Scotland Visionary Knitwear award, Graduate Fashion Week 2008.

Fashion Knitwear Design student work gallery|
Have a look at some of the work our students have created, in our Fashion Knitwear Design gallery.

Open days
To get a real taste of this course, why not visit us on one of our open days?

Can't visit us? Talk to us online...
We know it's not always possible to come along to one of our open events, particularly if you don't live in the UK. Throughout the year we will be running a series of live chat sessions, where you can log on and talk to us remotely.

Find out more about live chats for this course on our live chat webpage.

Latest news
Find out what's going on in the School of Art & Design on our news pages and the Facebook page.

Any questions?
Email us
Telephone: +44 (0)115 941 8418
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How many places are available on this course?

There are 30 places available in Year One.

When does the course start?

This course starts in September. For more information, please take a look at our academic calendar for details of term start and end dates.

What will I study?

Year One

• Fashion Knitwear Design: An Introduction (100 credits)
• Design, Culture and Context (20 credits)

Year Two

• Fashion Knitwear Design: The Context (100 credits)
• Design, Culture and Context 2 (20 credits)

Year Three: Optional Placement Year

Final Year: Negotiated Fashion Knitwear Design and research project

Find out what you will cover in each module of our Fashion Knitwear Design and Knitted Textiles course in more detail.

Degree Shows

In your final year you will exhibit your work in a professional catwalk show and product exhibition as part of the NTU Degree Shows. The Degree Shows include all final year students across NTU's Art and Design-based courses, and are a great platform for you to celebrate your studies and showcase your work to members of the creative industries.

You will also have the chance to be selected to exhibit your work at the prestigious Graduate Fashion Week in London. A selection of students from this course and our BA (Hons) Fashion Design degree will be chosen to exhibit their garments as part of a catwalk show, which is a great employment opportunity.

How will I learn?

You will be taught through a variety of teaching and learning experiences which will include:

• lectures and briefings
• technical demonstrations
• knitting and manufacturing workshops
• studio and IT workshops
• seminars
• tutorials
• peer and self-evaluations
• project work
• individual and group verbal and visual presentations
• teamwork
• live projects
• visits.

You will also be involved in self-directed project work where you will have the support of NOW, our virtual learning environment.

In Year One and Year Two you will spend an average of 70% of your time in scheduled learning. This includes things like:

• lectures
• seminars
• tutorials
• demonstrations.

It also includes time you'll spend working in the workshops with technical support.

For the remaining time you will undertake self-directed independent study which may be spent research or completing coursework, either at University or at home.

In Year Three you will have slightly less scheduled learning (around 65%) as you will be working more independently on your final year coursework.

How will I be assessed?

Assessment for this course is 100% through coursework.

You will be assessed at the end of each module and awarded a grand band (First, 2.1 and 2.2 etc). You will receive feedback throughout the module, so you know what level you are working at.

In design modules assessment might take the form of:

• the presentation and evaluation of research
• design development
• technical and practical resolution.

In Design, Culture and Context modules, assessment will include essays (written and visual), presentations and a final individual research project.

To progress through the course you must achieve 120 credits each year. Your final degree mark will be based 100% on your final year work.

Links with industry

This course has built up a strong relationship with industry, with live projects and competitions a key feature of this course. These will give you the opportunity to be exposed to current practices within the industry.

Between Year Two and your Final Year you can opt to take a year-long work placement. You will be supported by our specialist Placement Office and be able to draw upon the range of contacts we have to apply for a suitable placement.

You will also get the opportunity to be taught by visiting lecturers who will give you an insight to what it's like to be working in industry.

We work with a number of professional organisations which include:

• the Worshipful Company of Framework Knitters
• the Textile Institute
• the Bradford Textiles Society
• the British Fashion Council Colleges Committee
• Graduate Fashion Week, London
• the ASBCI (Association of Suppliers to the British Clothing Industry)
• the Society of Dyers and Colourists
• the Fashion and Textiles Association.

The links formed with these professional bodies give you access to a range of live competitions and bursary opportunities.

Live projects include the following.

Rowan Yarns

The Rowan Yarns project which our students have completed for the past three years. Students are briefed by Rowan Yarns' senior designer, Marie Wallin, and the final chosen work is exhibited nationally within Rowan Publications.

Spin Expo

Spin Expo is an international yarn show which is held in Shanghai, China, every March and September. Recently Year Two students have undertaken a live project with an opportunity to design and product work to be exhibited at the March show. Final Year students have had the opportunity to be selected to exhibit their work at the September show. In September NTU also have their own stand at the show, which gives the students and the course international exposure.

It is compulsory for Final Year students to enter at least one competition. Recent competitive opportunities for our students have included:

• the Framework Knitters Guild who provide a competitive opportunity for bursaries
• the Alpaca competition which is open to Year Two students and was won in 2011 / 12 by NTU student Rebecca Peattie
• the Society of Dyers and Colourists' Colour Award
• Bradford Textile Society Design Competition
• Keungzai Maternity Project
• British Fashion Council Nicole Farhi competition.

Our students have also recently have the opportunity to undertake a live project with Abercrombie & Fitch. This has resulted in a prize of a one year fully paid position at their headquarters in Ohio, USA.

Learn from expert staff

Our Fashion Knitwear Design and Knitted Textiles team is made up of expert academic and technical staff who have extensive experience in both education and industry.

What do the course fees cover?

Find out what is included in the course fees for our BA (Hons) Fashion Knitwear Design and Knitted Textiles.

Where will I study?

You will study this course on NTU's City site, based in Nottingham city centre.

Our Fashion Knitwear Design studios and workshops are based in the Bonington building, a dedicated Art and Design building.

You may have some lectures in other buildings across the site, including our recently renovated Newton building.

Exchange opportunities – study abroad

In Year One you will have the opportunity to apply for an exchange to the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.

In Year Two you can opt to spend a period of time studying at another university in Europe through our Erasmus scheme.

View the full course specification
Please note that course specifications may be subject to change

Our Fashion Knitwear Design facilities are excellent, offering you the chance to use traditional and digital machines. Studios and workshops are based in the Bonington building, a dedicated Art and Design building.

Access to facilities

The Bonington building is open during term-time from:

• 8 am - 8 pm (Monday - Thursday)
• 8 am - 7.30 pm (Fridays).

During these times you can access workshops and studios.

Technical support in workshops

Technical support in our workshops is available at the following times:

• 8.30 am - 5.30 pm (Monday - Thursday) (lunch break from 1 pm - 2 pm)
• 8.30 am - 5.30 pm (Friday) (lunch break from 1 pm - 2 pm).

You can use the workshop facilities outside of these times, but you won't be able to use any machinery or equipment that needs power. Hand flat knitting machines may be used at any time but there must be a minimum of three people in the workshop.

Fashion Knitwear Design facilities

You will benefit from a:

• knitwear studio
• knitwear hand flat workshop - dubied and domestic machines
• knitwear makeup workshops - circular machines, linkers, overlockers, lockstitch machines, button hole machines.
• knitwear digital workshops - Shima and Stoll industry-standard power knitting machines.
• yarn store.

Books and library resources

In our library you will have access to an extensive and diverse range of resources, both print and online. The library's OneSearch system provides access to all our electronic resources, journals and books. It offers group and individual study space, and has a large team of staff to help you find what you need for your studies.

Within the library there is a liaison librarian who has specialist Fashion Knitwear Design subject knowledge and can offer detailed help in finding and using print and electronic resources and also support on things such as Harvard referencing and research skills.

Bonington Art Shop

Our specialist in-house art shop is based in the Bonington building. Run by experience and friendly University staff, the shop stocks a wide variety of arts and crafts materials.

The shop responds to the requirements of our students, and the stock on offer grows each year to support the courses offered within the School of Art & Design.

Bonington Colour Bureau

Located in the Bonington building, our Colour Bureau provides a range of in-house printing for NTU students and staff.

Specialising in graphic arts printing, the Colour Bureau offers high quality prints on a non-standard range of media in any size up to B0. It also operates a drop-off service so you won't have to queue, and aims to offer A4 and / or A3 prints for same-day collection where possible.

The Bonington Gallery

The Bonington Gallery presents a number of exhibitions throughout the year as part of a comprehensive programme of visual arts and design events.

Exhibitors include national and international artists and designers, current students and staff from within the University and NTU alumni.

IT resources

Our IT resource rooms and PC clusters are distributed across the City site, with PCs providing access to:

• Microsoft Office
• email
• web browsing
• networked file storage
• high-speed online printing services (with a free printing allowance for each student). Resource rooms are available 24 hours a day.