Technology Integrated Knit Design, MA, MSc

This new course, unique in the UK, meets the demands of the evolving technology-driven knitwear industry. It will give you a unique combination of theoretical, creative and practical skills, helping you to move into strategic roles within the knitwear fashion and technical textiles industries.

This course has an industrial knit focus and is aimed at graduates and professionals from both design and technology backgrounds.

You will gain a complete understanding of the use and application of knitting technology, and the relationship between the structure, properties and performance of knitted products.

Find out more about Advanced Textiles Research at NTU.

MA or MSc?

Your project can focus either on the area of technical textiles or fashion knitted products. The award of an MA or MSc degree will be linked to which area you choose. The MA route is suitable for projects involving advanced knitted products with a design application. The MSc route is more suitable where the focus is on medical textiles, smart textiles and eTextiles, and the outcome will be a written dissertation detailing scientific analysis and evaluation.

Scholarships

The School of Art & Design is offering a number of scholarships for full-time Masters study. To find out more visit our Postgraduate Scholarships webpage.

Any questions?

Contact our postgraduate team by email or telephone +44 (0)115 848 8434.

Course focus

The course focuses on the practical application of knowledge, and how the industry operates and interacts with its customers. This is done through lectures, industrially focused projects, speakers from industry, and visits.

You will develop your skills in self-directed research, analysis and practice and have the opportunity to work individually and as part of a team.

Modules

• Materials Design Practice
• Advanced Technology Integrated Design
• Major Study Project

In these modules you will cover:

• knitted fabric characteristics and properties
• advanced knit CAD and its application in knit design
• contemporary and industrial knit design practice
• innovation in materials and technology
• applications of technology integrated design
• computerised flat-bed knitting technology
• 3D knitting technology.

How you study

You will learn through industry-focused projects, speakers from industry and visits. You will develop your skills in self-directed research, analysis and practice, and have the opportunity to work individually and as part of a team.

You'll learn through lecturers, seminars, workshops, demonstrations, tutorials and group activities.

How will I be assessed?

Each module is assessed by coursework. You will have the opportunity to take part in an exposition of your work towards the end of the course.

Special facilities

The excellent resources available include:

• 5, 7, 10, 14 and 15 gauge computerised flat-bed knitting machines from Shima Seiki and Stoll
• 5 Shima SDS1 Knit CAD systems
• 5 M1 Plus Knit Design systems from Stoll
• testing equipment including a tensile tester and digital microscope with image processing software; and
• IT and CAD facilities within the School to support portfolio development work and analysis of experimental data.

Learning opportunities

Study visits to international cities, yarn / trend shows and knitting machine manufacturers include:

• Shima UK knitting headquarters
• Stoll knitting manufacturers in Germany; and
• Pitti Filati yarn trade fair in Florence, Italy.

The course has established links with industrial machine manufacturers, yarn suppliers and leading design companies. You will be introduced to contemporary practice through visiting lecturers and practitioners working in industry.

There are opportunities to take part in a range of competitions and industry briefs. The course will also give you access to events held by Designer Forum, Trend Boutique, MEDTEC UK and TechniTex.