Costume Design and Practice, Undergraduate - BA (Hons) - 2022/23 entry

You will gain experience in custom pattern cutting, design and illustration, bespoke fitting and costume construction techniques, developing you into an active and engaged contributor to costume.  

Previously, students have collaborated on live projects with Birmingham Royal Ballet, DanceXchange, Area 51, Sparklewren and Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

Staff have worked as costume practitioners within national and international companies, including the Royal Shakespeare Company and  Google+, as well as the Stephen Joseph Theatre with Alan Ayckbourne.

Staff are engaged in research and practice within their discipline, and with costume as an emerging research area there are opportunities for undergraduates to contribute to this vibrant discipline.

While studying with us, you will gain access to an archive of historical dress bequeathed by the arts and crafts artist Kate Elizabeth Bunce, which will inspire and develop your knowledge of the history of dress through the use of primary resources.

There is an optional placement year between years 2 and 3, providing an opportunity for internship in industry. You will be supported with the application process with CV workshops, portfolio building and careers tutorials, and the assessed outcomes of your experience will be submitted on return to the University.

The course will be sited at Parkside Campus (City Centre) and have rooms that are resourced with industry-specific machinery for all aspects of garment production, as well as photography studios to capture final outcomes. 

BA (Hons) Costume Design and Practice, BA (Hons) Fashion Design and BA (Hons) Garment Technology have a shared first year of study.

Certificate of General Secondary Education 60% PLUS Community College Diploma/Associate Degree with minimum grade 60% / 2.5 / C+

Note: Engineering courses require minimum C+ score in Mathematics.

Even though you may have met the stated requirements, if your first language is not English, we may ask you to take an additional English Language Test when you arrive.

Based on the results of the test, you may be required to attend regular English classes to improve your level of competence. English classes are provided free of charge and are available to all non-UK students who wish to attain greater fluency in English.

Our graduates typically go on to professional roles in fashion design, womenswear, menswear, children’s wear, sportswear, garment technology, styling, trend forecasting, graphic design, visual merchandising, buying, PR, costume making, and event management.

The course will prepare you as a designer practitioner within a breadth of performance genres, and you will develop a range of skills applicable to a career within costume design and practice.

Graduate jobs

Graduates from our course progress into roles within many theatre companies, however the majority of graduates are freelance and therefore go from project to project, often developing working relationships with other industry professionals.

You’ll find Birmingham City University alumni working in Angels Costumes, Costumes with Character, Pitlochery Festival Theatre and ‘The Paradise’ (BBC TV series).