What You Study
What you'll study
This degree allows you to develop specialist and transferable skills that are sought after by employers but also well-suited to entrepreneurship and self-employment.
You'll graduate as a work-ready designer. You'll also have an understanding of your responsibilities as a designer, learning to design better experiences, create more responsive products and services and consider people, planet and place in the process.
Throughout your degree, you'll have the opportunities to work with design students from other disciplines and develop communication, organisation and collaboration skills through electives, and through interdisciplinary, individual and team-based projects.
Benefits of this fashion degree
- We offer a boutique learning environment – small classes mean your lecturers know you by name and can support you to develop your own ‘design identity’.
- Studio-based learning with access to specialised equipment and spaces.
- Exchange and study abroad opportunities in Europe and Asia.
- Strong international fashion connections.
- Individual, team and interdisciplinary learning opportunities.
- Exhibitions and international competitions to showcase your creativity and talent.
- Client projects, industry placements and internships which help you to become a work-ready graduate.
- Employers love our fashion design graduates because they’re innovative, hard-working, solution-focused and well prepared for the realities of the fashion world.
Course overview
Year one
The focus is on developing skills and techniques that allow you to practice as a fashion designer. These include an introduction to fashion design; drawing and communication skills; research and reflective practice; fabrics and textile development; manual and digital patternmaking; and industrial garment construction techniques. In design studios, you'll respond to a project brief, drawing on all your learning to design and create your own patterns and garments.
Year two
In your second year, you'll learn more advanced patternmaking and garment construction methods such as drape, grading and tailoring along with materials exploration and collection development. You'll become more critical in your thinking and designing, and learn more about your responsibilities as a designer. Your first design studio project will involve designing and making a small collection and later in the year you'll work in a team with an external fashion retail client to design, produce and market a commercial range for a target market.
Year three
By this stage of your degree, you'll be starting to refine your own style and direction as a designer, as well as identifying your strengths and where you best fit in the creative industries. Through larger design projects, you can really extend your design and technical skills and develop a portfolio that will take you on to the next step in your fashion career.
Further study options
Advance your design skills with our:
Or expand your career prospects with a graduate teacher training programme.
Workload
Your workload
Throughout this three-year programme, you'll see an emphasis on the development of independent learning skills. This is reflected in the decrease in directed hours as you progress, with an expectation that you will be an independent learner by the end of year three. You will work really hard, but you can also count on having heaps of fun along the way!
Hours are allocated as follows, based on a 32-week academic year:
|
|
Directed hours
(Class contact)
|
Approximate hours per week
|
Self-directed hours (Non-class contact)
|
Approximate hours per week
|
|
YEAR 1
|
504
|
16
|
696
|
22
|
|
YEAR 2
|
480
|
15
|
680
|
21
|
|
YEAR 3
|
312
|
10
|
888
|
28
|
Entry
Entry requirements
Academic requirements
Your portfolio
A portfolio is a selection of work that shows your creative potential and passion for your chosen design specialty. It can include examples from your school or your own projects at home or in the community.
Find out what you need to include in your portfolio, what we're looking for, and how to submit it here.
You need to submit a portfolio when you apply for this programme unless you meet the criteria for automatic entry or get portfolio ‘pre-approval’.
1. Automatic portfolio approval – no portfolio needed
- If you have achieved University Entrance endorsed with excellence overall including merit or excellence in an approved art, design or technology subject at NCEA Level 3, you have automatic entry, and will not need to submit a portfolio.
- This also applies to applicants who have achieved Cambridge International AS grade A or B in an approved art, design or technology subject.
Note: When you apply online and are asked to upload a portfolio, you can either upload a copy of your NCEA results, or upload a note that says “I qualify for automatic entry”. We’ll then verify that with NZQA.
2. Portfolio pre-approval – show ‘work in progress’
- You can show a ‘work in progress’ portfolio to a staff member from the School of Design by making contact with the school, or at open days and careers events throughout the year. If your portfolio meets our criteria you will receive a portfolio per-approval letter which can be uploaded with your application and you won’t have to submit a final portfolio.
- If you have achieved University Entrance and your portfolio already meets the criteria, you’ll receive a portfolio pre-approval letter. You can then upload that letter with your online application and you won’t have to submit a final portfolio.
- If you want to talk to us about portfolio pre-approval, please email our school administrator, Pam.Hodgkinson@op.ac.nz or phone 0800 762 786.
Don't meet the entry requirements?
No problem. We have a couple of pathway programmes that will help you build the skills and degree-level portfolio you need to apply for the Bachelor of Design (Fashion).
New Zealand Certificate in Arts and Design (Level 4) - starting in February every year
- Develop your research skills, learn about creative processes and materials, and create your own art and design projects.
New Zealand Certificate in Fashion (Level 4) - starting in July every year
- Learn about fashion design and textiles concepts, fashion industry practice, and fashion production as you develop fashion garments and outcomes. This studio work becomes your portfolio that you can use to apply for the Bachelor of Design (Fashion).
By studying both of these Level 4 certificates, you'll have the well-rounded skills you need to undertake degree-level study.
Fees
Domestic fees
First year
Standard
$8,958
Second year
Standard
$8,958
Third year
Standard
$8,958
International fees
First year
With study grant discount
$19,000
First year
Standard
$26,000
Second year
Standard
$26,000
Third year
Standard
$26,000
Additional costs
Please contact the School of Design for a list of equipment, textbooks and resources you'll need to buy for this programme. You'll also need to buy fabrics and trims for design projects. Email info@op.ac.nz or phone 0800 762 786.
Multi-year fees
The tuition fees shown above are approximate only. There may be a slight fee increase per year once Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) rules and guidelines are applied. These fees also don’t include additional costs or living costs.
Studylink
Domestic full-time students can apply for a student loan through Studylink.
Some support may be available for domestic part-time students if this programme offers a part-time study option.
Apply at the same time as you apply for your course (you can withdraw your application anytime).
Student Services Fee
For most students, your tuition fee shown above includes a Student Services Fee – also known as the Student Levy. This compulsory fee covers your access to the student services we offer. This cost is tailored depending on how you're studying.
The international tuition fee does not include your Student Levy. This will be calculated when you enrol with us.
Click below to find out more about the Student Levy costs and services provided.
Fees Free
The Government has announced that Fees Free for the first year of study or training will finish at the end of 2024. A final-year Fees Free policy will replace it, starting from 1 January 2025.
If you are a first-time tertiary learner in 2025, you may be able to get Fees Free for your final year of study or training. If you are eligible, you will need to apply for your entitlement through IRD from 2026 onwards.
For more information about the transition from first-year Fees Free or the final-year Fees Free policy, visit FeesFree.govt.nz.
Study Grants for international students
We have a range of Study Grants to support our international students.
Application
How to apply
To apply for this programme just click the blue 'Apply now' button above.
Applications are preferred by 30 November.
Late applications will be accepted if spaces are still available, after which waitlists will apply.
You'll need to submit a portfolio when you apply for this programme unless you meet the criteria for automatic entry or get portfolio ‘pre-approval’.
Find out what you need to include in your portfolio, what we're looking for, and how to submit it.
