Fashion Design – Courses, Careers, Scope, Exams

Through this quick guide enroll yourself in top fashion courses, understand how to crack entrance exams, and learn the future scope.

The dreamy career of a fashion designer is looking for fashion enthusiasts who can contribute to the field of fashion, making their audience dream. This art creates clothing that strikes a fair balance between comfort and luxe, the practical with the desirable. Learn the art of designing the construction or pattern of clothing that resonates with current trends and pop culture.

Fashion design has numerous possibilities to attain after graduation. While the student may become a fashion designer, there are also other options to consider as follows:

1. Fashion Management
2. Fashion Communication
3. Fashion Styling & Merchandising
4. Fashion Technology
5. Visual Brand Design
6. Visual Merchandising
7. Textile Design
8. Luxury Brand Management

These are only a few of the multiple possibilities that can be utilized after gaining a base knowledge of fashion design in graduation. The student may also switch to any other stream of design as desired.

Each year thousands of candidates apply for various design programs at esteemed colleges and universities. It is known as one of the most rapidly growing industries globally and hence a popular career choice.

However, while shortlisting the top courses, fashion design aspirants may face obstacles, finding it difficult to weigh the pros and cons of the courses as well as identify the effectiveness and credibility of these courses. Young candidates may also face confusion as to which path suits them best as per their interests. This article is updated to assist in understanding the necessary details for an information-driven choice.

Here is a list of top fashion design courses followed by institutes in India.

• Bachelor of Design (BDes)
• Bachelor of Arts (BA)
• Bachelor of Fashion Technology (BFTech)
• Bachelor of Science (BSc)

Let’s dive into the details of each of these four bachelor’s courses and which colleges are the top picks to pursue these fashion-centric bachelor’s degrees.

Bachelor of Design (BDes)

This is an undergraduate degree that spans over three to four years. It is an introduction to the various elements of design. The degree entails subjects like Fundamentals of Art and Design, Art Representation and Transformation, CAD – Photography and Videography, Design and Human evolution, Applied Science for Designers, and Design Studio 1 – Problem Identification in the first semester of the course.

In the second semester, we move to explore similar subjects in depth along with a few new subjects like Typography Fundamentals and Exploratory Printing, World of Images and Objects, and Knowledge Organization and Communication. Students are also given summer projects that are required to be carried out with sheer passion and conviction as part of their educational portfolio.

The third semester consists of subjects that are of an intermediate level, namely, 2D Visual Studies, 3D Form Studies – Aesthetics, Expression and Identity, Creative Thinking Process and Methods, Design, Society, Culture and Environment, and Environmental Studies – Engineering and Science.

Semester fourth includes subjects like Communication Theories, Visual Perception and Semiotics, Design Storytelling and Narratives, Prototyping, and two more elective subjects. At the end of this semester, students are given another summer project.

The fifth semester begins with an introduction to subjects like Information Graphics and Visuals, Applied Ergonomics, Design, Technology and Innovation, and a collaborative design project.

Semester six includes Animation, design communication, film design, interaction design, game design, transportation design and product ergonomics, Materials and Processes/Digital Media Technologies, Design Management, Planning, and Professional Practice, as well as an Industrial Summer Project.

The seventh and second-last semester includes Global Design Thoughts and Discourse, Re-design Project, and Design Research Seminar. And finally, the final eighth semester includes Design Projects.

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

This undergraduate postsecondary degree primarily focuses on liberal arts and studies. It is a widely popular assumption that only people who wish to pursue the teaching profession choose this degree. On the contrary, this course is a valid option for fashion design aspirants who wish to complete their masters in the field of fashion designing. It consists of various specialization subjects that one can choose – English, Psychology, Economics, Political Science, History, Philosophy, and Geography.

Bachelor of Fashion Technology (BFTech)

This course is one of the most opted for by fashion designing aspirants. It is a four-year undergraduate program that offers a complete syllabus of techniques, methods, and knowledge that is required in the production and designing of fashion garments, clothing solutions, and accessories.

Several subjects are included in this four-year-long course, namely, Fundamentals of Fashion Design, Principles and Elements of Design, Fashion Communication, Introduction to Pattern Making and Stitching, Pattern Making through Drafting and Flat Pattern Techniques, Customer Relationship Management, Import and Export, Concept of e-commerce, Pattern Making/Cutting, Apparel and Fashion Merchandising, Fashion Marketing and Advertising, Entrepreneurship Development, Production Management, Pattern Grading, Graphic Design, History of Costumes, Fundamentals of Consumers, Fundamentals of Textile Fibers and Yarns, Fashion Illustration, Garment Construction, Surface Ornamentation, Financial and Management Accounting, Quality Control, Fashion Design and Illustration, Computer Aided Designing, Environmental Studies, Apparel Production Process, Industrial Pattern Making and Sewing, Accessory Design, Retail Merchandising, and Management.

Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Fashion Designing

BSc is an undergraduate degree for candidates who are interested in fashion designing and manufacturing. It is essentially a three-year course spread across six semesters. The course includes an in-depth study of various areas of fashion design like jewelry and accessory design, garment design, footwear design, interior design, leather design, etc. It also incorporates the study of fashion behavior and intrinsic market trends. The course followed by an equally recognized master’s degree can lead to several placement opportunities as a fashion coordinator, production manager, fashion consultant, and quality control manager.

Once you’ve completed your Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Designing, you would want to choose a good master’s degree to accompany it for easy and well-paying placements. Some of the top Master’s degrees in Fashion Designing.

Master of Design

Master of Design is a two-year-long postgraduate degree that requires the basic eligibility criteria of a Bachelor in Design/Architecture/Fine Arts/Interior Designing with a minimum of 50% marks of 5+ GPA from a nationally-recognized university/college/institution.

The diverse syllabus of Masters in Design includes subjects like Introduction to Industry Practices, Sustainable Systems, and Craft Studies; Industry guided project proposal, Brand Communication, and other elective subjects. There are four semesters in this course that offer complete performance analysis and detailed assessments.

Master of Fashion Technology

One of the most popular courses across India, MFTech, is also a two-year-long master’s degree course that offers a spectrum of specialization options such as Accessory Designing and Garment Designing. Candidates are only eligible to apply for this course on the basis of merit. Candidates are required to excel in competitive fashion designing entrance exams like GATE/NIFT, etc. Only the students who qualify for these exams are allowed to reserve their seats for the two-year-long Master’s course.

Master of Fashion Management (MFM)

If candidates wish to sharpen their managerial skill set, this is the ideal course for the same. Spread across four semesters through the timespan of two years, the syllabus of Master of Fashion Management focuses on developing leadership and managerial talents in the space of management, merchandising, marketing, and retail in the fashion and lifestyle sectors.

Master of Art (MA)

Master of Art is pursued by candidates holding a bachelor’s degree in fashion designing and other fashion-centric subjects. It is a widely popular postgraduate degree course in global institutes. This is a much more flexible course that can be pursued full-time or as correspondence or long-distance course. Several universities have entrance exams for this course. However, some institutes do not require an entrance exam. Thus, eligibility criteria for this course vary from one university to the other.

Master of Science (MSc) in Fashion Designing

Students who hold a bachelor’s degree in fashion designing/fine arts or architecture are eligible to apply for this two-year course. The all-inclusive syllabus centers around the various disciplines and principles of textile, accessory, garment designing, apparel manufacturing, and the art of designing and printing; the average fee for this course can range from anywhere between 20,000 INR to 4,00,000 INR. After the completion of this course, students can attain well-paying jobs as costume designers, graphic designers, fashion coordinators, and quality managers.

PG Diploma

Students who wish to take a slightly different path from the conventional Master’s degrees can choose to pursue a diploma in fashion design from well-known universities across the country or abroad.

Since you know what all the basic Bachelor’s and Master’s courses incorporate, you may want to curate which institutes offer these courses. Here’s a brief list of the best Indian institutes that offer bachelor’s and Masters’s degrees in design:

• NIFT Delhi – National Institute of Fashion Technology 
• NIFT Mumbai- National Institute of Fashion Technology
• NIFT Bangalore – National Institute of Fashion Technology
• NIFT Chennai – National Institute of Fashion Technology
• UID Ahmedabad – United world Institute of Design
• NID Ahmedabad – National Institute of Design
• MIT Institute of Design, Pune
• INIFD Deccan, Pune
• NIFT Mumbai – National Institute of Fashion Technology
• INSD Pune – International School of Design
• Sharda University, Greater Noida
• Symbiosis Institute of Design, Pune

Education is what helps you shape your future. Thus, it is imperative that you choose courses that offer you the best of everything, just like SILICA’s 360–degree fashion designing coaching assistance and sessions. This institute offers the most effective study materials and coaching sessions for the top entrance exams in the Fashion Designing sphere like NID, NIFT, NATA, UCEED, CEED, and more! Make headway to your dream university! Click here to know more.

Submitted by,

Sneha Pataria