BA (Hons) Textile Design

Year One — We will introduce you to a number of themes and core skills, to explore and develop your practice in creative thinking and making, drawing, colour, digital design and print. We will help you to identify, develop and express your creative interests, aesthetic sensibilities and approaches to creative practice.

Year Two — You will develop your creative and practical skills, with an emphasis on live briefs, industry competitions and employability along with an outward facing approach to briefs, through which we produce work for international shows and a global audience. You will be encouraged to develop a personal design ‘handwriting’ that you can apply to your choice of design and specialist interests.

Year Three — You will be encouraged to consolidate and plan your own programme of work in response to your chosen design concerns and personal creative hand. Through this you will develop the experience and professional portfolio you require to confidently present yourself to the design industry.

Work experience covers a broad range of activities and students are encouraged to undertake work placements during their time at university.  The course has a range of industry links, both in the UK and internationally, which you will be introduced to throughout your studies. As well as guidance from the course team our Careers, Employability and Enterprise team offer support that enhances employability skills and underpins engagement with industry.  In the past our students have secured placements at: Tigerprint, ASDA Living, Winnovate, Hallmark, Tenue de Ville, Mitwill Europe, Westcott, Belstaff, Duchamp, Trend Bible, Mary Katrantzou, Caroline Gardner, Lemon Ribbon, Pattern Textiles, Zoe Murphy, Keeler Gordon, Monsoon, Ted Baker, Holbrook Studio and others.

Students have won national and international design awards. Recent successes include:

• New Designers – winners for categories including Sainsbury’s Home and Argos Home ND Award; Joules Print ND Award; Harlequin ND Award
• PV Awards NextGen award in mix media and print categories
• i-dott 2019 Wallpaper design awards including grand prize winner
• Surtex - New York (2011-13, 2015, 2017 Award Winners!)
• Textile Society Bursary Award Winners (2013-17)
• The Society of Dyers & Colourists ‘Colour in Design’ International Student Design Competition- 2019 winner for North of England Heat and runner-up for UK
• Heimtextil 2019 – International University Competition- winners of sponsored alumni stand
• Bradford Textile Society (2013-19 – multiple award winners including 2019: two student travel bursary awards To Maison et Objet trade fair and the course winning the Designers Guild Plaque for outstanding work

Click here to view the course specification

Undergraduate degree courses at Leeds Arts University are delivered and supported through a range of teaching and learning strategies. Courses are made up of modules, these are elements of study that are taught and assessed separately. Each module carries a clearly identified credit value, the accumulation of which will allow you to progress to the next level of the course. 100 hours of learning are expected for every ten credits of the course. Each level (year) of the course is made up of 120 credits and therefore requires 1200 hours of learning. This equates to 40 hours of study per week throughout the academic year.

For every 100 hours of study, approximately 25 hours are delivered as taught or staff-led sessions and the remaining hours are a combination of other types of supported learning and independent study.

For further information visit Undergraduate teaching & learning at Leeds Arts University.

Our graduates have secured jobs in: textile print for fashion and interior; design products and furnishings; wall coverings; cards and gift wrap; media and publishing; fashion marketing; styling; buying; and numerous other allied industries. Others set up their own businesses, producing work for private commissions or major brands. Graduates may also continue on to postgraduate study.

We’re looking for students with the best potential to succeed - irrespective of their background. That’s why we welcome a wide range of qualifications and experience.

Click here to view our entry requirements

A well-presented portfolio says a lot about an applicant and their work. Our guidance is not meant to limit your creative statement.

In general terms however we would expect the following:

• Examples of drawing and colour usage.
• Examples of design/idea development.
• Sketchbooks and notebooks.
• Examples of print and/or materials manipulation.
• Critical diary, notebook, essay etc.

At this stage in your career we would much rather see experimental and innovative drawing and design development rather than finished work showing a final solution. We would like to see a personal and well-presented portfolio.

Work should be mounted on cartridge paper; there is no need for heavy card and plastic sleeves.

We do not need to see all the work you have produced - around 30 samples, plus sketchbooks in your portfolio would be ideal.

We also run a range of daytime and evening portfolio development courses specialising in preparation for further and higher art and design education. For more information on current courses please click here.

When you arrive at reception you will be met by a member of the course team who will take you to the textile studio, where you will be asked to leave your portfolio for staff to view.

You will be shown around the department and introduced to the course, with the opportunity to ask questions. Whilst you have been doing this, the course staff will have been looking at your work. You will then have a 15-minute personal interview with two members of staff with your work.

Since we interview several students in one half-day session, you should be prepared to be in the University for up to three hours. If you have had to travel long distances and have a train pre-booked, please let us know in advance and we will try to arrange the timing of your interview so you can get away in time.

Tuition Fees

Our current fees are listed here

Other Costs

Further costs of study are related largely to the costs of materials and depend very much on how individual students choose to respond to University briefs. At the start of the first year you will be provided with a starter kit of equipment and materials that will help you during the first few months of the course. You will be provided with basic materials to help you complete set briefs. As you progress through the course, you will incur additional costs depending on the level and complexity of the work you are making and the materials you use.

The costs below are the result of asking our students to state how much they spend during the year and creating an average, as such they are indicative only.

Equipment & Materials

A list of essential equipment is provided each year, such as metal ruler, scalpel, brush-es etc. Most of this you will already have accumulated from previous study. If buying from scratch this will cost in the region of £45 but can be collected much cheaper with some shopping around. 

• Level 4 (First Year) Materials and processes - £120-£160
• Level 5 (Second Year) Materials and processes - £150-£250
• Level 6 (Third Year) The individual exploration of design ideas at Level 6 means there is a much greater variety of expenditure, based on personal interests, ranging from £150-£800, with £500 as an average.

Computers & Digital Equipment

Our course is offered using a blended learning model which means you will need to access some course materials and video conference using a computer or mobile de-vice (eg laptop, tablet or smartphone). If you are intending to buy a computer for your studies we suggest that you wait until you commence your studies. You will quickly find out what you need and what you don’t need. The Course Team will be able to offer you advice on what to buy and where to purchase it from based on your creative needs and budget. If you do not have access to a mobile device and are unable to afford one you may be eligible for further support from our hardship fund, more information can be found here.

Educational Visits & Offsite Activities

Due to current travel restrictions and the uncertainties caused by the pandemic no residential trips are planned for the autumn 2020 term. This situation will be assessed and reviewed as the course progresses so that opportunities for educational visits further afield can be explored. Costs for such trips are in addition to other costs but attendance is not mandatory.

We provide support for undergraduate students dependent upon their financial circumstances. Visit Undergraduate Financial Support for further information.

Click here to view our Terms & Conditions

Click here to view the Key Information for this course

We are delighted to welcome undergraduate visiting and exchange students from Europe and around the world who would like to spend a semester or a full academic year taking credits from our exciting range of courses. You will be fully integrated into the academic and social life of the University during a period of full-time supervised study and your credits transferred back to your home institution.

You can join us through programmes such as Erasmus+, individual university partnerships or as an independent applicant. Please see here for more information and how to apply.

Leeds Arts University students interested in spending some time overseas can find information on the international opportunities available during your course here.

Questions? Contact international@leeds-art.ac.uk

Please apply direct to the University for our BA (Hons) Textile Design course using the links below.

If you need any assistance completing the form please contact the Admissions team at admissions@leeds-art.ac.uk or call us on 0113 280 8000.