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Textiles MA

2024-25 (also available for 2025-26)

This course is eligible for Master's loan funding. Find out more.

Start date

16 September 2024

6 January 2025

Duration

1 year full-time

Places available (subject to change)

20

About the course

Reasons to study

  1. Learn in the £30m Barbara Hepworth Building with facilities such as 3D printers for rapid prototyping, laser cutters, specialist software, studios and more.
  2. The course is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, practical workshops and a programme of design projects.
  3. The MA in Textiles covers a broad area of contemporary textile and surface design practice, spanning both the commercial and arts aspects of the field.

The MA in Textiles covers a broad area of contemporary textile and surface design practice. Spanning both the commercial and arts aspects of the field, the course enables exploration of a varied range of textile directions and contexts.

It offers recent graduates, and those returning to education later in their careers, opportunities to enhance their knowledge, skills, creativity and employment prospects, through imaginative enquiry into different textile and surface design concepts and processes.

The aim of this course is to enable you to:

  • Develop innovative and imaginative approaches to materials, processes and methodologies in textiles, and rigorously test these ideas against trends within current practice
  • Evidence advanced critical evaluation and development of traditional and innovative textile techniques in the creation of new product and concepts.
  • Experiment, expand and encourage progressive thinking in the sustainable practices for textiles to meet future industry opportunities and customer demands.
  • Systematically plan, negotiate, and implement a body of work underpinned by advanced practice and research in textiles and/or surface design.
  • Examine the principles and practices inherent in textiles and surface design and their intersection with commercial and creative industries.

Our course aims to combine advanced creative, aesthetic and technical design skills. You will normally have a degree in a related subject (Textiles or Surface Design, Textile Crafts or Fashion), and may be seeking to develop fresh approaches to your subject. This could be towards fashion, interiors or exterior architectural surfaces, future materials, 3D textiles or surfaces, advancing your weave, embroidery, knit, and print skills, or textile art approaches, building your portfolio for future industry or freelance practice.

Course detail

Research Methods and Project Proposal

On this module you will be encouraged to explore how different research methods underpin all kinds of creative practices. The module introduces you to current research themes in art and design. In the past we have explored topics such as: developing concepts through thinking and making, using archives in creative practice, working with objects of material culture, analysing digital transformations, practising psychogeography in the urban environment, tackling the anthropocene and environmental issues of the twenty-first century. As thinkers and practitioners you will work to develop an understanding of the different research approaches you might design and use to enhance and transform your ideas. You will be introduced to a range of practice-led research methods which may include: creative and design thinking, user-centered methods, practice-led approaches, cultural analysis, historical/archival research and market-driven data capture and analysis. The module helps to equip you with a tool kit of research skills to guide you in the development of a project proposal or working brief for your Master's study. The module is made up of lectures, guided seminars and small group tutorials which will support you in building a solid foundation to lead you through your studies.

Creative Innovation and Entrepreneurship

This module aims to introduce you to key features of innovation and entrepreneurship within the context of the cultural and creative industries. Depending on your future aspirations we will help you to build your knowledge and understanding of different approaches to creative innovation (social, ethical and sustainable aspects), provide guidance on business start-ups, and assist you in your professional skills development (commercial awareness, self-management, problem-solving, team working, communication strategies), including searching for marketing, promotion, consultancy and funding opportunities specific to your subject. The module involves lectures, seminars and practical projects where you will experiment with the tools and techniques of creative innovation. There will be opportunities for group projects and cross-disciplinary working on this module.

Creative Studio

This module enables you to explore a range of advanced creative concepts and practices across Art and Design working alongside other students in a mixed-discipline cohort encompassing Art and Communication, 3D Design and Fashion and Textiles. You will identify starting points for your studio practice through supported and scheduled access and interaction with a range of specialist workshop facilities and digital making processes which in turn inform the potential of material investigation as a core part of your refocused enquiry-led practice. The module comprises three discrete but interlinked phases of development: Conceptual Direction, Creative Contexts, Critical Processes.

Professional Practice Fashion and Textiles

Working alongside other students within Fashion and Textiles, this practice-led module helps you question and develop the parameters of your project through a range of different methods aligned to specific concepts, processes and contexts. Specialising in your chosen area of practice, you will produce a body of practical work supported by specialist workshops for fashion and textiles, which will explore the hybrid and expanded nature of your discipline that arises out of contemporary culture. You will have access to digital and analogue resources for the creation of textiles, surface design (knit, weave, print, laser cutting, advanced 3D technologies), garment design, pattern cutting and construction (advanced manufacturing suite), embellishment (hand and machine embroidery) and visualisation tools (such as Adobe Suite, specialist fashion/textile software, digital photography studio, virtual reality and motion tracking), as required for the module brief in your selected MA course. You are encouraged to push the direction of your project through processes of risk taking, problematisation and creative thinking for your chosen professional context. In doing so you will situate your subject within contemporary culture and practices, and develop a deeper understanding of markets in relation to the fashion and textiles industry.

Sustainable Futures Major Project

This project provides you with the opportunity to consider the values underpinning global textile practices, identifying ways to transform the associated industries, their craft, design and new technologies. In this Major Project you will interrogate new paradigms of practice associated with technological, theoretical and design contexts and the processes of the creation and manufacture of textiles and surface design. Informed by your research and development you will look for opportunities to design by facilitating change and create alternative sustainable textile or surface products or experiences. This project provides an opportunity for in-depth research into your area of interest and the development of methods that support this. You will work to research, develop, critically reflect, refine and communicate both your methodological approach and your conclusions, culminating in outcomes that build upon learning and development in previous modules.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for this course are normally:

  • An Honours degree (2:2 or above) in a relevant subject or an equivalent professional qualification.
  • Alternative qualifications and/or significant experience may be accepted, subject to approval.
  • International students with qualifications in 'creative' or 'practice' subjects should submit a digital portfolio (pdf) of work with their application.
  • All suitably qualified applicants are normally invited in for an informal chat with a portfolio or considered for admittance under alternative arrangements.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 6.0 overall with no element lower than 5.5, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our Where are you from information pages.

What can I research?

Research plays an important role in informing all our teaching and learning activities. Through research our staff remain up-to-date with the latest developments in their field, which means you have the opportunity to benefit and develop knowledge and skills that are current and highly relevant.

For more information, visit the Centre for Cultural Ecologies in Art, Design and Architecture (CEADA) and the Technical Textiles Research Centre

Your career


There are many exciting opportunities within the creative industries for innovators in areas such as museums, galleries, fashion, interiors, the retail sector and freelance/consultancy. The education sector or further doctoral study are also options.

The expectation is that you will seek to enter the textile, surface design or textile craft industries into roles such as: textile or surface designer, independent designer maker, illustrator, trend and colour forecasters and consultants, design manager, material specifiers for interiors and exteriors, colour and material designers for the fashion, interiors and contract furnishings or automotive industries, curators, community craft engagement practitioners, educators, or you may wish to advance your research expertise in your current subject area or role by developing proposals for further postgraduate research.

MA students studying within the Department of Fashion and Textiles have gone on to be successful within the following roles: Trend Researcher at Trend Bible, Textile Design and Development Consultant at Thorpe Hodgson, Apprentice Developer at FOOTASYLUM, Creative Pattern Cutter at Hugo Boss, Visual Associate at Gap, and freelance design practice.**

* Percentage of our postgraduate students who go on to work and/or further study within fifteen months of graduating (HESA Graduate Outcomes 2017/18, UK domiciled graduates).

**Source: LinkedIn

96.4% Graduates employed*

Student support

At the University of Huddersfield, you'll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you'll soon discover that you're never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey. Find out more about all our support services.

Important information

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons

When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by our terms and conditions, Handbook of Regulations and associated policies. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan.

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons

Changes to a course you have applied for but are not yet enrolled on

If we propose to make a major change to a course that you are holding an offer for, then we will tell you as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment. We may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or combine your programme with another programme if we consider this reasonably necessary to ensure a good student experience, for example if there are not enough applicants. Where this is the case we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and we will discuss with you other suitable courses we can transfer your application to. If you do not wish to transfer to another course with us, you may cancel your application and we will refund you any deposits or fees you have paid to us.

Changes to your course after you enrol as a student

Changes to option modules:

Where your course allows you to choose modules from a range of options, we will review these each year and change them to reflect the expertise of our staff, current trends in research and as a result of student feedback or demand for certain modules. We will always ensure that you have an equivalent range of options to that advertised for the course. We will let you know in good time the options available for you to choose for the following year.

Major changes:

We will only make major changes to non-optional modules on a course if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change is a change that substantially changes the outcomes, or a significant part of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days (part time provision), type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum. For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators or a commissioning or accrediting body. We may also make changes to improve the course in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback or to ensure you are being taught current best practice. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as a key member of staff leaving the University or being unable to teach, where they have a particular specialism that can’t be adequately covered by other members of staff; or due to damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment, or pandemics.

Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but may happen sooner in an emergency. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will carry out suitable consultation. If you reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment or hardship we will, if appropriate, work with you to try to reduce the adverse effect on you or find an appropriate solution. Where an appropriate solution cannot be found and you contact us in writing before the change takes effect you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the University without liability to the University for future tuition fees. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed in accordance with the student protection plan.

The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.