PG: Fashion

Fashion

Discover your research degree study options, including areas of expertise for our academic supervisors.

Why you should join us

Our research degrees will help you advance or change your career, deepen your expertise, and expand your research and practical skills.

Work with creative experts

In art and design, we are second in the UK for the power of our research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF)

Choose from our flexible pathways

Study full or part-time, on campus or by distance learning research degrees.

Use our outstanding facilities

Our fashion workshops feature virtual design software, whole-body scanning, a robotics living lab and more.

Develop your personal and professional skills

We provide a comprehensive, bespoke support and development programme for research students.

Join a thriving research community

Our network includes some of the industry’s biggest brands and innovators.

Connect with the fashion industry

Our inspiring guest lecturers from academia and industry bring invaluable insights from the fashion world.

Our research areas

Discover our areas of expertise and browse our experts. We encourage you to discuss your research ideas with us – even if your topic is not listed.

  • 3D printing
  • Addressing clothing waste and the circular economy
  • Advanced functional apparel and sportswear
  • Body and clothing
  • Corporate social responsibility in the fashion realm
  • Cultural histories of fashion
  • Digital fashion technologies
  • Dress, youth and identity
  • Fashion and society
  • Fashion and sustainability
  • Fashion brands, luxury and community
  • Fashion buying and merchandising
  • Fashion communication and marketing
  • Fashion design and innovation
  • Fashion futures
  • Fashion management and marketing
  • Fashion web environment and online retailing
  • Innovative material or product development
  • Materiality of clothing
  • Nanotechnology and smart textiles
  • The role of the artisan maker
  • Wearable technologies and e-textiles

Research with real-world impact

Discover our five research missions.

Go to research missions
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Qualifications you can study

You can do a research degree on campus or remotely through distance learning. Choose from one of these programmes:

  • PhD — three years full-time, six years part-time
  • MPhil — two years full-time, four years part-time
  • Masters by Research — one year full-time, two years part-time

Find out about the research degrees we offer.

Start dates

Most of our postgraduate researchers enrol in October. You can also join us in January and April.

Application information

Entry requirements

To apply, you’ll need a first or 2.1 honours degree, or an equivalent qualification.

International postgraduate researchers must have strong English language skills.

We welcome applicants from non-standard backgrounds. We’ll take subject knowledge, professional experience, publications, or other relevant achievements into consideration.

Find out more about our standard entry requirements.

How to apply for a research degree

Discover the key steps in the application process.

Go to application guidance

Scholarships, fees and funding

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Scholarships

Discover the financial support available to help with study cost

Go to scholarships

Postgraduate research fees

What will your research degree cost?

Go to fees

Postgraduate research funding

Find out how to fund your research degree.

Go to funding

Speak to us

Contact us

About this subject

For an initial discussion, contact Dr Prabhuraj Venkatraman, the doctoral college departmental lead for fashion at p.venkatraman@mmu.ac.uk

General admissions

For further information on the application process, contact the admissions team at pgradmissions@mmu.ac.uk.