Degree Programme in Fashion and Clothing: Oletussuunnitelma

Descriptions

Goals of the Degree Programme
The fashion and clothing industry is based on an interest in people and their dreams, hopes and needs. For a successful career in the industry, students must learn the fundamentals of body shapes, movements and plasticity. They will also need to be familiar with the required fabrics and materials and their appropriate use for various purposes.

Garment design and making, production management, quality control and anticipation of changes in the operating environment are essential elements of this programme. A variety of customer-driven projects and work placement are also an important part of the studies.

In the course of their studies, students will improve their skills related to aesthetic perception and observation, their cooperative skills, finding information and applying it, taking responsibility and interacting with other people. They will also need to have business vision, develop their internal entrepreneurship and adopt an active approach to finding their own niche in the industry, and they must have the creativity for solving problems in an aesthetically and ethically acceptable manner.

Students who complete the degree programme will be awarded the title of Bachelor of Fashion and Clothing (in Finnish: vestonomi (AMK)).

A Bachelor of Fashion and Clothing will have a comprehensive view of the entire design, production, buying and marketing process in the fashion and clothing industry.

Depending on their choice of specialisation studies, they will acquire the required skills for a variety of professions:
- A patternmaker engages in making patterns and compiling measurement charts and instructions for manufacture of selections in a company which may manufacture clothes at its own plant or may have outsourced production to a supplier in Finland or abroad.
- A collection design assistant works in close cooperation with a fashion designer. The job includes work related to collection design and coordination: determining of the colours of accessories, compiling colour charts and schemes for the various designs, gathering and/or producing material required for the follow-up of collection design and marketing.
- A production coordinator plans and develops quality control and logistics related to a company's product and material flow and is responsible for material and product testing.
- A buyer is in charge of budgeting for, planning, coordinating, marketing and producing selections and lines.
- An assistant buyer maintains contacts with suppliers and advertising agencies and carries out work related to marketing campaigns and sales promotion material, for instance.
- An importer agent markets clothing or fabric collections in cooperation with clients and sales representatives and develops brands to meet customers' needs.
- A sales representative is responsible for sales, sales promotion and marketing and contacts with clients. He/she attends product training events organised by clients and plans and organises seminars and product training events for retailers and end users.
- An entrepreneur carries on his/her business in a field requiring expertise in fashion and clothing.

Structure of the Degree
The aim of the core studies is to cover a wide range of topics and prepare students for professional studies. The structure of the study category introduces students to the characteristics of clothing and garment design and making, providing an overview of work in the fashion and clothing industry. As a rule, the core studies are completed during the first year.

In the course of the professional studies, students will deepen their skills and knowledge and their perception and problem-solving ability. The professional studies are divided into obligatory and specialisation studies.

The compulsory professional studies consist of six categories: Garment Design and Making; Visual Presentation and Apparel Design; Material Studies; Cultural Studies; Marketing and Entrepreneurship; Professional Projects.

The categories of professional specialisation studies are Garment Design and Making, Apparel Design and Apparel Design. The studies, some of which may be carried out as project assignments, cover a span of two years. The aim of project assignments is to provide contacts with firms and other organisations outside the Polytechnic both in Finland and abroad.