- Level
- Master Degree
- Duration
- 12 Months
- Open intake
-
Off-shoreSep 2027
- Field
- Fashion and Textile Design
- Institution
- Public University
- Offer speed
- Superfast Offer Speed2–3 days
- Next deadline
- 2026-09-01
Program overview
MA Contour Fashion Innovation extends DMU’s internationally recognised contour specialism to master’s level, covering advanced design and technical development for lingerie, swimwear, shapewear and performance bodywear, innovation methods, materials technology and the sustainability questions reshaping the category.
The arts-badged route emphasises design innovation, concept development and creative direction, while the science-badged sibling recorded separately in this sheet weights technical and materials research more heavily — applicants should choose between them on intended career rather than assuming equivalence at the shared £16,800 fee.
Industry involvement is unusually direct for a postgraduate arts course: brands set projects, sponsor competitions and recruit from the programme, reflecting a persistent global shortage of designers who understand how body-adjacent garments are engineered rather than merely styled.
For counselling purposes the most persuasive fact about this course is scarcity of supply: worldwide, only a handful of institutions teach contour design at any level, and DMU is the recognised leader, which means graduates are not competing against hundreds of similarly qualified candidates in the way general fashion master’s graduates are. Applicants need a portfolio demonstrating both design thinking and technical curiosity, and should expect precision work with millimetre tolerances rather than expressive freedom. Materials and sampling costs are additional to the £16,800 fee, and September entries run across the three admission cycles recorded in the portal export.
Graduates enter specialist design and development roles that pay above general fashion rates, with strong demand across the substantial contour manufacturing bases of South and East Asia. The master’s qualifies for the Graduate Route at the 18-month length applying to post-2026 applications, and dependants are excluded on taught study.
What it costs per year · indicative
Living cost is an estimate; tuition is the institute's published international fee. We confirm exact, current figures before you pay anything.
Do you qualify?
These are the published minimums. Whether your profile fits — with your marks, gap and budget — is exactly what a free counsellor check confirms.
Admission requirements
Who can apply (guide for international students):
- Education: A recognised bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline with a minimum of 70% per the portal export (equivalent to a UK second-class honours standard).
- English (meet any one, per source): IELTS 6 overall with no band below 5.5; PTE Academic 59 overall (no component below 59); TOEFL 60 overall as recorded in source (legacy component format); Duolingo English Test 105.
- English waiver: English test waiver may be available on Medium of Instruction plus Standard 12 English at 65% or above (2015 or later, all boards) except boards of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh — assessed case by case per the ASV source.
- Application: No application fee. Deposit amount not stated in source — confirm with DMU International before CAS stage.
English requirements
✓ MOI waiver: if your degree was taught in English, you may skip the test with a Medium-of-Instruction certificate. Ask us to confirm.
Documents you'll need typical · we confirm yours
- Valid passport (6+ months validity)
- Class 10 & 12 marksheets and certificates
- Bachelor's degree marksheets & final certificate
- English test scorecard (IELTS / PTE / TOEFL) or MOI certificate
- Statement of Purpose (SOP)
- Letters of Recommendation (LOR)
- Updated CV / resume
- Financial proof — bank statement / loan sanction
- Passport-size photographs
- Study-gap affidavit or work-experience letter (if applicable)
Getting documents right is the #1 reason applications succeed or get refused — our team checks every file before submission.
Career opportunities
Typical first destinations for graduates:
- Contour Design Manager — lingerie and swimwear brands
- Product Innovation Specialist — performance bodywear development
- Technical Design Lead — fit and construction specialists
- Materials & Development Manager — supplier-side roles
- Design Consultant — independent brand advisory work
- Academic & Research Careers — a small but genuine route
Reality check: DMU is one of very few institutions worldwide teaching contour at postgraduate level, so graduates enter a specialism with global demand and almost no competing supply — the constraint is willingness to relocate toward the industry’s manufacturing and design hubs.
About De Montfort University
- Type
- University
- Ownership
- Public
- Rating
- ★ 4.3
- World rank
- #851
- Reference No.
- 10001883
