The Amsterdam Fashion Academy Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Business programme offers a creative approach to the study of fashion business. Whilst the primary focus is naturally on business, it also includes some of the fundamental aspects of fashion design, giving you a well-rounded overview of the industry as a whole.

Our innovative programme combines strategic elements, such as marketing, branding and communication with more aesthetic considerations like styling and content creation. The go-to-market, social media and business plan elements of the programme equip entrepreneurs with what they need to start their own brand.

Our Fashion Business programme is project-based with no exams or tests and aims to give you the knowledge and expertise needed to develop innovative thinking, personal insight, confidence and the communication skills you need to express yourself effectively in a contemporary business environment.

You will graduate with a range of industry-relevant digital skills, such as InDesign, CLO3D and Photoshop, giving you the tools needed to work in whatever area of the fashion industry that interests you most. Furthermore, your internship with an existing brand, together with industry-set briefs, will give you invaluable experience for the next stage of your business career and a thorough understanding of promotion, market trends and professional practices.

The Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Business is an academic degree course with 60 ECTS per year, for a total of 240 ECTS. This is a university level bachelor’s degree course enabling you to either move on to a master’s degree or work at graduate level in the fashion industry.

You will write a dissertation in the third year along with a final major project to demonstrate and apply your new skill set and also learn to critically evaluate current thinking regarding fashion, ethics and sustainability.

All our fashion programmes are constantly reviewed and updated in conjunction with Amsterdam Fashion Academy’s industry board; ensuring our programme materials and practises remain cutting-edge and relevant in a fast-moving industry.

Being based in the capital of the Netherlands, the programme links closely with both global and smaller local creative industries and practitioners that embody Amsterdam’s reputation as a cool, creative and entrepreneurial city.

MODULES YEAR 1

Year 1 is about introducing you to areas of fashion business such as product development, marketing theory, job roles, branding strategies and familiarising you with the digital tools used in the fashion industry.

In year 1 students begin working on a Personal Development Plan (PDP), which they continue to work on throughout the curriculum.

Fashion Marketing & Branding (FN412)

• Fashion Branding — analyse strategies and methods that other brands use to create their brand identity, including colour, logo, fonts etc. You will analyse a specific brand for your final project and produce a report into brand identity.
• Visual Presentation — you will learn to use Photoshop and InDesign to create brand identity in the form of logos, marketing materials, posters etc. Adobe Suite is integral in the creation of all things related to branding.
• Fashion Marketing — you focus on marketing theory i.e. how to analyse a market, how to place brands into the market, competitor analysis and how to identify consumers. This leads to you analysing the marketing strategy of an existing brand and producing a report.
• Digital Design — this is a visual presentation where students learn how to use Photoshop and InDesign to design and create brand identity.

Fashion Promotion & Styling (FN412)

• Fashion Styling — you will focus on editorial styling such as imagery found in fashion magazines and how this works in the fashion industry. You play the role of an art director and have to organise a photoshoot with all that that entails: inspiration, mood boards, trends, storytelling, location scouting, choosing models and a photographer and how to communicate the values of a brand solely through imagery.
• Fashion Promotion — you use the photos you have produced in Fashion Styling to create a digital magazine. You will also write articles and design the adverts.

Historical & Contextual Studies 1 (FN401)

• Historical & Contextual Theory — a study of the history of art and culture and how these subjects relate to and are manifested in the current fashion industry.
• Historical & Contextual Seminars — class-based activities and research based on each week’s topic.
• Academic Writing — guidance in how to write and research in an academic style, preparing you for writing essays, reports and anything else that requires a formal, professional style of writing.

Business Studies & Entrepreneurship (FN433)

• Clothing Technology — looking at the ‘science’ of fabric: fibres, characteristics and behaviour of specific fabrics and their application in the fashion industry.
• Product Development — building a clothing range for a brand, looking at trims, production, costing, fabric sourcing and even hangtags and packaging. Study how to bring a collection to market post-design phase.
• Industry Job Roles — familiarising you with all the different job roles in the fashion industry and understanding the importance of each one.
• Personal Development — CV’s, motivation letters and interview techniques are studied to help you prepare for entering the fashion industry. Mental health discussions/awareness to ensure you feel supported and nurtured.

MODULES YEAR 2

Year 2 is about building on the knowledge you learnt in the first year. You will delve deeper into all aspects of branding, marketing, digital tools, finance and website creation. Year 2 culminates in your internship with an existing brand.

Future-Proofing a Fashion Business (FN512)

• International Business — you will look at how brands expand from one market to another in different countries. You choose an existing brand and simulate expanding into a new market analysing elements like digital behaviour, cultural differences, the new market competitors, social media and the new market’s customer behaviours.
• Finance basics — you study the financial aspects of new markets, including pricing and costing of budget, sourcing and production.

Global Marketing (FN513)

• Digital marketing — you will formulate and propose a digital marketing strategy to launch a company into a new market.
• Fashion Communication — you will learn how to turn a marketing strategy into a proper communication plan using the latest digital platform and designing a press pack. This can include a website, a campaign on a social media channel, or a magazine. You will also learn to use CLO3D, a powerful and sustainable design tool for creating 3D images for your campaigns.

Historical and Contextual 2 (FN501)

• History of Culture & Fashion — you will continue with the study of historical and cultural factors in relation to today’s fashion industry.
• Fashion Theory — you will be focussing on important issues in fashion such as cultural appropriation, circular fashion, diversity, inclusion and gender.

Industrial practice in a global context (FN531)

• Go-To-Market Project — you will learn how to effectively build a brand and market it appropriately.
• Business Plan — linked to the go-to-market project, you decide on an idea, begin to develop a business plan and see how it feels to be your own boss!
• Personal Development Plan for Internship — preparing for internship by learning how to apply to a company, interview techniques and how to conduct yourself on a personal level whilst completing an internship. You will maintain contact with your lecturers for the entirety of your internship, so you have support.
• Internship — from March onwards, you will go on your internship. You are supported throughout the first semester in preparation for your internship and your lecturer will also practise interview techniques with you and help with applications. We have a network for internships but of course, you are free to choose where you wish to complete your internship, including abroad. Internships last 3-5 months.

MODULES YEAR 3

Year 3 is about you deciding on your direction of study with lecturers acting more as support or coaches. You will be putting what you have learnt in previous years into practise and will be encouraged to make independent decisions with regard to problem-solving. You will complete the year with an original business plan and a branding guide alongside an exhibition to showcase your fashion business knowledge.

Contextualised Dissertation (FN601)

• Research Methods — learn how to write a proposal and ways of writing a dissertation based around the area of your choice.
• Session with expert — for this module, a lecturer will be your tutor and will offer support during the writing of your dissertation.

Professional Practice (FN603)

• Live Industry Projects — you will create two industry projects for existing fashion brands to show how you are able to use your creative design skills in a real-world industry setting.

Final Major Project (FN611)

• Research & Proposal — the Final Major Project requires you to establish a sustained creative dialogue between research and a personal design specialism. This will be conducted through a self-initiated and negotiated brief in which you are required to challenge audiences’ expectations and visual communication conventions. This module will develop advanced execution of innovative, conceptual thinking within project outcomes that are fully and expertly realised, with the final outcomes demonstrating your expertise showcased through an ‘End of Year’ exhibition, forming part of the assessment requirements. Independent decision-making and collaboration conducted through peer feedback, assessment and self-evaluation are an essential requirement of the module that will be evidenced through the Project Development Journal (PDJ).
• Business Plan — you focus on completing your business plan to a professional, industry-standard level.
• Visual Outcome — you will complete a total branding guide, including elements such as photoshoots, packaging and tags, logos, video clips, website etc.

MODULE YEAR 4

In Year 4 the module Current Issues in Fashion requires students to choose a fashion industry sector and investigate the effects of a national or international crisis on that sector. The module includes attending the International Week in Italy, during which they work on a business case provided by a well- known fashion company: Prada in the academic year 2020-2021; Valentino in the academic year 2021-2022.

In conclusion to this module students create a reflection report addressing not only the experiences during this last module but also during the entire programme.

Applications for September 2023 are closed.

Please be informed that we are not legally able to sponsor non-EEA students for a study visa. Applicants must have an EEA passport (27 EU member states; Iceland; Liechtenstein; Norway; Switzerland) or Dutch resident permit to study in the Bachelor’s degree Fashion Business.

Students must have one of the following high school diplomas:

• International Baccalaureate Diploma minimum 28 points;
• Foundation Diploma in Art & Design (Level 3);
• European Baccalaureate;
• Austria: Reife- und Diplomprüfungszeugnis or Reifezeugnis/Reifeprüfungszeugnis;
• Belgium: Certificat d’Enseignement Secondaire Supérieur, enseignement artistique/technique or general; or KSO, TSO, ASO;
• Bulgaria: Diplomaza Sredno Obrazonvaine (Diploma of Secondary Education);
• Croatia: Svjedodžba o (državnoj) maturi or Svjedodžba o zavrsnom ispitu;
• Czech Republic: Vysvědčení o maturitní zkoušce obtained at a Gymnázium;
• Denmark: Højere Handelseksamen (HHX)/Højere Teknisk Eksamen (HTX) or Studentereksamenbevis (STX)/Bevis for Højere Forberedelseseksamen (HF);
• Estonia: Gümnaasiumi lõputunnistus;
• Finland: Ylioppilastutkintotodistus/ Studentexamenbevis/ Matriculation Examination Certificate;
• France: Baccalauréat Technologique or Général;
• Germany: Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife (Abiturzeugnis) or Fachhochschulreife;
• Greece: Apolytirio Genikou Lykeiou;
• Hungary: Gimnáziumi Érettségi Bizonyítvány or Szakközépiskolai Érettségi-Képesítö Bizonyítvány;
• Ireland: Leaving Certificate with at least 5 subjects of the established programme, including 5 subjects with at least O6 or H7, and at least 200 CAO points; or Leaving Certificate with at least 6 subjects of the established programme, including at least 2 subjects with H5 or higher, 4 subjects with at least O6 or H7, and at least 350 CAO points.
• Italy: Diploma di Superamento dell’Esame di Stato Conclusivo dei Corsi di Istruzione Secondario Superiore (liceo classico / scientifco / linguistico / scienze umane);
• Lithuania: Brandos Atestatas;
• Luxembourg: Diplôme de fin d’études secondaires classiques or générales; or Diplôme de technicien (DT);
• Netherlands: MBO 4, HAVO 5, VWO 6;
• Norway: Vitnemål for Videregående Opplaering;
• Poland: Świadectwo dojrzałości (maturiteitscertificaat);
• Portugal: Diploma/Certificado/Cer tidão do Ensino Secundário;
• Romania: Diplomă de Bacalaureat;
• Slovakia: Vysvedčenie o maturitnej skúške obtained at a Gymnázium or a Vysvedcenie o Maturitnej Skuske with a minimum overall score of 2.4;
• Spain: Título de Bachiller;
• Sweden: Högskoleförberedande Examen;
• Switzerland: Berufsmaturität/ Fachmaturität/ Specialised Maturity Certificate; or Maturity Certificate/ Maturitätszeugnis/ Maturitätsausweis/ Certificat de Maturité;
• UK: BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma; or Access to HE Diploma; or 4 GCSEs (with grade A* to C or 9 to 4) plus 2 subjects at AS level (with grade A* to C); or 4 GCSEs (with grade A* to C or 9 to 4) plus 2 subjects at A level (with grade D/E); or 3 GCSEs (with grade A* to C or 9 to 4) plus 3 subjects at A level (with grade A* to C).
• USA: US High School Diploma with GPA 2.8 or better, plus SAT scores (if taken in 2016 or later) of 1050 or better; or US High School Diploma with GPA 2.8 or better, plus SAT scores (if taken before 2016) of 1600 or better; or US High School Diploma with GPA 2.8 or better, plus two or three Advanced Placement tests with scores of 3 or better; or US High School Diploma with GPA 2.8 or better, plus ACT scores of 24 or better; or a transcript showing successful completion of one year of a Bachelor’s degree from a recognised American university with GPA 2.0
• For other countries, please contact us.
  

Portfolio

• It is not required to apply to the Bachelor’s degree Fashion Business. However, if you have one, you are more than welcome to upload it on the application form.
• Students applying to the Bachelor’s degree Fashion Business will be asked to complete an assignment.

Year 1 tuition fee:

The Year 1 early bird tuition fee of € 16.000 is available for students who apply on or before the 3rd of April 2023 and enrol by the 28th of April 2023.

The tuition fee for students who apply after the 3rd of April 2023 is € 17.000.

Year 2, 3 and 4 tuition fees:

The tuition fee for students who progress to the following year with no resits is € 16.000.

The tuition fee for students who progress to the following year with one or more resits is € 17.000.

Application fee: € 275

The application fee is due at the moment of application and is non-refundable unless the Amsterdam Fashion Academy won’t accept you in the programme. This is a one-time fee, so you only need to pay during in the process of admission.

Tuition fee:

Students who apply before the 3rd of April 2023 will be invited to an Interview Day or Admission Interview. If the student is accepted, a deposit (20% of the early bird tuition fee) is required before the 28th of April 2023. The remaining amount must be paid before the 15th of July 2023, or according to the payment plan agreed previously.

Students who apply after the 3rd of April 2023 won’t be able to attend an Interview Day, but will have a personal admission interview on an agreed date. If the student is accepted, we will request the payment of a deposit (20% of the tuition fee) 3 weeks after the acceptance date. The remaining amount must be paid before the 15th of July 2023, or according to the payment plan agreed previously.

Payment Plans

Option 1 (no surcharge)

• 20% payment before April 28th, 2023 (early bird tuition fee), or 3 weeks after acceptance (regular tuition fee).
• 80% payment before July 15th, 2023

Option 2 (+3% surcharge)

• 20% payment before April 28th, 2023 (early bird tuition fee), or 3 weeks after acceptance (regular tuition fee).
• 40% payment before July 15th, 2023
• 40% payment before January 15th, 2024

Option 3 (+5% surcharge)

• 20% payment before April 28th, 2023 (early bird tuition fee), or 3 weeks after acceptance (regular tuition fee).
• 20% payment before July 15th, 2023
• 20% payment before October 15th, 2023
• 20% payment before January 15th, 2024
• 20% payment before April 15th, 2024

DUO

Students with a Dutch passport and who have resided in the Netherlands for at least three of the preceding six years prior to the date of enrolment are eligible for student finance (studiefinanciering) from DUO.

The Amsterdam Fashion Academy is a non-governmental and non-subsidized institute.

Fees are equal for Europen and non-European students.