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BA (Hons) Costume Design and Making (Top-up)

UCAS CODE: CDTU
  • Study Mode: Full Time
  • Location: High Wycombe
  • Duration: One Year
  • Start Date: September 2025

You can also study this course:

Completed a foundation-level degree, HND, or equivalent qualifications in a relevant Art and Design subject? Top-up your studies to gain a full bachelor’s degree in Costume Design.

From film to fashion shows, TV to theatre, all productions depend on great costumes to bring stories to life and capture the imagination of the audience. Develop your skills in costume making, as well as showing the process, creativity and innovation behind your designs.

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No. 1 in the UK for Student Satisfaction*
*Positivity ranking amongst registered students (NSS 2024)
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No. 1 Students' Union in the UK*
*Based on responses from registered students (NSS 2024)
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3rd in the UK for Student Satisfaction on our Art & Design courses*
*The Complete University Guide 2025
Why study BA (Hons) Costume Design Top-up at BNU?

A top-up degree is the equivalent of the final year of an undergraduate degree, and offers a chance to deepen your knowledge, skills and understanding of your subject, while also getting an internationally-recognised qualification. 

If you have completed a foundation-level degree, HND, or equivalent qualifications in a relevant Art and Design subject, you can choose to top-up your studies to gain a full bachelor’s degree.

Led by a dedicated and experienced course team, you’ll benefit from their industry knowledge and the industry links they bring to the course. You’ll get direct access to guest lectures, who are specialists in the sector, and can benefit from live project briefs, master classes, and networking opportunities. We also have links with the National Theatre and the British Fashion Council.

The University also has a teaching base at the iconic Pinewood Studios, which means there could be opportunities to engage with the community there. You’ll also be able to put your learnt skills and craftmanship to practice, whilst being in the hustle and bustle of the world-renowned studio.

We’ve spent a lot of love and care making the Fashion and Textile Studios the perfect creative space and one of the best-equipped workshops in the country. You'll be working on industry standard equipment, learning latest techniques and future focused methods of costume craftsmanship.

You will master materials, both through traditional methods and using digital software. This includes an in-house fabric and yarn store, screen printing facilities, a dye laboratory and sewing and garment production facilities.

We also have specialist technicians and demonstrators on site to support and share their knowledge with you, when and if you need it.

As well as this you may also have the chance to access to our photography, film and tv and drama studios where you’ll be able to work collaboratively with photography, performance and hair and make-up students to build your portfolio, and network like you would in the industry.

With a history of delivering expert craft, art and design education for more than 130 years, Buckinghamshire New University is the perfect place to start your creative career in costume design. 

During your time on the course you’ll lend your hand to a range of styles, techniques and periods. Your modules and briefs allow you to develop the skills that employers are looking for, whilst ensuring you have a varied and desirable portfolio. 

Our fashion and textiles programmes are ranked 3rd best in the UK (The Guardian University Guide 2023) and we celebrated 95% overall student satisfaction in the 2022 National Student Survey.

Our High Wycombe Campus is only a short train ride away from London, meaning you are only a stones-throw away from the hustle and bustle - enabling you to visit exhibitions, galleries, shows and watch emerging styles, to help you gain inspiration and ideas.

What will I study?

With this costume design course you can expect a whirlwind of briefs, from period dresses to futuristic and modern-day costumes - immerse yourself in the scripts, and bring performances to life with your creations.

Creativity, innovation, critical, independent thinking, and the development of your personal design philosophy are at the core of this Costume Design and Making degree. The course aims to develop your knowledge and skills in costume design on both an artistic and professional level. You’ll apply your knowledge and understanding to the range of professional environments where your practice can be developed, from film and television productions to theatre and media performances.

Across the duration of your course, you will learn approaches that will enable you to understand the design process from concept, through design to production and product placement.

How will be taught and assessed? 

The BA (Hons) Costume Design and Making Top-up degree encompasses a wide variety of teaching and learning methods.

Most of this degree is studio-practice based, here we aim to create the ethos of a professional real-world environment. As Costume Design and Making student you’ll have to complete a series of modules and projects during your time spent studying with us. Projects are designed to present new challenges to you as you progress through the course. By the end of your time with BNU, you’ll benefit from a full portfolio to go to employers with.

To achieve the full BA (Hons) in Costume Design and Making, you’ll need to complete the modules listed, as well as a major project.

The major project will allow you to investigate a topic important to you within costume design. You will cover the whole research process, undertaking empirical investigation and analysis. 

Related Documents

BA (Hons) Costume Design and Making Programme Specification

Modules

This provides a guide of the modules that make up your course. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our Academic Advice section.

What are the tuition fees

Home
  • Home, Academic Year 2025 - 2026: £9,535 per year *
International
  • Overseas/International, Academic Year 2025 - 2026: £15,150 per year *

Following the Government’s announcement of 4 November 2024, we will be increasing our full-time undergraduate tuition fees for UK students to £9,535 per year from the start of the 2025/26 academic year. Our part-time fees for UK undergraduate students will increase to £7,145 per annum. Please visit , on the Government’s website, for more information about the changes. 

Tuition fees for Home undergraduate students (including with foundation year) may increase in subsequent years for both new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by the Government.   

Tuition fees for both new and continuing international students may be subject to an inflationary increase based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the 12-month period to 31 January each year.   

Tuition fees for postgraduate courses and CPD may be subject to an inflationary increase based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the 12-month period to 31 January each year. This increase will apply to both new and continuing students.   

We understand, and really appreciate, the significant financial commitment our students make when they choose to study at BNU. We take our responsibilities to our students very seriously, and are ambitious for each to reach their full potential and succeed in their chosen career. Our fees help us to continue providing our students with a high-quality education, and to invest in the services and facilities which create an excellent student experience at BNU. 

The following factors will be considered by the University when we set the annual fees: measures of inflation such as the retail price indices; projected increases in University costs; and any changes in the level of funding for teaching received from the Government.

Additional course costs and financial support

Most courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees.
You could benefit from financial support through a bursary or scholarship during your time as a student. For more details visit our financial support, bursaries and scholarships section.

Questions about fees?

If you have any questions about the fees above, contact our Enquiries team by calling 0330 123 2023 or emailing advice@bnu.ac.uk.

What are my career prospects?

Throughout your time with us we’ll support you on the route to your chosen career. We’ll help you to develop crucial skills, encouraging you to become enterprising, employable and good leaders. Our Careers and Employability Team also help you find employment after graduation.

Upon graduation, you will be prepared for a range of career possibilities. Using the skills and knowledge learnt on this course, you could find yourself performing the following roles all over the world:

  • Costume designer for the creative industries
  • Pattern cutter
  • Costume developer
  • Garment technologist
  • Studio manager or costume design coordinator
  • Film/theatre/performance stylist
  • Costume supervisor
  • Costume exhibition or game designer

You may also choose to stay on at Buckinghamshire New University and study a postgraduate programme.

Course leader

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Anca Albani Ph.D
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Karen Bartlett
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Evangelina Thomadaki
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Al Watkins
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Joseph Davies
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Rupert Hammerton-Fraser
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Dr Louisa Lee
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