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Fashion Communication/Design

Fashion

Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Design (BDes)
Administered by: School of Fashion
Program Format: Full-time, four-year program.

Canada’s leading university fashion program. Students graduate with a breadth and depth of knowledge and skills that prepare them for ever-changing and dynamic careers in fashion.

O.S.S.D. with six Grade 12 U/M courses including Grade 12 U English.

Notes:

  1. ENG4U/EAE4U is the preferred English.
  2. A grade of 70 percent or higher will be required in Grade 12 U English.
  3. Admission to the School of Fashion is based on meeting the academic requirements determined by Undergraduate Admissions and on the portfolio guidelines set and evaluated by the School of Fashion.
  4. A non-academic assessment fee of $50 CDN (non-refundable and subject to change) is required and will be requested by Toronto Met as applicable.
  5. Subject to competition, candidates may be required to present averages/grades above the minimum.

Although art/visual art and sewing classes are not treated as an academic prerequisite for entry into the Fashion program, it is strongly recommended that if art courses (e.g. life and/or mechanical drawing, art history), and introductory sewing and/or basic sewing skills courses, are offered in the candidate's secondary school curriculum, they should be pursued.

Applicants are required to submit a portfolio which provides evidence of creative versatility and ability. As part of the admission selection process, applicants must visit the Fashion program page for details about the non-academic requirements.

The School of Fashion is launching a revised undergraduate curriculum for students admitted Fall 2020 and after. The revised curriculum provides students the flexibility to gain an understanding of the range of opportunities available within the interdisciplinary field of fashion. Students will have the ability to shape their individual curricular pathways, supported by academic advising, a foundation of core and fundamentals courses, and the option to choose increasingly advanced electives from a range of concentration areas (listed below).

Over the course of four years, students will be able to identify their areas of interest and develop specialized expertise in those areas all while establishing a breadth of knowledge in fashion theory and practice. Working closely with subject matter experts, students will develop creative, technical, and theoretical skills to advance in the interdisciplinary field of fashion.

The revised curriculum is structured as follows;
• Core courses form the backbone of the curriculum and bring together all fashion students throughout the four-year degree.
• Table I courses introduce skills and knowledge that form the foundation of increasingly advanced Table II and Table III electives.
• Liberal Studies courses and University Open electives ensure students gain breadth of knowledge and experiences and provide opportunities for students to pursue Minors.
• Table II and Table III electives are grouped into Concentrations.

Concentrations (for students admitted Fall 2020 and after)  

Concentrations offer an opportunity for students to pursue a particular area in fashion. Concentrations are optional and not a degree requirement. Successful completion of 8 courses in a concentration area results in the concentration being listed on a student’s transcript.

Fashion Communication: Creative, technical and theoretical approaches of promoting fashion to audiences through multiple platforms.

Fashion Design: Creative and technical approaches to designing and producing clothing using both traditional and computer-aided design techniques.

Fashion Studies: Examining the broader social, cultural and economic implications of the production, promotion and consumption of fashion.

Design Leadership: Developing meaningful solutions to industry problems by ideating and producing innovative products and/or with tangible social, cultural and/or economic value.

Textiles and Material Practices: Engaging with methods and critical approaches to design and create original and innovative textiles and/or accessories while working in both digital and analogue environments.

Concentrations are offered continually and are not subject to availability. Courses for fulfilling a Concentration come from Table II and III, and while not every course may be running each year, there are sufficient alternatives to complete a Concentration, should you choose to.

Internship

Internships provide educational experiences in the workplace and opportunities for students to connect with employers. Between first and fourth year students’ complete 400 total hours of internship including a minimum of 250 hours of documented work experience related to the fashion and communication industries along with a series of University-led workshops.

Liberal Studies

Students must take three lower level liberal studies courses and three upper level liberal studies courses to graduate. Students must not choose courses that are restricted for their program or major.

Please refer to the liberal studies chapter of this calendar for more information on the Liberal Studies Policy. Further information on liberal studies can also be found at the Faculty of Arts' Liberal Studies website (opens in new window) .

Table A - Lower Level Restrictions

For students admitted Fall 2019 and prior:

IRL 100 and IRL 200 are not available for credit.  

Table B - Upper Level Restrictions

For students admitted Fall 2019 and prior:

IRL 500 is not available for credit. Students may take only two Sociology courses for credit.

Minors

Students may pursue any Minor offered by Toronto Met (with some exceptions). Please refer to the Minors chapter of this calendar for further information on individual Minor requirements and exclusions.

The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education Certificates

Undergraduate students wishing to pursue a continuing education certificate program should be aware of possible program exclusions. Please refer to the Certificate Registration section of the Curriculum Advising website (opens in new window)  for complete details.

  

7th & 8th Semester

Last offered 2022-2023 for students admitted Fall 2019. Students admitted Fall 2020 and after see revised curriculum below.

7th Semester

REQUIRED:

  • FFC 41A/B Fashion Communication Senior Project
  • FFC 400 Communication and Emerging Media
  • SOC 656 Fashion and Society

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

PROFESSIONAL AND PROFESSIONALLY-RELATED†:
One course from Table I, Table II or Table III.

8th Semester

REQUIRED:

PROFESSIONAL AND PROFESSIONALLY-RELATED†:
One course from Table I, Table II or Table III.

FSN 402  is graded on a pass/fail basis.

† Students must successfully complete two courses from each of Table I, Table II and Table III before graduation.

FFC 41A/B is a two-term course and continues from the fall term.

  

7th & 8th Semester

Last offered 2022-2023 for students admitted Fall 2019. Students admitted Fall 2020 and after see revised curriculum below.

7th Semester

REQUIRED:

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

PROFESSIONAL AND PROFESSIONALLY-RELATED†:
One course from Table I, Table II or Table III.

8th Semester

REQUIRED:

PROFESSIONAL AND PROFESSIONALLY-RELATED†:
One course from Table I, Table II or Table III.

FSN 402 is graded on a pass/fail basis.

† Students must successfully complete two courses from each of Table I, Table II and Table III before graduation.

FFD 40A/B is a two-term course and continues from the Fall term

1st & 2nd Semester

1st Semester

REQUIRED:

CORE ELECTIVE: One course from Table I (opens in new window) 

LIBERAL STUDIES: One course from Table A - Lower Level Liberal Studies (opens in new window) 

2nd Semester

REQUIRED:

CORE ELECTIVE:
Two courses from Table I (opens in new window) 

  

3rd & 4th Semester

3rd Semester

REQUIRED:

CORE ELECTIVE:
Two courses from Table I (opens in new window) 
Two courses from Table II or III (opens in new window) *

4th Semester

REQUIRED:

  • FSN 303 Design Thinking, Process and Methods

*Students must complete 12 courses from Core Elective Table II and III, with a minimum of 3 courses from Table III.

  

5th & 6th Semester

Begins 2022-2023 for students admitted Fall 2020 and after. 

5th Semester

REQUIRED:

  • FSN 503 Critical Issues in Design

CORE ELECTIVE:
Two courses from Table II or Table III (opens in new window) *

OPEN ELECTIVE:
One Open Elective

LIBERAL STUDIES: One course from Table A - Lower Level Liberal Studies

6th Semester

REQUIRED:

  • FSN 707 Research Methods in Fashion

CORE ELECTIVE:
Two courses from Table II or Table III (opens in new window) *

OPEN ELECTIVE:
One Open Elective

LIBERAL STUDIES: One course from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies (opens in new window) 

*Students must complete 12 courses from Core Elective Table II and III, with a minimum of 3 courses from Table III.

  

7th & 8th Semester

Begins 2023-2024 for students admitted Fall 2020 and after. 

7th Semester

REQUIRED:

8th Semester

REQUIRED:

CORE ELECTIVE:
Two courses from Table II or Table III (opens in new window) *

OPEN ELECTIVE:
One Open Elective

LIBERAL STUDIES: One course from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies (opens in new window) 

*Students must complete 12 courses from Core Elective Table II and III, with a minimum of 3 courses from Table III.

**FSN90A/B is a two-term course (Fall and Winter)

Concentrations, selected from Core Elective Table II and Core Elective Table III, are optional.

Students may declare a concentration beginning in the 4th Semester. If a student chooses to pursue a concentration they must declare a concentration before applying to graduate. Successful completion will mean that the concentration will be listed on the student’s transcript.

Courses used to fulfil the requirements of a concentration cannot be used to fulfil the requirements of a minor.

Concentration in Fashion Communication

Students must complete eight (8) of the following:

CORE ELECTIVE TABLE II  

  • CMN 450 Participatory Media and Communication
  • FCD 817 Live Event Supercourse I
  • FCD 827 Live Event Supercourse II
  • FFC 200 Fashion Photography
  • FFC 224 Illustration: The Fashioned Body
  • FFC 324 Lifestyle and Product Illustration
  • FFC 403 Communication Design II
  • FFC 405 Web Design
  • FFC 552 Typography and Graphic Design
  • FSN 304 Fashion Journalism and Copy Writing
  • FSN 703 Visual Merchandising and Display
  • FSN 715 Fashion Illustration and Diversity
  • FSN 720 Illustration and Fashion Activism  

CORE ELECTIVE TABLE III

Concentration in Fashion Design

Students must complete eight (8) of the following:

CORE ELECTIVE TABLE II  

FFD 650 is available as a Table II Core Elective for students admitted Fall 2020 and before

CORE ELECTIVE TABLE III

Concentration in Fashion Studies

Students must complete eight (8) of the following:

CORE ELECTIVE TABLE II  

  • FSN 302 Fashion Histories: Ancient to Pre-modern
  • FSN 504 Fashion Culture - Suffragettes to CEO’s
  • FFS 402 Fashion and Modernity
  • FFS 511 Fashion and Material Culture
  • FSN 510 Fashion Film, Cinema and New Media
  • FSN 520 Land and Fashion 
  • FSN 620 Black Fashion

CORE ELECTIVE TABLE III

Concentration in Design Leadership

Students must complete eight (8) of the following:

CORE ELECTIVE TABLE II 

  • FCD 815 Design Solutions Supercourse
  • FDL 240 New Fashion Business Models
  • FDL 340 Strategic Communications in Fashion
  • FDL 610 Ethical and Sustainable Fashion Leadership
  • FSN 705 Fashion Merchandise Analysis
  • FSN 706 Fashion Event Planning
  • MKT 100 Principles of Marketing
  • MKT 300 Marketing Metrics and Analysis
  • MKT 400 Understanding Consumers and the New Media
  • MKT 504 Effective Persuasion

CORE ELECTIVE TABLE III

  • FDL 540 Strategic Leadership in Fashion
  • FDL 620 Special Topics in Design Leadership
  • FDL 640 Fashion Futures
  • FDL 806 Fashion Promotion
  • FDL 850 Social Innovation in Fashion
  • FSN 400 Fashion in International Markets
  • FSN 710 Human Centred Design

Concentration in Textiles and Material Practices

Students must complete eight (8) of the following:

CORE ELECTIVE TABLE II  

CORE ELECTIVE TABLE III

A Program Advisory Council (PAC) is a group of volunteers that provides expert advice to a school or department on program related matters such as curriculum, program review, technology and trends in the industry, discipline or profession. For more information, see  (PDF file) Senate Policy #158 (Program Advisory Councils).

Jill Andrew
Co-Founder
Body Confidence Canada

Jeanne Beker
Host/Segment Producer
"FT-Fashion Television" &
"Fashion Television Channel"

Laurie Belzak
Sector Development Officer
Fashion, Apparel & Design
Strategic Growth & Sector Development
Economics Development & Culture
City of Toronto

Nina Boccra
Director of Programs
Design Exchange

Izzy Camilleri
Fashion Designer
Izzy Camilleri

Candice Chan
Creative Director and Partner
Candice & Alison Incorporated

Aisha Fairclough
Co-Founder
Body Confidence Canada

Lynda Friendly
Lynda Friendly & Associates Incorporated

Krishna Nikhil
Chief Merchandising Officer
SSENSE

Anjli Patel
Fashion Lawyer and Trademark Agent

Sage Paul
Artistic Director
Indigenous Toronto Fashion Week

Brian Richards A.
Event Producer
The Collections  

Heidi Ruggier
President
Matte PR

Mary Turner
Chief Merchandising Officer
Town Shoes Limited