Bachelor of Fashion Marketing (Branding and Communication)

This is a three-year bachelor degree for people who want to work in fashion but on the business and communication side rather than the design side. You study how brands are built, how they talk to customers, and how clothing and accessories get sold in Australia and overseas. Expect units in marketing principles, consumer behaviour, brand strategy, fashion writing and content, social media, visual merchandising, retail and e-commerce, campaign planning, and the economics of the fashion industry. Assessment is mostly practical: brand audits, campaign pitches, content portfolios, group projects and presentations, not just exams.

How the degree is structured

Australian bachelor degrees are normally three years full time and sit at level 7 of the Australian Qualifications Framework. You complete units of study, each worth a set number of credit points, usually spread across two semesters a year. There are core units everyone takes plus electives, and most students need to pass a set number of credit points to graduate. Many courses finish with a capstone unit in the final year, where you pull together what you have learned into one substantial project, often a brand or campaign plan for a real or simulated label.

Collarts teaches in the creative industries space, so the focus is on making things you can show an employer: a portfolio, a campaign deck, a content plan. Work-integrated learning is common in this field. That might be an internship with a label, a PR agency, a retailer or a magazine, or an industry project set by a real client. Ask the university how placement is arranged and whether it is credited.

What you actually learn

You learn to research an audience, position a brand, write copy that sells without sounding like an advert, plan a campaign across print, in-store and digital, and read the numbers behind a retail business. You also learn to pitch. By the end you should be able to walk into a room, explain why a brand should be seen a certain way, and show the work that proves it.

Who it suits

It suits school leavers and career changers who follow fashion, read magazines and scroll fashion accounts, and want a job in marketing, PR, social media, brand or retail rather than on a sewing machine. It also suits people already working in retail or hospitality who want a formal qualification to move up. International students should check the official page for current entry requirements, tuition and intake dates. English proficiency is required, IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall is the usual undergraduate standard, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic and other equivalents accepted. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa itself. While studying, a student visa generally allows 48 hours of work per fortnight, and graduates may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream. Confirm all details on the official CRICOS listing and with Collarts before applying.

• Brand assistant or brand coordinator for fashion labels and wholesalers
• Social media coordinator or content producer for fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands
• Marketing assistant in retail, e-commerce or a creative agency
• PR assistant or publicist working with fashion clients and media
• Visual merchandiser or retail marketing coordinator
• Copywriter or editorial assistant for fashion publications and online titles
• E-commerce coordinator managing product content and campaigns
• Account coordinator in a marketing, advertising or communications agency

Typical employers include Australian fashion labels, department stores and online retailers, PR and creative agencies, fashion media, and the marketing teams of larger consumer brands. Some graduates go on to further study, such as a master's degree in marketing or communications.