Bachelor of Fashion and Business

The Bachelor of Fashion and Business is a three-year degree that sits at the intersection of two industries that hire constantly in Australia: fashion and commerce. You study both, not one as a hobby beside the other. On the fashion side, you learn how garments and ranges are designed, made and brought to market. On the business side, you learn how organisations are run, funded and sold to. Holmes Institute delivers the course to international and domestic students, and the CRICOS registration (course code 075515G) means it is approved for overseas students studying in Australia.

How the degree is structured

Australian bachelor degrees are built from units of study, each worth a set number of credit points. You accumulate credit points across three years, usually eight units a year on a semester calendar, with some institutions running trimesters. Holmes Institute uses this unit-and-credit-point system, so you enrol in specific units each teaching period rather than choosing subjects freely. Expect core units in both disciplines, fashion design and production, textiles, retail and merchandising on one side; accounting, marketing, management and economics on the other, plus electives and a final-year capstone unit where you pull the two halves together, often through a business plan, a range strategy or an industry project. Assessment is a mix of studio work, written assignments, presentations and exams, and some units include work-integrated learning such as an internship or industry placement. Confirm the exact unit list, credit-point totals and any placement requirements on the official Holmes Institute course page before you apply.

What you actually learn

You graduate able to sketch and specify a garment range, understand fabric and production costs, and then cost it, price it, market it and sell it. That combination matters in a sector where creative people often lack commercial training and business people often do not understand product. You build skills in design development, garment construction, trend and market research, retail operations, brand management, financial planning, and project management. Group work and studio critiques train you to present ideas and take feedback, which is how the industry actually operates.

Who it suits, and the Australian context

This degree suits school leavers and career changers who want a fashion career but do not want to be limited to design alone, people aiming at buying, merchandising, product development, brand management or running their own label. Australia has a working fashion industry in Melbourne and Sydney, plus a large retail and wholesale sector that employs graduates in planning, sourcing and marketing roles. Holmes Institute is a private provider, so check its current accreditation and industry links directly. If you are an international student, a Student visa normally allows 48 hours of work per fortnight while your course is in session, and on completion you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream, which lets you stay and work in Australia for a period set by your qualification and location. English proficiency is required for admission, IELTS Academic 6.0 to 6.5 overall is the common undergraduate standard, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and Holmes Institute's own English programmes accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa itself, so meeting the university's requirement does not automatically meet the visa requirement. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register, and you should confirm fees, intakes and English requirements on the official page.

• Fashion buyer or assistant buyer, selecting ranges for department stores, chains and online retailers.
• Merchandise planner, forecasting sales, managing stock and allocating product across stores.
• Product developer, working with designers, factories and suppliers to take a garment from sample to shelf.
• Brand or marketing coordinator, running campaigns, social media and partnerships for fashion labels and retailers.
• Retail manager, running a store or a group of stores, with responsibility for sales, staff and budgets.
• Fashion entrepreneur, launching and operating an independent label or online store.
• Wholesale or account manager, selling ranges to retail partners and managing those relationships.
• Production or sourcing coordinator, managing manufacturers, timelines and quality control.

Employers include Australian fashion labels, department stores, online retailers, wholesale distributors, boutique agencies and the broader retail sector, as well as businesses you start yourself.