MA Fashion Curation and Cultural Programming

Course overview

MA Fashion Curation and Cultural Programming engages with the study of international fashion exhibition-making and related museological practices, ranging from the detailed investigation of objects to the processes and techniques of their display and dissemination through cultural and commercial interventions. 

The course centres on investigation into the practices and theories of fashion curation and cultural programming, through critical engagement with historic and contemporary examples and discourse, to reveal the diverse contexts driving the evolution of fashion museology.

To complement enquiry into fashion exhibition-making and cultural programming, you’ll examine the cultural value and interpretation of objects, fashion, textiles, and the body, through processes of research, archival discovery, practices of collecting and the classification of collections.

Fusing curatorial activities of collecting and exhibition design with cultural programming, the course promotes the concept of curation as a form of ‘storytelling’ in its broadest sense. You are encouraged to explore and value your positionality and to embrace the role of ‘curator’ or ‘cultural programmer’ as an activist - committed to co-curating with communities and moving beyond the walls of the gallery or museum to activate sites in the public realm.  

Teaching, and related assessments throughout the course, will support and encourage you to develop your own curatorial practice within this dynamic discipline.  

What to expect 

• A flexible, dynamic curriculum: Engage with contemporary topics (such as the rise of brand-driven exhibitions and events, the potential of digital media (AR, VR and online exhibitions and events), the expansion of ‘curation’ into spaces beyond the museum, the politics and power of ‘the curator’ and the challenge of adopting – and sustaining - ethical and sustainable practice). 
• Expert teaching team: Keep abreast of latest developments in the fast-evolving Fashion Curation and Cultural Programming  discipline through contact with academics and industry professionals active in the field. (These include academics from the Centre for Fashion Curation, independent curators and cultural programmers, private archives and commercial collectors, professionals from National and regional museums and practitioners staging events and interventions in spaces beyond 'the museum’).
• Practical workshops: Your learning will be complemented by practical workshops in which you will develop the skills required for object handling, mounting dress for display, digital collection and exhibition strategies, event planning and management, and designing text and layouts for displays, exhibitions, and interventions. 
• Unique learning environment – As the only MA in the world that focuses exclusively on the cultural context and impact of fashion curation and cultural programming, you’ll benefit from the course’s affiliation with the Centre for Fashion Curation (CfFC) and LCF Cultural Programming team. 

Research at MA Level 

Research is core to the curriculum and pedagogical approaches for the course. The development of effective approaches towards research enquiry is central for the emergence of a critically reflective and culturally aware practitioner/learner. An iterative approach highlighting the crucial interrelationship between theory and practice, and the value of interdisciplinary modes of interrogation for the potential generation of new knowledge is prioritised. Throughout the course, an understanding of the processes and methodologies of research will be developed within the discipline and situated within a broader cultural arena.   

The integration of theoretical and/or philosophical frameworks provide ways to look at the world in relationship to project work. A systematic approach to research is supported, including the shaping of ethical and achievable research questions and prototyping (of ideas) that may lead to new insights, connections and understanding. Through the course core research capabilities are developed, tested, and extended to underpin progressive cycles of reflexive practice. The application of research and critical perspectives in both theory and practice using a range of techniques and research methods are evaluated through formative and summative assessment. This helps to identify areas for potential improvement and development appropriate to your professional aspirations and advanced research potential that culminate in the proposition and independent pursuit of the Masters Project.   

Climate, Social and Racial Justice 

We are committed to ensuring that your skills are set within an ethical framework and are working to embed UAL’s Principles for Climate, Social and Racial Justice.

Home fee

£14,000

This fee is correct for 2025/26 entry and is subject to change for 2026/27 entry.

Tuition fees may increase in future years for new and continuing students on courses lasting more than one year. For this course, you can pay tuition fees in instalments.

Students from countries outside of the UK will generally be charged international fees. The rules are complex so read more about tuition fees and determining your fee status.

International fee

£29,990

This fee is correct for 2025/26 entry and is subject to change for 2026/27 entry.

Tuition fees may increase in future years for new and continuing students on courses lasting more than one year. For this course, you can pay tuition fees in instalments.

Students from countries outside of the UK will generally be charged international fees. The rules are complex so read more about tuition fees and determining your fee status.