Level 3 Visual Communications & Styling

Our Level 3 Visual Communications & Styling course teaches you the fundamental creative and business skills you need for a career in fashion styling, personal styling, art direction or communications.

It's the perfect first step towards an undergraduate degree, Level 4 diploma or apprenticeship.

As the fashion industry expands its global reach and influence, the role of communicators and stylists is increasingly important. They work across creative disciplines to tell stories to customers and influence trends, from fashion shows to visual merchandising, advertising campaigns to photography. The shift to online shopping and in-store experiences means the way brands communicate to their customers has never been more important. What better way to be at the heart of the fashion industry than studying a communication and personal stylist course in the heart of London.

On the Level 3 Visual Communications & Styling course, you’ll learn how to engage with audiences and tell ‘style stories’ to transform fashion products from just objects into modern, must-have trends. You’ll develop your skills in creative practice, across disciplines including journalism, photography, film or art direction and styling. We’ll teach you how to solve problems, develop ideas and present work to clients whilst discovering your personal style.

Through creative projects set in association with our brand partners, you’ll improve your visual language skills, and discover how to communicate ideas and improve sales. You’ll also gain an understanding of the fashion industry as a whole, and how the roles of visual communication and styling fit within a wider business context. 

Completing a fashion communications or styling diploma is perfect if you’re a creative, visual thinker with an interest in photography, styling or journalism. When you finish your studies, you’ll be skilled in visual research, concept analysis, communication and project management. We’ll help you create a professional portfolio that you can use for university applications and job interviews. We’ll support you in your next steps, whether you choose to stay with us, start work or study at another prestigious university. 

As the fashion and style capital of the world, London is the perfect place to study fashion and personal styling. Whether you want to become a personal stylist, a stylist for brands or go into marketing, you can gain inspiration from all around you to develop and aid your studies.

Our Level 3 Visual Communications & Styling diploma has six essential units that are covered over the course of two years.

YEAR ONE

• The Creative Process: Explore the creative processes used in visual communication and fashion styling. Learn how the creative disciplines work together. Underpin your learning with an introduction to the fashion industry as a whole.
• Developing Creative Practice: Discover the materials, techniques and processes used to communicate with audiences. Learn the principles of creative practice across disciplines including journalism, photography, multimedia and styling. Learn to solve problems, develop outcomes and present work to clients.
• Responding to a Set Brief: Showcase your skills by responding to a brief set in association with our industry partners. Demonstrate ability to develop a project proposal, generate ideas and produce and present outcomes.

YEAR TWO

• Researching a Specialist Industry Practice: Explore the roles of visual communication and styling in the fashion industry, and their context within a wider business environment. Develop specialist visual language skills to effectively communicate ideas and concepts.
• Specialist Technical Skills Development: Discover the technical skills and creative processes used to solve problems. Develop outcomes relating to visual communication and styling. 
• Specialist Creative Outcome: Combine all of the skills and knowledge you have learnt during the course and create a final individual project. This project can be developed with industry and will form part of your professional portfolio.

We're proud of our exceptional industry links to over 250 major brands at the FRA. All our tutors have worked in the industry, and have plenty of knowledge and experience to share.

During your fashion styling course, we’ll support you to develop a strong professional network to help you throughout your career. You’ll also take part in projects and challenges set by brands, and receive personalised feedback on your work.

LEVEL 3 MENTOR SCHEME

Working in small groups, we'll assign you an industry mentor during your second year. They’ll meet with you to discuss, advise and support you on your journey into industry or higher education. Your mentor will offer insight into working in a business, and will help you plan your career goals. You’ll explore routes and opportunities in employment, as well as skills and attributes that will help you take active responsibility for the direction of your career.

Previous students have worked with mentors from New Look, Zara, Bestseller and Pritch.

Industry Projects 

You’ll be challenged to think on your feet to come up with a creative solution to a specific issue faced by brands in the industry in these projects. You’ll have a masterclass to support the project and will develop skills in time management, working to tight deadlines and team building. In your second year, the project will be set by a Visiting Industry Expert and you may have the opportunity to present your work to a panel for feedback. 

On completion of our Level 3 Visual Communications and Styling certification, many students choose to progress onto a Level 4 diploma or undergraduate degree course.

You could progress into a particular area of visual communications such as Visual Merchandising or Digital Marketing for Fashion. You could also continue developing your skills through our undergraduate BA (Hons) Marketing & Communications for Fashion course.

When you successfully pass our Level 3 Visual Communications & Styling diploma in fashion styling with a merit or above, you'll automatically qualify for a place on one of our undergraduate degree courses. You'll also qualify for one of our specialist Level 4 diplomas.

From Level 3 Fashion Visual Communications & Styling, you can also move straight into employment as a junior or assistant stylist, communications assistant or social media assistant.

Awarding body
University of the Arts London

Qualification title

Level 3 Extended Diploma in Creative Practice: Art, Design and Communication

Age requirement
16-18

Course duration
2 years, delivered over 2 days per week

Course Fees

This course is fully-funded for students aged 16-18

Fees & Funding

Entry requirements

• 4 GCSEs at grade C/4 or above, including Maths & English (either Language or Literature)

For non-UK qualifications, please provide an ENIC Statement of Comparability. 

If you're applying from a non-English speaking country, you'll need at least 5.5 overall and in each section of IELTS test for English language. 

Assessment
Your work will be assessed throughout the course. You must pass each unit to progress to the next. Once you have passed all units in Terms 1 and 2, you'll move to the final units in Term 3. When you complete the course, you'll be graded at either Pass, Merit or Distinction.

Offers
After completing our online form, we'll process your application and send you the outcome by post and email in 5-10 working days. We process applications in the order we receive them, and offers are made on a first-come, first-served basis. 

• If you have your exam results and you meet the course's entry requirements, you'll be given an unconditional offer.
• If you don't have your results yet, your offer will be conditional on you meeting the entry requirements.

Your place on Level 3 Visual Communications & Styling at the Fashion Retail Academy is only secure after you have completed enrolment.

2024-2025

AUTUMN TERM

• Enrolment: Week commencing 19th August 2024 (Thursday 22nd August) 
• Academic transition day: Year 1 Thursday 5th September, Year 2 Monday 2nd September 2024
• Term starts: Week commencing 9th September 2024 
• Half term: Week commencing 28th October 2024 
• Term resumes: Week commencing 4th November 2024 
• Winter break: Week commencing 23rd December 2024 

SPRING TERM 

• Term starts: Week commencing 6th January 2025 
• Spring break: Week commencing 14th April 2025 

SUMMER TERM 

• Term starts: Week commencing 28th April 2025 
• GCSE English resit and end of year celebration: Week commencing 9th June 2025 

2025-2026

Term dates to be confirmed.

The Fashion Retail Academy is located at our new campus at Electra House near Liverpool Street, central London. 

The listed building has undergone a £50 million refurbishment to give our students the facilities and spaces they need. Liverpool Street has excellent transport links to the rest of London and beyond, and Electra House is situated directly across from Moorgate tube station. 

There are: 

• 8 floors (Electra House is double the size of our old campus)
• A bigger library and more workspaces
• 26 classrooms
• Bespoke studio spaces
• 6 lecture theatres
• Dedicated fashion design wing
• IT hub and self-service laptop lockers
• On-site cafe
• 2 specialist exhibition and event spaces
• Wellness spaces and communal areas
• Discovery nook

Click here for more information about Electra House.