Level 4 Garment Technology

Studying our Level 4 Garment Technology diploma, you'll investigate the entire lifecycle of clothing products.

From initial development with designers and buyers, through to the fitting and testing process to mass production, you'll learn all the necessary skills to be a successful garment technologist.

Through hands-on classes in our sewing studio combined with academic lessons, we’ll teach you how to improve and refine garment designs. You’ll learn how to make products fit perfectly, and how to make details consistent across a large range of sizes and colours. We’ll teach you the techniques required for quality standards, making sure products are consistent when they reach stores.

Explore how to work with garment samples and how to balance designers' and buyers' creative visions with a brand's budget, fit and manufacturing standards. Learn about fabrics and materials, and understand how to make sure that they are suitable for a designers' plans and meet the styling, washing and caring requirements set by brands. You’ll also develop your trend-forecasting skills, helping to inform these creative decisions. 

Our Level 4 Garment Technology diploma course covers:

• Production Techniques: Discover different sewing methods, and monitor production stages. Examine fit requirements, construction techniques and production processes and learn how factories reach mass production volumes.
• Quality Assurance: Explore how to achieve consistency in garment production, such as ensuring sizing is the correct ratio and learn how to effectively audit and assess factories.
• Product Development for Fashion Retailing: Explore how digital technology has revolutionised the product development process. Examine the relationship between technical specification drawings and initial samples, and the importance of commercial design specifications. Learn about the critical path, and how design and buying teams work together to maximise product appeal. 

• History and Context of Fashion Retail: Learn the history of fashion and the cultural factors which have shaped it over time. Develop critical thinking, analytical and academic writing skills.
• Preparation for Progression in Fashion Retail: Learn to identify exciting opportunities after graduation. Develop teamwork and presentation skills to support job applications and interviews.

Throughout our Level 4 Garment Technology course, you'll receive regular enrichment from our industry and retail partners. All of our tutors have previously worked in industry. We also work with over 250 major brands to bring students the widest breadth of knowledge and expertise. 

We'll support you in developing a strong professional network that will aid you throughout your career. You'll receive briefs and projects from brands that reflect the current industry landscape in order to gain real-world experience and develop valuable professional skills.

VISITING INDUSTRY EXPERTS

Throughout your course, you'll attend masterclasses and lectures from Visiting Industry Experts (VIEs). Our VIEs come from a range of top brands including Alexander McQueen, ASOS, Sweaty Betty and H&M.

You will be set tasks and projects that reflect the current requirements of the fashion industry. VIEs will provide you with feedback for your work and explain how their brand might react in a real-world situation. This helps give context to your studies, putting theoretical knowledge into practice. 

You will also develop key professional skills including time management, prioritisation and teamwork.

FUTURE PATHWAYS PROGRAMME

The Future Pathways Programme is a 3-week, full-time (5 days per week) schedule of industry engagement activities to help you take your next steps after graduating, connect with industry professionals and build a range of skills and knowledge to improve your career prospects.

When you apply to the programme you can choose from the following routes: 

Placement Pathway For those who successfully apply and have satisfactory grades, attendance and punctuality, you could be offered a work placement with a brand. A limited number of placements will be available through the FRA Industry Collaboration team; you will also be supported to source your own placement if you wish. 

Employability Pathway For all other applicants to the programme, you’ll develop skills such as working with recruitment agencies, understanding retail head office job roles and completing an assessment centre to prepare for group interviews. You’ll also complete an industry project and attend a networking event to build your industry contacts. 

After graduating Level 4, you’ll be ready to progress straight into an entry-level role as a Fashion Garment Technologist.

80% of our Level 4 Garment Technology students are in employment or further education within 6 months of finishing their course at the FRA.

After completing the course, you'll be eligible for a position as Fabric Technologist, Assistant Garment Technologist or Technical Assistant. There is huge demand for garment technologists in the fashion industry, with opportunities for rapid progression for strong candidates.

Previous graduating students have gone on to work for House of Fraser, New Look and ASOS.

Find out more about our Fashion Careers Service.

All our Level 4 specialist higher Diplomas come with our Job Guarantee. 

We design our courses alongside our industry partners to teach you the skills and attributes you need to secure a job. So, if you’re not offered one within six months of completing your course, we’ll refund your course fees in full. 

This offer applies to students who are paying privately or using the Advanced Learner Loan to fund their studies. If you secured a loan to pay for your course, we will not refund your loan interest.

See our Terms & Conditions for our full eligibility criteria.

Awarding body
University of the Arts London

Qualification title
Level 4 Diploma in Garment Technology for Fashion Retail

Age requirement
18+

Course duration
1 year, delivered over 2 days per week

Course fees

• Fully-funded for students aged 18
• £4,220 per year for students aged 19+ - Advanced Learner Loans are available

Fees & Funding

Entry requirements

• 1 A-level or the equivalent Level 3 qualification
• 5 GCSEs grade C/4 or above, including Maths and 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
The course is 100% coursework via termly assignments that measure your knowledge and understanding.

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 the Level 4 Garment Technology course is only secure after you have completed enrolment.

2024-2025

ENROLMENT

• Unconditional Enrolment: Week commencing 8th July 2024
• Conditional Enrolment: 15th August 2024

AUTUMN TERM 

• Academic transition day: Tuesday 3rd 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 
• End of year celebration: Week commencing 9th June 2025 

2025-2026

Term dates to be confirmed.

LÆRKE ANNIKA THOMÉ - 'PHOEBE WANDERLUST'

comparison shop

range plan

Ruby, Louis & Nellie - 'Sustainability on the Island' - Industry Project 2022 in partnership with River Island

Fabric choice - linen

sustainable production methods - clo 3d

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
• Specialist exhibition and event space
• Wellness spaces and communal areas
• Discovery nook

Click here for more information about Electra House.