Bachelor of Applied Business (Fashion Marketing) and Bachelor of Design (Fashion & Sustainability)

This double degree at Collarts combines fashion marketing with fashion and sustainability. You graduate with two awards: a Bachelor of Applied Business (Fashion Marketing) and a Bachelor of Design (Fashion & Sustainability). That means you study how fashion brands sell, communicate and build audiences, alongside how garments are designed, sourced and made with sustainability in mind. It suits students who want to work in fashion but do not want to be boxed into only the creative side or only the business side.

How the course is structured

Australian bachelor degrees are normally three years full time. A double degree runs longer because you complete the requirements of two awards, and this one is 4.5 years. Study is organised into trimesters or semesters depending on how Collarts timetables it, and you enrol in units of study that carry credit points. You need to pass the required credit points from both awards to graduate. Some units are shared across the two degrees, which is part of why a double degree takes less time than studying each one separately.

Expect a mix of marketing and business units, design and sustainability units, and studio-based work. Assessment is typically a blend of projects, portfolios, presentations, reports and exams rather than one final test. Many creative courses also include a capstone or major project in the final year where you pull together what you have learned into a substantial piece of work. Confirm the exact unit list, trimester structure and capstone requirements on the official Collarts course page.

Skills you build

You learn to research a fashion market, plan a campaign, write and produce brand content, and manage a budget. On the design side you learn garment construction, textile knowledge, sustainable sourcing and how to reduce waste across a product's life. The two halves reinforce each other: you can design a collection and then build the marketing plan around it, or take a brand brief and work out how to make the product side meet it.

Fashion is a field where work-integrated learning matters. Many courses include industry projects, internships or placements with labels, retailers, agencies or production houses, and Collarts is based in Melbourne with access to that industry. Ask the university what placement or industry project is built into this course and whether it is optional or required.

Who it suits, and the Australian context

This degree suits school leavers and career changers who want a fashion career with both commercial and design skills. It also suits people already working in retail, styling or production who want formal qualifications. International students should note that a Student visa allows 48 hours of work per fortnight while studying, and after graduating you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream. English requirements for international applicants are published by Collarts, and the Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the visa itself. Tuition is listed on the CRICOS register under course code 108970H. Check the official page for current entry requirements and fees.

• Fashion marketing coordinator or brand assistant
• Digital marketing and social media roles for fashion and lifestyle brands
• Product developer or assistant designer with a sustainability focus
• Visual merchandiser or retail brand manager
• PR and communications assistant in fashion
• E-commerce and content coordinator
• Sustainability and sourcing officer for apparel businesses
• Stylist or creative producer

Australian employers in these roles include fashion labels, online retailers, department stores, marketing and PR agencies, textile and apparel manufacturers, and sustainability consultancies. Melbourne in particular has a large fashion and retail sector.