GCU London MSc Digital Fashion Strategy
Programme Specification Proforma
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GLASGOW CALEDONIAN UNIVERSITY Programme Specification Pro-forma (PSP) 1.
GENERAL INFORMATION
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Programme Title: Final Award: Exit Awards:
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Awarding Body: Approval Date: School: Host Division/Dept: UCAS Code: PSB Involvement: Place of Delivery: Subject Benchmark Statement:
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Dates of PSP preparation:
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EDUCATIONAL AIMS OF THE PROGRAMME
MSc Digital Fashion Strategy MSc Digital Fashion Strategy Postgraduate Certificate in Digital Fashion Strategy Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Fashion Strategy Glasgow Caledonian University April 2015 GCU GCU London N/A N/A London QAA Master’s Degrees in Business and Management Benchmark Statement 2007 October 2015
The British School of Fashion at GCU London aims to disrupt the fashion education and business sector through the creation and delivery of its innovative and globally unique MSc Fashion Digital Strategy programme. Developed in close consultation with a range of key industry and academic stakeholders it focuses on a crucial element of business transformation – digitalisation, within an applied sector - fashion. The MSc Fashion Digital Strategy programme was designed to fit the distinct gap in knowledge identified in primary and secondary research within the development stages. The digital sector is dynamic and emergent in both industry and academic contexts and this has shaped three key differential aspects of the of the academic programme design. The first of these aspects will be a co-creative approach to learning where staff, students and industry stakeholders collaborate to form new knowledge and experiment with the digital strategies and tools which will be adopted by fashion businesses in the future. At its core, the programme is based upon the established academic literature and frameworks within the fields of business, management, retail branding and communication strategy. However the majority of these were developed in a pre-digital era and therefore participants of the programme are encouraged to critically evaluate their application to current fashion practice. This will be undertaken in seminar classes formatively and also as part of assessment within a summative context. It is anticipated that this during these collaborative processes iterations and/or new models of thinking will emerge and graduates will be able to contribute to new industry and academic knowledge in the digital fashion strategy field. This unique approach will aide recruitment and potentially progression as it encourages applications from a higher achieving level of student. Furthermore this element also cultivates deep links between industry and academia for mutual gain which is a GCU priority. The second aspect is that the programme structure follows a non-traditional approach, instead of modules which are aligned to individual business units, this course is organised into four key strategic planning phases supported by a research methods unit and an industry engagement unit. The rationale for this was informed by the in-depth stakeholder interviews. They revealed the notion that digital must move away from being considered as an “add-on” or “stand-alone” business function and
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instead be integrated holistically across the organisation. The four stages are summarised in the infographic below and have evolved from both the strategic planning and the digital marketing literature. Fig 1. Stages of the Fashion Digital Strategy Process
Source: Nobbs (2015) This unique structure allows the programme to have a clear point of differentiation and feedback from industry stakeholders is that this is an innovative and leading edge way to structure the programme. The UK Head of Fashion at a global technology company said “a non-silo approach to teaching digital strategy is really forward thinking and makes perfect sense, you are ahead of the fashion sector in designing the course this way”. The final aspect is that the course content has been designed to offer a systematic balance of creative and analytical knowledge, perspectives and skills relevant to the creation and management of digital fashion strategies. This was again informed by the stakeholder interviews, whereby 90% of potential employers stated they needed graduates who have “hybrid skills” and are “capable of communicating and collaborating equally as well with technologists as with creatives” (Social Media Manager at UK Pure Play Brand). In short this innovative masters degree is dedicated to enhancing student employability through advanced critical thinking, in depth industry participation across a wide-range of teaching and learning experiences including integrative live hosted projects, an internship mid way through the curriculum, mentorship schemes, company visits and regular industry speakers. The programme aims to meet the needs of students who wish become the digital thought leaders of the future and specifically who want to pursue a career as a digital strategist within the fashion sector. Other related career options include Marketing Manager, Brand Manager, Social Media Manager, Content Manager, SEO Manager, ECommerce Manager, e-CRM Manager, Online Stylist, Data Analyst, Blogger, Consultant, Project Manager and Entrepreneur. Research indicates students will come from a background of having previously studied a fashion, business or technology related subject who wish to gain a deeper understanding of digital fashion strategy to enhance their career opportunities in this growing field. However, the programme may also be attractive to applicants who have studied non-business related subjects at undergraduate level and who wish to change careers. The programme is offered on a full and part time basis and the programme team welcomes applications through the Flexible Entry route involving Credit Transfer and RPL. The primary aim of this programme is to provide a specific, analytical and integrative understanding of fashion digital strategy. Specifically, the educational aims are stated as follows: • •
To develop the balance of creative and analytical research, evaluation, planning and communication skills required to identify and synthesise digital developments in the global fashion environment from a transdisciplinary perspective To foster the ability to critically analyse the component parts and differential elements of digital strategy formulation, activation and measurement specific to the diverse needs of key
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stakeholders within the fashion industry building on an in depth theoretical and applied knowledge base To cultivate the digital thought leadership skills required to innovate and transform global fashion businesses through strategic technology selection, implementation and management in order to achieve competitive advantage and financial sustainability To facilitate the co-creation and dissemination of new knowledge through innovative curriculum development and collaborative research projects which contribute to industry and academic advanced comprehension and evaluation of fashion digital strategy
PROGRAMME STRUCTURES AND REQUIREMENTS, LEVELS, MODULES, CREDITS AND AWARDS 3 from the following Module Module Title Code MMN523665 Anatomy of Digital Fashion Strategy MMN523666 Digital Fashion Strategy Implementation and Integration MMN523656 Fashion Growth Strategies and Performance Optimisation MMN523667 Strategic Thought Leadership and Digital Transformation for Fashion MMN223649 Developing Personal and Professional Competence MMN223636 Research Project: Design and Methods
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Exit Award: (a) Post graduate Certificate in Digital Fashion Strategy
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Module Code MMN523665 MMN523666 MMN523656 MMN523667 MMN223649 MMN223636
Credit
Module Title
Credit
Anatomy of Digital Fashion Strategy Digital Fashion Strategy Implementation and Integration Fashion Growth Strategies and Performance Optimisation Strategic Thought Leadership and Digital Transformation for Fashion Developing Personal and Professional Competence Research Project: Design and Methods
20 20 20 20 20 20
Exit Award – Post graduate Diploma in Digital Fashion Strategy
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Module Code MMN523665 MMN523666 MMN523656 MMN523667 MMN223649 MMN223636 MMN223633
Module Title
Credit
Anatomy of Digital Fashion Strategy Digital Fashion Strategy Implementation and Integration Fashion Growth Strategies and Performance Optimisation Strategic Thought Leadership and Digital Transformation for Fashion Developing Personal and Professional Competence Research Project: Design and Methods Dissertation/Project
20 20 20 20 20 20 60
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Exit Award – Master of Science in Digital Fashion Strategy
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The MSc Digital Fashion Strategy complies with the GCU exit requirements for a Master’s programme. This modular programme reflects the Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework (SCQF) and follows the standard Glasgow Caledonian University structure for Postgraduate programmes, which normally comprise 180 credits. The programme will be offered on a part time basis – normally 3 years. The time frame in which the student chooses to complete their award will reflect; work load commitments, personal work life balance, initial confidence in studying at M-level, and for self- funding students the impact of module fees. For these reasons the programme has been designed to be very flexible so that it will meet the needs and aspirations of a wide range of students. Below is an example of the part time study route. A worked example of the MSc part time student experience over a two year period Year 1= 80 credits (select 3 modules for exit award of PgC Trimester A Anatomy of Digital Fashion Strategy 20 credits
Trimester B Fashion Growth Strategies and Performance Optimisation 20 credits
Trimester C Developing Personal and Personal Competence 20 credits
Digital Fashion Strategy Implementation and Integration 20 credits Year 2 = 40 credits (plus Year 1 for exit award PgD) plus dissertation for exit award of Masters Trimester A Trimester B Trimester C Research Project: Design and Strategic Thought Leadership and Dissertation Methods Digital Transformation Through 60 credits 20 credits Fashion 20 credits
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ASSESSMENT REGULATIONS
The http://www.gcu.ac.uk/media/gcalwebv2/theuniversity/gaq/gaqfiles/assessmentregulations/University%20 Assessment%20Regulations%202015-16%20Taught%20Postgraduate.pdf apply to this programme.
A curriculum map is attached showing how the outcomes are being developed and assessed within the programme. This relates the modules from Section 4 to the outcomes in Section 3. DATE:
October 2015
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Curriculum Map for MSc Fashion Digital Strategy The curriculum map links the modules (Section 4) to the Outcomes listed in Section 3
PSMAP
This map provides both a design aid to help academic staff identify where the programme outcomes are being developed and assessed within the course. It also provides a check list for quality assurance purposes and could be used in approval, accreditation and external examining processes. This also helps students monitor their own learning, and their personal and professional development as the course progresses. The map shows only the main measurable learning outcomes which are assessed. There are additional learning outcomes (e.g. attitudes and behaviour) detailed in the module specifications which are developed but do not lend themselves to direct measurement Programme outcomes A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
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LEVEL M
Modules Code Title MMN523665 Anatomy of Digital Fashion Strategy MMN523666 Digital Fashion Strategy Implementation and Integration MMN523656 Fashion Growth Strategies and Performance Optimisation MMN523667 Strategic Thought Leadership and Digital Transformation for Fashion MMN223636 Research Project: Design and Methods MMN223649 Developing Personal and Professional Competence MMN223633 Dissertation/ Project
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