Course summary

This multi-disciplinary degree explores surface design and textiles for fashion, interiors, contemporary craft and design-led products. Our students have an impressive history of success in national and international competitions. Our industry-experienced, dedicated team will nurture your skills in traditional practices and innovative digital processes, ready for a career in professional design. Textiles and surface design is a fast-moving global industry encompassing a wide range of commercial contexts – from fashion fabrics and accessories, through stationery products and packaging, to interior fabrics and wall coverings, as well as contemporary gallery/design-led pieces. The creative and challenging BA (Hons) Textiles and Surface Design degree at the University of Bolton is taught by a dedicated and passionate team with extensive professional experience in researching, designing, creating, selling and exhibiting textile/surface design work. We understand the skills and knowledge you’ll need to succeed as a professional designer and impress potential employers and clients in the wider textile and surface design arena. Our intensely practical approach aims to help you gain a broad portfolio of traditional and digital design skills. You’ll have space to experiment with different approaches, materials and techniques, and we’ll support and encourage you to cross the boundaries of textile disciplines and develop your own innovative approaches to designing and making. Historical and contextual studies help to underpin your practical knowledge and provide sources of inspiration. Our professional design studios are equipped with workspaces and high-specification facilities for printed and dyed textiles, digital fabric, wallpaper and ceramic printing, laser cutting and etching, embroidery, fabric manipulation, non-woven textiles, and computer-aided design are available. We’ll also support you to develop commercial awareness and entrepreneurial skills, including how to market, exhibit, work with design studios and set up in business, ready for success within the industry, contemporary gallery/craft environments. This degree will also enable you to look at alternative career choices within arts education or the wider creative industries.