Course summary
About this course Build in-depth knowledge and practical experience in e-textiles and wearable technologies at the UK's leading university for e-textile research. Study at Winchester School of Art and combine scientific and design thinking, informed by over 15 years of research and industry partnerships. Develop your abilities in electronics, textiles, design, and e-textiles clothing whilst expanding your academic and entrepreneurial experience. Learn about advanced manufacturing techniques, innovative materials like graphene, digital printing, and industry-standard technologies through embedded partnerships. Throughout your studies, explore critical themes including sustainability, energy, data security, research ethics, and user-centred design approaches that benefit society. Work with digital tools including Photoshop, Shima Seiki Apex4, Illustrator, and Clo3D to create pattern designs and technical illustrations. Access dedicated teaching labs, the E-textile Innovation Lab, and specialist facilities for experimentation, physical and virtual sampling, and prototyping. E-textiles are transforming sectors like workwear, medicine, and sports through innovations such as electrically heated workwear, biomonitoring garments with textile-based sensors, and GPS-enabled performance wear. Your future career You'll gain subject-specific and employability skills for diverse careers in design, engineering, e-textile material science, wearable technologies, and innovation sectors. Your interdisciplinary collaboration skills will prepare you for success across the growing e-textiles and advanced textiles industry. Key features of this course At Southampton you'll: study at the UK's leading institution for e-textile research, combining scientific rigour with creative design practice access dedicated teaching labs, the E-textile Innovation Lab, New Materials Lab, and advanced design, manufacturing, and testing tools learn from industry and design experts through lectures, seminars, workshops, real-world project briefs, and technical mentoring develop practical skills in electronics, textiles, conductive and sensing materials, scalable manufacturing, and sustainable e-textile development work on live interdisciplinary group projects reflecting current sector concerns, applying inclusive design practices learn advanced techniques including digital printing, functional materials application, and quantitative and qualitative research methods complete an independent or industry live project for your final major work Further information This one-year full-time master's is structured across three semesters. In semester one, you'll learn fundamentals of textiles, electronics, sustainability, and user-centred design. Semester two advances your knowledge of functional materials, manufacturing techniques, market specialisms, and research methods. Your final semester focuses on an independent or industry project demonstrating original contribution to e-textiles practice.
Modules
Compulsory modules include: Textile Design; Professional and Academic Skills; FInal Project. Optional modules include: Digital Cultures; Entrepreneurship; Experimental Publishing; Exploring the Visual Language of Display; Global Marketing. For a full list of modules please visit: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/courses/textile-design-masters-ma#modules
Assessment method
We will assess your knowledge through: your portfolio and final project collection, evidence of the research underpinning your studio practice, reflective assignments that critically evaluate aspects of your own learning and your approach to problem solving and team working.
How to apply
International applicants
If English is not your first language, you will need to demonstrate your English ability by meeting our Band C requirements: IELTS 6.5 overall, with a minimum of 6.0 in all components. For information on other accepted English language tests, please see our website.
Entry requirements
You'll need a 2.2 degree in any subject and a portfolio of work which should contain 4 sets of work with each set between 3 to 5 pages long, not exceeding a file size of 20 MB. Although we encourage portfolio submissions with examples of work, we recognise that this may not always be possible. Some alternative suggestions for a set of work you could include are: a sequence of prototypes or digital images a single developed work such as a textile or E-textile, garment or other device or product if you have a design or creative background, evidence of your work in the field that should include technical or practical experiences such as electronics, textiles, computing if you have a technical or industry background, include an explanation your strongest and most innovative work - this can be teamwork, ensuring you clearly indicate your own role an example of a wearable technology or other e-textile application that has inspired you - include a visual and a 500 word text about the work and why you believe it to be important Please include any preparatory materials in your submission, including sketchbooks, mood boards, creative or technical drawings.
English language requirements
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6 | with no component below 5.5 |
All programmes at the University of Southampton are taught and assessed in the medium of English (other than those in modern foreign languages). Therefore, all applicants must demonstrate they possess at least a minimum standard of English language proficiency.
Find out more about the University’s English Language requirements
https://www.southampton.ac.uk/studentadmin/admissions/admissions-policies/language.page
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
No fee information has been provided for this course
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
https://www.southampton.ac.uk/courses/fees/postgraduate.page
Sponsorship information
A variety of scholarships, grants and bursaries may be available to help you fund your master’s study, both from the University and from other organisations. Please check the website for more information: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/courses/funding/postgraduate.page
Provider information
University of Southampton
Highfield
Southampton
SO17 1BJ