Fashion Buying & Management - Conversion Course - Aungier Street

What is... Fashion Buying & Management?

Being a fashion buyer is one of the most sought after careers in fashion. Behind the glamorous image of a buyer who is travelling the world to select the latest pieces off fashion week runways is a job that requires a combination of skill sets to be successful. Solely responsible for selecting and ordering what is sold in stores to ensure maximum profit, in this demanding role you’ll need to be constantly trend spotting, have a strong business sense and be a great communicator.



Trend forecasting and brand discovery

Taking from their knowledge of fashion together with business sense, fashion buyers decide what to buy, which mix of brands to buy and need to know what their customer is looking for. Besides maintaining strong relationships with top brands, buyers constantly stay on the lookout for new brands, designers and trends. Before the rise of Instagram, brand discovery would mostly be done via trade shows, networking, a magazine editor’s referral or simply from designers sending samples. Today, Instagram plays a large part in how fashion buyers discover and reach out to emerging brands.



TU Dublin's innovative MSc Fashion Buying & Management is to date, the only programme of its kind being offered in the Republic of Ireland. This one-year, full-time course is designed for graduates seeking to break the exciting and fast-paced fashion buying industry.



Quantitative and analytical skills

The role of the fashion buyer is where art meets science, meaning being analytical and comfortable with math as well as fashion savvy will put you ahead. The fashion buyer uses EXCEL spreadsheet and should be familiar with the formulas in the program. One minute the buyer could be talent scouting the latest brands, the next minute he/she could be presenting to the board why the buying decision has been made to purchase a budding designer’s collection based on consumer insight.



Planning and working with merchandisers on buying

What is the difference between a fashion buyer and merchandiser? Buying is a specialization in the merchandising field. Together with fashion merchandisers, they plan and make buying decisions. Based on the customer’s buying patterns and company budget, they analyze how much of each item to buy, the mix of brands and what to buy for each location that will drive profit. Through this meticulous planning process, a framework for what to purchase will be in place for the buyer to follow.



Schedule

While the timetable is yet to be finalized there are normally circa 20 to 25 contact hours per week. Given the intensive nature of the postgraduate programme and the fact that subjects are new, students are advised to keep a clear working week and to minimize other commitments in order to participate in the course. Students are also advised to be aware of time commitment needed to complete the work placement element of the course during the summer months June to August.

Year One

Semester 1

• Ecommerce Strategy [Mandatory]

• Fashion Buying 2 [Mandatory]

• Fashion Product Management & Development [Mandatory]

• Fashion Sustainability & Social Responsibility [Mandatory]

• Finance for Non-Financial Managers [Mandatory]

• Marketing Fashion Brands [Mandatory]

• Research Methods [Mandatory]

• Research Project [Mandatory]

• Sociology of Fashion [Mandatory]

• WORK PLACEMENT [Mandatory]



Semester 2

• Principles of Fashion Buying [Mandatory]

• Public Relations and Communications [Mandatory]

• Principles of Luxury Retailing [Mandatory]

• Retail Merchandising Analytics [Mandatory]

• Research Project [Mandatory]

• Global Fashion Retail Strategy [Mandatory]

Minimum Entry Requirements?

The course is aimed at honours bachelor degree graduates (minimum 2.2 Honours) of universities or similar third level institutions who have a strong desire to succeed in the fashion industry. Holders of equivalent professional qualifications, by examination, will also be considered.



If English is not your first language you will need to provide evidence of your English language proficiency as detailed on our website. Applicants for this course should have a minimum IELTS (Academic Version) English Proficiency of 6.5 overall (or equivalent) with nothing less than 6 in each component.



In addition to academic requirements, all applicants must have good retail experience.



Note: Due to the considerable competition for our postgraduate courses satisfying the minimum entry requirement is not a guarantee of a place. Depending on the course of study applications will be assessed based on your academic grades and your work/life experience. Applicants may also be required to attend for interview for specific courses.

Applications are now open.



Please note due to the great demand for our courses early applications are assessed when received and dealt with promptly. Therefore, it is advisable to make early applications for an early response. If you do not yet have your final degree results this will not hinder your application as we are happy to issue conditional offer letters in such circumstances.



To make a full and complete application for this course you must include a current CV along with a cover letter stating why you are applying for this postgraduate diploma and outlining your suitability to the course.



For further information, please visit How To Apply (Application Weblink above).

1 Year, Full Time

Method of Delivery On-Campus

Commencement Date: January 2025

What are my career opportunities?

A career in fashion buying can offer a lifestyle that is fast-paced and exciting with opportunities to travel and see the world, a great way to combine creativity and commerce.