Diploma in Fashion

Modules

The following programme modules are applicable to students enrolled in August 2025 and after. NAFA students enrolled in AY2024/2025 and earlier are to refer to the Diploma Programme and Module Information Booklet on the Student Portal for the programme modules in your respective years of enrolment.

Type	Title	Year & Semester	Credits
Academy Core	Introduction to Southeast Asian Arts The Introduction to Southeast Asian Arts module introduces facets of the artistic traditions of mainland and maritime Southeast Asia from the kingdom to the present. The module approaches Southeast Asia's rich heritage thematically, encouraging interdisciplinary understanding between intersecting geographies and narratives. It offers insights departing from different perspectives and vantages - the evolving role in defining aesthetics, cultural belonging, polities, and intercultural exchanges in the ongoing multiplicities of the region.	Year 1 Semester 1	10
Faculty Core	Art and Design Fundamentals This module equips students with fundamental knowledge of art and design principles that bridge both traditional mediums and contemporary approaches. Students will hone their making skills and visual language, focusing on essential artistic elements - merging theory with hands-on application. The module aims to build a solid foundation and encourage the integration of traditional and contemporary techniques for well-rounded artistic proficiency for creative expressions.	Year 1 Semester 1	30
Faculty Core	Creative Territories This module introduces key trends that shape the creative landscape by exploring the pivotal role of innovation that influences the creative industries, providing a platform for experimentation and idea generation. Embracing these concepts empowers designers and artists, enabling them to contribute meaningfully to creating a more sustainable, inclusive, and socially conscious world.	Year 1 Semester 1	10
School Core	Fashion Fundamentals In this module, students are introduced to the fundamental skills in design and theoretical knowledge in fashion. You learn the basic principles and elements of design for fashion and acquire essential understanding in the eco-system of fashion. You develop broader knowledge and skills in areas of design, business and textiles, while examining the cultural and contemporary practices within fashion. In this module, you will gain proficiency in fashion by actively participating in discussions and engaging in self-reflection.	Year 1 Semester 1	10
Faculty Core	Professional Development Plan 1 Professional Development Plan 1 creates a platform for students to articulate their values, aspirations, and strategic choices in shaping their creative career. This module guides students in developing a plan to achieve their professional goals and align with their envisioned creative practice.	Year 1 Semester 2	10
School Core	Fashion Studies Principles This module gives an in-depth understanding of the fashion industry, combining theory, practical applications, and real-world examples. It covers fundamental aspects, including Fashion Marketing Principles for predicting trends and societal changes. Fashion Future Intelligence covers the arts and science of interpreting fashion trends and Historical Studies of Fashion offer insights into cultural shifts, while Textile Science explores the science behind fibres and fabrics, crucial for a successful fashion-selling season.	Year 1 Semester 2	20
School Core	Design & Development This module seamlessly allows you to identify diverse research sources, record the analysis in a creative process journal, integrate fashion design principles from a specific theme, and present outcomes through board presentations. Furthermore, it acquaints you with the fundamental production process of garment pattern making, using basic pattern blocks for manipulation and fostering knowledge of pattern-making vocabulary. The overarching goal of the module is to enhance your skills in basic garment construction, enabling you to proficiently operate industrial sewing machines and explore various sewing techniques for constructing a skirt. Additionally, it introduces the concept of draping on the stand to craft fashion shapes and design details, effortlessly translating draped patterns into 2D paper patterns for subsequent garment construction.	Year 1 Semester 2	20
Elective	Elective Electives are classes that students must take in addition to the core curriculum. Students may choose from a list of 40+ modules to explore personal interests, delve into specialised subjects, or in areas that align with their career goals or passions. Students are encouraged to complete the elective requirement (totalling 30 credits) by the end of Year 2.	Year 1 Semester 2	10
Elective	Overseas Immersion Programme The Overseas Immersion Programme (OIP) is a 2- to 3-week experience that provides students with the chance to immerse in a different culture and academic environment. Through a blend of classroom learning, hands-on activities, and cultural exploration, the programme fosters academic and professional growth, equipping participants to thrive in our interconnected global landscape. OIP participation can contribute towards fulfilling a portion of the 30-credit elective requirement.	Year 1 Semester 2 (or Year 2 Semester 1)	20
Academy Core	Introduction to Interdisciplinary Arts Practice The Introduction to Interdisciplinary Arts Practice module introduces interdisciplinarity as an approach to learning. The module provides the opportunity to place and activate respective artistic disciplines in the context of a collaborative creation. It is a platform for appreciating different perspectives, analysing possible connections, and engaging in collective exploration to gain new insights.	Year 2 Semester 1 (or Year 2 Semester 2)	10
School Core	Fashion Specialisation Studies 1 In this module, students delve deeply into specific areas within the fashion industry in Southeast Asia, providing in-depth knowledge and skills tailored to particular career paths. You will develop competencies in fashion creation and innovation in the following core modules: In Design Studio 1, students are introduced to fashion design principles with a key focus on fashion sustainability to influence and steer the creative direction of the design process. Through the creation of a garment, you will develop your understanding of practices, techniques and skills required within fashion design. In Business Studio 1, students will learn the basic principles of fashion branding and marketing. You will understand the importance of research to gain key market insights, that would propel you into critical thinking and thereby providing practical solutions to commercial challenges across the fashion industry, from concept to consumer. In Textile Studio 1, students are introduced to the first principles of textiles. The module aims to foster creative innovation by blending traditional and contemporary approaches in textile design. You will discover different ways of finding inspiration and experiment with various methods of creating prints, textures and surface decoration, by employing drawing, screen printing, stitching and dyeing techniques.	Year 2 Semester 1	30
School Core	Fashion Technology & Innovation In this module, students are introduced to CAD systems to create digital presentation boards, woven fabric designs and printed fabric designs. This is part of the technical line development and execution of the complete Designing and production processes. You will learn the knowledge and skills of digital imaging software to create professional presentation boards. At the end of this module, you will be able to apply technical flat drawings, fabric and pattern repeats for professional visual presentations.	Year 2 Semester 1	10
Elective	Elective Electives are classes that students must take in addition to the core curriculum. Students may choose from a list of 40+ modules to explore personal interests, delve into specialised subjects, or in areas that align with their career goals or passions. Students are encouraged to complete the elective requirement (totalling 30 credits) by the end of Year 2.	Year 2 Semester 1	10
Faculty Core	Professional Development Plan 2 Building upon the foundation in Professional Development Plan 1, this module, Professional Development Plan 2, focuses on the practical execution of students' career plans and creative visions. Students refine their strategies and implement key choices towards navigating real-world scenarios.	Year 2 Semester 2	10
School Core	Fashion Specialisation Studies 2 In this module, students are progressed to the next level according to the specialisations in Fashion Design, Fashion Business and Fashion Textiles. In each specialisation, it consists of various components that are designed with relevant knowledge and skills that tailor to your learning needs in relation to your career option. Students will develop competencies in fashion creation and innovation in the following core modules: Fashion Design Specialisation: Design Studio 2 You will learn four components in this module. They are Fashion Design, Pattern Making/Draping, Garment Construction and E-Commerce for Fashion Business. This module broadly covers the whole design process from conceptualisation to execution of a design outfit. You will choose a specific theme for analysis to generate insights and synthesis design solutions and elements in the design process. You will acquire technical skills in draping, pattern making and sewing, to realise and create an outfit of the chosen design. The fundamentals of e-commerce strategies and website design will also be taught in this module. Fashion Business Specialisation: Business Studio 2 You will learn four components in this module. They are Fashion Buying and Curation, Fashion Entrepreneurship (Sustainability), Consumer Research and Digital Marketing. In this module, you will explore opportunities in the fashion industry and develop your innovative ideas in a real-world practical framework to start your own fashion business. The topics that you will learn include merchandising planning and selecting apparels and accessories to meet consumer demands. You will conduct research on your target consumers to understand their profile and preference, and to make informed business decisions. You will also learn digital marketing strategies and tools to achieve effectiveness in your marketing planning stage. Fashion Textiles Specialisation: Textiles Studio 2 You will learn three components in this module. They are Textiles Design and Innovation 2, Application and Design Development, and E-Commerce for Fashion Business. This module introduces students to various methods of creating fabric textures and finishes pertaining to a related theme. You will learn the various fabric manipulation techniques such as heat setting, laser cutting and pleating. Your knowledge will be enhanced by integrating your desired fabric manipulation techniques into your fashion design process. The fundamentals of e-commerce strategies and website design will also be taught in this module to provide a holistic understanding from textiles, fashion design to marketing of fashion products.	Year 2 Semester 2	30
School Core	Digital Fashion In this module, students are introduced to digital pattern making. The study of the software provides students with industrial knowledge of garment/ design workflow from creation, production to marketing with the use of 3D tool. You will learn to create digital garments, design in 3D environment and pattern/ fit amendment within 3D tool.	Year 2 Semester 2	10
Elective	Elective Electives are classes that students must take in addition to the core curriculum. Students may choose from a list of 40+ modules to explore personal interests, delve into specialised subjects, or in areas that align with their career goals or passions. Students are encouraged to complete the elective requirement (totalling 30 credits) by the end of Year 2.	Year 2 Semester 2	10
Faculty Core	Internship This one-semester module exposes students to real work environments through projects and practical training where they will gain a hands-on understanding of professional practices. All students must complete either the internship module or two industry-based learning (IBL) modules totalling 60 credits.	Year 3 Semester 1	60
Faculty Core	Industrial Attachment This one-term module exposes students to real work environments through projects and practical training where they will gain a hands-on understanding of professional practices. Students are required to complete either the Industry Project* module or Community Project module to fulfill the IBL component (totalling 60 credits).*	Year 3 Semester 1	30
Faculty Core	Industry Project This module is project-based and provides students the opportunity to conceptualise, plan and execute a project. It will be a real live client project that will put their studies into practice, developing their sense of responsibility and interpersonal skills in a professional environment. Students are required to complete either the Industry Attachment* module or Community Project module to fulfill the IBL component (totalling 60 credits).*	Year 3 Semester 1	30
Faculty Core	Community Project This module is project-based with the aim to improve the lives of the community at large. Students will work collaboratively with NGOs (Non-governmental organisation), non-profit organisations, etc, to effectively find initiative and art/design, in planning for the development for their communities. Students are required to complete either the Industry Attachment* module or Industry Project module to fulfill the IBL component (totalling 60 credits).*	Year 3 Semester 1	30
School Core	Fashion Specialisation Studies 3 Fashion design This module empowers you with essential skills for integrating research into the creative process of generating garment ideas in fashion design. It involves comprehensive research exploration guided by lecturers, extracting insights from market trends and thematic research. Subsequently, you translate ideas into tangible forms through 2D patternmaking and toile creation. The module emphasises practical garment construction techniques to bridge the gap between design creativity and wearable outcomes. It also explores translating and styling final products for the target audience, culminating in outcomes for visual merchandising. Skills acquired contribute to an individual final-year project, showcasing synthesis of research, design concepts, and technical proficiency, highlighting readiness for the professional realm of fashion design. Fashion Business The Fashion Business Final Year Project, a culmination of the diploma program, integrates acquired knowledge and skills to address real-world challenges in the dynamic fashion industry. Comprising four components, students explore brand curation, develop marketing plans, understand styling roles, and propose visual merchandising concepts. The project emphasises critical thinking, strategic analysis, and effective communication for a seamless transition into the professional realm. Fashion Textile This module imparts essential skills for applying research in textile pattern and print creation, extending to diverse surface decoration applications. It begins with a detailed research examination, emphasizing market trends and thematic influences in contemporary fashion. Guided by lecturers, you extract insights to grasp the dynamic industry and emerging design narratives. Post-research, you craft prints on textiles, forming the basis for an individual final-year project. Here, you contextualize and style final products, including outcomes for visual merchandising. This showcases your synthesis of research, design, and technical proficiency in innovative textiles for your portfolio and final graduation exhibition, highlighting your readiness for a professional transition in textiles and design.	Year 3 Semester 2	60

entry requirements

Find out about the specific entry requirements that apply to you.

NAFA hopes to attract applicants with the potential to become excellent arts practitioners. Applicants are selected by merit, based on the following criteria:

Portfolio/Admission Test Requirements
Educational Qualification
English Language Proficiency
Special Factor

Selection is competitive and is subject to the availability of places. However, the Academy may give consideration to talented applicants who excel in Artistic Talent and Creativity, but have not fully met the education qualification stated.

Portfolio/Admission Test Requirements

All applicants are to demonstrate their artistic potential through portfolio submission/admission test/audition as specified in each programme, in order to be considered for admission.

Applicants may select either (A) Portfolio Submission or (B) Admission Test.

(A) Portfolio Submission
You are to submit 10-15 images of recent art or design work, which should include a range of finished artwork as well as development work in preparing the finished artwork (sketches, mood boards, etc). Portfolios are assessed with the aim of identifying your creative and technical potential to undertake a programme in art and design.

(Allowed image file types: .pdf,.jpg,.jpeg,.png,.gif,.tif,.tiff,.bmp. Maximum image file size: 10 MB)
(Allowed video file types: .mpeg,.mp4,.mov,.m4v,.avi,.wmv,.flv,.asf,.mpg,.mp3. Maximum image file size: 200 MB)

The work submitted should preferably be not more than two years old. It may be the result of assigned class projects or independent exploration. It is recommended that the selected examples of work reflect your interests, experience and competencies in art and design.

Your portfolio should contain your original works from at least two of the following categories: paintings, drawings, collages, posters, sculptures, digital images (Photoshop, Illustrator, etc), photographs, and/or video clips.

Guidelines on taking photographs of artworks:

A clean background with no visual clutter distracting the artwork should be used.

The artwork should be evenly lit and there should not be any shadows cast on the artworks

You are also expected to write a statement of intent of about 100 words, stating your reasons for pursuing a programme of study in art and design. Please include your goals, interests and aspirations for the future.

The outcome of your application will be sent to you in 4 to 6 weeks after submission of all supporting documents and portfolio.

(B) Admission Test

The test consists of three sections (test duration: 2.5 hours):

Written Ability
Ability to express and rationalise in writing
Drawing from Observation
Ability to draw from observation
Creative Visualisation
Aptitude in creativity and visualisation

Admission Test Date
23 January 2025
27 March 2025
29 May 2025

Please note that you will be notified of the confirmed admission test date upon submission of your application, all supporting documents and application fee payment.

The last admission test for August 2025 intake is on 29 May 2025. If you missed the last admission test, you are required to submit your portfolio here within the next 5 working days from the application date.

Selected applicants may be asked to attend an in-person or online interview.

Educational Qualifications - Singapore

Minimum Educational Qualifications Required

Singapore-Cambridge GCE ‘O’ Level: Aggregate score of 25 points or better in 4 GCE ‘O’ Level subjects, excluding English.
Applicants who are active in their Secondary Schools’ Co-curricular Activities (CCA) may gain up to 2 CCA points. The CCA points can be used to improve their EQ aggregate score for admission consideration.
Types of bonus points No. of bonus points awarded
Grades of A1–A2 2 points
Grades of B3–C6 1 point
Singapore Integrated Programme: Successful completion of Year 4 or higher.
School of The Arts (SOTA): Successful completion of Year 4 or higher.
Institute of Technical Education (ITE):
- Full-time Higher Nitec or Nitec
- Part-time ITE certificate, with a minimum GPA of ≥ 2.0 for Higher NITEC holders or ≥ 3.5 for NITEC holders

Types of bonus points	No. of bonus points awarded
Grades of A1–A2	2 points
Grades of B3–C6	1 point

Educational Qualifications - International

Successful completion of at least 10 years of education.

Eligible international students will be able to use their mid-year examination results to apply for diploma programmes at NAFA. Applicants will be given conditional offer if they are successful in their portfolio interview/audition selection. Applicants are still required to submit their year-end examination results and meet the admission requirements of the respective programmes. Any applicant who does not meet the admission requirements will have his/her conditional offer revoked.

English Language Proficiency

The minimum English Language proficiency requirement:

Grade C6 at GCE ‘O’ Levels
TOEFL iBT 50
IELTS Academic Band 5
SAT score of 480 (Evidence-Based Reading and Writing component)
Duolingo score of 80
Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) score of 42
Qualifications equivalent to any of the above

Applicants with Higher NITEC or NITEC qualifications are deemed to have met the English Language proficiency requirement.

Special Factor

Recognition is accorded for prior achievements in areas relevant to intended studies.

Early Admissions Exercise

NAFA has the Early Admissions Exercise (EAE) that allows graduating O-Level students, final-year Nitec and Higher Nitec students from the Institute of Technical Education and graduating Integrated Programme (IP)/ International Baccaularette (IB) Year 4 students to apply and receive conditional admission prior to receiving their final grades.

The application will commence in June for the following year’s intake. Please check this page again in June.

Module Exemption

Applicants may receive module exemption of up to 180 credits, if they have taken and passed the same or similar modules in another institution. The granting of exemption and advanced standing may be subject to applicants passing a Portfolio Interview, Audition or Admission Test. Application for module exemption may be subject to a Portfolio Interview or Audition.

Applicants with GCE A-Level, International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma and IB Career-Related Certificate (IBCC)

Applicants who have completed GCE A-Level or IB Diploma will be eligible to be considered for module exemption (up to 120 credits) in the relevant programmes. Applicants from SOTA who have completed Year 4 and above are eligible to receive advanced standing (Year 1, Semester 2 or Year 2, Semester 1) in relevant Diploma programmes subject to their final or preliminary examination results.

Applicants with Higher Nitec/ Nitec:
Full-time ITE graduates from the following courses are eligible to apply for module exemption:

Higher Nitec in Architectural Technology
Higher Nitec in Visual Merchandising
Higher Nitec in Architectural Technology
Nitec in Interactive Media Design
Nitec in Interior & Exhibition Design
Nitec in Product Design
Nitec in Architectural Technology
Nitec in Interior & Exhibition Design
Nitec in Visual Communication
Nitec in Visual Effects

How to Apply

Get started on your quest to become an art & design professional today!

Apply online

Apply online here along with your application fees. Applications are open from October each year for the following year’s August intake.

For all programmes except Diploma in Arts Management ^, select either Portfolio Submission or Admission Test in the application portal.

Applicants may be asked to attend an interview in person or online.

Keep the Application Acknowledgement for your reference and submit the required documents

Send documents listed in the checklist to [email protected] for verification within five working days from the application date.

Make payment of the Application Fee at the cashier counter in NAFA or online

Make payment of the Application Fee at the cashier counter in NAFA or online at https://payment.nafa.edu.sg/Students. Applicants who are paying online will be required to upload the above documents during application.

Submit your portfolio/personal statement or receive test advisory

Submit your portfolio/personal statement or receive test advisory, according to the option you have chosen in Step 1.

Option A (Portfolio Submission): Submit your portfolio here after completion of the online application.
Option B (Admission Test): Receive a test advisory on the date of the Admission Test from the Student Admissions Office after verification of the required documents and payment of the Application Fee. Attend the Admission Test at NAFA with the required materials as indicated in the test advisory

Please note that you will be notified of the confirmed admission test date upon submission of your application, all supporting documents and application fee payment.

^ For Diploma in Arts Management: Submit personal statement and optional testimonial here. Applicants may be asked to attend an interview in person or online.

Application outcome

Receive the outcome of your application via email within 4 – 6 weeks after your Portfolio Submission/Interview/Audition or Admission Test.

Apply Now

Diploma in Fashion

Diploma in Fashion

TRANSFORM YOUR PASSION INTO A FASHION CAREER

Students' Work

Modules

entry requirements

Portfolio/Admission Test Requirements

Educational Qualifications - Singapore

Educational Qualifications - International

English Language Proficiency

Special Factor

Early Admissions Exercise

Module Exemption

How to Apply