Skip To Main Content
;

Course overview

Whether you’re a costume maker looking to advance your design interpretation and construction skills, or a designer keen to explore innovative three-dimensional approaches to costume, our hands-on practical course provides you with a holistic postgraduate experience.

Our range of modules enable you to explore your practice through research and experimentation as you develop your individualised and specialised approach to costume realisation.

Opportunities for working on productions also help you identify professional frameworks for collaboration, research and employment. By the end of the course, you graduate as an accomplished, resourceful and creative costume practitioner and researcher with a strong portfolio of practice which is showcased in an end of year exhibition.

 Course highlights

Course highlights

  • Cultivate your specialised costume practice as a maker, designer or researcher. Whether your background is in costume, textiles, fashion, design for theatre and performance, this course enables you to deepen your practical and critical engagement with costume
  • Realise your creations by working in a range of performance areas from theatre and ballet to film and digital environments, and from music festivals to historical reenactments and cosplay 
  • Connect with industry professionals and contribute to the flourishing field of costume research
  • Benefit from our exclusive spaces and resources, including all materials and haberdashery included in your course fees

What You Will

Study

  • Year 1

Student showcase

Explore creations from recent MA students

  • Student

    stories

    "LIPA gives you the freedom to discover new things about yourself and style and niche as a maker. The masterclasses are second to none and are rich in knowledge and methods that you take with you for years to come. "

    Lisa Howaniec - (Graduated 2021)

    Lisa Howaniec Quote Icon

How You Will

Study

  • Workshops
    Workshops
  • Lectures
    Lectures
  • Seminars
    Seminars
  • Productions
    Productions
  • Exhibitions
    Exhibitions
  • Independent study
    Independent study
  • Group Work
    Group Work
  • Masterclass
    Masterclass

How You Will Be

Assessed

Assessment revolves around your development as a creative researcher and practitioner. You document, analyse and defend your work. Assessment includes portfolios, verbal presentations, presentation of made work, as well as critical and reflective analysis. There are also oral examinations. You can undertake a conventional dissertation as an alternative to a final piece of practice.

Practical/written work ratio

80% practical work / 20% reflective work

Alternative formats for written/ reflective work include podcasts, presentations, vivas, videos blogs, journals etc.

Validation

LIPA aims to have probationary degree awarding powers from September 2025 (subject to Office for Students approval). This is an exciting step, allowing us to take full control of our curriculum and course portfolio. In the unlikely event LIPA does not achieve probationary degree awarding powers, our degrees will be validated by Liverpool John Moores University.

What Our

Graduates Do

Graduates from this course will have the skills to work as costume practitioners in a range of performance areas. The course's focus on developing a comprehensive costume realisation practice within a realistic working environment equips you to take on a variety of roles in the industry. You will also acquire key research skills enabling you to contribute academically to the dynamic costume research community.

Yihui Shi (2021)

Designer in a British equestrian costume company in Shanghai, where she designs, researches and develops fabrics. MA Costume Making

Connor Sullivan (2022)

Costume designer and technician who is costume shop manager at the Metropolitan State University of Denver, Colarado. Leads team responsible for the costume construction process for productions by the Department of Theatre and Dance.

Entry

Requirements

You are expected to have a good degree (2:1) in a relevant discipline or practical experience of costume construction and tailoring, with experience of making made to measure garments.

You are expected to have a good degree (2:1) in a relevant discipline or practical
experience of costume construction and tailoring, with experience of making made
to measure garments.

International students also need to meet our English Language requirements of 6.5 overall score for IELTS, with a minimum of 5.5 for each of the 4 individual components (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening). Other equivalent English language examinations will be considered. You can find out more about English Language requirements here.

Educational qualifications are important but limited in what they can tell us about you.

Your natural ability, your fit with what and how we teach, your growth and your potential are also key factors in our admission process. We can’t evaluate these solely on your educational achievements, so no matter which course you are applying for, we look for the following attributes on your application and at the interview stage.

Key

Attributes

1

Knowledge, Ability and Experience

We want to hear about your costume making experience to date, both in training and/or your professional career. If you do not have a degree in costume design or a related subject, we would like you to demonstrate that you have substantial costume making experience.

2

Commitment

We want to know how you have pursued your costume career and continued to develop your craft since graduation. If you are applying to us directly from an undergraduate course, we are interested in how you have been preparing for your future professional career and any relevant experience outside of your course. If you do not have a degree, we want to hear what you have done which demonstrates an advanced interest in costume making.

3

Ability To Work Effectively with Others

You’ll be working collaboratively on complex projects, often under pressure. You’ll work with students from other disciplines, teachers and industry professionals. We want to see that you are able to communicate ideas, respond to direction thoughtfully and can provide critically-informed and considered feedback.

4

Broad Interest and Engagement

We look for evidence that you have a natural curiosity and interest in the world around you and are able to draw from a wide range of experiences and influences in your work. We want to see that you are prepared to embrace all of the opportunities that we offer on this course and more broadly within the Institution.

5

Self-Awareness

We’d like to know why you’re applying to us and how you think this course will support your development as a costume maker and contribute to your specific career goals. We’d like to see that you have a firm understanding of your strengths and weaknesses.

6

A Spirit of Enterprise

We want to see how you have used your own initiative. We would especially like to hear if you have worked on independent creative projects outside of any training you may have undertaken.

View the programme specification on the LJMU course catalogue here