The Global Fashion Concentration course (グローバルファッション専修) is part of Bunka Gakuen University’s Graduate School department of Fashion and Living Environment Studies (生活環境学研究科), and is one of the master programs under the umbrella of Clothing Science Studies (被服学専攻).

The Global Fashion Concentration focuses on research from the fields of Art History, Design history, Art Science, Visual Studies, and Representation studies. Students who wish to apply for the course should take this into consideration when developing their personal research themes.

The GFC program offers an integrated approach to fashion education, linking theory with practice. The aim is to strengthen students’ academic research and writing abilities, while guiding them through the development and the realization of an overarching practical work. Our focus lies on academic research, but this research will act as a base of the overarching practical expression. During the two-year program, students will develop ① a Master thesis, and ② a practical work.  

① Through the Master thesis, students will develop their academic researching and writing skills. With the guidance of their supervisor, they will decide on an appropriate research question, and propose logical answers to it. The results will be written down in a Master thesis. The research conducted for the Master thesis stands in direct connection with the practical work. 

Using their research as a base, students will develop ② a practical work. The students will focus on the research, the development, the planning, and the execution of a project, and will write up their results in a final portfolio. The practical work is directly connected to the thesis topic of the students, and aims to bridge the research that students conduct in the academic world to the broader society. Students will develop a concrete plan for the realization of their project, and will execute this plan leading to the realization and presentation of their project.

Through conducting research on an academic level, students are engaged to approach their practical project from an academic perspective. On the other hand, through the realization of the practical work, students will be able to disseminate their academic research on a broader societal level. This will allow them to contribute to the fashion field in an original way.

During the program, students will take part in design classes and workshops that will develop a deeper understanding towards fashion design and creation, while participating in classes that will encourage their academic thinking and writing. Students will also take up general classes such as “Japanese Art and Design” or “Basic Japanese” in order to develop a more profound understanding of Japan, the country they will be residing in during the program.