Sustainable Fashion: A Handbook for Educators

7

In the United States, the number of years students take to
attain the different qualifications are generally as follows:

Degree Years to Completion

Associate’s Two years

Bachelor’s Four years

Master’s Two years beyond the

bachelor’s degree

Doctorate Three years beyond the

master’s degree

In the Netherlands, Bachelors’ degrees are 3-4 years and
Masters’ 1-2 years.

Austria: See answer to question c.

In Poland, students take courses for 3 to 5 years in
technical schools, 2 years in vocational schools, 3 years for
a BA and 5 for an MA.

f. How is that time divided up (e.g. semesters, terms)?

Most universities and colleges in the United States, The
Netherlands, Austria and Poland use semesters.

In the United States, these are 15 or 16 weeks long and
the primary teaching semesters are Fall and Spring, though
some courses are often available in shorter 4 to 8 week
sessions in the summer. A few universities and colleges
offer a 4 to 5 week winter session as well.

In Austria, the winter semester runs from the beginning of
September to the beginning of February, and the summer
semester from the beginning of February to the beginning
of July.

In the UK, this depends on the institution. Some have three
terms per year, some have two semesters. Most British
degrees work on three terms.

Some Dutch institutions use trimesters.

g. What terms are used to describe the activities

students engage in for learning (e.g. assignments,

essays, projects, etc.)?

There is no set answer in any country. Terms used in

many of the countries include assignments, essays, design

projects and collections, homework, research projects,

journals, critiques, debates. Other terms/activities include

modules, theses, production schedules, business plans,

presentations...even examinations!

contrIButors

United States: Marsha Dickson, Professor and Chairperson

of Fashion & Apparel Studies, University of Delaware;

President and Founder of Educators for Socially

Responsible Apparel Business.

UK: The steering group of the Association of Fashion and

Textile Courses - Contact: Brenda Sparkes M(Des)RCA,

Chair of the Association of Fashion and Textile Courses,

and Academic Team Leader, Applied Design, Nottingham

Trent University School of Art and Design.

The Netherlands: Jan Piscaer, Lecturer at Amsterdam

Fashion Institute.

Austria: Ruth Buchauer, Südwind Austria.

Poland: Kasia Szeniawska and Anna Paluszek, Coordinators,

Fashioning an Ethical Industry, http://www.modnieietycznie.pl.

coursEs and QualIFIcatIons