Studies & Degrees in Textile Industry
Textile Industry Study Programs
Textile industry studies deal with how fibres become yarns, fabrics and finished products, and with how the companies that make them are run. The field has two sides. Textile engineering and technology cover materials, spinning, weaving, knitting, dyeing, finishing and production management. Textile design covers pattern, colour and structure for fashion, interiors and other uses. Many programmes mix the two, and technical textiles used in industries like healthcare, construction and aerospace have widened the subject well beyond clothing.
What students learn
An engineering programme starts from science and industrial processes. The bachelor's degree in textile technology and design engineering at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), for example, builds on the common subjects of industrial engineering and then teaches the fundamentals of textile materials and processes, the development of textile products and industrial garment making, linear textile structures and nonwovens (technical and smart textiles), treatment and finishing operations and biopolymers, together with logistics and business management.
A design programme starts from making. London Metropolitan University describes its Textiles BA as a course on textile design for interiors, fashion, community work and wellbeing, fine art and accessories, spanning hand-worked traditional skills to digital industry software. Students experiment with processes that may include print, knit, weave and stitch, and projects are delivered with industry partners.
Vocational courses concentrate on production. The Spanish diploma in textile manufacturing and finishing teaches students to read technical sheets, select raw materials, prepare dye baths and treatment pastes, and set up machinery for each stage of the process.
Qualifications and levels
- Spain, university: the UPC bachelor's degree (Grado en Ingeniería de Tecnología y Diseño Textil) takes four academic years and 240 ECTS credits and is taught in Terrassa. It is an official degree entered in the ministry's register and gives access to the regulated profession of ingeniero técnico industrial. UPC gives an approximate price of €1,061 per year (€1,800 for non-EU residents). The same school teaches a one-year, 60 ECTS master's degree in textile design and technology.
- Spain, vocational training (FP): Técnico en Fabricación y Ennoblecimiento de Productos Textiles is a 2,000-hour grado medio, and Técnico Superior en Diseño Técnico en Textil y Piel is a 2,000-hour grado superior.
- United Kingdom: according to the National Careers Service, a textile designer can take a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in subjects such as textile design, fashion and textiles, or textile technology; a degree usually requires 2 to 3 A levels or equivalent. There are also apprenticeships, such as the Textile Technical Specialist Level 4, which take around 2 years and combine training on the job with off-site study.
- United States: textiles are usually taught within four-year bachelor's programmes. SUNY Buffalo State University, for instance, has a Fashion and Textile Technology department with a baccalaureate programme.
- China: the College of Textiles of Donghua University in Shanghai, established in 1951, has departments of textile engineering, knitting and garment engineering, nonwoven materials and textile materials, among others. It reports more than 1,200 undergraduate students, 800 graduate students and 60 overseas students.
Where to study
SpainExchange lists 10 schools for this subject in six countries: four in the United States, two in the United Kingdom and one each in Spain, China, Brazil and Slovenia. They include London Metropolitan University and The University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, SUNY Buffalo State University and the University of California, Davis in the United States, Donghua University in Shanghai, the University of Maribor in Slovenia and Marbella Design Academy in Spain, a private design school that teaches in English.
The language of instruction follows the country, so check it course by course; UPC, for example, publishes the language of each subject in its course guides. Before choosing, decide which side of the industry you are aiming for. An engineering degree asks for mathematics and science and leads to production and development roles. A design degree is built around studio work and a portfolio. For private schools and for programmes outside your own country, ask the school what official recognition the qualification has.
Careers
Graduates work for spinning, weaving, knitting and finishing companies, for fashion and home textile brands and for makers of technical textiles. UPC lists product development, production management and quality management, industrial projects, consultancy, international trade and environmental roles. Buffalo State mentions technicians in testing labs who set safety and performance standards, CAD designers, colourists and sourcing specialists. The Spanish FP diplomas lead to jobs such as textile finishing technician or technical designer of textile prints with CAD-CAM.
Professional bodies offer a route for further recognition. The Textile Institute, an international association, awards professional qualifications and accredits courses; its stated mission is to promote professionalism in all areas associated with the textile industries worldwide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between textile engineering and textile design?
Engineering deals with materials, processes and production, on a base of industrial engineering subjects. Design deals with the look and structure of fabrics, through processes such as print, knit, weave and stitch. Some programmes combine both.
How long does a textile degree take?
The UPC bachelor's degree in Spain takes four years and 240 ECTS credits, and its master's one more year. Spanish FP diplomas take 2,000 hours, and UK apprenticeships in textiles around 2 years.
Can I enter the textile industry without a university degree?
Yes. Spain has vocational diplomas at grado medio and grado superior level, and the United Kingdom has college courses and apprenticeships that combine a job with study.
Is textile study only about fashion?
No. Programmes also cover home textiles and technical textiles, which are used in industries like healthcare, construction and aerospace.