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Studies & Degrees in Leather Industry

Leather industry studies cover the chain that turns raw hides and skins into leather and then into footwear, bags, gloves, upholstery and other goods. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) describes leather and its downstream industries as the world's largest industrial sector based upon a by-product: the raw material comes from the meat industry, and tanning converts a putrescible material into a stable and marketable product. UNIDO also points out that the demand for leather has no impact on the number of animals slaughtered.

It is a small, specialised subject. Few institutions teach it, and they sit in three different places: chemical and process engineering (tanning and finishing), product design and manufacturing (footwear and leather goods), and vocational training for the workshop and the factory.

What students learn

The engineering side deals with the chemistry of tanning, process control, product quality and the environmental impact of tanneries. The master's degree in leather engineering at the Universitat de Lleida, for example, is built around the chemical side of the sector, eco-innovation and process sustainability, and quality management of leather for markets such as the automotive, aeronautical and footwear industries. UNIDO's training material follows the same lines, with e-learning courses on tannery effluent treatment, cleaner technologies, occupational safety and health, and footwear pattern making.

The manufacturing side teaches how leather is cut, assembled and finished. Spanish vocational courses cover the selection of materials, pattern making, cutting, stitching, assembly and finishing of footwear and leather goods, and the technical design of leather finishes with CAD-CAM.

Qualifications and levels

  • Master's degree in Spain: the Universitat de Lleida teaches the Máster universitario en Ingeniería del Cuero at its Igualada campus. It has 60 ECTS credits over two semesters, has run since the 2022-23 academic year, is taught on site in Catalan, Spanish and English and offers 20 places. Applicants need a bachelor's degree or any official university degree.
  • Vocational training (FP) in Spain: the family Textil, Confección y Piel includes the Técnico en Calzado y Complementos de Moda, a 2,000-hour grado medio, and two 2,000-hour grado superior diplomas: Diseño y Producción de Calzado y Complementos and Diseño Técnico en Textil y Piel. The former higher diploma in tanning, Técnico Superior en Curtidos, appears on the ministry's list as no longer in force.
  • Bachelor's level in Belarus: the Faculty of Manufacturing Technology of Vitebsk State Technological University offers four-year specialities in the technology and design of clothes and footwear, and a speciality and a master's degree in the manufacture of clothing, footwear and leather goods. The faculty describes itself as the only one in Belarus that trains specialists for the textile, clothing and footwear industries.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 2 schools for this subject: the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) in Barcelona and Vitebsk State Technological University in Belarus. On UPC's current list of master's degrees, the related programme is the Máster universitario en Diseño y Tecnología Textiles in Terrassa; the official master's degree in leather engineering appears on the list of the Universitat de Lleida, at its Igualada campus. Ask UPC directly which leather-related teaching or research it offers today.

Outside Europe, UNIDO's directory of leather education institutions includes SENAI's leather technology centre in Brazil (Centro Tecnologico do Couro), the Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje (SENA) in Colombia and the Institute of Leather Engineering and Technology of the University of Dhaka in Bangladesh. Because provision is so limited, check the language of instruction and the entry requirements with each institution, and ask what official recognition the qualification has in the country where you want to work.

Careers

Graduates of the engineering route work in tanneries, in chemical companies that supply them, in manufacturers of leather articles and in research centres. The Universitat de Lleida names head of research and development and head of production or innovation as typical roles, and notes that leather is used in sectors such as aeronautics, the automotive industry, furniture, footwear, and fashion and accessories.

The Spanish FP diplomas lead to jobs such as leather cutter, cutter of leather goods and gloves, technical designer of footwear and leather goods, technician in leather finishing, engraving and printing, and quality control technician for textile and leather materials.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an official university degree in leather in Spain?

Yes, at master's level: the Máster universitario en Ingeniería del Cuero of the Universitat de Lleida, taught at the Igualada campus, with 60 ECTS credits.

What do I need to enter the leather engineering master's?

A bachelor's degree or any official university degree, according to the university. The programme offers 20 places and is taught in Catalan, Spanish and English.

Can I train for the leather industry without going to university?

Yes. In Spain there are 2,000-hour FP diplomas in footwear and fashion accessories and in the technical design of textiles and leather. The older higher diploma in tanning is no longer in force.

Does leather production increase the number of animals slaughtered?

According to UNIDO, no: raw hides are by-products of milk and meat production, and the demand for leather has no impact on the number of animals slaughtered.