Design Studies - About the Department

About the Department

The Department of Design Studies is home to TUT’s Fashion Design & Technology and Jewellery Design & Manufacture programmes.

The new Diploma in Fashion Design & Technology continues in the Art & Design stream with a far more intense vocational focus on the interconnectedness between the core themes, namely design and construction. You will be provided with a skill set that will see you exploring the variety of possibilities contained in the fashion and apparel industry. The Diploma in Fashion Design & Technology aims to prepare you for employment and self-employment in a practical way or to further your academic studies. Indigenous knowledge incorporated into the course will assist in developing locally-grounded students who can think globally and contextualise relevant design solutions at home. The Diploma in Fashion Design & Technology aligns with the vision and mission of TUT as it aims to implement technology, nurture innovation, entrepreneurship, and community engagement throughout your three-year experience, creating original, resourceful, and self-reliant graduates.

The purpose of the Diploma in Jewellery Design and Manufacture is to graduate students who can contribute, in line with social and economic transformation, to the economy of South Africa as trained jewellers/jewellery designers, through employment or via entrepreneurial endeavours. You will be empowered with creative and technical skills and abilities, namely visual and manual skills in jewellery design and manufacture, creativity and innovation, research skills, and conceptual and critical thinking. These skills and abilities contribute to a vocation or career as a creative or commercial jeweller, and to the jewellery industry and economy of South Africa.