It is natural and common that students get confused about which courses they should pursue in the fashion and design field- B.F.Tech. or B. Des in India. They are generally confused and worried about their future career prospects and salary compensation. Both these courses belong to the same field of fashion design. However, they may be different but similar and connected too if we examine them in detail.
B.Des. is in interior and furniture design and conceptual design, whereas B.F.Tech. is more of fashion items' design, development, making and managing, and selling.
What is B.Des: Bachelor of Design or B.Des. is an undergraduate degree course. It is four years. The course is available at NIFT, NID, and many other colleges offering courses in design discipline. At some institutions, specialization is also offered like Textile design, Leather design, Accessory design, etc.
What is B.F.Tech.: Bachelor of Fashion Technology or B.F.Tech. is also a 4-year course offered in institutions like NIFT and many other colleges offering courses in design and fashion.
Eligibility
For both B.Des. and B.F.Tech. pass in class 12 is the basic minimum eligibility. There can be some specification of minimum percentage of marks in some institutions or colleges. General Ability Test for entrance exam.
For B.F.Tech. students should have learned Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics in Higher secondary study. Students who have passed 3 3-year diploma or 4-year degree courses in any Engineering branch are also eligible to take up B.F Tech course. The entrance test has a GAT plus a creative ability test.
Syllabus and focus
Though there are some overall general areas of the syllabus, the specific syllabus may vary in different institutions and colleges as per the specialization focused by them.
B.Des.is generally oriented towards Basic design skills and Conceptual skills. The focus is on the creative and artistic aspects of design. Hence syllabus includes Principles of Design, Creative visualization, Design Management, Art & Design, industry orientation, Marketing promotion, Merchandising, etc., etc. Computer-aided design, and manufacturing. Over the course period of 4 years, a variety of such and similar topics and areas will be covered. The course contains theory classes and practical workshops.
B.F.Tech. is oriented towards detailed training in fashion items design, production, pattern making, production management, quality control, retail management, and fashion marketing. It is specifically focused on fashion technology and the textile industry. Hence syllabus starts from the fundamentals of the structure of design, pattern making, production planning, entrepreneurship, database management, merchandising and retail management, quality control, application of technology and IT in the connected areas, etc. The highlight and focus are more towards practical and hands-on experience to make students industry-ready after passing the course.
Career scope and salary
B. Des. can have various job opportunities in the Garment manufacturing sector, jewelry design sector, Furniture, and other fashion marketing sectors, product design, and visual merchandise. Some examples of designations are Fashion Designer, Costume designer, Graphic Designer, Illustrator, Art Director, Architecture designer etc. The average salary ranges from Rs.2 Lakhs to Rs. 4 lakhs, depending on the institution, skills of the candidate, employer, location, etc. There are chances to get a higher salary also.
B.F.Tech.: Opportunities as Pattern makers, Fit Analysts, Merchandising executives, Apparel/Garment Production managers, Apparel Quality control managers, There is scope for self-employment and entrepreneurship and manufacturing. The salary can range from Rupees Three Lakhs to Rupees Five Lakhs. It depends on the candidate's skill, institution passed from, employer, location of job, etc. Suitable candidates get placed with higher salaries also. Those wanting to go for higher studies can go for Post Graduate course M.F.Tech.
What to do before applying
While we can see from the above that both courses have similar syllabi and scope, there are certain minute differences. Aspiring students may do detailed homework and understand the focus and skills training in the two different courses. Students should also know about their creative or technological orientation talents and aptitude. They should also have at least a general awareness of the specialization given by the major and reputed institutions and colleges. It is also suggested that students surf the websites of the major fashion brands and be aware of the career opportunities with them.
It is only recently that our youth have discovered the ample potential of career and compensation in the fashion field. Hence nowadays many students have shifted their interest from conventional courses to courses in fashion design. There is scope to work with many reputed national and international brands in the fashion industry for B.Des. or B.F.Tech. graduates.
Author: Sheo Shankar Jha Post Date: 15 Jul 2024 We cannot discriminate which one is better. At first, glance, since both the courses are healthy options, what is important is how much inclination a candidate has in selecting their desired course. A candidate can do homework considering the different parameters in favour of the course.
B.F.Tech stresses more on theoretical aspects and after completing the course, a candidate will have a sound footing in working in a garment manufacturing company. This course is exclusively for students with a science background in Class 11 and 12 of a recognised board. If a candidate chooses a B.Des course, he must have sound sketching skills irrespective of the stream in Class 12.
The scope of B.F.Tech in our country is limited currently but there is plenty of scope in foreign countries such as Africa, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia etc. In the case of B.Des., they have opportunities to get recruited by fashion designers.