RMIT’s Master of Fashion (Entrepreneurship) program has been awarded the 2025 Global Graduate Entrepreneurship Education Excellence Award by the International Council for Small Business (ICSB). The recognition places the Melbourne-based program among a select group of educational models shaping the future of entrepreneurial learning worldwide.
A Classroom That Extends Into the City
At the center of the program’s success is a distinctive educational approach. Students do not learn entrepreneurship solely through lectures and case studies. Instead, the city itself becomes part of the curriculum.
Throughout their studies, students engage directly with fashion houses, manufacturers, design studios, retailers, and community organizations. Industry visits, structured excursions, and applied consulting projects transform Melbourne’s fashion ecosystem into a hands-on learning environment. The result is an experience that blends academic rigor with direct exposure to professional practice.
Program leaders describe their philosophy: entrepreneurship is a practice to be lived, not just a theory to be taught.
From Coursework to Company Creation
Over two years, students develop real ventures from concept to launch. Each course builds toward a final capstone in which students present fully developed business models rather than hypothetical ideas. This embedded incubator structure gives students time, structure, and mentorship to test, refine, and grow their ventures within the safety of an academic environment.
The outcome is measurable. Approximately 15 percent of graduates launch their own businesses, a notably high figure for postgraduate entrepreneurship programs. Alum companies range from apparel and accessories to digital platforms and sustainable fashion brands.
Many graduates also move directly into leadership and specialist roles across the global fashion industry, with employers such as Chanel, Dior, Hugo Boss, LVMH, and high-growth Australian brands drawing directly from the program’s talent pipeline.
A Global Student Community
The program is also notable for its international character. More than 90 percent of students come from outside Australia, creating a richly global classroom. To support this diversity, the program emphasizes community-building, peer mentoring, and cross-cultural learning alongside technical skill development.
Students are guided not only in building businesses but also in building professional networks and personal confidence. Alums remain closely connected, often returning as guest speakers, mentors, and collaborators for new cohorts.
Education With Broader Purpose
Alongside venture creation and career development, the program places strong emphasis on responsible business, sustainability, and long-term value creation. These themes are woven into courses on branding, supply chains, leadership, and global markets, ensuring that graduates are prepared to build businesses that are both commercially viable and socially aware.
Several alum ventures now operating in Australia and abroad reflect this balanced approach, combining innovation with long-term industry contribution.
From Local Program to Global Model
The Master of Fashion (Entrepreneurship) has previously received international recognition, including a Top 10 global ranking by Business of Fashion. Its influence is now expanding further with the development of a comprehensive Routledge textbook, scheduled for international release in 2026, which will document its complete pedagogical framework for adoption by educators worldwide.
Within RMIT itself, the program’s methods have already been adapted into other business and entrepreneurship degrees, confirming its broader relevance beyond fashion.
Why ICSB Took Notice
ICSB’s award honors programs that combine innovation, measurable impact, and the ability to serve as global models. In selecting RMIT’s program, the committee cited its distinctive industry integration, strong graduate outcomes, global reach, and consistent record of educational excellence.
In the words of one senior university leader, the program now stands as “a blueprint for the future of entrepreneurship education across disciplines.”
A Window Into the Future of Entrepreneurship Education
As economies continue to evolve and industries become more interconnected, programs like RMIT’s Master of Fashion (Entrepreneurship) offer a glimpse of how higher education is changing—toward learning that is immersive, applied, global, and deeply connected to real economic ecosystems.
In Melbourne, students are not simply preparing for future careers.
They are already building them.
ICSB Best Entrepreneurship Education Excellence Award (Graduate Program):
2025: Carol Tan and Dr. Saniyat Islam, Master of Fashion (Entrepreneurship) Program – School of Fashion and Textiles, RMIT University , https://www.rmit.edu.au/about/schools-colleges/fashion-and-textiles, Melbourne, Australia
2024: Raphael Gaudart, HEG – School of Management Fribourg, Switzerland, https://www.heg-fr.ch/en/, Fribourg, Switzerland
2023: Eric Clinton, DCU Business School, https://business.dcu.ie/, Dublin, Ireland
2021: Judith Marecek and Darsel Keane, The University of Auckland’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship,https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/cie.html, Auckland, New Zealand