Fashion Merchandising (BFA)

The Bachelors of Fine Art in Fashion Merchandising provides a foundation in fashion merchandising and fashion management. It includes major functions necessary to run a successful operation that plans, manages, and sells fashion products. Through hands-on Fashion Merchandising classes in buying, planning, product management, and retail management, students will develop the skills and knowledge required for a successful career in today’s global retail operations.

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Degree
Core Classes

This program is available online and on campus

School of Fashion

FSH 100

Drawing for Fashion Core/3

Develop foundational skills in design sketching through observation and replication. You will become familiar with body proportions, basic human anatomy, and figure balance.

FSH 105

Fashion Business: Concepts Core/3

You will be introduced to the concepts of fashion retail and wholesale merchandising, fashion materials, producers of fashion, and various fashion markets.

FSH 110

Creative Concepts for Fashion Core/3

Focus on original and creative hands-on development for collections. Color, fabrics, proportion, silhouette, customer, and wearing occasion are explored through 2D and 3D development.

FSH 120

Color Science & Fabric Technology Core/3

Color and fabric are concepts that drive creativity, novelty, and innovation. You will explore how fashion professionals apply color and design principles at all levels of the industry. You will study how textile fibers and other fabric characteristics affect garment performance.

FSH 145

Fashion Business: Marketing 1 Core/3

Put fashion marketing theory to practice. You'll develop marketing research techniques to determine consumer wants and to create fashion marketing strategies. You will learn to conceive, produce, promote, and move new fashion goods and services to consumers.

FSH 161

Fashion Business: Digital Techniques Core/3

Use professional software to communicate visual information. Learn to work fluidly between programs to create fashion line layout, concept boards, and detailed specification for reproduction.

FSH 164

Fashion Sewing Techniques Core/3

Get the cutting and sewing skills for work in the apparel industry. You will learn both hand finishing and machine sewing techniques in wovens and create a notebook documenting your new skills.

FSH 252

Visual Merchandising: Retail Spaces & Customer Engagement Core/3

Learn the techniques retail organizations use to sell product. You will learn about the visual tools available, including fixtures, mannequins, signage, lighting, and props.

FSH 385

Fashion Business: Marketing Promotion Strategy Core/3

Promotional strategies for fashion. You will create an integrated marketing plan including advertising, direct mail, publicity, public relations, personal selling, special events, and social networking.

FSH 390

Fashion Business: Professional Practices & Portfolio Core/3

Explore careers in fashion. You will examine career options, develop personal branding and resumes, prepare for job interviews, and build digital and physical portfolios to support your transition from student to professional in the fashion industry.

Degree Requirements

Unit Requirements	Units
Core	24
Sophomore Portfolio	3
Senior Portfolio	3
Major	39
Electives	9
Liberal Arts	42
Total	120

BFA FASHION MERCHANDISING DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Minimum grade of C- in all major coursework.
Minimum 2.0 GPA and the following general education requirements:
4 Art Historical Awareness courses
1 Creative Communication course
1 Written Communication: Critical Thinking course
1 Fabric & Fiber Literacy course
1 Fundamental Math course
1 Historical Awareness course
1 Cultural Ideas & Influences course
1 Employment Communication & Practices course

After above general education requirements are met, take Liberal Arts electives as needed to fulfill the Liberal Arts unit requirement.

Additional Information

Liberal Arts

Program Learning Outcomes

Undergraduate students will meet the following student performance criteria:

Research and Concept Development

Conduct thorough market and consumer research using industry-standard research tools and methods
Identify trends, consumer changes, and market opportunities in the global fashion marketplace
Analyze research to develop merchandising concepts and applications in contemporary fashion marketing and business marketplace
Produce creative and original merchandising concepts
Apply merchandising concepts to advance point of view or concept appropriate for the market changes, target customer, and business types

Fashion Merchandising

Source, edit and select the appropriate product for a target customer
Apply merchandising skills and develop product assortments for the selected channels
Conduct a fashion business analysis and create an effective business plan (sales assortment plan, finances plan and marketing plan)

Technical Skills

Work effectively with industry standard software to demonstrate and communicate concepts and plans professionally

Presentation Skills

Create professional visual and written presentations that reflect a point of view consistent with product, target consumer, and brand
Communicate ideas and merchandising concepts professionally and effectively using fashion industry vocabulary
Communicate ideas and merchandising concepts professionally and effectively using audience-appropriate visual aids
Effectively pitch concepts and ideas
Apply the conventions of standard written English to all professional written communication

Collaboration Skills

Work effectively in a team

Professional Readiness

Create a relevant and original portfolio and collateral materials which can be used to market themselves to the industry