Fashion Merchandising

Fashion Merchandising Fundamentals

A career in fashion merchandising requires creativity and business saavy — in this field you will have an integral role in the healthy and successful lives of individuals, families and, ultimately, society as a whole.

UA's unique program offers students a choice of three specialization tracks — apparel, home furnishings or fiber arts — and enables students to apply a two-year associate degree toward a baccalaureate degree.

Fashion merchandising students at UA study:

• fashion theories
• aesthetics
• selling
• promotion and retailing
• textiles and textile product analysis
• marketing
• historic costume
• social-cultural aspects of dress
• apparel construction
• computer applications in merchandising
• global issues

Professional Preparation

Coursework will prepare you to:

• enter the fields of fashion and furnishings
• Pursue an M.A. in Family and Consumer Sciences — Clothing, Textiles and Interiors

Our Faculty

• are talented, caring, highly qualified
• place a premium on personal attention and excellent advising
• work side-by-side with students to help turn aspirations into accomplishments

Akron Advantage

Recognized excellence

The American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences has accredited UA’s Fashion Merchandising Program and all of the programs in the School of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Outstanding facilities in Schrank Hall South:

• textiles laboratory
• historic costume collection
• fiber arts laboratory
• computer laboratory

 UA’s Student Fashion Association enables students to:

• network with professionals and potential employers
• benefit from professional development opportunities
• participate in guest lectures, field trips, career fairs and fashion shows

 Real-world Experience

 An internship course is required of all fashion merchandising majors at the conclusion of their third year in the program. Recent placements include:

• Gap
• JCPenney
• Dillard’s
• Macy’s
• Victoria’s Secret
• The Limited
• Westminster Fibers
• Gucci
• Prada
• Nordstrom
• Misti Alpaca
• DKNY
• Ralph Lauren
• Cosmo Girl magazine
• Marie Claire magazine
• Coats and Clark

Fashion Merchandising Student Organization

Interact with other art students and professionals in the field through organizations such as:

• Student Fashion Association

Curriculum Guide

• Apparel — B.A.
• Home Furnishings — B.A.
• Fiber Arts — B.A.

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