Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Fashion Merchandising
DURATION
8 Semesters
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Feb 2025
TUITION FEES
USD 1,463 *
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning, On-Campus
* per unit for international students / USD 1,239 per unit for domestic students
Introduction
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.
Unit Requirements
| Major Coursework | Units |
| Major | 30 |
| Liberal Arts | 45 |
| Elective | 9 |
| Core | 36 |
| Total | 120 |
Degree Requirements
BFA Fashion Merchandising Degree Requirements
- A minimum grade of C- in all core courses, major courses, and LA 107 Writing for the Multilingual Artist or 108 Composition for the Artist
- Minimum 2.0 GPA and the following general education requirements:
- 1 Written Communication: Composition
- 1 Written Communication: Critical Thinking
- 1 Written Communication: Context & Style
- 2 Art Historical Awareness: Western Art
- 2 Art Historical Awareness: Surveys
- 1 Historical Awareness
- 1 Cultural Ideas & Influences
- 1 Employment Communications & Practices
- 1 Fundamental Math
After the above general education requirements are met, take Liberal Arts electives as needed to fulfill the Liberal Arts unit requirement.
Program Outcome
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 a 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 the 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 that can be used to market themselves to the industry
Academy of Art University Learning Outcomes
Graduates of the Academy of Art University will demonstrate the ability to:
- Produce a body of work suitable for seeking professional opportunities in their chosen field of art and design.
- Solve creative problems within their field of art and design, including research and synthesis of technical, aesthetic, and conceptual knowledge.
- Communicate their ideas professionally and connect with their intended audience using visual, oral, and written presentation skills relevant to their field.
- Execute technical, aesthetic, and conceptual decisions based on an understanding of art and design principles.
- Evaluate work in their field, including their own work, using professional terminology.
- Recognize the influence of major cultural and aesthetic trends, both historical and contemporary, on art and design products.
- Learn the professional skills and behaviors necessary to compete in the global marketplace for art and design.
Curriculum
Semester 1
- FSH 105: Introduction to the Fashion Business
- FSH 107: Visual Communication Tools for Fashion
- FSH 120: Color Science and Fabric Technology
- FSH 145: Fashion Marketing 1
Semester 2
- FSH 119: Fabric and Fiber Technology
- FSH 161: Digital Techniques for the Fashion Business
- FSH 252: Visual Merchandising 1
- LA 108: Composition for the Artist
- LA 120: Art History Through the 15th Century
- LA 255: College Math
Semester 3
- FSH 210: Fashion Manufacturing
- FSH 250: Buying Fundamentals
- LA 244: History of Fashion
- LA 291: Designing Careers
Semester 4
- FSH 213: Fashion Marketing 2
- FSH 215: Retailing and Management
- FSH 323: Fashion Trend Analysis
- FSH 350: Private Label Product Design
- FSH 368: Accessories Merchandising
- LA 202: English Composition: Creative Persuasion & Argument
Semester 5
- FSH 184: Styling
- FSH 347: Inventory Management & Planning
- LA 121: Art History Through the 19th Century
- LA 410: E-Commerce
Semester 6
- FSH 316: International Retailing/Global Marketing
- FSH 369: Merchandising: Beauty Products
- FSH 375: Fashion Merchandising Strategies
- LA 110: Writing the Short Story
- LA 245: History of Jewelry and Metal Arts from Around the World
- LA 292: Programming & Culture
Semester 7
- FSH 348: Digital Marketing and Social Media
- FSH 450: Entrepreneurship in Fashion
- FSH 464: Fashion Retail Management & Operations
- LA 218: Blogging: Content Creation & Promotion
Semester 8
- FSH 390: Professional Practices and Portfolio for Fashion Business
- FSH 460: Merchandising: Industry Collaboration
- LA 171: Western Civilization
- LA 260: French 1: Basic Grammar & Speech
- LA 315: Social Media Strategies
- PRO 316: Social Media Data Analytics
Program Tuition Fee
English Language Requirements
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