2022-2023 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2022-2023 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Fashion Merchandising, B.S.


The Fashion Merchandising major provides students with a specialized core of fashion courses supported by business and liberal arts classes giving students the opportunity to choose from a variety of career options upon graduation. The fashion courses provide students with a thorough understanding of textile and apparel industries, including apparel and textile production and evaluation methods, apparel product development, buying, management skills, marketing processes, branding concepts and strategies, forecasting, promotion methods, and business skills relevant to merchandising. Special program opportunities and features include local, domestic, and global industry study tours and a required internship. Specific employment opportunities include wholesale and retail buying, retail management, visual merchandising, fashion marketing, and product development.

The International Textile and Apparel Association, Inc. (ITAA), a professional organization of textile, apparel, and retail scholars in education, business, government, and industry has developed goals for students graduating from textile, apparel, merchandising, and design institutions. The fashion merchandising curriculum integrates these voluntary goals throughout the curriculum.

Baccalaureate Degree and Residency Requirements

All requirements for an undergraduate degree are listed under Academic Policies and Regulations  in the undergraduate introductory section in this catalog. These requirements include a graduation requirement of at least one course in religion or theology. All courses required for the minor must be completed with a grade of C- or better.

Learning Outcomes


In March of 2008, the International Textile and Apparel Association approved a set of core competencies as a benchmark for four-year baccalaureate programs in textile and apparel-related programs to use in curricular development and planning.  Outlined below are the Program Outcomes for Fontbonne University’s Fashion Merchandising Department, which reflect overarching themes established by ITAA.1These outcomes are a combination of verbatim competencies identified by ITAA, or adaptations of them to more accurately reflect the goals of our major. 

 

CONTENT AND PROCESS KNOWLEDGE 

  • Analyze the various industry sectors of the apparel supply chain 
  • Examine the effects of economic, environmental, global, social, and political factors on the diffusion of products, services, and ideas 
  • Interpret the global interdependence of the text and apparel industry sectors 
  • Assess historic, sociocultural, and psychological factors that influence dress and affect human behavior, aesthetic self-expression, and social interaction 

PROFESSIONAL ATTITUDES AND SKILLS 

  • Evaluate issues of social responsibility, professional behavior, and ethics as they relate to and impact individuals, organizations, and corporations 

General Education Requirements


The 42 credit hours of general education requirements are presented in the General Education  section in this catalog. A course that meets a general education requirement may also meet a course requirement in the major or a course requirement in another discipline.

The following specific general education courses must be chosen to meet the requirements for this major: Choose one of the following for Social & Behavior Sciences Pillar: