B.A. in Fashion Design and B.S. in Fashion Merchandising (Marketing Minor)

Website: https://twu.edu/fashion/degree-programs/ba-in-fashion-design-and-bs-in-fashion-merchandising/

The B.A. in Fashion Design and B.S. in Fashion Merchandising, Marketing minor (2022-23) dual degree program provides graduates with the broadest knowledge of the fashion industry among all fashion degrees by preparing students to work in design, manufacturing, production, wholesale, and retail environments.  The Degree Requirements and Plan of Study outlined in this catalog for this dual degree program are specific only to those students that enter the program in Fall 2022, Spring 2023, or Summer 2023.

Marketable Skills

Defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's 60x30 Strategic Plan as, "Those skills valued by employers that can be applied in a variety of work settings, including interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skills areas. These skills can be either primary or complementary to a major and are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities."

B.A. in Fashion Design

  1. Recognize key fashion and consumer trends, predict those trends based on historic and contemporary components of the fashion industry, and utilize current trend information to complete market analysis and make product design decisions.
  2. ​Utilize the knowledge and values necessary to make sound decisions about the sourcing and production of fashion products, both domestically and globally, considering current laws and regulations, cultural ethics, trading barriers, global consumerism, and social responsibility.
  3. ​Develop and produce visual presentation boards to effectively communicate mood and/or product and marketplace trend information.
  4. ​Design and produce aesthetically pleasing apparel products and integrated fashion apparel collections utilizing basic and complex techniques for construction and fit while demonstrating knowledge of appropriate fabric selection, design principles, the design process, flat pattern making or draping, and line development for specific market segments and target customers.    
  5. ​Develop and write product specification sheets that include accurate costing and production details for finished products.
  6. ​Create digital, integrated fashion apparel collections through the use of technical design and line drawings, color stories, line sheets, color and print developments, fashion illustrations and renderings, and computer-based technology.
  7. ​Utilize professional communication and presentation skills to sell designs and products using creative and independent problem solving and conceptual understanding.

B. S. in Fashion Merchandising

  1. Recognize key fashion and consumer trends, predict those trends based on historic and contemporary components of the fashion industry, and utilize current trend information to make purchasing and promotional decisions.
  2. Utilize the knowledge and values necessary to make sound decisions about sourcing and purchasing fashion products from both domestic and offshore sources considering current laws and regulations, cultural ethics, trading barriers, global consumerism, and social responsibility.
  3. Develop and produce visual presentation boards to effectively communicate mood and/or product and marketplace trend information.
  4. Analyze costing, inventory, and sales data needed for the effective planning, pricing, allocation, and markdown of products at the retail level.
  5. Develop and execute fashion promotion activities including press releases, advertising campaigns, special events, store displays, social media communications, and branding.
  6. Articulate the knowledge and use of conceptual and critical thinking, quantitative and qualitative, profit-based research processes and practices utilized in the fashion industry.
  7. Evaluate the quality, serviceability, regulatory compliance standards, salability, trend-centered, and profitability characteristics of products considered for wholesale purchase and resale at the retail level.

Admissions

All applicants must meet the general undergraduate admission requirements.

  • Admitted TWU students applying to the Fashion Design program will be admitted provisionally until the completion of FT 1013, FT 2013, and FT 2113 with a grade of “C” or higher during the first enrollment at TWU or any other collegiate program.  The only exception to this requirement is withdrawal from FT 1013, FT 2013, or FT 2113 during the first enrollment for a serious issue that prohibits successful completion of the course.  A second enrollment is allowed only if the issue had been documented by the student and submitted to the Division Head of Fashion Design and Merchandising prior to withdrawal from the course during the first enrollment.  Possible approval for a second enrollment will be made by the Division Head after a face-to-face consultation with the student. 
  • Students transferring into TWU who previously completed any introductory sewing/apparel construction FT 1013, fashion sketching FT 2013, and/or flat pattern FT 2113 courses at another institution of higher education with grades less than “C” are not eligible for admission to the TWU Fashion Design program unless granted approval by the Division Head after a face-to-face consultation with the student prior to the first semester at TWU.
  • Students will be granted full admission to the Fashion Design program once all provisional requirements are met.  
  • Students not given full admission to the Fashion Design program will be required to complete a change of major. 

Degree Requirements

Total Semester Credit Hours (SCH): 156   

Major: 81 SCH;  Required Minor: 21 SCH

Program Code: FASHDESGN.BA/FASHMERCH.BS;  CIP Code: 50.0407.00/52.1902.00

Texas Core Curriculum

ENG 1013Composition I3
ENG 1023Composition II3
Mathematics3
Life & Physical Sciences6
Language, Philosophy, & Culture3
Creative Arts3
HIST 1013History of the United States, 1492-18653
HIST 1023History of the United States, 1865 to the Present3
POLS 2013U.S. National Government3
POLS 2023Texas Government3
Social & Behavioral Sciences3
CAO: Women's Studies3
CAO: First Year Seminar, Wellness or Mathematics3
Total SCHs42

Fashion Design Courses Required

Within the fashion design courses required, 27 of the 45 required hours must be upper-level semester credit hours.

FT 1013Principles and Techniques of Design Construction3
FT 2013Fundamentals of Fashion Sketching3
FT 2113Techniques of Pattern Design3
FT 2403Mass Production Techniques3
FT 3013History of Costume3
FT 3113Advanced Techniques of Pattern Design3
FT 3303Menswear Design and Production3
FT 3403Draping and Couture Techniques3
FT 4033Fashion Portfolio Development3
FT 4213Collection Design and Development3
FT 4303Computers in Fashion Design3
FT 4403Contemporary Tailored Design3
FT 4603Fashion Event Planning and Production3
FT 4966Internship in Fashion Design6
Total SCHs45

Fashion Merchandising Courses Required

Within the fashion merchandising courses required, 27 of the 39 required hours must be upper-level semester credit hours.

FT 1073Textiles3
FT 1083Fashion Aesthetics, Products, and Industries3
FT 2033Principles of Fashion Marketing3
FT 3023Career Development Strategies3
FT 3043Global Production and Trade3
FT 3063Fashion Promotion3
FT 3103Merchandise Planning and Control3
FT 4083Global Perspectives of Dress and Adornment3
or FT 3173 Global Fashion Study
FT 4103Advanced Merchandise Planning and Control3
FT 4113Retail Buying3
FT 4123Retail Product Management and Information Analysis3
FT 4976Internship in Fashion Merchandising6
Total SCHs39

Marketing Minor Courses Required

Within the business courses required, 15 of the 18 required hours must be upper-level semester credit hours.

ACCT 2043Fundamentals of Accounting I3
BUS 3513Professional Presentation Strategies3
MGT 3003Principles of Management3
MKT 3113Principles of Marketing3
MKT 4063Retailing3
MKT 4213Consumer Behavior3
Total SCHs18

Departmental Requirements

ART 1303Drawing Foundations3
ART 2223Digital Art Foundations3
ART 2303Figure Drawing3
CSCI 1203Computing Skills for a Digital World3
The Additional Program Requirements listed below apply ONLY if not completed through program-suggested general core requirements.
ECO 1013
Principles of Microeconomics (if not completed through general core requirements; the degree requires the completion of 3 hours of Economics from among ECO 1013 and ECO 1023; hours taken substitute for BUS 3513 in minor requirements)
or ECO 1023
 Principles of Macroeconomics
MATH 1703
Elementary Statistics I (if not completed through core requirements; the degree requires the completion of 6 hours of Math from among MATH 1013, MATH 1303, and MATH 1703; hours taken substitute for BUS 3513 in minor requirements)
or MATH 1303
 College Algebra
Total SCHs12

Recommended Plan of Study

First Year
FallTCCNSCHs
FT 1013Principles and Techniques of Design Construction (This course MUST be taken in the first fall semester of enrollment, and completed with a grade of "C" or higher during the first enrollment.) 3
FT 1083Fashion Aesthetics, Products, and Industries 3
ART 1303Drawing Foundations (This courses MUST be taken in the first fall semester of enrollment.) ARTS 13163
ENG 1013Composition I ENGL 13013
HIST 1013History of the United States, 1492-1865 HIST 13013
UNIV 1231Learning Frameworks: The First Year Experience EDUC 1100, EDUC 1200, EDUC 13001
Wellness/Mathematics CAO Core (Fashion Program-suggested courses of MATH 1013, MATH 1303, or MATH 1703 are strongly advised)2
 SCHs 18
SpringTCCN
FT 1073Textiles 3
FT 2013Fundamentals of Fashion Sketching (This course MUST be taken in the first academic year of enrollment, and completed with a grade of "C" or higher during the first enrollment.) 3
FT 2113Techniques of Pattern Design (This course MUST be taken in the first spring semester of enrollment, and completed with a grade of "C" or higher during the first enrollment.) 3
ENG 1023Composition II ENGL 13023
HIST 1023History of the United States, 1865 to the Present HIST 13023
Mathematics Core (Fashion Program-suggested core courses of MATH 1013, MATH 1013, or MATH 1703 are strongly advised)3
 SCHs 18
Second Year
FallTCCN
FT 2033Principles of Fashion Marketing 3
FT 2403Mass Production Techniques 3
ART 2303Figure Drawing ARTS 23233
ACCT 2043Fundamentals of Accounting I ACCT 23013
CSCI 1203Computing Skills for a Digital World COSC 13013
Life / Physical Science Core3
 SCHs 18
SpringTCCN
FT 3103Merchandise Planning and Control 3
FT 3403Draping and Couture Techniques 3
ART 2223Digital Art Foundations ARTS 23483
MGT 3003Principles of Management 3
POLS 2013U.S. National Government GOVT 23053
Social/Behavioral Science Core (Fashion Program-suggested core course of ECO 1013 or ECO 1023 is strongly advised to fulfill fashion course prerequisite requirements.)3
 SCHs 18
Third Year
FallTCCN
FT 3303Menswear Design and Production 3
FT 4113Retail Buying 3
FT 4303Computers in Fashion Design 3
MKT 3113Principles of Marketing 3
Creative Arts Core3
Language, Philosophy, and Culture Core3
 SCHs 18
SpringTCCN
FT 3023Career Development Strategies 3
FT 3063Fashion Promotion 3
FT 3113Advanced Techniques of Pattern Design 3
FT 4603Fashion Event Planning and Production 3
POLS 2023Texas Government GOVT 23063
Life/Physical Science Core3
 SCHs 18
SummerTCCN
FT 4976Internship in Fashion Merchandising 6
 SCHs 6
Fourth Year
FallTCCN
FT 3013History of Costume 3
FT 3043Global Production and Trade 3
FT 4033Fashion Portfolio Development 3
FT 4083
or 3173		Global Perspectives of Dress and Adornment
or Global Fashion Study		 3
FT 4403Contemporary Tailored Design 3
MKT 4213Consumer Behavior 3
 SCHs 18
SpringTCCN
FT 4103Advanced Merchandise Planning and Control 3
FT 4123Retail Product Management and Information Analysis 3
FT 4213Collection Design and Development 3
BUS 3513Professional Presentation Strategies 3
MKT 4063Retailing 3
Multicultural Women's Studies CAO Core3
 SCHs 18
SummerTCCN
FT 4966Internship in Fashion Design 6
 SCHs 6
 Total SCHs:  156