Fashion Merchandising

Brown School of Business and Leadership

Department of Business Administration 

Chair: Zamira Simkins, Ph.D.

Description

The fashion merchandising program is designed to provide majors in the program with an understanding of merchandising as it relates to the apparel and retail industries. The focus is on the business and marketing aspects of merchandising, particularly how the production, distribution, and promotion of goods and services in fashion and retail are developed and delivered to the consumers. International emphasis on the industry is provided as there is an increased blending of apparel manufacturing, distribution, and retail from a global framework.

Graduating students can expect to find employment in such positions as fashion and retail planning, buyers, visual merchandising, fashion and retail promotion, product managers, and retail store management.

Objectives

Upon completion of the Bachelor of Science in Fashion Merchandising, graduates will be able to:

  1. Analyze, develop, construct, and execute effective marketing strategies for a specific fashion or retail operation.
  2. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of consumer behavior and choose appropriate professional techniques in the display and sales of fashion and retail goods.
  3. Identify and interpret style and retail trends as they relate to fashion and retail cycles as well as targeted consumer markets.
  4. Interpret, assess, and respond to economic and market factors that affect consumer fashion and retail demand.
  5. Select appropriate solutions utilizing a working knowledge of specific areas of domestic and international marketing, management, and law as they relate to the business operations of fashion and retail merchandising.
  6. Employ sophisticated personal communication and technology skills to enhance job effectiveness.

Policies

Students must earn a minimum GPA of 2.50 in the major. The lowest acceptable grade is a "C" in all courses listed in the catalog under "Program Requirements" for the major, including both courses in the major and SEE courses required by the major. No student, regardless of major, will be permitted to advance to the next course without earning a grade of "C" or better in the prerequisite course(s). When a grade below "C" is earned in a major course, the student must repeat that course.

A course may be repeated once without special permission. Those who do not successfully complete a major course with a grade of “C” or better after a third attempt will not be allowed to continue in the fashion merchandising program.

Requirements

The courses listed below are required for completion of the bachelor's degree in fashion merchandising. Students must also complete the requirements for the Stevenson Educational Experience (SEE).

Specific pre- and co-requisites for each course are listed in the course descriptions.

Major Requirements:

FYS 100First Year Seminar

1 credit

ACC 215Survey of Accounting

3 credits

EC 202Principles of Microeconomics

3 credits

FDES 200Textiles

3 credits

FDES 274History of Fashion

3 credits

FMER 210Fashion and Culture

3 credits

FMER 223The Business of Fashion

3 credits

FMER 290Internship Preparation

1 credit

FMER 315Writing for Fashion

3 credits

FMER 320Fashion Retailing

3 credits

FMER 323Fashion Product Merchandising

3 credits

FMER 340Merchandise Sourcing and Logistics

3 credits

FMER 360Visual Merchandising

3 credits

FMER 390Internship

3 credits

FMER 430Fashion Merchandising Capstone

3 credits

FMER 470Portfolio

1 credit

GDES 125Fundamentals of Digital Media

3 credits

INBUS 325/MKT 325International Marketing

3 credits

IS 135MS Office Applications

3 credits

LAW 208Business Law

3 credits

MGT 204Principles of Management

3 credits

MGT 210Business Writing

3 credits

MKT 206Principles of Marketing

3 credits

MKT 311Consumer Behavior

3 credits

MKT 336Integrated Marketing Communication

3 credits

Suggested Course Sequence

2019-2020 Fashion Merchandising SCS

Minor in Fashion Merchandising

The minor in Fashion Merchandising is designed for students interested in the business of fashion.  It prepares students to understand the role of apparel in today’s marketplace and the relationship between the fashion and production apparel industries.

The minor in fashion merchandising requires successful completion of a minimum of six courses and 18 credits with a FMER prefix, which focus on fashion and culture, fashion retailing, product merchandising, and fashion communication. General guidelines regarding minors may be found in the Minors section of the catalog.

Course Descriptions

See Fashion Merchandising Course Descriptions