Fashion Merchandising

Fontbonne University

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Fashion Merchandising (BS)

Program Details

Do you follow the latest fashion trends? Do the words fast-paced, exciting and adaptable describe your lifestyle? Can you appreciate the value of personal style? Our fashion merchandising program could be the right fit for you.

Fashion merchandising is all about change. It is an interdisciplinary field of study that provides students with the ability to identify the many roles clothing plays in our lives – be it social, psychological or economical. It is a major that will require you to have enthusiasm, motivation, attention to detail and the desire to live in a fast-paced world.

Why Fontbonne?

Our curriculum covers many areas of the fashion industry, from technical knowledge to creative expression.
Working as an individual and with teams, you’ll gain both theoretical and practical knowledge.
Students in our program have the opportunity to participate in local, regional, national and international fashion events – including The Fashion Group International and study tours.
You might even study abroad in fashion hot spots.
Fashion merchandising students also experience in-depth internships that help develop a keen awareness of the fashion industry and prepare you for the real world. You’ll have the opportunity to work in a variety of retail, corporate, and manufacturing settings, which will sharpen your skills on many levels.
At Fontbonne, our fashion merchandising program is housed within the department of human environmental sciences.
Our mission is to strengthen and enrich the quality of life for individuals and families across the lifecycle.
We believe that fashion merchandising graduates who understand the role that the fashion industry plays in bringing goods and services to enhance personal and family values are well-equipped to compete in an ever-changing global community.

What can I do with my degree?

Careers in fashion merchandising are rewarding and exciting.
The variety of opportunities in the industry attracts graduates with many different interests, goals, and abilities.
Some career fields will require you to have artistic creativity and originality, while others require use of your business know-how and management skills.
A degree in fashion merchandising opens doors to work as retail store managers, fashion event coordinators, visual merchandisers, market researchers, buyers and product developers.
Fashion is always in demand, and so are our graduates.
Recent graduates are employed in areas such as market representatives and product development specialists for companies such as May Merchandising, Brown Shoe Company and The Limited, as well as smaller boutiques and specialty stores.

Fashion Merchandising Curriculum

Our curriculum covers many areas of the fashion industry, from technical knowledge to creative expression. Working individually and in teams, students gain both theoretical and practical knowledge that they can take into the workforce after graduation. “You get to see what actually goes on and how relationship in the market world are developed.” (2003 Intern).
Students in the Fashion Merchandising program have the opportunity to participate in local, regional, national, and international fashion events, such as The Fashion Group International events, study tours, and study abroad programs. As one of our recent graduates told us, “The experience of real life situations is true learning. In the classroom you can only imagine.” For a copy of the Fashion Merchandising curriculum guide sheet, please click here.

Internships

Our students also experience in-depth internships that help develop a keen awareness of the fashion industry and prepare the student for the “real world.” Our students have worked in a variety of retail, corporate, and manufacturing settings, and find that their senior year work experience is demanding, but invaluable.

Recent interns have worked at sites such as Greenbriar Hills Country Club Pro Golf Club, Elan Polo, Nordstrom: Brass Plum Shoe Department, Dillard’s, Silverado, Angelo (new York City), Laurie Solee Boutique, Femme Boutique, Classic Trends Boutique, Tommy Hilfiger, Ultra Diamonds, First Southern Bank, Mary Engelbreit Studios, and Azalea Agency.

Help Along the Way

At Fontbonne, we believe that your education is a partnership, and the faculty, staff and administration is your partner in helping you achieve your goals. In the Fashion Merchandising program, we help you in these ways:

Advising Students in the Fashion Merchandising program are assigned to one of the full-year faculty advisors who will assist them as they select courses and plan for graduation. Advisors meet one-on-one with students and get to know each student’s strengths and needs. Rogene Nelsen and Joyce Starr Johnson personally advise all Fashion Merchandising students. To learn more about Rogene Nelsen and Joyce Starr Johnson click here.

Communication There is a large bulletin board on the 3rd floor of the Science Building dedicated to the Fashion Merchandising program. Current news and events are posted on this board, as well as employment opportunities and other noteworthy information. Students should look at this board periodically to keep abreast of special events and news.
Faculty also maintain a list of both current students and alumni so that job openings and other industry news can be quickly shared. We encourage students to use electronic communication as often as possible.

Department Meetings Each semester all students in the HES department are invited to a meeting to meet departmental faculty, to learn about departmental policies, and to receive a copy of the HES student handbook which outlines many of the requirements for the program. Students have the opportunity to meet the chair of the department, as well as other students in the department.

Program Luncheons Each semester the Fashion Merchandising faculty hold a luncheon prior to advising week to inform students about procedures and upcoming events. This is generally a very informal time when students can ask questions and get to know one another better.

Professional Development

We encourage students to work on professional development every day. Through study tours that take them out of town, to attending Fashion Group International meetings right here in St. Louis, students can learn what it really takes to be a professional in the world of fashion. As one participant in the 2003 study tour to Dallas told us, "Career Day was excellent. The seminars gave me a better understanding of the different positions there are. Listening to people in the business talk about their jobs and what they do helped me with deciding what I want to do when I graduate."

The Fashion Group International is a professional organization representing all areas of fashion including retailers, designers, educators, beauty and more. The organization has 43 regions worldwide, including one right here in St. Louis. The St. Louis region has monthly events that are posted on the Fashion Merchandising bulletin board outside of SC322. The web site for FGI is www.fgi.org.

How can I find out more?

For further information about studying fashion merchandising at Fontbonne, contact our office of admission at 314-889-1400 or 1-800-205-5862, or via email at fadmiss@fontbonne.edu. You may also apply for admission online.
 

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