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
• Analyze research to develop concepts and applications in contemporary fashion marketing and the business marketplace
• Identify changes, trends, and opportunities in the global fashion business, consumers, and products

Fashion Marketing

• Apply market research to develop competitive business and marketing plans appropriate for various fashion businesses and target consumers
• Analyze fashion marketing and business trends, consumer, technology, and innovation in a global marketplace
• Identify and evaluate traditional, digital, and social media marketing tools and trends to develop effective branding and marketing strategies
• Develop and manage budgets for marketing and promotion strategies and executions

Technical Skills

• Work effectively with industry-standard software to demonstrate and communicate concepts and plans professionally

Presentation Skills

• Create visual and written presentations professionally that reflect a point of view consistent with the product, target consumer, and brand
• Communicate research and concepts professionally and effectively through audience-appropriate visual aids
• Effectively pitch concepts and ideas
• Apply the conventions of standard written English to write professionally

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.

Academy of Art University offers some of the best training and hands-on experience to help accelerate your career. We pride ourselves in doing an exceptional job preparing you to excel in your future fashion careers. Our degree programs are designed to equip aspiring fashion professionals with a comprehensive toolbox of marketable skills that lead to success in the fashion industry.

Fashion Designer

Based on your conceptual vision, your grasp of fashion direction, and your ability to anticipate designs that will appeal to consumers, you will transform your fashion inspirations into original collections of clothing. Sketch, select colors and fabrics, and give direction to make the products you design.

Design Director

Oversee trends, color, and fabric direction for upcoming seasons across all product lines as a design director for a fashion label. You will manage design teams, oversee manufacturing and marketing, and set the direction for a brand voice to create the future of fashion.

Executive Editor

Responsible for overseeing, planning, and directing all editorial content, the executive editor is the voice of any fashion publication. You will develop budgets, manage staff and contractors, oversee quality control, and innovate in the print and digital spaces in this fast-paced industry.

Fashion Editor

Supervise the process of creating, developing, and presenting content for a fashion magazine as a fashion editor. You will supervise teams, conceptualize, and style photo shoots, curate photography, research industry trends, and choose items for publication in this fast-paced and exciting career.

Patternmaker

Turn a designer’s vision into a finished garment as a pattern maker. You will break down garment designs into workable patterns, transfer them onto fabric, and create the design blueprints for manufacturing.

Stylist

As a fashion stylist, you will provide on-set art direction for editorial and catalog fashion shoots and support merchandising strategy with the brand and theme-based shoots

Knitwear Designer

You will create ideas for a range of products, including sweaters, cardigans, knit jackets and coats, knit dresses, and knit accessories. A wide variety of environments will be open to you - from retail brands to boutiques to freelancing, and you will work with apparel manufacturers to create men's, women's, and children's fashions for the mass market.

Textile Designer

You will research, draw, and design seasonal prints for fashion, interiors, and other surfaces using both hand-drawing and computer skills. Design repeat patterns and graphic prints for the home and apparel. Create and inspire the next wave of textile designs.

Visual Merchandising Director

As a visual merchandising director, you will help promote the image, products, and services of retail and wholesale businesses. You’ll create eye-catching displays using visual and graphic elements and organize brand-related special events.

Unit Requirements

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: Context & Style
  • 1 Written Communication: Critical Thinking
  • 2 Art Historical Awareness: Surveys
  • 2 Art Historical Awareness: Western Art
  • 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.

Curriculum

Semester 1

• FSH 105: Introduction to the Fashion Business (Core)
• FSH 107: Visual Communication Tools for Fashion (Core)
• FSH 145: Fashion Marketing 1 (Core)
• LA 101: Freshman Symposium: Artistic Resilience (Liberal Arts)

Semester 2

• FSH 120: Color Science and Fabric Technology (Core)
• FSH 161: Digital Techniques for the Fashion Business (Core)
• FSH 252: Visual Merchandising 1 (Core)
• LA 108: Composition for the Artist (Liberal Arts)
• LA 120: Art History Through the 15th Century (Liberal Arts)
  Recommended for summer
• LA 255: College Math (Liberal Arts)
  Recommended for summer

Semester 3

• ADV 207: Creative Strategy (Major)
• FSH 215: Retailing and Management (Core)
• FSH 250: Buying Fundamentals (Core)
• LA 119: Fabric and Fiber Technology (Liberal Arts)

Semester 4

• FSH 210: Fashion Manufacturing (Core)
• FSH 213: Fashion Marketing 2 (Major)
• FSH 323: Fashion Trend Analysis (Major)
  Recommended for summer
• FSH 345: Brand Marketing (Core)
• LA 202: English Composition: Creative Persuasion & Argument (Liberal Arts)
  Recommended for summer
• LA 291: Designing Careers (Liberal Arts)

Semester 5

• FSH 305: Fashion Public Relations (Major)
• FSH 350: Private Label Product Design (Core)
• FSH 385: Marketing Promotion Strategy (Major)
• FSH 500: Internship in Fashion (Elective)

Semester 6

• FSH 316: International Retailing/Global Marketing (Major)
• FSH 348: Digital Marketing and Social Media (Major)
• LA 110: Writing the Short Story (Liberal Arts)
  Recommended for summer
• LA 171: Western Civilization (Liberal Arts)
  Recommended for summer
• LA 244: History of Fashion (Liberal Arts)
• LA 410: E-Commerce (Liberal Arts)

Semester 7

• FSH 363: Special Event and Promotion (Major)
• FSH 450: Entrepreneurship in Fashion (Major)
• LA 292: Programming & Culture (Liberal Arts)
• PRO 317: Social Media Management (Elective)

Semester 8

• FSH 390: Professional Practices and Portfolio for Fashion Business (Core)
• FSH 460: Merchandising: Industry Collaboration (Major)
• FSH 500: Internship in Fashion (Elective)
• LA 121: Art History Through the 19th Century (Liberal Arts)
• LA 245: History of Jewelry and Metal Arts from Around the World (Liberal Arts)
  Recommended for summer
• LA 480: The Small Business Entrepreneur (Liberal Arts)
  Recommended for summer