COURSES OFFERED: Apparel Design (APD), Fashion Buying & Merchandising (FBM), Marketing (MKT), Retail Business Management (RET), Interior Design (INT)

The following curricula are offered by this Department:

Apparel Design (A.A.S.) - Qualified students have the opportunity to complete the Associate in Applied Science degree in the field of fashion design. Draping, fashion art –  including computer design, patternmaking and garment construction –  will be taught, using techniques and equipment employed in industry. Students will develop the skills necessary to translate their original sketches into finished garments. In addition to their coursework, students are encouraged to participate in industry-sponsored and community events. During the spring semester, students produce a fashion show, showcasing the fourth semester students’ lines and the term garments of the first-year students. Students will participate in an internship program in a design firm studio. The academic and practical experiences attained in this program provide a basis for employment as a technical designer, assistant designer, stylist or patternmaker. Graduates may transfer to a four-year college to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. Because of the creative and technical nature of this area of study, applicants are asked to submit a portfolio of their artwork. Guidelines for this informal portfolio interview will be sent to students in a letter requesting they schedule an appointment for portfolio review.

Fashion Buying & Merchandising (A.A.S.) -Students have the opportunity to specialize in a concentration of applied fashion merchandising courses. Specialized courses include:  Fashion Advertising and Promotion, Introduction to Menswear, Fashion Apparel, Introduction to Import Buying, Fashion and Home Accessories, Fashion Coordination and Publicity, and Interior Design. As part of the program, students will study textiles, visual merchandising, retailing and retail buying. The student will also have the opportunity to participate in a Cooperative Work Experience Program gaining valuable on-the-job experience. The degree prepares students for positions in resident buying offices, fashion manufacturers, designers' showrooms, retail stores, fashion publications and other firms associated with the fashion industry.

Interior Design/Home Furnishings - These programs are designed to prepare skilled, pre-professionals for immediate job placement in the interior design/home furnishings field as design assistants, stylists, showroom representatives, retail design/sales associates, assistant CAD (Computer Aided Design) designers, assistant colorists and trainees for design publications. The A.A.S. degree, a licensure qualifying program, consists of a liberal arts component and technical courses developed in accordance with current industry standards. It provides students with the required skills to work and grow in the field and with the academic background to pursue studies leading to a four-year degree. The Certificate program consists of technical courses developed in accordance with current industry standards.

Marketing (A.A.S.) - The marketing option is designed to satisfy the requirements of marketing and management organizations that seek competent personnel for positions of responsibility in business. Graduates of this program are trained for employment as industrial sales agents, management trainees, assistant managers of sales personnel and sales promotion, assistants in marketing research and assistants in warehousing and transportation management. The Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree is a base for a business career upon graduation or continued education at four-year institutions.

Retail Business Management (A.A.S.) - Students in retail business management are prepared for merchandising and management careers in such retail enterprises as department and specialty stores, resident buying offices, chain organizations and small businesses. The program includes an on-the-job work assignment in community department stores and other firms. This practical experience prepares graduates for initial positions as junior executives in the areas of buying, merchandising and store operations.
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