Fashion Merchandising A.A.S.

School: Business and Professional Careers
Academic Dept: Business
HEGIS: 5004

Important Note about Program Requirements

The requirements listed below are for students entering into this program from Fall 2024 to Summer 2025. Students who entered the program during a prior semester will find their specific requirements listed in the Catalog under which they entered. Archived Catalogs are accessible through the dropdown menu above.

Program Description

The Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree program in Fashion Merchandising is for students who love style, have an interest in merchandising, buying or a desire to work in textiles, product development, visual merchandising, styling, or fashion social media. These students will be prepared for a variety of career opportunities in the dynamic, creative, and challenging world of fashion. The Fashion Merchandising program combines fashion studies with business courses that will prepare students for positions in resident buying offices, fashion manufacturers, designers’ showrooms, retail stores, fashion publications, and other firms associated with the fashion industry.

After graduation, students may either begin their careers or may choose to transfer to bachelor’s degree programs in colleges which offer Fashion Merchandising degrees, such as the upper division of the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), LIM College of Fashion, Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) and other four-year colleges which offer fashion-related degrees.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, a student will:

Demonstrate understanding of fashion theory, technology, and terminology.
Demonstrate understanding of the fashion consumer and the buying process.
Apply knowledge of the fashion consumer, fashion theory, technology, and terminology to fashion retailing scenarios.
Demonstrate understanding of how to measure profitability in the fashion industry using industry metrics.

Program Requirements

64 credits are required for the degree:

General Education - 23 credits
Required Degree Courses - 41 credits

General Education Requirements - 23 Credits

Communication - Written and Oral (3 credits): ENG 101 - Writing and Research
Humanities (3 credits): ENG 102 - Writing and Literature
Mathematics (and Quantitative Reasoning) (4 credits): MATH 131 - College Algebra
Natural Sciences (and Scientific Reasoning) (4 credits): BIOL 101 - Principles of Biological Science (and Lab)
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice (3 credits): Choose ONE from the following, HIS 110 - U.S. History Colonial-1800 , HIS 111 - 19th Century U.S. History , HIS 112 - 20th Century United States History , HIS 133 - African American History to 1865 , OR HIS 134 - African American History from 1865 to Present
Social Sciences (3 credits): ECON 101 - Macroeconomics
The Arts (3 credits): ART 101 - Drawing 1

Where specific courses are not listed within the categories above, courses must be selected from the list of all General Education Courses .

Required Degree Courses - 41 credits

Program Map

The program map is a recommended semester-by-semester schedule of courses based on degree requirements and serve as a general guideline to help students complete their program in two years. Although designed for full-time enrollment, these are easily adaptable for part-time study. For additional, individualized guidance, students should review Degree Works and consult an Academic Counselor or Faculty Advisor to ensure they are on track to complete their program.

Semester 1

Course	Credits
CIS 110 - Computer Information Systems	3
ENG 101 - Writing and Research	3
FASH 105 - Introduction to the Fashion Industry	3
MATH 131 - College Algebra	4
MGT 101 - Business Organization and Management	3
Semester Total Credits	16

Semester 2

Course	Credits
ACC 119 - Financial Accounting	4
ART 101 - Drawing 1	3
ENG 102 - Writing and Literature	3
FASH 205 - Textiles in the Global Marketplace	3
MKT 101 - Marketing	3
Semester Total Credits	16

Semester 3

Course	Credits
COMM 109 - Speech Communication	3
ECON 101 - Macroeconomics	3
FASH 206 - Visual Merchandising and Display	3
MATH 140 - Statistics	4
MKT 203 - Advertising	3
Semester Total Credits	16

Semester 4

Course	Credits
BIOL 101 - Principles of Biological Science (and Lab)	4
Choose from HIS 110 - U.S. History Colonial-1800 , HIS 111 - 19th Century U.S. History , HIS 112 - 20th Century United States History , HIS 133 - African American History to 1865 , HIS 134 - African American History from 1865 to Present	3
FASH 215 - International Fashion Buying	3
FASH 231 - Fashion Product Development	3
Major Elective	3
Semester Total Credits	16

Minimum Total Credits: 64

Transfer Opportunities

Westchester Community College is committed to facilitating a smooth transfer process to ensure that graduates of the college are prepared to transfer with junior status, and are able to complete a bachelor’s degree within two years of full-time study upon transfer. View 4-year institutions’ transfer agreement information by program here.

Career Opportunities

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