Fashion Industry & Merchandising BS
Major: Fashion Industry & Merchandising
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science (BS)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 181.0
Co-op Options: One Co-op (Four years)
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 52.1902
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 13-1022
About the Program
Drexel's innovative Fashion Industry & Merchandising major integrates visual design, merchandising, and business insight for the fashion lifestyle industries. The Bachelor of Science degree educates students to conceptualize, plan, develop, market, and measure the opportunity for products and services for consumers through physical stores, online channels, televised content, and interactive media. Students develop thorough knowledge of how products come to life through sustainable textiles, design, and production, and strategize the optimal assortment, inventory, and pricing for business goals. The multidisciplinary curriculum, based on both theory and practice, is delivered through immersive, experiential learning. Graduates work across the fashion lifestyle industries engaged in creative strategies, dynamic merchandise assortments, and new product lines for global consumer markets.
The program is ranked in the top four of fashion merchandising colleges in the United States by Fashion-schools.org and in the top fifteen of fashion and business management programs in the world by Business of Fashion and highlighted as best overall, best in global influence and best in learning experience. Drexel is one of the nation’s top universities located in Philadelphia, the sixth largest city, with easy access to the city’s rich cultural life, vibrant design scene, and pivotal retail and entrepreneurial marketplace. From buying and fashion marketing to sustainability and product development, companies in Philadelphia, New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, and other cities offer students a variety of career paths in wholesale, retail, textiles, sourcing, media, marketing, visual merchandising, and public relations.
Discover a Dynamic Future in the Fashion Lifestyle Industries
Students will participate in Drexel’s renown cooperative education (co-op) program, spending six months away from the classroom gaining in-demand career skills, bringing products and services to consumers, and receiving exposure to valuable industry networks. Co-op employers include Anthropologie, Lagos, Nuuly, Few Moda, Urban Outfitters, Michelle Marie PR, Marchesa, Free People, CS Global Group, and others.
Students take fashion business courses that promote real-world project-based learning. Students work in functional teams exploring business challenges and mapping out opportunities. Industry professionals and fashion merchandising entrepreneurs mentor students and critique business strategies.
Students expand their global intelligence through robust study abroad options from Drexel Global, including the highly popular London College of Fashion, Accademia Italiana in Florence, Sustainable Fashion in Paris, and Korean Fashion Industry in Seoul.
Students will tailor their interests and passions via career pathway electives allowing targeted study in ecommerce, fashion marketing, communications, magazine and media publication, product development, entrepreneurship, and others. Students also produce the award-winning Design & Merchandising Magazine.
Students will learn in a fashion merchandising program that has sustainability integrated throughout the curriculum along with courses that evaluate the intersection of society, culture, and fashion.
Additional Information
For more information about this major, visit the Westphal College of Media Arts and Design.
Degree Requirements
General Education Requirements | ||
CIVC 101 | Introduction to Civic Engagement | 1.0 |
COOP 101 | Career Management and Professional Development * | 1.0 |
ENGL 101 | Composition and Rhetoric I: Inquiry and Exploratory Research | 3.0 |
or ENGL 111 | English Composition I | |
ENGL 102 | Composition and Rhetoric II: Advanced Research and Evidence-Based Writing | 3.0 |
or ENGL 112 | English Composition II | |
ENGL 103 | Composition and Rhetoric III: Themes and Genres | 3.0 |
or ENGL 113 | English Composition III | |
ENVS 160 | Environment in the News | 2.0 |
ENVS 260 | Environmental Science and Society | 3.0 |
GEO 111 | Natural Disasters | 3.0 |
MATH 119 | Mathematical Foundations for Design | 4.0 |
UNIV A101 | The Drexel Experience | 1.0 |
Required Arts and Humanities | ||
COM 220 | Qualitative Research Methods | 3.0 |
COM 230 | Techniques of Speaking | 3.0 |
Arts and Humanities elective | ||
Select 3.0 credits from the following 100-400 level courses (including T380 and T480): ** | 3.0 | |
Any AFAS (Africana Studies) | ||
Any ARTH (Art History) | ||
Any ARCH (Architecture) | ||
Any COM (Communication) | ||
Any DANC (Dance) | ||
Any ENGL (English) | ||
Any FMST (Film Studies) | ||
Any GST (Global Studies) | ||
Any HIST (History) | ||
Any INTR (Interior Design) | ||
Any IST (International Studies) | ||
Any JWST (Jewish Studies) | ||
Any LANG (Language) | ||
Any MENA (Middle East & North Africa Studies) | ||
Any MUSC (Music) | ||
Any PHIL (Philosophy) | ||
Any PHTO (Photography) | ||
Any PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) | ||
Any PBHL (Public Health) | ||
Any RELS (Religious Studies) | ||
Any SCRP (Screenwriting & Playwriting) | ||
Any THTR (Theater) | ||
Any TVST (Television Studies) | ||
Any VSCM (Graphic Design) | ||
Any WGST (Women's and Gender Studies) | ||
Any WRIT (Writing) | ||
Social Science Requirements | ||
Select 9.0 credits from the following 100-400 level courses (including T380 and T480): *** | 9.0 | |
Any AFAS (Africana Studies) | ||
Any ANTH (Anthropology) | ||
Any CJS (Criminology and Justice Studies) | ||
Any CS (Computer Science) | ||
Any ECON (Economics) | ||
Any ENSS (Environmental Studies & Sustainability) | ||
Any ENVS (Environmental Science) | ||
Any PSY (Psychology) | ||
Any PBHL (Public Health) | ||
Any SOC (Sociology) | ||
Any WGST (Women's and Gender Studies) | ||
Visual Studies Requirements | ||
ARTH 103 | History of Art III | 3.0 |
Select two of the following: | 6.0 | |
Asian Art and Culture | ||
Art of India | ||
Art of China | ||
Art of Japan | ||
Contemporary Art | ||
History of African-American Art | ||
African Art | ||
Global Material Culture | ||
Special Topics in Art History | ||
Special Topics in Art History | ||
PHTO 110 | Photography | 3.0 |
VSST 101 | Design I | 4.0 |
VSST 102 | Design II | 4.0 |
VSST 103 | Design III | 4.0 |
VSST 110 | Introductory Drawing | 3.0 |
Professional Requirements | ||
ACCT 110 | Accounting for Professionals | 4.0 |
ARTH 335 [WI] | History of Costume I: Preclassical to 1800 | 3.0 |
or FASH 335 | History of Costume I: Preclassical to 1800 | |
or FASH 336 | History of Costume II: 1800-1920 | |
or FASH 337 | History of Costume III: 1920 to Present | |
or ARTH 336 | History of Costume II: 1800-1920 | |
or ARTH 337 | History of Costume III: 1920 to Present | |
or ARTH T380 | Special Topics in Art History | |
or ARTH T480 | Special Topics in Art History | |
COM 181 | Public Relations Principles and Theory | 3.0 |
DSMR 100 | Computer Imaging I | 3.0 |
DSMR 103 | Introduction to the Fashion Industry | 3.0 |
DSMR 201 | Analysis of Product | 3.0 |
DSMR 210 | Presentation Techniques for the Fashion Industry | 3.0 |
DSMR 211 | Digital Design for the Fashion Industry | 3.0 |
DSMR 215 | Digital Commerce & Promotion | 3.0 |
DSMR 230 | Textiles for the Fashion Industry | 3.0 |
DSMR 231 | Retail Operations | 3.0 |
DSMR 232 | Merchandise Planning and Buying | 4.0 |
DSMR 300 | Fashion Industry & Merchandising Trends and Impact | 3.0 |
DSMR 310 | Merchandising Operations & Management | 3.0 |
DSMR 311 | Visual Merchandising | 3.0 |
DSMR 333 | Fashion Product Development and Sourcing | 3.0 |
DSMR 464 | Merchandising Analytics | 3.0 |
DSMR 477 [WI] | Fashion Industry & Merchandising Seminar | 3.0 |
DSMR 496 [WI] | Senior Problem in the Fashion Industry | 3.0 |
ECON 201 | Principles of Microeconomics | 4.0 |
ENTP 105 | Entrepreneurial Thinking | 3.0 |
or ENTP 201 | The Starter's Toolkit | |
or ENTP 205 | Ready, Set, Fail | |
or ENTP 270 | Social Entrepreneurship | |
MKTG 201 | Introduction to Marketing Management | 4.0 |
MKTG 321 | Selling and Sales Management | 4.0 |
or MKTG 326 | Marketing Insights | |
or MKTG 344 | Professional Personal Selling | |
or MKTG 356 | Consumer Behavior | |
or MKTG 362 | Brand and Reputation Management | |
PHIL 301 | Business Ethics | 3.0 |
PROD 215 | Design Thinking in Product Design | 4.0 |
Career Pathway Electives † | 31.0 | |
Total Credits | 181.0 |
- *
Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major.
COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.
- **
Suggested Arts and Humanities electives: ENGL 303, ENGL 335, HIST 163.
- ***
Suggested Social Science electives: SOC 210, SOC 215, SOC 220, SOC 230, SOC 240, AFAS 301,PSY 150,WGST 324
- †
Career Pathway electives enable students to pursue specific areas of study which compliment the Design & Merchandising major and the student's desired career pathway.
Suggested Career Pathway Electives: ENTP 205,ENTP 209,ENTP 250,ENTP 375,DSMR 485.
Writing-Intensive Course Requirements
In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid “clustering” these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.
A "WI" next to a course in this catalog may indicate that this course can fulfill a writing-intensive requirement. For the most up-to-date list of writing-intensive courses being offered, students should check the Writing Intensive Course List at the University Writing Program. Students scheduling their courses can also conduct a search for courses with the attribute "WI" to bring up a list of all writing-intensive courses available that term.
Sample Plan of Study
4 year, 1 coop (Fall/Winter)
First Year | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
DSMR 103 | 3.0 | DSMR 100 | 3.0 | CIVC 101 | 1.0 | VACATION | |
ENGL 101 or 111 | 3.0 | DSMR 230 | 3.0 | DSMR 201 | 3.0 | ||
ENVS 260 | 3.0 | ENGL 102 or 112 | 3.0 | ENGL 103 or 113 | 3.0 | ||
UNIV A101 | 1.0 | GEO 111 | 3.0 | ENVS 160 | 2.0 | ||
VSST 101 | 4.0 | VSST 102 | 4.0 | MATH 119 | 4.0 | ||
VSST 110 | 3.0 | VSST 103 | 4.0 | ||||
17 | 16 | 17 | 0 | ||||
Second Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
ACCT 110 | 4.0 | COOP 101* | 1.0 | ARTH 103, DSMR 215, or ENTP 105 | 3.0 | COM 181, ARTH 103, or ENTP 105 | 3.0 |
COM 230 or 181 (or Social Science Elective) | 3.0 | COM 181, 230, or DSMR 215 | 3.0 | DSMR 210 or PHTO 110 | 3.0 | DSMR 311 | 3.0 |
DSMR 211 or PHTO 110 | 3.0 | DSMR 210 or 211 | 3.0 | DSMR 232, ECON 201, or MKTG 201 | 4.0 | DSMR 477*** | 3.0 |
DSMR 231 (or Art History Elective) | 3.0 | DSMR 232 or 231 | 4.0 | DSMR 310 | 3.0 | PHTO 110 (or Career Pathway Elective) | 3.0 |
ENTP 105, 201, 205, or 270 | 3.0 | ECON 201 or MKTG 201 | 4.0 | DSMR 333 | 3.0 | Career Pathway Elective | 3.0 |
Social Science Elective | 3.0 | Social Science Elective | 3.0 | ||||
16 | 18 | 16 | 18 | ||||
Third Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
COOP EXPERIENCE | COOP EXPERIENCE | DSMR 300 (or Art History Elective) | 3.0 | COM 220 | 3.0 | ||
PHIL 301 (or Career Pathway Elective) | 3.0 | PROD 215** | 4.0 | ||||
Career Pathway Elective | 3.0 | Art History Elective or DSMR 300 | 3.0 | ||||
Marketing Choice or Career Pathway Elective | 4.0 | Arts and Humanities Elective | 3.0 | ||||
0 | 0 | 13 | 13 | ||||
Fourth Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
ARTH 335, FASH 335, ARTH 336, FASH 336, ARTH 337, FASH 337, ARTH T380, or ARTH T480 | 3.0 | DSMR 464 or 496 | 3.0 | PHIL 301 (or Career Pathway Elective) | 3.0 | ||
DSMR 496 or 464 | 3.0 | Art History Elective | 3.0 | Career Pathway Elective | 3.0 | ||
Career Pathway Elective or Marketing Choice | 4.0 | Career Pathway Elective | 3.0 | Career Pathway Elective | 3.0 | ||
Career Pathway Elective | 3.0 | Career Pathway Elective | 3.0 | Social Science Elective | 3.0 | ||
13 | 12 | 12 | |||||
Total Credits 181 |
- *
Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major.
COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.
- **
PROD 215 and COM 220 should be taken together either the summer term after fall/winter COOP or fall term after spring/summer COOP.
- ***
DSMR 477 [WI] should be taken the summer term before fall/winter COOP or the spring term before spring/summer COOP.
4 year, 1 coop (Fall/Winter - London Option)
First Year | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
DSMR 103 | 3.0 | DSMR 100 | 3.0 | CIVC 101 | 1.0 | VACATION | |
ENGL 101 or 111 | 3.0 | DSMR 230 | 3.0 | DSMR 201 | 3.0 | ||
ENVS 260 | 3.0 | ENGL 102 or 112 | 3.0 | ENGL 103 or 113 | 3.0 | ||
UNIV A101 | 1.0 | GEO 111 | 3.0 | ENVS 160 | 2.0 | ||
VSST 101 | 4.0 | VSST 102 | 4.0 | MATH 119 | 4.0 | ||
VSST 110 | 3.0 | VSST 103 | 4.0 | ||||
17 | 16 | 17 | 0 | ||||
Second Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
ACCT 110 | 4.0 | COOP 101* | 1.0 | DSMR 210 or PHTO 110 | 3.0 | ARTH 103, COM 181, or ENTP 105 | 3.0 |
COM 230 or 181 (or Social Science Elective) | 3.0 | DSMR 210 or 211 | 3.0 | DSMR 215, ENTP 105, or ARTH 103 | 3.0 | PHTO 110 (or Career Pathway Elective) | 3.0 |
DSMR 211 or PHTO 110 | 3.0 | DSMR 215, COM 181, or COM 230 | 3.0 | DSMR 232, ECON 201, or MKTG 201 (or Career Pathway Elective) | 4.0 | DSMR 311 | 3.0 |
DSMR 231 (or Art History Elective) | 3.0 | DSMR 232 or 231 | 4.0 | DSMR 310 | 3.0 | DSMR 477*** | 3.0 |
ENTP 105, 201, 205, or 270 | 3.0 | ECON 201 or MKTG 201 | 4.0 | DSMR 333 | 3.0 | Social Science Elective | 3.0 |
Social Science Elective | 3.0 | ||||||
16 | 18 | 16 | 15 | ||||
Third Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
COOP EXPERIENCE | COOP EXPERIENCE | DSMR 300 (or Career Pathway Elective) | 3.0 | London Classes | |||
PHIL 301 (or Career Pathway Elective) | 3.0 | Art History Elective | 3.0 | ||||
Marketing Choice or Career Pathway Elective | 4.0 | Career Pathway Electives | 9.0 | ||||
Career Pathway Elective | 3.0 | Social Science Elective | 3.0 | ||||
0 | 0 | 13 | 15 | ||||
Fourth Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
ARTH 335, FASH 335, ARTH 336, FASH 336, ARTH 337, FASH 337, ARTH T380, or ARTH T480 | 3.0 | DSMR 464 or 496 | 3.0 | Arts and Humanities Elective | 3.0 | ||
COM 220 | 3.0 | DSMR 300 (or Career Pathway Elective) | 3.0 | Career Pathway Elective or Marketing Choice | 4.0 | ||
DSMR 496 or 464 | 3.0 | Art History Elective | 3.0 | Career Pathway Elective or PHIL 301 | 3.0 | ||
PROD 215** | 4.0 | Career Pathway Elective | 3.0 | Career Pathway Elective | 3.0 | ||
13 | 12 | 13 | |||||
Total Credits 181 |
- *
Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major.
COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.
- **
PROD 215 and COM 220 should be taken together in fall term after summer term study abroad.
- ***
DSMR 477 [WI] should be taken the summer term before fall/winter COOP or the spring term before spring/summer COOP.
4 year, 1 coop (Spring/Summer)
First Year | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
DSMR 103 | 3.0 | DSMR 100 | 3.0 | CIVC 101 | 1.0 | VACATION | |
ENGL 101 or 111 | 3.0 | DSMR 230 | 3.0 | DSMR 201 | 3.0 | ||
ENVS 260 | 3.0 | ENGL 102 or 112 | 3.0 | ENGL 103 or 113 | 3.0 | ||
UNIV A101 | 1.0 | GEO 111 | 3.0 | ENVS 160 | 2.0 | ||
VSST 101 | 4.0 | VSST 102 | 4.0 | MATH 119 | 4.0 | ||
VSST 110 | 3.0 | VSST 103 | 4.0 | ||||
17 | 16 | 17 | 0 | ||||
Second Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
ACCT 110 | 4.0 | DSMR 210 or 211 | 3.0 | DSMR 210 or PHTO 110 | 3.0 | ARTH 103, COM 181, or ENTP 105 | 3.0 |
COM 230 (or Social Science Elective) | 3.0 | DSMR 215, COM 181, or COM 230 | 3.0 | DSMR 310 | 3.0 | COOP 101* | 1.0 |
DSMR 211 or PHTO 110 | 3.0 | DSMR 232 or 231 | 4.0 | DSMR 333 | 3.0 | COM 181, ARTH 103, or ENTP 105 | 3.0 |
DSMR 231 (or Art History Elective) | 3.0 | ECON 201 or MKTG 201 | 4.0 | DSMR 477 | 3.0 | DSMR 311 | 3.0 |
ENTP 105, 201, 205, or 270 | 3.0 | Social Science Elective | 3.0 | MKTG 201, ECON 201, or DSMR 232 | 4.0 | PHTO 110 ( (or Career Pathway Elective)) | 3.0 |
Career Pathway Elective | 3.0 | ||||||
Social Science Elective | 3.0 | ||||||
16 | 17 | 16 | 19 | ||||
Third Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
DSMR 300 (Art History Elective) | 3.0 | Art History Elective or DSMR 300 | 3.0 | COOP EXPERIENCE | COOP EXPERIENCE | ||
PHIL 301 (or Arts and Humanities Elective) | 3.0 | Career Pathway Elective or PHIL 301 | 3.0 | ||||
Marketing Choice or Career Pathway Elective | 4.0 | Career Pathway Elective or Marketing Choice | 4.0 | ||||
Career Pathway Elective | 3.0 | Career Pathway Elective | 3.0 | ||||
13 | 13 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Fourth Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
ARTH 335, FASH 335, ARTH 336, FASH 336, ARTH 337, FASH 337, ARTH T380, or ARTH T480 | 3.0 | DSMR 464 or 496 | 3.0 | Arts and Humanities Elective | 3.0 | ||
COM 220 | 3.0 | Art History Elective | 3.0 | Career Pathway Elective | 3.0 | ||
DSMR 496 or 464 | 3.0 | Career Pathway Elective | 3.0 | Career Pathway Elective | 3.0 | ||
PROD 215** | 4.0 | Career Pathway Elective | 3.0 | Social Science Elective | 3.0 | ||
13 | 12 | 12 | |||||
Total Credits 181 |
- *
Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major.
COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.
- **
PROD 215 and COM 220 should be taken together either the summer term after fall/winter COOP or fall term after spring/summer COOP.
- ***
DSMR 477 [WI] should be taken the summer term before fall/winter COOP or in the spring term before spring/summer COOP.