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.

Admission Requirements

Standard admissions requirements for Drexel students.

Degree Requirements

*

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)

*

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)

*

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)

*

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.

Fashion Industry & Merchandising Faculty