Program Overview
Introduction to Fashion Merchandising and Management
The Fashion Merchandising and Management degree programs at Berkeley College integrate the creative and business aspects of the fashion industry. With an emphasis on project-based learning, courses are taught by professors who are working fashion professionals in the industry today.
Program Curriculum
The curriculum incorporates current technologies and hands-on projects that require innovative and critical thinking. Students receive a comprehensive education in:
- Fashion product development
- Trend forecasting
- Consumer behavior
- Materials and textiles
- Sustainability
- Apparel merchandising
- Retail distribution
- Marketing
- Sales
- Management
- Covering the complete global fashion supply chain
Career Paths
Potential career paths include:
- Fashion merchandising
- Product development
- Retail buying
- Trend forecasting
- Fashion sustainability
- Allocation and planning
- Retail management
- Brand communications
- Fashion marketing
- Fashion styling
- Fashion event and show production
- Visual merchandising
Faculty and Industry Engagement
Students will learn from fashion faculty selected for their academic credentials and professional fashion-industry experience. As well, they will hear from industry guest lecturers, attend fashion industry field trips, and engage in brand-focused projects with feedback from fashion professionals in many required and elective classes.
Experiential Learning and Resume-Building Experiences
In their final semesters, students will complete a portfolio in their capstone course and can participate in a fashion workplace internship. Students are exposed to a variety of experiential-learning and resume-building experiences including:
- Visits to retailers, trade shows, factories, and showrooms
- Volunteer opportunities during New York Fashion Week and more
Program Benefits
Students will benefit from:
- A deep understanding of the complete global fashion supply chain from materials sourcing through omni-channel retail distribution to the various circular economy business possibilities
- Opportunities to:
- Work on fashion-brand and retail-focused projects
- Meet, greet, listen and learn from industry professionals at virtual and on-campus fashion-industry speaking panels and networking events each semester
- Explore and forecast consumer and buyer buying trends
- Conceive and plan fashion product lines
- Evaluate production needs and costs
- Determine proper retail strategies
- Gain an understanding of global sustainability practices and processes
- Apply marketing and sales techniques to fashion business operations and receive professional feedback
- Participate in New York fashion events, internships, and other fashion business-related activities
- Develop a fashion merchandising portfolio
- Use fashion-specific research-support and industry technologies
Degree Programs
The Fashion Merchandising and Management program offers:
- AAS, Fashion Merchandising and Management
- BBA, Fashion Merchandising and Management With a seamless transition between Associate's and Bachelor's degree programs.