Program Overview

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Program Overview

The Associate of Arts program in merchandising is a distinctly professional, hands-on degree program that teaches students the fundamentals of fashion merchandising.

Program Description

Course offerings emphasize key skills sought across the fashion retail industry, such as merchandising, trend forecasting, consumer behavior analysis, retail management, and branding. All courses are embedded within the principles of sustainability, producing the next generation of environmentally conscious industry leaders.

At a Glance

• College/school: Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts
• Location: ASU at Los Angeles
• Second language requirement: No
• STEM-OPT extension eligible: No
• First required math course: MAT 114 - College Mathematics
• Math intensity: General

Curriculum

View 2025 - 2026 curriculum. View curriculum archives.

Concurrent Program Options

Students pursuing concurrent degrees (also known as a “double major”) earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. Working with their academic advisors, students can create their own concurrent degree combination. Some combinations are not possible due to high levels of overlap in curriculum.

Admission Requirements

• General university admission requirements: All students are required to meet general university admission requirements.
  • First-year
  • Transfer
  • International
  • Readmission

Tuition Information

When it comes to paying for higher education, everyone’s situation is different. Students can learn about ASU tuition and financial aid options to find out which will work best for them.

Change of Major Requirements

A current ASU student has no additional requirements for changing majors to another associate degree program. Students who wish to change to a bachelor's degree program should talk to their academic advisor.

Transfer Options

ASU is committed to helping students thrive by offering tools that allow personalization of the transfer path to ASU. Students may use MyPath2ASU to outline a list of recommended courses to take prior to transfer.

Global Opportunities

• Global experience: With more than 300 Global Education program opportunities available to them, students are able to tailor their experience to their specific interests and skill sets.

Career Opportunities

Career opportunities for graduates include merchandising, buying, trend forecasting, market research, visual merchandising, and retail management.

• Career | Growth | Median salary
  • Buyer | 5.8% | $75,650
  • Merchandiser | 5.8% | $75,650
  • Purchasing Agent | 5.8% | $75,650
  • Purchasing Manager | 3.1% | $139,510
  • Sales Associate | 3.7% | $46,370
  • Sales Manager | 4.7% | $138,060
  • Store Manager | -5.0% | $47,320

Program Details

This program is not accepting applications at this time. The program description, at a glance, curriculum, concurrent program options, admission requirements, tuition information, change of major requirements, transfer options, global opportunities, and career opportunities are provided above.