Program Overview
Fashion Design - B.F.A.
About This Program
The Fashion Design B.F.A. program offers a specialized curriculum, experienced faculty and real-world opportunities to help you develop your creative talent and succeed in the fashion industry. Enroll now and take your design skills to the next level.
Contact Information
- Kendra Lapolla | |
- Speak with an Advisor
- Chat with an Admissions Counselor
Program Delivery
- Delivery: In person
- Location: Kent Campus
Examples of Possible Careers
- Fashion designer
- Creative director
- Illustrator
- Product developer
- Print designer
- Technical designer
- Textile designer
- Knit designer
- Knit programmer
- Sourcing
Accreditation
National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)
Admission Requirements
The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.
Admission to the Fashion Design - B.F.A. degree is selective and not open to new students at Kent State University. The B.F.A. degree requires applicants to have a minimum 2.750 overall Kent State GPA and the support of Fashion Design faculty. To be considered for the B.F.A. degree, students must be enrolled in junior-level fashion design studio courses and submit a letter of intent and B.F.A. proposal by the established deadlines.
International Students: All international students must provide proof of proficiency of the English language (unless they meet specific exceptions) through the submission of an English language proficiency test score or by completing English language classes at Kent State’s English as a Second Language Center before entering their program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.
Program Requirements
Major Requirements
- FDM 10010: FASHION FUNDAMENTALS (3)
- FDM 10023: FASHION VISUALS (1)
- FDM 10024: FASHION VISUALS LABORATORY (2)
- FDM 10033: FASHION FABRICS (1)
- FDM 10034: FASHION FABRICS LABORATORY (2)
- FDM 10043: SUSTAINABLE FASHION THINKING (1)
- FDM 10044: SUSTAINABLE FASHION THINKING LABORATORY (2)
- FDM 10053: INTRODUCTION TO FASHION TECHNOLOGY (1)
- FDM 10054: INTRODUCTION TO FASHION TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY (2)
- FDM 15055: BASICS OF APPAREL CONSTRUCTION (3)
- FDM 20013: HISTORY OF FASHION (3)
- FDM 20050: FASHION TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS (3)
- FDM 20121: FASHION DRAWING (3)
- FDM 20123: FASHION DESIGN CONCEPTS (3)
- FDM 20156: 2-D FASHION DESIGN PRACTICE (3)
- FDM 20157: 3-D FASHION DESIGN PRACTICE (3)
- FDM 35010: CONTEMPORARY FASHION DESIGNERS (WIC) (3)
- FDM 40099: SENIOR FASHION DESIGN THESIS I (ELR) (6)
- FDM 40121: FASHION PORTFOLIO I (3)
- FDM 40122: FASHION PORTFOLIO II (3)
- FDM 40199: SENIOR FASHION DESIGN THESIS II (ELR) (3)
- FDM 45292: INTERNSHIP IN FASHION DESIGN (ELR) (3)
- Fashion Study Away Requirement (2)
- Additional Major Electives (10)
Additional Requirements
- ARTH 22006: ART HISTORY: ANCIENT TO MEDIEVAL ART (KFA) (3)
- ARTH 22007: ART HISTORY: RENAISSANCE TO MODERN ART (KFA) (3)
- ECON 22060: PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS (KSS) (3)
- MATH 10041: INTRODUCTORY STATISTICS (KMCR) (4)
- MKTG 25010: PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING (3)
- UC 10001: FLASHES 101 (1)
- Kent Core Composition (6)
- Kent Core Social Sciences (3)
- Kent Core Basic Sciences (6-7)
- Kent Core Humanities (3)
- Kent Core Additional (6)
Graduation Requirements
- Minimum Major GPA: 2.500
- Minimum Overall GPA: 2.500
- Participation in a study abroad/away experience
- Minimum 2.500 overall GPA required for internship
- Minimum 2.500 overall GPA required for study away
Roadmap
This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. Students will work with their advisor to develop a sequence based on their academic goals and history. Courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.
University Requirements
All students in a bachelor's degree program at Kent State University must complete the following university requirements for graduation.
- Flashes 101 (UC 10001) (1)
- Diversity Domestic/Global (DIVD/DIVG) (2)
- Experiential Learning Requirement (ELR) (varies)
- Kent Core (36-37)
- Writing-Intensive Course (WIC) (1)
- Upper-Division Requirement (39)
Kent Core Requirements
- Kent Core Composition (KCMP) (6)
- Kent Core Mathematics and Critical Reasoning (KMCR) (3)
- Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts (KHUM/KFA) (9)
- Kent Core Social Sciences (KSS) (6)
- Kent Core Basic Sciences (KBS/KLAB) (6-7)
- Kent Core Additional (KADL) (6)
Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of this program will be able to:
- Describe the fashion industry, fashion markets, fashion products and services.
- Integrate conceptual, technical and production design knowledge and skills, leading to a synthesis of the design process from concept to production.
- Apply skills in the use of basic tools, techniques and processes sufficient to produce work from draft or specifications to finished product, including skills in portfolio preparation.
- Use conceptual and critical thinking skills that are applicable to the fashion industry.
- Employ research processes and practices used in the fashion industry.
- Demonstrate professionalism and communication skills in the appropriate creative industry.
Program Policies
Physical Activity and ROTC Courses
No more than 4 credit hours of Physical Activity, Wellness and Sport (PWS) courses or the first 16 credit hours of ROTC courses—Aerospace Studies (ASTU) and Military Studies (MSCI)—may apply to the 120 credit hours required for graduation.
Veterans who have completed a minimum of one year of active duty may receive PWS credit for military basic training according to branch of service, as follows:
- Army and Marine Corps, 3 credit hours;
- Navy and Coast Guard, 2 credit hours;
- Air Force, 1 credit hour.
Requirement Audit
Upon completion of 60 credit hours, each student is required to contact the College of the Arts Advising office to obtain a current evaluation of progress toward completion of the student’s chosen degree program. Requirement evaluations are not a substitute for meeting with a faculty advisor. Students may access GPS (Graduation Planning System) audit through their FlashLine account which provides them with information about their academic progress. Questions about GPS audits are answered in the College of the Arts Advising office.
Full Description
The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fashion Design integrates conceptual, technical and production design knowledge and skills, leading to a synthesis of the design process from concept to production. These processes include color, design and trend research; technical sketching and rendered illustration; pattern-making and garment construction; analysis of appropriate fit and fabric selection; best practices in sustainable methods and knowledge and the ability to communicate specifications for production using industry standards appropriate to specific markets.
The degree program prepares students for professional careers by developing technical competency, creative/independent problem solving and conceptual understanding necessary for the challenges of a career in the creative industries. Students develop portfolios for presentation at industry interviews and are prepared to be strongly competitive for any entry-level design position in the industry.
Students participate in a study abroad/away experience, which includes opportunities to study for a semester in New York City; Florence, Italy; and Paris, France, as well as through collaborative partnership programs with universities in Hong Kong, South Korea and London.
The B.F.A. degree in Fashion Design engages students in a focused-study thesis project (collection development) as a capstone experience that results in submitting their collection for formal review by faculty and industry designer-critics, followed by public presentation in a fashion venue and completion of a thesis "magazine" (print collateral).
Why Kent State University
Connecting Fashion and Media
The way humans connect and communicate is at the heart of what we do. Explore communication, design, media, technology or information at Kent State.
Design Innovation
Design Innovation at Kent State is a dynamic continuum of spaces and events for students, faculty and staff to team up, interact and create in exciting, new ways.
Scholarships
Discover all the scholarship opportunities for students at Kent State.