Program Overview

Overview of the Department of Design and Merchandising

The Department of Design and Merchandising is part of the College of Health and Human Sciences at Colorado State University. The department offers various programs, including the B.S. in Apparel and Merchandising, B.S. in Interior Architecture and Design, and M.S. in Design and Merchandising.

Programs Offered

• B.S. in Apparel and Merchandising
  • Minor in Merchandising
• B.S. in Interior Architecture and Design
• M.S. in Design and Merchandising

B.S. in Apparel and Merchandising

The B.S. in Apparel and Merchandising program helps students develop technical and creative skills to bring their fashion, apparel, and textile ideas to life. The program includes coursework in:

• Aesthetics and design
• Fashion and trend forecasting
• Fashion illustration and pattern development
• Material selection and apparel construction techniques
• Computer-aided design
• Historic textiles and costume
• Social-psychological aspects of dress

Concentrations

The B.S. in Apparel and Merchandising program offers several concentrations, including:

• Apparel Design and Production Concentration
• Merchandising Concentration
• Product Development Concentration

Apparel Design and Production Concentration

The Apparel Design and Production concentration focuses on developing students' knowledge and skills in design, textile, and apparel goods. The program includes coursework in:

• Design and merchandising
• Textiles
• Patternmaking
• Fashion illustration
• Computer-aided design
• Historic textiles and costume

Course Requirements

The Apparel Design and Production concentration requires the following courses:

• Freshman:
  • AM 101: Fashion Industries
  • AM 110: Apparel and Merchandising Digital Technology
  • AM 130: Awareness and Appreciation of Design
  • AM 143: Introduction to Apparel Design
  • CHEM 103: Chemistry in Context (GT-SC2)
  • CHEM 104: Chemistry in Context Laboratory (GT-SC1)
  • CO 150: College Composition (GT-CO2)
  • DM 192A: First Year Seminar: Apparel and Merchandising
  • MATH 117: College Algebra in Context I (GT-MA1)
  • MATH 118: College Algebra in Context II (GT-MA1)
  • MATH 124: Logarithmic and Exponential Functions (GT-MA1)
  • Select one course from the following:
    • PSY 100: General Psychology (GT-SS3)
    • SOC 100: Introduction to Sociology (GT-SS3)
• Sophomore:
  • AM 220: Textiles
  • AM 241: Patternmaking I - Flat Pattern
  • AM 244: Fashion Illustration
  • AM 250: Dress and Human Behavior (GT-SS3)
  • AM 270: Merchandising Processes
  • AM 275: Product Development I
  • AM 340: Patternmaking II - Draping
  • DM 272: Consumers in the Marketplace
  • SPCM 200: Public Speaking
  • Biological and Physical Sciences
• Junior:
  • AM 321: Advanced Textiles
  • AM 341: Patternmaking III - Computer-Aided Design
  • AM 342: Computer-Aided Textile Design
  • AM 346: Apparel Collection Design I
  • AM 363: Global Fashion History Perspectives
  • AM 421: Textiles Product Quality Assessment
  • DM 492: Professional Practice
  • Select one course from the following:
    • PHIL 110: Logic and Critical Thinking (GT-AH3)
    • STAT 201: General Statistics (GT-MA1)
• Senior:
  • AM 446: Apparel Collection Design II
  • AM 460: Historic Textiles
  • DM 477: Apparel Industry Applications
  • DM 487B2: Internship: Apparel Design and Production
  • Upper-Division AM or DM Electives
  • Electives

Internship Alternative Courses

The following courses can be taken as alternatives to the internship:

• AM 330: Global Sourcing of Textiles and Apparel
• AM 335: Textiles and Apparel Supply Chains
• AM 364: History of Fashion Designers/Manufacturers
• AM 366: Merchandising Promotion
• AM 371: Merchandise Planning and Control
• AM 373: Apparel Design and Retail Entrepreneurship
• AM 430: International Retailing
• AM 450: Social-Psychological Aspects of Clothing
• AM 466: Retail Environment Design and Planning
• ART 350: Fibers II
• ART 351: Fibers III
• ART 450: Fibers IV
• ART 451: Fibers V
• DM 360/MKT 360: Retailing
• DM 400: U.S. Travel-New York City
• DM 470A: International Design and Merchandising: Apparel
• DM 470B: International Design and Merchandising: Interior Design
• DM 474: Fashion Show Production and Event Planning
• DM 482: Travel Abroad
• JTC 301: Corporate and Professional Communication (GT-CO3)
• JTC 310: Copy Editing
• JTC 311: History of Media
• JTC 316: Multiculturalism and the Media
• JTC 320A: Reporting: General News
• JTC 320B: Reporting: Sports
• JTC 320C: Reporting: Business
• JTC 320D: Reporting: Government and Political
• JTC 320H: Reporting: Special Topics
• JTC 326: Online Storytelling and Audience Engagement
• JTC 340: Video Editing
• JTC 342: Writing for Visual Media
• JTC 350: Public Relations and Advertising
• JTC 361: Writing for Specialized Magazines
• JTC 372: Web Design and Development
• JTC 411: Media Ethics and Issues
• JTC 412: International Mass Communication
• JTC 413: New Media Trends and Society
• JTC 414: Media Effects
• JTC 415: Communications Law
• JTC 471: Research for Public Communicators
• MGT 320: Contemporary Management Principles/Practices
• MGT 330: Creativity, Innovation, and Value Creation
• MGT 340: Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship
• MGT 410: Leadership and Organizational Behavior
• MGT 420: New Venture Creation
• MGT 440: New Venture Management
• MGT 470: Managerial Decisions-Issues and Analysis
• MGT 475: International Business Management
• MKT 366: Services Marketing
• SOC 301: Development of Sociological Thought
• SOC 302: Contemporary Sociological Theory
• SOC 330: Social Inequality
• SOC 342: Work and Leisure in Society
• SOC 362: Social Change
• SOC 460: Environmental and Natural Resource Sociology
• TH 363: Costume Design II

Research Areas

The Department of Design and Merchandising has several research areas, including:

• Faculty Research and Creative Scholarship
• Connected and Mediated Environments Laboratory
• Fashion Sustainability Research Collaborative
• Inclusive Innovations Laboratory
• Smart Textiles and Nanotechnology Research Group
• Spatial Perception and Cognitive Experience Laboratory
• Student Research Theses

Community Engagement

The Department of Design and Merchandising is involved in various community engagement activities, including:

• Fashion FUNdamentals
• Green Your Laundry

Internship Opportunities

The department offers internship opportunities for students to gain practical experience in the industry.

Potential Careers

Graduates with a B.S. in Apparel and Merchandising can pursue various careers, including:

• Fashion designer
• Merchandiser
• Product developer
• Retail manager
• Fashion journalist
• Fashion stylist

Accelerated Master's Program

The department offers an accelerated master's program, which allows students to start earning their master's degree as an undergraduate student.

Resources for Prospective and Current Students

The department provides various resources for prospective and current students, including:

• Paying for college
• Student organizations
• Advising and support

News and Events

The department publishes news and events related to the apparel and merchandising industry, including:

• Walk on: CSU faculty invent new shoe for people with foot disabilities
• Snow Days, a new campus celebration, are ahead at CSU
• ‘Astral Threads’ Fashion Show delivered otherworldly designs and winners on May 2

Contact Information

The Department of Design and Merchandising is located at 114 Nancy Richardson Design Center, 522 W. Lake St., 1574 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, Colorado.