Degree Offered
- Bachelor of Science
Areas of Emphasis Offered
- Fashion Design
- Fashion Merchandising
Program Vision and Mission
Vision
Fashion Design & Merchandising envisions a world where loved clothes last and people find joy, a sense of self, and human connection through dress.
Mission
Fashion Design & Merchandising prepares students to be changemakers in the fashion industry. We aim to improve the quality of life of individuals and groups through fashion as product, process, and concept. This includes developing and producing transformative, culturally relevant, environmentally conscious, and socially responsible fashion goods and services. We cultivate creativity, question the status quo, and innovate new ways of doing through design thinking, research, experiential learning, and community-engaged projects.
Nature of the Program
Students in the BS Fashion Design & Merchandising (FDM) program explore a broad view of the fashion industry and all the career opportunities it has to offer. From textile production, product design, sourcing, and manufacturing, to retail merchandising and consumer behavior, students learn to appreciate and understand the complexity and dynamism of the modern fashion supply chain. Students must complete a Fashion Design or Fashion Merchandising Area of Emphasis (AOE). The Fashion Merchandising AOE also requires a minor (selected by the student with guidance from their advisor) in Advertising, Journalism, Public Relations, Strategic Social Media, Event Planning, Entrepreneurship, General Business, Marketing, or Professional Sales. Both AOEs require a 6-hour internship - typically completed in the summer, between junior and senior year - in which students apply textile, apparel, and/or merchandising subject matter with mentorship in a professional setting. Students are required to pass MATH 124 or a higher-level MATH credit and must maintain a GPA of 2.25 or higher and earn a C- or higher in all FDM courses. FDM courses are sequential and progress is dependent on meeting the minimum grade and GPA requirements (see details in the Policies tab).
Program Opportunities
FDM students may elect to participate in a faculty-led, study abroad summer program to observe the textile, apparel, and retail industries in Italy, preferably in the summer after freshman or sophomore year. This 6-hour program, Disegno Italia, has established connections with fashion schools in Milan, the design capital of Italy. An elective fashion study tour to New York enables students to observe fashion industry and retail sites, view historic costume displays and collections, and network with graduates of the FDM program.
Admissions for 2025-2026
- First-Time Freshman are admitted directly into major.
- Students transferring from another major within WVU are directly admitted to the major if they are in good academic standing (2.0 overall GPA) or with departmental approval.
- Students transferring from another institution are directly admitted to the major if they are in good academic standing (2.0 overall GPA) or with departmental approval.
Major Code: 3720
General Education Foundations
Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.
NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations | ||
| F1 - Composition & Rhetoric | 3-6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
or ENGL 103 | Accelerated Academic Writing | |
| F2A/F2B - Science & Technology | 4-6 | |
| F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning | 3-4 | |
| F4 - Society & Connections | 3 | |
| F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past | 3 | |
| F6 - The Arts & Creativity | 3 | |
| F7 - Global Studies & Diversity | 3 | |
| F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree) | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 31-37 | |
Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum GPA of 2.25 is required for the degree. | ||
| University Requirements | 54 | |
| Fashion, Dress, and Merchandising Major Requirements | 66 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
University Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations (GEF) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (31-37 Credits) | ||
| Outstanding GEF Requirements 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 | 31 | |
| ANRD 191 | First-Year Seminar | 1 |
| General Electives | 22 | |
| Total Hours | 54 | |
Fashion Design & Merchandising Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum grade of C- is required in all FDM courses required in the Fashion, Dress, and Merchandising Major Requirements. | ||
| A minimum GPA of 2.25 is required in the Fashion, Dress, and Merchandising Major Requirements. | ||
| MATH 124 | Algebra with Applications (GEF 3) | 3 |
| ADV 215 | Principles of Advertising | 3 |
| WRIT 304 | Business and Professional Writing | 3 |
| Fashion, Dress & Merchandising Core Courses: | ||
| FDM 110 | Introduction to Fashion Business | 3 |
| FDM 130 | Design Concepts of Dress | 3 |
| FDM 211 | Introduction to Textiles | 3 |
| FDM 220 | Fashion, the Body, and Culture | 3 |
| FDM 221 | Dress History: 1850-Present | 3 |
| FDM 360 | Retail Merchandising | 3 |
| FDM 411 | Fashion Consumer Behavior | 3 |
| FDM 491 | Professional Field Experience | 6 |
| Required Area of Emphasis * | 12-18 | |
Fashion Design | ||
Fashion Merchandising | ||
| Minor Selection Required for Fashion Merchandising Students ** | 15-18 | |
| Restricted Electives (Hours vary depending on Area of Emphasis) *** | 12-15 | |
| Restricted Electives: | ||
| Visual Merchandising | ||
| Fashion Study Tour | ||
| Quality Analysis | ||
| Fashion Sourcing and Supply Chain Management | ||
| Dress History: Prehistory-1850 | ||
| Sustainability in Fashion | ||
| Omni-Channel Fashion Retailing | ||
| Teaching Practicum | ||
Study Abroad: Disegno Italia | ||
| Sustainable Living | ||
| Design Thinking | ||
| Product Design-Footwear | ||
| Design Ethics and Social Responsibility | ||
| Costuming | ||
| Intermediate Costume Construction | ||
| Advanced Costume Construction | ||
| Capstone Experience | ||
| FDM 435S | Product Development Studio | 3 |
| Total Hours | 66 | |
- *
Students in the Fashion Design Area of Emphasis will be required to complete 18 hours and those in the Fashion Merchandising Area of Emphasis will be required to complete 12 hours. In addition, Fashion Design students will be required to complete FDM 132S and FDM 432 with a minimum grade of C- in each course, which will be completed as part of their General Electives.
- **
Students in the Fashion Merchandising Area of Emphasis will be required to complete a minor in consultation with their academic advisor.
- ***
Students in the Fashion Design Area of Emphasis will be required to complete 14-15 hours of Restricted Electives, while students in the Fashion Merchandising Area of Emphasis will be required to complete 12-13 hours of Restricted Electives. Restricted Electives should be chosen in consultation with academic advisors.
Internship Requirement
All Fashion, Dress, and Merchandising students must complete an internship as part of their degree. Once a site has been selected by the student, students will need to contact the FDM 491 instructor be cleared to register. Instructor site approval is required before registering. You and your on-site supervisor will need to complete some forms provided by the department before the hold is released. FDM 491 is a six-credit hour course offered through WVU and counts towards the completion of the degree. Students must work a minimum of 240 supervised and documented hours during the term enrolled at their agreed upon site to earn six credits hours (40 hours of work = 1 cr. Hour) at a fashion-industry-related business.
Site Selection: It is up to each student to select and secure their own internship site. Faculty are here to advise and support this process but will not “place” students. Do not wait until the last minute to seek faculty assistance. Be prepared for all interview opportunities by having a resume ready to submit or hand to a prospective employer or campus recruiter. All resumes should be reviewed by at least one FDM faculty member before being sent to a potential employer.
Procedure: Students may take the internship after successfully completing FDM 360. An application and approval form, signed contract, and resume are required for registration. This paperwork needs to be submitted by the course registration deadlines of the semester in which the internship hours will be completed. All internship work hours must be completed within the semester the student is enrolled in FDM 491. Prior to embarking on the internship, all students must participate in the mandatory orientation session(s).
Areas of Emphasis Offered:
Fashion Design Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Fashion Design Emphasis Requirements | ||
| FDM 135S | Fashion Illustration and Tech Design 1 Studio | 3 |
| FDM 250S | Apparel Design 1 Studio | 3 |
| FDM 330S | Fashion Illustration and Tech Design 2 Studio | 3 |
| FDM 335S | Apparel Design 2 Studio | 3 |
| FDM 350S | Apparel Design 3 Studio | 3 |
| FDM 430S | Senior Studio | 3 |
| Total Hours | 18 | |
Suggested Plan of Study for Fashion Design Area of Emphasis
Students may enter the FDM program as first-semester freshmen. Enrollment in the required first-year FDM courses is not limited. The following courses have open enrollment and should be taken by all students the first year in the major: FDM 110 and FDM 130. FDM courses are to be taken in sequence. Therefore, it is important that students follow the Suggested Plan of Study that follows. Selected outside courses must be completed prior to enrolling in certain FDM courses.
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| ANRD 191 | 1 | FDM 130 | 3 | ||
| FDM 110 | 3 | MATH 124 (GEF 3) | 3 | ||
| ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 | GEF 5 | 3 | ||
| GEF 2 | 4 | GEF 8 | |||
| GEF 7 | 3 | General Elective | 3 | ||
| 14 | 12 | ||||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| FDM 135S | 3 | FDM 250S | 3 | ||
| FDM 211 | 3 | FDM 221 | 3 | ||
| FDM 220 | 3 | Restricted Elective | 3 | ||
| ADV 215 | 3 | GEF 6 | 3 | ||
| ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 | GEF 8 | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||||
| Third Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| FDM 330S | 3 | FDM 350S | 3 | FDM 491 | 6 |
| FDM 335S | 3 | FDM 411 | 3 | ||
| FDM 360 | 3 | WRIT 304 | 3 | ||
| GEF 8 | 3 | GEF 4 | 3 | ||
| Restricted Elective | 3 | Restricted Elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | 6 | |||
| Fourth Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| FDM 430S | 3 | FDM 435S | 3 | ||
| FDM 432 | 1 | General Electives | 9 | ||
| Restricted Electives | 6 | ||||
| General Electives | 6 | ||||
| 16 | 12 | ||||
| Total credit hours: 120 | |||||
Fashion Merchandising Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Merchandising Emphasis Requirements | ||
| FDM 361 | Merchandise Planning and Control | 3 |
| FDM 412 | Fashion Sourcing and Supply Chain Management | 3 |
| or FDM 460 | Sustainability in Fashion | |
| FDM 461 | Omni-Channel Fashion Retailing | 3 |
| FDM 471 | Fashion Promotion | 3 |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Suggested Plan of Study for Fashion Merchandising Area of Emphasis
Students may enter the FDM program as first-semester freshmen. Enrollment in the required first-year FDM courses is not limited. The following courses have open enrollment and should be taken by all students the first year in the major: FDM 110 and FDM 130. FDM courses are to be taken in sequence. Therefore, it is important that students follow the Suggested Plan of Study that follows. Selected outside courses must be completed prior to enrolling in certain FDM courses.
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| ANRD 191 | 1 | FDM 130 | 3 | ||
| FDM 110 | 3 | MATH 124 (GEF 3) | 3 | ||
| ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 | GEF 6 | 3 | ||
| GEF 2 | 4 | GEF 5 | 3 | ||
| GEF 7 | 3 | General Elective | 3 | ||
| 14 | 15 | ||||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| FDM 211 | 3 | FDM 221 | 3 | ||
| FDM 220 | 3 | Minor Course | 3 | ||
| ADV 215 | 3 | Restricted Elective | 3 | ||
| ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 | General Elective | 3 | ||
| Minor Course | 3 | General Elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||||
| Third Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| FDM 360 | 3 | FDM 361 | 3 | FDM 491 | 6 |
| Restricted Elective | 3 | FDM 411 | 3 | ||
| GEF 4 | 3 | WRIT 304 | 3 | ||
| Minor Course | 3 | Restricted Elective | 3 | ||
| General Elective | 3 | Minor Course | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | 6 | |||
| Fourth Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| FDM 412 or 460 | 3 | FDM 435S | 3 | ||
| FDM 461 | 3 | FDM 471 | 3 | ||
| Minor Course | 3 | Minor Course | 3 | ||
| Restricted Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 | ||
| General Elective | 1 | ||||
| 13 | 12 | ||||
| Total credit hours: 120 | |||||
Major Learning Outcomes
Fashion, Dress and Merchandising
Fashion, Dress and Merchandising programs vision is to develop creative, knowledgeable, and effective professionals who are able to contribute to organizations in the global textile and apparel complex and to society, and who are able to continue to grow personally and professionally following graduation. Upon graduation from the FDM program at WVU, students will be able to demonstrate the following knowledge and skills:
1. INDUSTRY PROCESSES, including the ability to:
- Understand and apply knowledge about the roles and functions of various industry sectors in which products are developed, produced, marketed, sold, and consumed, including construction, sourcing, manufacturing, marketing, and merchandising processes.
- Identify and interpret needs and wants of consumers and how industry processes are applied to plan, develop, produce, communicate, and sell profitable product lines.
- Evaluate product quality, serviceability, and regulatory compliance standards.
- Use industry terminology in appropriate ways.
- Understand social, economic, and political boundaries as they relate to the diffusion of products, services, and ideas.
2. APPEARANCE AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR, including the ability to:
- Apply theories, concepts, and research regarding appearance and human behavior to industry and societal problems.
- Understand and apply knowledge about the role of dress as it reflects and shapes intra and inter-cultural interactions.
- Understand and apply knowledge about the interrelationships among historical, sociocultural, and psychological factors of dress and their impact on human behavior, including the effects of life stages, change across time, and culture.
3. AESTHETICS AND THE DESIGN PROCESS, including the ability to:
- Understand and apply knowledge about aesthetics and the design process in relation to dress and appearance management.
- Use the design process to create products that meet marketplace needs.
- Understand how aesthetics and the design process can support quality of life, social responsibility, and sustainability
- Relate the elements and principles of design to product development, use, and evaluation.
- Understand the role of historical, socio-cultural, and psychological factors in aesthetic expression.
4. GLOBAL INTERDEPENDENCE, including the ability to:
- Understand how dynamic and diverse political, cultural, and economic systems impact industry processes.
- Understand how theoretical perspectives on markets, trade, and economic development can be applied to historical and current data on production, consumption, and disposal of products.
5. ETHICS, SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, AND SUSTAINABILITY, including the ability to:
- Identify and evaluate issues of social responsibility, professional behavior, and ethics related to the impact of individual, organizational, and corporate decision making.
- Analyze and evaluate issues related to environmental sustainability and environmental impact as they relate to industry activities and processes.
6. CRITICAL AND CREATIVE THINKING, including the ability to:
- Demonstrate critical and creative thinking skills, including the ability to critically evaluate and compare diverse perspectives.
- Identify and understand social, cultural, economic, technological, ethical, political, educational, language, and individual influences on industry issues.
- Apply quantitative and qualitative skills to problem solving within the textile and apparel complex.
- Use appropriate technology to facilitate critical, creative, quantitative, and qualitative thinking within the textile and apparel complex.
7. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, including the ability to:
- Communicate ideas in written, oral, and visual forms using appropriate technology.
- Function as team members and leaders within professional and culturally diverse environments.
- Demonstrate the ability to critique oneself and others constructively.
- Apply career planning concepts and job search strategies to the diverse industry opportunities.
These competencies are incorporated across the FDM program curriculum. Students are introduced to these learning goals incrementally as they progress from entry-level courses to and including the capstone internship.
Program Requirements
Students must meet the following requirements in order to continue in the program beyond the first year:
- Maintain a 2.25 overall GPA.
- Earn a C- or above in all FDM courses and successfully pass MATH 124 (or higher) in a timely manner.
- Any student who has an overall GPA below 2.25 will be notified of the deficiency and will not be permitted to enroll in FDM courses.
- Students who have not been permitted to enroll in FDM courses because of a low GPA may enroll in FDM courses after meeting the 2.25 minimum overall GPA, space permitting.
- Any student who has earned a grade of D+ or lower in any of the FDM courses will be notified of the problem and will not be permitted to enroll in the next sequence of FDM courses.
- Students who have not been permitted to enroll in the next sequence of FDM courses because of receiving a grade of D+ or lower for one of the required FDM courses may correct the problem by repeating the course(s) the next time it is offered, space permitting, and earning a C- or above. Please note that most FDM courses are offered only once per academic year.
- All FDM students must complete an approved internship consisting of 240 hours of mentored work experience. The student is responsible for securing their internship and enrolling in FDM 491 (6 credits), preferably during the summer between their junior and senior year. Students should work with their faculty advisor to select an internship site that meets departmental requirements and sets them on a path towards their career goals. Students may elect to complete all WVU campus coursework and complete their internship as their last degree requirement in the summer after their senior year. This results in the student officially graduating in August rather than May.