Fashion Design Degree – Courses and Programs
While most people love to see new fashion designs on the runway during New York’s fashion week, the person with a passion for design who yearns to become a respected fashion designer finds fashion exciting all year long. Fashion ranges from commercial clothes that could be purchased off the rack to high-end couture gowns that are custom made. Because of such versatility, a person interested in becoming a top designer would need to get started by earning a fashion degree.
As stated, there are many different fields within the fashion design industry. Therefore, an individual with a passion for design would need to determine which field is most appealing and from there, locate a brick and mortar or online educational facility that offers appropriate programs. We provided helpful information about the three primary areas to include actual fashion design, retail management, and fashion merchandising.
Overview of Fashion Design Degrees
Education for fashion design is available for different degree levels to include associate, bachelor, and master. No matter the level a person decides to pursue specific coursework would need to be successfully completed. This includes fabric, textiles, color, sewing, sketching, design, ornamentation, and more. Of course, classroom studies would become more intense to coordinate with the higher degree level.
In addition to this, it is highly recommended that CAD, the acronym for Computer Aided Design, also be completed. With this, a person would have a technological edge over other job candidates. With CAD training, an individual would have the necessary skills to create amazing designs that might otherwise be challenging. Other areas of education often associated with a fashion design degree include marketing and general business.
Retail Management
The second degree in fashion design in high demand is retail management. One of the interesting aspects of this education is that courses are actually more diverse than those offered for fashion design and fashion merchandising. Because this type of career involves the business end of fashion design, basic coursework would cover marketing, sales, accounting, business strategy, retail operations, and staff management. The goal in this case would be earning a degree with an emphasis on fashion but also business.
Although there are different degree levels for retail management, most people secure a bachelor’s degree. At this level, along with basic coursework a person would gain knowledge in areas of business management, fashion merchandising, and communication. To earn a degree for retail merchandising, a person has the option of going through conventional college or choosing an educational institution online.
Fashion Merchandising
The last of the three fashion design degrees highly sought is fashion merchandising. In addition to an individual gaining insight into the fashion industry, heavy emphasis would be placed on the merchandising and business side. Some of the specific topics covered in a classroom setting include competition analysis, new trend research, profit margins, and sales tracking.
Because many people in this industry are self-employed, not only would a degree in fashion merchandising be essential but education that supports training for small groups. The goal would be to find a school that provides excellent programs for fashion merchandising to include not just classroom studies but actual hands-on training in business and marketing.
Online Fashion Design Schools
One of the easiest and most convenient means of earning a degree in fashion design is with online programs. In fact, online education has become the most popular means of education for many reasons. For one thing, it is convenience, a person can set the pace for program completion, virtually every aspect of education is available, the cost is typically less than with conventional education and thanks to advanced technology, class interaction is possible.
Below are just a few of the top online educational institutes a person might consider when pursuing a career in fashion design, regardless of type or level.
- Academy of Art University
- Art Institute of Pittsburgh
- Ashford University
- Digital Media Arts College
- Full Sail University
- International Academy of Design and Technology
- Stratford Career Institute