Fashion Degree Overview

In the field of fashion, one will help create the billons of clothing articles, shoes and accessories purchased every year by consumers. Students will study fashion trends; sketch designs of clothing and accessories; study color schemes and tailoring; learn pattern making, sewing, production, and more. It is not uncommon for some to combine a fashion degree with a business, marketing, or fashion merchandising degree, especially those who want to own their own business or retail line. A few of the most popular degrees in fashion include an associate degree in Fashion Design or bachelor's degrees in Fashion Design and Marketing, Fashion Design and Costume Design, and Fashion Merchandising. Although a formal degree is not always a requirement for a career in fashion design, a strong training background will help accelerate a career by providing the student with knowledge of all industry basics and the possibility of an introduction to key industry profiles through internships, connections, and contests.

Fashion Degree Curriculum

With a fashion degree, students will study historic and current designers and learn to design successful business models. The use of real world case studies is the key to understanding the industry from start to finish. Typically, students will have a complete portfolio of design and concepts at the completion of their program that they can utilize when entering the workforce. Basic coursework includes fashion merchandising, store layout, basic business skills, fashion marketing, fashion art, fashion design, public relations, color, textiles, sewing and tailoring, fashion history, computer-aided design (CAD), budget and project management, and pattern making. Some also find that coursework in mathematics, psychology and human anatomy is also useful. An internship with a design or manufacturing firm, or other hands-on training, is an essential step to gaining the valuable experience and knowledge that will assist the designer to learn the ropes of the business.

Career Opportunities in Fashion

Careers in fashion are fast paced and highly sought after. They require individuals who have a passion for fashion and want to be responsible for designing and creating the fashions that people wear around the world. Within the fashion industry, there are several different career paths one can choose from including: fashion design production, fashion marketing/merchandising, fashion media and promotions, costume designer, personal stylist, and even a model. Job competition is high as many people are attracted to the glamour of the occupation and there is an extremely low turnover rate and a small number of new openings each year. Although employment of fashion designers is predicted to grow more slowly than the average occupation through 2014, the demand for fashion designers will continue to grow as the population continues to demand new, fresh styles for clothing, shoes, and accessories. The demand for stylish, affordable clothing is especially high. According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the medium annual earnings for fashion designers were $55,840 in 2004.

fashion degree | fashion design degree | degree in fashion design | fashion merchandising degree | fashion degrees | degree in fashion | degrees in fashion | degree in fashion merchandising | fashion marketing degree | fashion merchandising degrees | fashion design degrees | masters degree in fashion | online fashion degree