Develop Your Business & Merchandising Skills with a Fashion Merchandising Degree Online
The fashion marketplace is dynamic - seasons, cultures, new materials and retro ideas all influence hot new trends. It takes a trained eye and skillful manager to showcase and sell style to a fashion-conscious public.
In the online Bachelor of Science in Fashion Merchandising Management program, you'll develop a timeless sense of style and gain a firm grasp of business strategy. Study fashion marketing, color and textile theory, consumer behavior and retail operations, planning and management. You'll learn how to identify what styles will sell and how to present visual cues that prompt consumers to buy.
See Yourself Succeed in Fashion Merchandising Management
The fashion merchandising degree online courses are taught by industry experts who know the fashion marketplace intimately. Class sizes are small, so you'll have the opportunity to interact with instructors who understand how style, business and technology intersect. You’ll also gain valuable real-world experience by completing a fashion merchandising internship that gives you the opportunity to show employers the value you can add to their business. The internship experience must be US based. Please ask your admission counselor or advisor for more information.
In the bachelor’s in fashion merchandising program, you’ll learn how to:
- Create fashion merchandise planning strategies that integrate the retailer’s positioning, vendors' interests and plans for generating profit
- Apply management theories and techniques in the fashion merchandising environment to achieve retail objectives and remain competitive
- Collect and organize industry data through the use of qualitative and quantitative tools
- Interpret data to predict influences of trends in fashion merchandising
- Employ effective decision-making to select textile and production sources from domestic and international markets
As a private, nonprofit university, UMS has one mission – to help you see yourself succeed. The benefits of earning your fashion merchandising degree online at UMS include:
- Affordability. Take advantage of some of the most affordable tuition rates in the nation
- Convenience. Attend class when it’s convenient for you – online education means 24/7 access
- Efficiency and flexibility. Complete your undergraduate degree at your own pace, over six 8-week terms per year
- Expert instruction. Learn from instructors with relevant, real-world experience
- Networking. Tap into our nationwide network of alumni for internship and career opportunities
- Simple application process. Just fill out an online undergraduate application, and we’ll retrieve U.S. transcripts from your previous institutions and automatically complete an official credit evaluation. Plus, there’s no application fee
- Student support. Count on the ongoing support of dedicated academic and career advisors specialized in your area of study
- Transfer-friendly enrollment. Transfer up to 90 credits toward an undergraduate degree
Career Outlook
Earning a degree in fashion merchandising online from UMS can position you for an exciting career that puts you, and fashion, in the public eye. Students in our fashion merchandising program will find opportunities as buyers, visual merchandisers, sales representatives, vendor relations specialists, store and product planners, and sales managers. In fact, openings for sales manager roles are expected to increase by 7% through 2026.*
Curriculum
Courses To Prepare You For Your Career
UMS's bachelor's in fashion merchandising and management program includes:
- General education
- Business core
- Degree-specific courses
General Education Program
Our programs are designed to equip you with the skills and insights you need to move forward. In recent years, employers have stressed the need for graduates with higher order skills - the skills that go beyond technical knowledge - such as:
- Writing
- Communication
- Analysis
- Problem solving
All undergraduate students are required to take general education classes. Through foundation, exploration and integration courses, students learn to think critically, creatively and collaboratively, giving you the edge employers are looking for.
Business Core Program
Programs in the School of Business require learners to complete the business core program, which includes a variety of business-specific courses. This program focuses on 10 core competencies to prepare you for success wherever you go.
Courses May Include
Program Outcomes
- Develop fashion merchandise planning strategies that integrate the retailer’s positioning, vendor’s interests, and plans for generating profit
- Apply management theories and techniques in the fashion merchandising environment to achieve retail objectives and remain competitive
- Collect and organize industry data through the use of qualitative and quantitative tools
- Interpret data to predict influences of fashion trends in the fashion merchandising environment
- Employ effective decision-making skills to select textile and production sources from both domestic and international markets
