If you’re a fashion student or want to be, you’ve probably noticed that retailers around the world have begun to pack up their summer fashions to make room for Falls. The world’s fashion schools are kind of in the same boat, as they rush to make room for the influx of new students eager to hone their design skills. Some schools have already reached capacity, while others, such as Metropolitan Community College in Nebraska, may still have seats available. Students can still register to be a part of this exciting new program that will complete its first year in existence in September. And then there’s Portland Fashion Institute, which now offers Certificate programs. It’s not too late to sign up.
Each program promises to bring something new to the world of fashion education, so take a look at our fashion program news for August 2017 to learn more!
Metropolitan Community College – Omaha, Nebraska
Metropolitan Community College (MCC) has a new two-year program focused on fashion design that was developed in response to the growing fashion scenes in Omaha and the Midwest, and nationally. The first program of its kind in the region, MCC’s fashion option highlights more than a dozen fashion classes plus required, customized apprenticeships with Omaha Fashion Week. The program requires 97.5-102 credit hours of study, including 70.5-75 credit hours in the major.
Sample courses include Drawing for Electronic Media, Wearable Technology, Intermediate Jewelry, Color Photography, Marketing for the Entrepreneur, Digital Design Principles for Fashion Designers, Digital Design: Vector, Fashion Design Principles, Fundamentals of Textiles, 2D Design, and Creative Careers. The program leads to an Associate in Applied Science in Fashion Design (FDAAS).
Metropolitan Community College was created in 1974. It is a comprehensive, full-service public community college, with a goal to provide high quality educational programs and services, primarily in career preparation and general education, to people of all ages and educational backgrounds. The school is home to 26,388 credit students and 18,186 noncredit students, enrolled in more than 100 one- and two-year career programs, academic transfer programs, general support courses, classes for business and industry, and continuing education courses.
The school offers all programs from business administration to visual and electronic technologies and it is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
Portland Fashion Institute – Portland, Oregon
Portland Fashion Institute (PFI) has launched three new certificate programs based on recommendations from the school’s advisory board of directors from leading apparel companies. The school now offers Apparel Designer, Apparel Technical Developer, and Apparel Entrepreneur certificate programs that take two years to complete, full-time. Per the school, the full curriculum begins each Fall but students can start any time. Students may sign up for one certificate or start with one and move on to another. However, “most students start with the Apparel Designer certificate.”
Sample courses for the Apparel Designed certificate program include Apparel Construction, Textiles, Activewear, Couture Techniques, Advanced Pattern & Construction, Tailoring, Fashion Event Production, Graphic Design, and Adobe Illustrator. Apparel Technical Developer students will take many of the same courses as Apparel Construction students as well as courses such as Overseas Production, Flats & Technical Packages, Computer Print Design, Materials Development, and Grading & Marking.
Students in the Apparel Entrepreneur program will also take many of the same courses as Construction and Development students, plus classes such as Starting an Apparel Business, Accounting, Fashion Forecasting, Branding, PR Techniques, Sourcing, Costing & Pricing, Look Books & Line Sheets, and Social Media Selling. Students in all programs will have access to career services, networking opportunities with industry professionals, first call on classes, and a place in PFI’s annual fashion event and portfolio show.
Portland Fashion Institute is a licensed career school.
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey – New Brunswick, New Jersey
The innovative Rutgers Master of Science in Business of Fashion (MS) launched just last Fall, so the program is nearing the end of its exciting inaugural year. This new master’s program is the only one of its kind in the NYC metro area and it is still accepting applications for Fall 2017. Described by the school as a “cutting-edge program that will prepare you for a thrilling business career in the fashion industry,” the MS in Business of Fashion bridges the gap between “creative passion and business acumen.”
The 30 credit hour, 10-course program provides students with the knowledge needed to position themselves to be “key players in the industry—all in a location that is just minutes away from the fashion center of the world, New York City.” Sample courses include The Branding of Fashion, Digital Marketing, Fashion Law and Supply Chain Compliance, Procurement and Global Sourcing, Project Management, Supply Chain Strategy and Disruption Management, Small Business Finance, Entrepreneurship, and Marketing Research.
Offered through Rutgers Business School-Newark and New Brunswick, the MS in Business of Fashion may be completed in as little as two semesters, full-time (5.3 courses per term), or in three semesters, part-time (Fall, Spring and Fall (13,13, and 4 credits respectively).
Rutgers was chartered as Queen’s College in 1766. This public research institution is home to more than 50,000 students from all 50 states and 115 countries. Rutgers’ 17 schools and colleges offer more than 100 undergraduate majors and over 200 graduate programs and degrees. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Rutgers, is a member of the Association of American Universities, a prestigious body of 62 public and private research institutions. The school is also accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).
