Twenty-five years ago these major retailfirms and formats were just a dream in an entrepreneur's head. Changes in the retail industry have brought about many new and varied career opportunities of collegegraduates interested in this highly competitive, exciting, and profitable field. Career Opportunities Retailers undertake a wide variety of activities. Thus, retail firms offeropportunities for people with a wide variety of skills and education. Graduates of the retail merchandising program hold positions such as buyers, store managers, visual merchandising directors, regional managers, storeowners, interior merchandising, and fashion coordinators with such companies as Eddie Bauer, Herbergers, Vanity, Dayton's, Neiman Marcus, GAP,Laurie's, The Limited Express, Sears, and J.C. Penney's, to name a few.
Many stores limit their management positions to employees who havecompleted a four-year degree.
The course of study includes classes on buying and merchandising, global retailing, retail marketmanagement, merchandise promotion, retail math, fashion economics, human behavior related to apparel selection decisions, and the analysis of textileand apparel products using textile testing equipment. Students choose to focus on the area of textile product or interior merchandising. The interior merchandising focus includes courses such as historyof interiors, design process, and interior graphics. A minor in business administration provides a general business background which prepares students for in-depth work in the retail merchandising fieldof study. A very strong general education curriculum assists students in learning critical-thinking skills.