Students in both areas will be exposed to the general area of textiles, merchandising, and design by completing a core of basic courses. In addition, all students with a Textiles, Merchandising, and Design major will have a minor in Human Sciences as well as complete several professional support courses. Special features of the Textiles, Merchandising, and Design program include opportunities to gain knowledge of the apparel industry through a variety of trips. In addition to an annual New York fashion study tour which may be taken for credit, supplemental trips are planned regularly to wholesale markets like the Atlanta Apparel Mart, Atlanta Merchandise Mart, and the Dallas Apparel Mart and World Trade Center. Included are experiences in planning and executing fashion shows and window displays, conducting tests of fibers and fabrics, and evaluating apparel design and style of historic and contemporary fashion.
Student internships can also provide practical experience and career direction.
The development of professional competence is achieved through close supervision, careful advising, small classes, highly-qualified faculty, and excellent programming. An ability to design and construct a garment using the flat pattern method.