Fashion Design & Merchandising



This program is designed to provide students with an understanding of fashion and textile industries, consumer behavior, product development, business principles, and technology applications.

Concentrations

Students concentrate in one of two areas

Design and Product Development

Design and Product Development emphasizes the total design and production process from inception to finished product and its ultimate sale to the consumer. Specialized labs and industry software provide students with extensive hands-on experience in the latest design, product development, and fashion retailing technology applications.

Design and Product Development Curriculum

Merchandising

Merchandising combines an overview of the fashion industry, consumer behavior, product development, planning, buying business operations and entrepreneurship.

Merchandising Curriculum

Careers

  • Apparel Manufacturer
  • Area Sales Manager
  • E-Commerce Business Owner
  • Extension Specialist or Agent
  • Fashion Consultant / Stylist
  • Fashion, Costume, Accessory, or Technical Designer
  • Fashion Forecaster
  • Fashion Journalist
  • Manufacturer's Representative
  • Merchadise Manager
  • Product Developer
  • Professor, Instructor, or Teacher
  • Retail Buyer / Analyst
  • Store Manager or Business Owner
  • Textile Scientist
  • Visual Merchandiser / In-Store Display

Exhibits and Collections

Internships

Students are required to complete professional internships in firms across the country and internationally to prepare students for high quality apparel-related positions. Visit our internship page for more information.

Retail Certificate

The Retail Certificate offered by the Fashion Design and Merchandising (FDM) program will complement existing B.S. degree tracks by adding an opportunity to students from any program to complete a formal and coherent grouping of courses with a retail focus. The goal of the Retail Certificate is to introduce current students to the dynamics of the retail industry and provide them some tools and training to be successful in a rapidly growing industry. Visit our Retail Certificate page for more information.

Scholarships

Students may apply for university, college and departmental scholarships through one application. You can find the scholarship application once you logon to myState. Under the banner tab, select Financial Aid and Scholarships. The application is listed as Submit/Revise General Scholarship Application.

Student Organizations

Student organizations provide an excellent opportunity to network with professionals and peers. There are numerous organizations that are available through the Department and the University.

Study Abroad

Each summer FDM faculty lead intensive study abroad tours to New York, London, Paris, Milan, Florence, Rome, and/or Venice. These unique learning opportunities allow students to experience different cultures while building their personal global network with fashion industry professionals. See more of their travels on Instagram. To find out more, visit the MSU International Institute.

Sustainability Conference

Generations X, Y, and Z share an overwhelming belief that all of us need to work together to change our world, and they are voting with their purchases. From fiber sourcing to end product, stakeholders and consumers alike are demanding transparency in measuring and reducing the environmental and social impact of textile products. View presentations from the 2020 Sustainability Conference.

Transfer Students

Students may transfer to Mississippi State University from regionally accredited community, junior or senior colleges for any period of enrollment, provided they have earned a 2.0 GPA (as computed by Mississippi State University) on all college courses attempted as well as earned a 2.0 GPA on the 30-hours of core courses. Transfer students should look at the transfer course equivalent guide to determine which courses will transfer.

Program Outcomes

Graduation Rates and Retention

Enroll Year New Enrollees Grads Non-Grads 6-year Grad Rate
2006 19 13 6 68.42%
2007 27 20 7 74.07%
2008 33 24 9 72.73%
2009 28 20 8 71.43%
2010 31 19 12 61.29%
2011 30 23 7 76.67%
2012 19 10 9 52.63%
2013 32 24 8 75.00%

 

Freshmen to Sophomore Retention and Attrition in FDM

Year New Freshmen Still in Major Retention Rate Dropped Out Attrition Rate In School, Not in Major Transfer Rate New in Major Net Enrollment Percent Change
2006 14 9 64.29% 4 28.57% 1 7.14% 4 13 92.86%
2007 12 7 58.33% 2 16.67% 3 25.00% 8 15 125.00%
2008 23 19 82.61% 3 13.04% 1 4.35% 2 21 91.30%
2009 24 14 58.33% 4 16.67% 6 25.00% 2 16 66.67%
2010 15 10 66.67% 2 13.33% 3 20.00% 4 26 86.67%
2011 25 14 56.00% 4 16.00% 7 28.00% 4 18 72.00%
2012 13 11 84.62% 1 7.69% 1 7.69% 5 16 123.08%
2013 30 22 73.33% 5 16.67% 3 10.00% 4 26 86.67%
2014 24 18 75.00% 3 12.50% 3 12.50% 2 20 83.33%
2015 28 23 82.14% 4 14.29% 1 3.57% 0 23 82.14%
2016 33 21 63.64% 6 18.18% 6 18.18% 0 21 63.64%
2017 28 16 57.14% 7 25.00% 5 17.86% 4 20 71.43%
Mean 22.42 15.33 68.51% 3.75 16.55% 3.33 14.94% 3.25 18.58 87.62%

 

Undergraduate Graduating Exit Survey Results

  2017-18 2016-17 2015-16 2014-15 2013-14 2012-13 2011-12 2010-11 2009-10
  HDFS FDM HS HDFS FDM HS HS HS HS HS HS HS HS
Employment, full-time paid 75 70.8 80 75 100 70 61.7 66.7 69.6 82.5 82.9 80 86.5
Employment, part-time paid 3.1 4.2 5 0 0 8.3 10 8.3 8.7 1.6 0 0 0
Grad or Professional School, full-time 15.6 16.7 10 16.7 0 16.7 19.3 21.7 15.2 4.8 5.7 17.1 2.7
Grad or Professional School, part-time 3.1 4.2 0 0 0 0 1.7 3.3 2.2 3.2 2.9 0 5.4
Additional undergraduate coursework 0 0 0 8.3 0 3.3 3.3 0 2.2 0 0 0 2.7
Military service 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Volunteer activity (e.g., Peace Corps) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Starting or raising a family 0 0 0 0 0 0 3.3 0 0 0 2.9 0 0
Other, please specify 3.1 4.2 5 0 0 1.7 1.7 0 2.2 7.9 5.7 2.9 2.7
Sample size 32 24 20 12 2 60 60 60 46 63 35 35 37

Quick Links

Want to know more?
Contact:

Cappe Hallberg | 662.325.7703