Fashion Merchandising
The Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Fashion Merchandising program places students at the intersection of fashion, business and marketing. Our curriculum stresses the importance of leadership, teamwork, creativity, and effective communication throughout the product life cycle process. Students will leave this program equipped with knowledge of fashion theory; the societal and technological aspects of the textile and apparel industry; and the creation, promotion, distribution, and retailing of consumer goods in a global environment. This program provides a foundation for students to pursue a wide range of careers in the fashion industry. A Certificate of Completion (CCL) in Fashion Merchandising program is also available.
Details
Field of Interest
Business, Entrepreneurialism, and Management
Degree Type
Associate in Applied Science (AAS)
Academic Plan
Fashion Merchandising (DEG)
Academic Plan Code
3266
Total credits required
62-72
Catalog Year
2024-2025
Effective Term
Fall 2023
Admissions criteria
None
Notes
Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.
What You'll Learn
This pathway map will help you gain the expertise needed to:
- Analyze relationships among aesthetic, cultural, economic, historic, psychological, sociological and technological factors that affect trends in fashion.
- Create a marketing and promotion plan, applying an understanding of consumer behavior, marketing principles and merchandising strategies.
- Utilize professional written, visual and oral communication skills to express ideas in diverse business environments.
- Employ current computer and information technologies to perform business functions.
- Utilize professional, ethical, and legal standards in the fashion industry.
- Use dependability, adaptability and persistence to set and achieve goals.
- Analyze a wide range of challenges in the fashion industry to generate culturally responsive solutions.
- Develop and maintain constructive and collaborative working relationships.
- Demonstrate effective customer relationship management skills.
- Perform basic mathematical functions related to supply chain management.
- Evaluate information gathered from industry sources for business application.
Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based annual median wages* for this program. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information.
Business Operations Specialists, All Other
$79,780 Show expanded career information for Business Operations Specialists, All Other
Buyers and Purchasing Agents
$65,450 Show expanded career information for Buyers and Purchasing Agents
Customer Service Representatives
$37,180 Show expanded career information for Customer Service Representatives
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers
$34,250 Show expanded career information for Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers
Purchasing Managers
$130,650 Show expanded career information for Purchasing Managers
Retail Salespersons
$30,630 Show expanded career information for Retail Salespersons
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products
$61,950 Show expanded career information for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products
Course Sequence by Term
The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:
- Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Pathway Planner tool in your to manage your plan.
- The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
- Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
- Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.
- Consult with your faculty mentor or academic advisor to determine educational requirements, including possible university transfer options, for your chosen career field.
Full-time Sequence
Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.
Term 1
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Critical course Any approved general education course from the Mathematics [MA] area | MA | 3–6 | |||
| or | or | Critical course | FYC or FYC | 3 | |
| Critical course Gateway course | 3 | ||||
| or | or | Critical course recommended for university transfer | CS or CS | 3 | |
| HU | 3 | ||||
| or | or | 1–3 |
Term 2
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| or | or | FYC or FYC | 3 | ||
| OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment | L | 0–3 | |||
| 3 | |||||
| 3 | |||||
| 3 | |||||
| RE | Restricted Elective | 3 |
Term 3
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| or or or | or or or | SB or SB or L or SB | 3 | ||
| 3 | |||||
| 3 | |||||
| 3 | |||||
| RE | Restricted Elective | 3 |
Term 4
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G, SB | 3 | ||||
| or | or | SG or SQ | 4 | ||
| 3 | |||||
| RE | Restricted Elective | 0–3 | |||
| RE | Restricted Elective | 0–3 |
Restricted Electives
Students should select a total of 6-12 credits from the following courses in consultation with a Department Advisor.
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | |||||
| G | 3 | ||||
| Any MGT Management course except courses used to satisfy Required Courses area | |||||
| Any MKT Marketing course except courses used to satisfy Required Courses area | |||||
| Any TEC Textiles and Clothing course except courses used to satisfy Required Courses area |
Part-time Sequence
Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.
Term 1
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| or | or | Critical course | FYC or FYC | 3 | |
| Critical course Gateway course | 3 | ||||
| or | or | 1–3 |
Term 2
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Critical course Any approved general education course from the Mathematics [MA] area | MA | 3–6 | |||
| HU | 3 |
Term 3
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| or | or | FYC or FYC | 3 | ||
| RE | Restricted Elective | 3 |
Term 4
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| or | or | Critical course recommended for university transfer | CS or CS | 3 | |
| OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment | L | 0–3 | |||
| 3 |
Term 5
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | |||||
| RE | Restricted Elective | 3 |
Term 6
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | |||||
| or or or | or or or | SB or SB or L or SB | 3 |
Term 7
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | |||||
| RE | Restricted Elective | 0–3 |
Term 8
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | |||||
| G, SB | 3 |
Term 9
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | |||||
| or | or | SG or SQ | 4 |
Term 10
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | |||||
| RE | Restricted Elective | 0–3 |
Restricted Electives
Students should select a total of 6-12 credits from the following courses in consultation with a Department Advisor.
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | |||||
| G | 3 | ||||
| Any MGT Management course except courses used to satisfy Required Courses area | |||||
| Any MKT Marketing course except courses used to satisfy Required Courses area | |||||
| Any TEC Textiles and Clothing course except courses used to satisfy Required Courses area |
Course Area Key
Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.
Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.
- CS = Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application
- FYC = First Year Composition
- G = Global Awareness
- HU = Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design
- L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
- MA = Mathematics
- SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
- SG = Natural Sciences General
- SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative
Disclaimer
Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.
Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.
View MCCCD’s for additional details regarding the requirements of this award .
At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.