Department of Apparel, Design, and Hospitality Management

Undergraduate Programs of Study

• Apparel, Retail Merchandising and Design (major, minor, certificate)
• Hospitality and Tourism Management (major, minor)
• Interior Design (major)

Degrees Offered

• Bachelor of Arts Degree (B.A.)
• Bachelor of Science Degree (B.S.)
• Undergraduate Certificate

Department Description

Our programs are professionally based with elements of design, technology, and management interlaced into the coursework. Our programs have a strong general education component and specialized career preparation.

The Programs

Apparel, Retail Merchandising and Design (ARMD)

Two options are available within ARMD: Apparel Studies or Retail Merchandising. Apparel Studies focuses on developing, designing, and marketing materials and products within this global industry. Graduates have accepted positions in product development, technical design, fashion journalism, quality control, and museum collection management. Retail merchandising provides students with a firm grasp of retail business strategy. Graduates hold positions as buyers, store managers, visual merchandisers, marketing managers, sales, stylists, and account executives, and trend forecasters with many retail companies. ARMD also offers a minor.

Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM)

The Hospitality and Tourism Management major prepares students to be professionals who can lead teams of people and effectively manage hospitality operations in a variety of segments such as lodging, foodservice, events, travel, and tourism. Our students learn and develop leadership skills by completing coursework that increases knowledge of the industry, develops people management skills, and enhances problem-solving abilities while instilling a sense of responsibility and professionalism. The program also incorporates a required minor in Business Administration.  We offer the only four-year HTM program in North Dakota accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration. HTM also offers a minor.

Interior Design (ID)

The Interior Design major is a professional program that prepares students for a career as an interior designer. Professional interior designers create functional, safe, and attractive interior environments, including those found in restaurants, hospitals, museums, shopping centers and homes. Successful designers know the theory and science of design, drawing and computer-aided design, safety regulations, and how to read construction drawings. Our program provides coursework and experiences that develop these skills and is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

For more information about any of the programs, contact the department. We advise new students to contact the department prior to beginning their college work.

Enrichment Opportunities

Experiential Learning

Course work in the department includes hands-on experiences through labs, studio classes, and simulations. Our programs also supplement classroom learning through structured field experiences to architectural firms, hospitality operations, fashion, retail, and design centers. Study tours to cities such as, Los Angeles, New York City, Minneapolis, Chicago, and to several countries, such as England, France, the Netherlands, and Italy, are scheduled regularly.

Student Organizations

All three majors in the ADHM Department host active student organizations. The student organizations provide students with extra opportunities outside the classroom such as industry speakers, field trips to view workplaces, chances to work on service-learning projects to help others, and the experience of planning large events related to their field of interest. ARMD students participate in the Fashion and Business Organization (FABO). In addition, they plan and implement a spring fashion show for the whole campus. The HTM student organization is the Hospitality Student Association (HSA). Their biggest event each year is the Food and Wine Show, which they organize and implement each spring as a fundraiser. The money earned goes toward a scholarship fund, some is used to defray costs of a field trip and the remainder is used for activities, special projects, and meetings for the following year. The ID student organization is the student chapter of the national professional organization, the American Society of Interior Design (ASID).  Students participate in local and regional design events that include the annual North Dakota Interior Designers' Showcase (NDID). They compete biennially in CANstruction® to support the regional food bank. These students plan a trip to a place of interest each year. They have gone to Minneapolis and Chicago in recent years.

Fashion Institute of Technology Affiliation

Professional enrichment is possible through departmental affiliation with the Fashion Institute of Technology (F. I. T.). The department has an arrangement with the Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), New York City, where a qualified student may attend that institution for a semester or a full year as a visiting student. Summer School opportunities are also available. The approved credits earned at F.I.T. will transfer to NDSU and will count toward graduation requirements. Students participating in the one-year visiting student program earn an associate degree from F.I.T.

During the second year of study at NDSU, interested students should consult with their advisers to ensure full consideration of their application for the F.I.T. visiting student program. Application should be made at least one year in advance. Students who participate in this program spend their last year of study attending F.I.T.