Apparel, Retail Merchandising and Design
Apparel, Retail Merchandising and Design
If you are looking for a career in a fast-paced environment that provides new opportunities each day, then a degree in Apparel, Retail Merchandising and Design (ARMD) is just for you. The global textile and apparel industry is made up of companies that produce fibers, yarns, and textile and apparel products for consumers around the world.
The undergraduate program in ARMD offers students opportunities to develop new approaches for dealing with challenges facing all areas of the global textile, apparel, and retail industry. Students are involved in designing new solutions for an ever-evolving global industry. Because of the size and scope of the industry, there are a variety of career opportunities available worldwide.
Students gain aesthetic, technical, practical, and professional skills in two option areas. The first option is retail merchandising that provides students with a firm grasp of business strategy. Graduates hold positions as buyers, store managers, visual merchandisers, marketing managers, sales and account executives, and trend forecasters with many retail companies. An option in apparel studies focuses on developing, designing, and marketing materials and products within this global industry. Students develop a trained eye and skills to showcase and sell products to a fashion-conscious consumer. Graduates have accepted positions in product development, technical design, fashion journalism, quality control, museum collection management, and theatrical costuming. Others have used their skills to successfully run their own businesses.
Major Requirements
Major: Apparel, Retail Merchandising & Design
Option: Apparel Studies
Degree Type: B.A. or B.S.
Required Degree Credits to Graduate: 122
General Education Requirements for Baccalaureate Degree
- A dynamic list of approved general education courses offered by term is available on the NDSU General Education Requirements website.
- General education courses may be used to satisfy requirements for both general education and the major, minor, and program emphases, where applicable. Students should carefully review the major, minor, and program emphases requirements for minimum grade restrictions, if applicable.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| First Year Experience (F) | 1 | |
| Skills For Academic Success (Also offered with the following prefixes: ABEN, AGRI, BUSN, HD&E, ME, NURS, PHRM) | ||
| Communication (C) | 12 | |
| College Composition I | ||
| College Composition II | ||
| Fundamentals of Public Speaking | ||
Upper Division Writing † | ||
| Quantitative Reasoning (R) † | 3 | |
| Science and Technology (S) † | 10 | |
| Humanities and Fine Arts (A) † | 6 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (B) † | 6 | |
| Wellness (W) † | 2 | |
| Cultural Diversity (D) *† | ||
| Global Perspectives (G) *† | ||
| Total Credits | 40 | |
| * | May be satisfied by completing courses in another General Education category. |
| † | May be satisfied with courses required in the major. Review major requirements to determine if a specific upper division writing course is required. |
Apparel Studies Option Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements - Apparel Studies Option | ||
| ADHM 155 | Apparel Construction and Fit | 3 |
| or ADHM 370 | Sewn-Product Manufacturing and Analysis | |
| ADHM 171 | Fashion Dynamics | 3 |
| ADHM 181 | Aesthetics and Visual Analysis of Apparel Products | 3 |
| ADHM 271 | Visual Merchandising and Promotion | 3 |
| ADHM 272 | Product Development | 3 |
| ADHM 310 | History of Fashion | 3 |
| ADHM 366 | Textiles | 3 |
| ADHM 367 | Textiles Laboratory | 1 |
| ADHM 375 | Professional Development | 1 |
| ADHM 385 | Global Fashion Economics | 3 |
| ADHM 481 | Capstone in Apparel, Retail Merchandising and Design | 3 |
| ADHM 486 | Dress and Human Behavior | 3 |
| ADHM 489 | Study Tour | 1-3 |
| CSCI 114 | Microcomputer Packages (May satisfy general education category S) | 3-4 |
| or CSCI 116 | Business Use of Computers | |
| ECON 105 | Elements of Economics (May satisfy general education category G) | 3 |
| ENGL 320 | Business and Professional Writing (May satisfy general education category C) | 3 |
| STAT 330 | Introductory Statistics (May satisfy general education category R) | 3 |
| Professional Electives: Select 21 credits from the following: | 21 | |
With adviser approval, six of these 21 professional elective credits may be taken from BUSN, MRKT, MGMT, THEA, COMM, or ART to meet the student’s professional/personal objectives. | ||
| Beginning Apparel Construction | ||
| Introduction to the Hospitality Industry | ||
| Tourism and Travel Management | ||
| Apparel Construction and Fit | ||
| Flat Pattern Design & Draping | ||
| Pattern Drafting and Grading | ||
| Product Development: Designing Pants | ||
| Sewn-Product Manufacturing and Analysis | ||
| Global Retailing | ||
| Convention and Meeting Planning | ||
| Dress in World Cultures | ||
| Experiential Retailing | ||
| Advanced Apparel Assembly | ||
| Retail Financial Management and Control | ||
| Global Consumer Analysis | ||
| Field Experience | ||
| Intercultural Communication | ||
| Listening and Nonverbal Communication | ||
| Organizational Communication I | ||
| Minor Program of Study Required: 16 credit minimum required | 16 | |
| Total Credits | 82-85 | |
Degree Requirements and Notes
- Transfer courses from other institutions must have grades of ‘C’ or better to be accepted for the program.
Major Requirements
Major: Apparel, Retail Merchandising & Design
Option: Retail Merchandising
Degree Type: B.A. or B.S.
Required Degree Credits to Graduate: 122
General Education Requirements for Baccalaureate Degree
- A dynamic list of approved general education courses offered by term is available on the NDSU General Education Requirements website.
- General education courses may be used to satisfy requirements for both general education and the major, minor, and program emphases, where applicable. Students should carefully review the major, minor, and program emphases requirements for minimum grade restrictions, if applicable.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| First Year Experience (F) | 1 | |
| Skills For Academic Success (Also offered with the following prefixes: ABEN, AGRI, BUSN, HD&E, ME, NURS, PHRM) | ||
| Communication (C) | 12 | |
| College Composition I | ||
| College Composition II | ||
| Fundamentals of Public Speaking | ||
Upper Division Writing † | ||
| Quantitative Reasoning (R) † | 3 | |
| Science and Technology (S) † | 10 | |
| Humanities and Fine Arts (A) † | 6 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (B) † | 6 | |
| Wellness (W) † | 2 | |
| Cultural Diversity (D) *† | ||
| Global Perspectives (G) *† | ||
| Total Credits | 40 | |
| * | May be satisfied by completing courses in another General Education category. |
| † | May be satisfied with courses required in the major. Review major requirements to determine if a specific upper division writing course is required. |
Retail Merchandising Option Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements Retail Merchandising Option | ||
| ADHM 171 | Fashion Dynamics | 3 |
| ADHM 271 | Visual Merchandising and Promotion | 3 |
| ADHM 272 | Product Development | 3 |
| ADHM 366 | Textiles | 3 |
| ADHM 367 | Textiles Laboratory | 1 |
| ADHM 372 | Global Retailing | 3 |
| ADHM 375 | Professional Development | 1 |
| ADHM 470 | Retail Financial Management and Control | 3 |
| ADHM 481 | Capstone in Apparel, Retail Merchandising and Design | 3 |
| ADHM 485 | Global Consumer Analysis | 3 |
| ADHM 489 | Study Tour | 1-3 |
| ADHM 496 | Field Experience | 3-6 |
| CSCI 114 | Microcomputer Packages (May satisfy general education category S) | 3-4 |
| or CSCI 116 | Business Use of Computers | |
| ENGL 320 | Business and Professional Writing (May satisfy general education category C) | 3 |
| PSYC 111 | Introduction to Psychology (May satisfy general education category B and G) | 3 |
| STAT 330 | Introductory Statistics (May satisfy general education category R) | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Intercultural Communication | ||
| Listening and Nonverbal Communication | ||
| Organizational Communication I | ||
| Business Minor requires an application to the College of Business and a minimum 2.5 GPA in courses used for the minor. | 24 | |
| Fundamentals of Accounting | ||
| Elements of Economics (May satisfy general education category B and G) | ||
| Foundations of Management | ||
| Foundations of Marketing | ||
| Foundations of Retailing | ||
College of Business 300-400 level courses as approved by ADHM Department to total 24 credits. | ||
| (ADHM 372/MRKT 372 may be used as an elective) | ||
| Retail Merchandising Focus Area | 20-21 | |
As part of the Retail Merchandising Option, students select a focus area. Focus Area One - Textile Product Merchandising or Focus Area Two - Interior Mechandising | ||
| Focus Area One - Core Requirements - Textile Product Merchandising Focus (21 credits) | ||
| Aesthetics and Visual Analysis of Apparel Products | ||
| History of Fashion (May satisfy general education category A) | ||
| Sewn-Product Manufacturing and Analysis | ||
| Global Fashion Economics | ||
| Dress and Human Behavior | ||
Focus Area One Professional Elective Credit - 6 credits of professional electives courses are needed to reach the minimum degree total of 122 credits. Courses can be chosen with advisor approval from the list below or from ADHM, BUSN, MRKT, MGMT, THEA, COMM, or ART. | ||
| Dress in World Cultures | ||
| Experiential Retailing | ||
| Seminar (Product Production, Sourcing & Productrivity) | ||
| Seminar (Photoshop/Illustrator for ARMD Majors) | ||
| Focus Area Two - Core Requirements - Interior Merchandising Focus (20 credits) | ||
| Design Fundamentals | ||
| Interior Design Careers | ||
| Introduction to Manual Drafting | ||
| Interior Design Studio I-Residential | ||
| Residential Systems | ||
| History of Interiors I (May satisfy general education category A) | ||
| History of Interiors II (May satisfy general education category A) | ||
| Interior Materials | ||
| Total Credits | 83-89 | |
Degree Requirements and Notes
- Transfer courses from other institutions must have grades of ‘C’ or better to be accepted for the program.
Minor Requirements
Minor: Apparel, Retail Merchandising & Design
Options: Apparel Studies and Retail Management
Required Credits: 21-22
Apparel Studies Minor Option
A total of 12 upper-division (300/400 level) courses must be taken
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| ADHM 171 | Fashion Dynamics | 3 |
| ADHM 366 | Textiles | 3 |
| ADHM 367 | Textiles Laboratory | 1 |
| ADHM 155 | Apparel Construction and Fit | 3 |
| or ADHM 370 | Sewn-Product Manufacturing and Analysis | |
| Electives: 12 credits from the following: | 12 | |
| Beginning Apparel Construction | ||
| Apparel Construction and Fit | ||
| Aesthetics and Visual Analysis of Apparel Products | ||
| Visual Merchandising and Promotion * | ||
| Product Development | ||
| History of Fashion | ||
| Flat Pattern Design & Draping | ||
| Pattern Drafting and Grading | ||
| Sewn-Product Manufacturing and Analysis | ||
| Global Retailing | ||
| Global Fashion Economics | ||
| Dress in World Cultures | ||
| Experiential Retailing | ||
| Retail Financial Management and Control | ||
| Global Consumer Analysis | ||
| Dress and Human Behavior | ||
| Study Tour | ||
| Total Credits | 22 | |
Retail Management Minor Option
The Retail Management minor option is available to all majors in the College of Business.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| ADHM 171 | Fashion Dynamics | 3 |
| ADHM 181 | Aesthetics and Visual Analysis of Apparel Products | 3 |
| ADHM 271 | Visual Merchandising and Promotion | 3 |
| Electives: Select 12 credits from the following: | 12 | |
| Global Retailing | ||
| Global Fashion Economics | ||
| Retail Financial Management and Control | ||
| Global Consumer Analysis | ||
| Foundations of Marketing | ||
| Foundations of Retailing | ||
| Total Credits | 21 | |
Minor Requirements and Notes:
- A minimum of 8 credits must be taken at NDSU.
Plan of Study
Apparel studies option
The following plan suggests semester schedules that allow the student to complete his/her major/option degree program in a four year span. The arrangements of courses is based on which semesters the course is offered, the classification and the prerequisites or co-requisites required for successful completion. The Plan of Study should be used alongside the official curriculum guide and with the assistance from your assigned advisor. Remember, this is only a guide and circumstances may change the plan.
| Freshman | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| ADHM 171 | 3 | ADHM 181 | 3 | ||
| CSCI 114 or 116 | 3-4 | COMM 110 | 3 | ||
| ENGL 110 (w/ ENGL 100 lab) | 3 | ENGL 120 | 3 | ||
| HD&E 189 | 1 | PSYC 111 or SOC 110 | 3 | ||
| Science/Tech | 3 | Minor/Elective/STATS prereq | 3 | ||
| Wellness | 2-3 | ||||
| 15-17 | 15 | ||||
| Sophomore | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| ECON 105 | 3 | ADHM 155 or 370 | 3 | ADHM 489** | 3 |
| Minor/Elective | 3 | ADHM 271 | 3 | ||
| STAT 330* | 3 | ADHM 272 | 3 | ||
| Humanities/Fine Arts | 3 | Prof Elective | 3 | ||
| Prof Elective | 3 | Science/Tech w lab | 4 | ||
| 15 | 16 | 3 | |||
| Junior | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| ADHM 310 | 3 | ENGL 320 | 3 | ||
| ADHM 366 | 3 | COMM 383 (or alternative COMM course) | 3 | ||
| ADHM 367 | 1 | Minor Elective | 3 | ||
| ADHM 385 | 3 | Minor Elective | 3 | ||
| ADHM 375 | 1 | Prof Elective | 3 | ||
| ADHM 489** | 1 | ||||
| Prof Elective | 3 | ||||
| 15 | 15 | ||||
| Senior | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| ADHM 486 | 3 | ADHM 481 | 3 | ||
| Minor/Elective | 3 | Minor/Elective | 3 | ||
| Minor/Elective | 3 | Prof Elective | 3 | ||
| Minor/Elective | 3 | Elective (as needed) | 6 | ||
| Prof Elective | 3 | ||||
| 15 | 15 | ||||
| Total Credits: 124-126 | |||||
| * | Prerequisites may apply |
| ** | Minimum 1 credit Study Tour in consultation with your advisor |
Plan of Study
Retail merchandising textile product option
| Freshman | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| ADHM 171 | 3 | ACCT 102 | 3 | ||
| ENGL 110 (w/ ENGL 100 lab) | 3 | ADHM 181 | 3 | ||
| COMM 110 | 3 | CSCI 114 or 116 | 3-4 | ||
| HD&E 189 | 1 | ENGL 120 | 3 | ||
| Humanities/Fine Arts | 3 | Elective (possible prerequisite for STAT) | 3 | ||
| Wellness | 2-3 | ||||
| 15-16 | 15-16 | ||||
| Sophomore | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| ADHM 310 | 3 | ADHM 271 | 3 | ||
| PSYC 111 | 3 | ADHM 272 | 3 | ||
| Science/Tech | 3 | ECON 105 | 3 | ||
| STAT 330* | 3 | Science/Tech w lab | 4 | ||
| ADHM 489** | 1 | Elective | 3 | ||
| 13 | 16 | ||||
| Junior | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| ADHM 366 & ADHM 367 | 4 | ADHM 370 | 3 | ADHM 496 | 3-6 |
| ADHM 372 | 3 | ADHM 485 | 3 | ||
| ADHM 375 | 1 | MGMT 320 | 3 | ||
| ENGL 320 | 3 | Business Elective | 3 | ||
| MRKT 320 | 3 | Business Elective | 3 | ||
| 14 | 15 | 3-6 | |||
| Senior | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| ADHM 385 | 3 | ADHM 481 | 3 | ||
| ADHM 470 | 3 | Business Elective | 3 | ||
| ADHM 486 | 3 | COMM 383 (or alternative COMM course) | 3 | ||
| MRKT 362 | 3 | Prof Elective | 3 | ||
| Prof Elective | 3 | Elective | 4 | ||
| 15 | 16 | ||||
| Total Credits: 122-127 | |||||
| * | Prerequisite may apply |
| ** | Minimum of 1 credit Study Tour required in consultation with your advisor |
Plan of Study
retail merchandising interior merchandising option
| Freshman | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| ADHM 160 | 1 | ADHM 151 | 3 | ||
| ADHM 161 | 3 | COMM 110 | 3 | ||
| ADHM 171 | 3 | CSCI 114 or 116 | 3-4 | ||
| ENGL 110 (w Eng 100 lab) | 3 | ECON 105 | 3 | ||
| HD&E 189 | 1 | ENGL 120 | 3 | ||
| PSYC 111 | 3 | ||||
| 14 | 15-16 | ||||
| Sophomore | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| ADHM 251 | 3 | ADHM 271 | 3 | ADHM 489** | 3 |
| ADHM 264 | 2 | ADHM 272 | 3 | ||
| Science & Tech | 3 | STAT 330* | 3 | ||
| ACCT 102 | 3 | Science & Tech w/Lab | 4 | ||
| Wellness | 2-3 | Elective | 3 | ||
| Elective (possible math pre-req for STAT) | 3 | ||||
| 16-17 | 16 | 3 | |||
| Junior | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| ADHM 315 | 3 | ADHM 316 | 3 | ADHM 496 | 3-6 |
| ADHM 366 | 3 | ADHM 368 | 2 | ||
| ADHM 367 | 1 | COMM 383 (or Alternative) | 3 | ||
| ADHM 375 | 1 | ENGL 320 | 3 | ||
| MGMT 320 | 3 | MRKT 320 | 3 | ||
| Elective/Diversity | 3 | ||||
| ADHM 489** | 1 | ||||
| 15 | 14 | 3-6 | |||
| Senior | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| ADHM 372 | 3 | ADHM 481 | 3 | ||
| ADHM 470 | 3 | MRKT 362 | 3 | ||
| ADHM 485 | 3 | BUSN Elective | 3 | ||
| BUSN Elective | 3 | BUSN Elective | 3 | ||
| Elective (as needed) | 3 | ||||
| 15 | 12 | ||||
| Total Credits: 123-128 | |||||
| * | Prerequisites may apply. |
| ** | Minimum 1 credits Study Tour in consultation with advisor. |
