Bachelors of Science in Fashion Merchandising with a Concentration in Fashion Design

This program is where design meets business.

Every season, fashion designers show their latest creations, some of which eventually make it from runways to store racks all over the world. It’s the job of the merchandise manager to choose the best of these designs, mixing and matching colors, sizes, and silhouettes to provide the customers what they want at a price they’re willing to pay. It’s a challenging and rewarding career, especially when combined with the creative skills and conceptual knowledge of a fashion designer. This program is where design meets business.

Bay State College offers a unique educational combination with its program, the Bachelor of Science in Fashion Merchandising with a concentration in Fashion Design . This program effectively prepares students to approach the fashion industry as both a creative enterprise and a business. Through an interdisciplinary approach, students are able to focus on areas of fashion merchandising, including product development, visual merchandising, global marketing, and retail strategies, in combination with creative and conceptual hands-on design work. The Fashion Design program includes a semester-long internship, which helps to further strengthen the students’ expertise as they gain valuable industry experience and develop a professional network as well as the business savvy needed to turn great designs into successful clothing and accessory lines.

Along with the business foundation skills, you will learn the fundamentals of professional draping, patternmaking, and sewing techniques. You’ll master the latest computer-aided design (CAD) programs, Illustrator and Gerber, and learn how to take a design from concept to finished garment. This singular program guides you to become not only a designer with your own creative vision but also a business professional prepared to take your place in this challenging industry.

With intensive professional guidance and one-on-one advising, Bay State College will assist you in kick-starting your creative career toward lucrative employment with an array of career-building resources, such as portfolio development, resume-building, and internship opportunities.

Highlights

• Located within Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood just steps away from Newbury Street—also known as Boston’s Fashion Avenue—Bay State College has been a part of the fashion industry since 1946.
• Faculty members are seasoned professionals with current experience, opening doors to the industry and employment opportunities.
• Top local designers serve as “critics,” helping students create garments to present in a major exhibition at the world-famous Copley Place Mall.
• Boston Fashion Week, Providence Fashion Week, Caribbean Fashion Week, Eileen Fisher, and the North Shore Mall are among many sponsors of student competitions that provide invaluable opportunity and experience.
• An internship at a leading fashion house gives you experience and valuable connections. Internship sites have included Appleseeds, L.L. Bean, Timberland, Boston Ballet, Mark Miller, and The Stylist Closet, among many others.

In this program you will:

• Connect with industry leaders at guest lectures and industry events, build a network of valuable contacts and learn from New England’s most successful designers and fashion executives.
• Find inspiration at the Museum of Fine Arts, where you’ll study its world-class collection of couture, designer, and historical garments close up.
• Have the opportunity to practice what you are learning in the classroom by participating in off-campus activities in sustainable fashions, styling, visual merchandising, and fashion show production.

Bay State College's 2018 Annual Fashion Show, The Next Chapter, presented by Bay State's Fashion Design and Merchandising students.

Available In

Fashion Merchandising Day Classes

Discover a diverse but close-knit community of students, faculty, and staff at our Boston campus, located in the historic Back Bay neighborhood.

• Duration: 8 semesters
• Semester Length: 16 weeks
• Program Length: 4 years
• Start Dates:
  • Fall 2019: Tuesday, September 3, 2019
• Application Deadline: Rolling Admissions

Hiring Companies of Our Fashion Design Graduates

• Brooks Brothers
• TJX Corporation
• Coldwater Creek
• Walmart Corporate
• Wayfair
• Rue La La
• BlueStem Brands
• LL Bean
• Reebok
• Converse
• Clark’s Shoes
• Bloomingdale’s
• Macy’s
• Saks Fifth Avenue

Acceptance Criteria

Are you and Bay State a good fit? In accepting qualified candidates into a degree program, we look at a variety of factors that represent the whole person.

Our admissions process is designed to match your interests, skill sets and goals to the appropriate program. We ask that all applicants speak with an admissions representative to allow us to get a feel for your preferences. As much as we want to make sure you are a good fit for Bay State, we want to make sure you feel the same.

Bay State College accepts applications on a rolling basis – the earlier you get your application in, the earlier you will have a decision.

International Admissions Requirements

The following steps are required in order to apply to Bay State College:

• A completed International Student Application and admission processing fee of USD $40.
• Official TOEFL score of 513 on the paper based test, 183 on the CBT or 70 on the ibT, or a 6.0 on the IELTS if native language is not English (or language school affiliate equivalent). We also accept the iTEP (Academic-Plus test ONLY) overall score of 4.0 or higher.
• Submission of Official final high school grades, scores or transcripts translated to English, if needed, including an explanation of the grading system.
• Official College Transcript-Translated (if you are a transfer student).
• Transcripts from schools outside of the United States must be evaluated by a current member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) and the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE) if:
• The applicant’s transcript is being used to verify Proof of Graduation; or
• The applicant’s transcript(s) are being reviewed for transfer credit eligibility into a Bay State College program.

Evaluations must include:

• Translation of transcript(s) into English
• The equivalency of your credentials in terms of a U.S. education
• A converted GPA calculation into U.S. standards

If accepted to the college, the following will be required prior to receiving an I-20:

• Financial documentation in the form of current, original bank statements totaling the cost of tuition and information explaining who will be financially responsible for the student while in the United States. Further explanation of minimum financial requirements will be reviewed with the Admissions department.
• A letter of support from the person who intends to help make tuition payments.

The following are required (In addition to the above) before being presented to the Admissions Committee for acceptance:

• Health insurance waiver
• Immunization Records
• Signed Payment Plan
• Signed Enrollment Documents
• The Admissions Office reserves the right to request additional information to determine admissions eligibility.

For over 70 years, Bay State College has built a reputation for offering a unique, high-quality curriculum for the serious student. Thanks to our small classes, individualized attention, and a faculty of industry professionals who bring their experience into the classroom, our students are successfully able to pursue career-focused studies in today’s fastest-growing industries.

In our commitment to their academic and professional advancement, our students are given the opportunity to intern at some of the best companies in the nation, while networking with employers and alumni who can open doors to some of the Northeast’s best career opportunities.