Fashion Merchandising Program
The Fashion major is a 120-hour program designed to prepare students to enter the fashion industry to become buyers, fashion coordinators, and merchandise managers. (Program sheet in an Acrobat format.)
The field of Fashion Merchandising is fast paced, exciting and interesting with a variety of career opportunities. The global marketplace makes fashion an international concern.
Many students arrive at Old Dominion University with the objective of becoming a buyer. While this is an important position, there are many others that are worthy of consideration. Our curriculum is specific to the marketing of fashion and includes a solid base of fashion and marketing courses that are designed to prepare graduates to work in almost any aspect of fashion merchandising.
Classes begin at the freshman level with their basic general education courses in English, mathematics, science, social studies, communications, and information literacy. They also begin to take basic courses about the fashion industry, personal selling, advertising, buying, and personnel management. As they enter their junior year they begin to take more advanced fashion and marketing courses.
During the summer between their junior and senior year, students must complete an fashion internship that gives them significant practical experience. Some students choose to study abroad in a summer or semester program at the American Intercontinental University in London, England.
Old Dominion University fashion merchandising graduates have successfully transitioned from the classroom to the fashion industry. In addition to positions as buyers, they are employed as store managers, fashion coordinators, marketing coordinators, visual merchandisers, and fashion writers. Go to Fashion Jobs to locate information about fashion jobs.
During the summer, ODU hosts a one-week Fashion Academy for high school students interested in a fashion career. Students attend a series of workshops tailored from college-level fashion merchandising classes. Students get experience what it is like to be a college student and learn about the fashion industry.
2012 Fashion Academy Registration Form
Pictures of ODU fashion students in action:
2008 Fashion Market Trip to Italy
2008 Fashion Market Trip to MAGIC in Las Vegas
2007 Summer Fashion Academy
For more information about the fashion merchandising program, contact the program faculty:
Ms. Sharon Davis
Fashion Merchandising Program Director
Education Building 228
757-683-4305
srdavis@odu.edu
Ms. Tiffany Machado
Director, ODU Fashion Academy
Education Building 228
757-683-4305
tmachado@odu.edu
Dr. Mickey Kosloski
Business and Industry Training Program Director
Marketing Education Program Director
Education Building 228
757-683-4305
mkoslos@odu.edu