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
Admission criteria

None

Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

What You'll Learn
  • 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 wages* for this degree. 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. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Customer Service Representatives

$38,100

Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers

$32,980

Online Merchants

$76,990

Purchasing Managers

$127,500

Retail Salespersons

$34,110

Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products

$68,410

Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products

$65,450

* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources. Sources

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 Degree Progress Report Tool in your Student Center 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

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
MA Mathematics Critical course Any approved general education course from the Mathematics [MA] area MA 3–6
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC or FYC 3
MKT/TEC109 Introduction to Fashion Merchandising Critical course Gateway course 3
BPC110 or
CIS105		 Computer Usage and Applications or Survey of Computer Information Systems Critical course CIS105 recommended for university transfer CS or CS 3
TEC105 Cultural Aspects of Clothing HU 3
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3
MKT/TEC200 Retail Buying 3
MKT/TEC151 Display and Visual Merchandising 3
MKT271 Principles of Marketing 3
RE Restricted Elective 3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM225 or
COM230		 Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication SB or SB or L or SB 3
MKT268 Merchandising 3
MGT251 Human Relations in Business 3
TEC222 Textiles 3
RE Restricted Elective 3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
SBU200 Society and Business G, SB 3
SG or
SQ		 Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative SG or SQ 4
MKT263 Advertising Principles 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.

A list of additional, alternative, or supplemental courses for this pathway map
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
GBS151 Introduction to Business 3
IBS101 Introduction to International Business G 3
MGT+++++ Any MGT Management course Any MGT Management course except courses used to satisfy Required Courses area
MKT+++++ Any MKT Marketing course Any MKT Marketing course except courses used to satisfy Required Courses area
TEC+++++ Any TEC Textiles and Clothing course 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

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC or FYC 3
MKT/TEC109 Introduction to Fashion Merchandising Critical course Gateway course 3
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
MA Mathematics Critical course Any approved general education course from the Mathematics [MA] area MA 3–6
TEC105 Cultural Aspects of Clothing HU 3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
RE Restricted Elective 3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
BPC110 or
CIS105		 Computer Usage and Applications or Survey of Computer Information Systems Critical course CIS105 recommended for university transfer CS or CS 3
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3
MKT/TEC151 Display and Visual Merchandising 3

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
MKT268 Merchandising 3
RE Restricted Elective 3

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
MKT271 Principles of Marketing 3
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM225 or
COM230		 Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication SB or SB or L or SB 3

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
MGT251 Human Relations in Business 3
RE Restricted Elective 0–3

Term 8

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
TEC222 Textiles 3
SBU200 Society and Business G, SB 3

Term 9

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 9
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
MKT/TEC200 Retail Buying 3
SG or
SQ		 Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative SG or SQ 4

Term 10

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 10
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
MKT263 Advertising Principles 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.

A list of additional, alternative, or supplemental courses for this pathway map
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
GBS151 Introduction to Business 3
IBS101 Introduction to International Business G 3
MGT+++++ Any MGT Management course Any MGT Management course except courses used to satisfy Required Courses area
MKT+++++ Any MKT Marketing course Any MKT Marketing course except courses used to satisfy Required Courses area
TEC+++++ Any TEC Textiles and Clothing course 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 official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm13?id=187823).

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.

Previous Catalog Years

The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. All previous catalog years for this pathway map are available at the link below.

Previous catalog years for Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Fashion Merchandising