Fashion Merchandising
The business of fashion is complex, fast-paced and profitable. Don’t mistake this for a garment construction program — our comprehensive, business-oriented curriculum provides students with an in-depth look into the fashion industry. This includes courses in fashion history, product line development, buying and planning, distribution, visual merchandising, textiles, styling, and brand marketing. It’s our mission to prepare students for professional fashion careers or graduate education by providing teaching excellence that advances creativity, global awareness and current business practices.
- FASH 110: Introduction to the Fashion Industry
- FASH 120: Personal Styling Analysis
- FASH 100: Fashion Public Speaking
- FASH 230: Fashion Branding
- FASH 240: Global Fashion Trends
- FASH 260: Fashion Journalism
- FSAT 300: Fashion Merchandising International Travel
- FASH 310: Menswear
- FASH 330: Textiles for Apparel
- FASH 360: Merchandise Planning and Control
- FASH 365: Fashion Buying with Excel
- FASH 400: Professional Development
- FASH 410: Fashion Evolution
- FASH 430: Visual Merchandising
- FASH 450: Product Line Development with Illustrator
The Fashion Studies minor is offered to non-majors. A GPA requirement of 2.5 remains the standard. No courses may be taken as pass/fail. Fashion Studies minors are required to complete a total of six courses (17-18 credits).
The following two foundation courses are required:
Students then choose four more courses from those listed below:
Fast Facts
- Our majors can spend their first three years in Erie and their final year in New York City to graduate with two degrees — a bachelor’s degree from Mercyhurst and an associate degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology.
- Fashion majors love to travel! Our students enjoy annual trips to fashion capitals of the world, visiting cities like New York City, Paris, London and Milan.
- Students can now choose to study in Paris, France, during their senior year! Students in this 3+1 program earn two bachelor’s degrees—a B.S. in fashion merchandising (Mercyhurst) and a bachelor’s in fashion and luxury retail management (American Business School of Paris).
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate:
- Data gathering, synthesis, problem-solving, and decision-making
- Written and oral presentation skills appropriate to the fashion field. Identify the manner in which historic, cultural, and cyclical environmental factors impact the fashion industry
- Basic planning, production, promotion, and distribution techniques for the men's, women's, and children's wear markets
- Knowledge of mathematical concepts and financial statements related to merchandise buying and planning. Identify the variety of career opportunities within the fashion industry, inter-relationships between them, and methods to gain entry therein
- Distinguish the intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics of all segments within the textile complex, following the progression from fibers to end products
| Merchandiser | Merchandise Planner | Visual Merchandiser | Wholesale Product Coordinator |
| Allocation Analyst | Public Relations | Director of Human Resources | E-commerce Manager |
| Special Event Manager | Social Media Coordinator | Associate Footwear Developer | Associate Category Manager |
| Insight Specialist | Insight Specialist | Product Designer | Copywriter |
| Trade Compliance & Pricing Specialist | Digital Brand Analyst | Account Support Analyst | Buying Operations Coordinator |
| Copy & Content Lead | Director of Sales | Marketing Coordinator | Merchant |
| Instructor | Trend Forecaster | Product Development | Technical Designer |
Amy Weaver, M.S.
Chair, Department of Fashion Merchandising
Office: Main 303
Meet the Faculty
Fashion Merchandising
