Fashion Design
Fashion Design Degrees
Success in the fashion industry involves a blend of creativity and sound business principles. Fashion designers need to be inventive individuals who are business savvy and have an eye for design. Fashion designers must also have good sketching, communication, problem solving, sales, and presentation abilities. A degree in fashion design will help you develop your business skills while you work on creating a strong portfolio to showcase your talent. This is exactly what you need to be successful in this competitive industry.
Types of Fashion Degree Programs
An associate’s degree in fashion design will require students to complete 2 years of study. Coursework will focus on color, textiles, ornamentation, sewing and tailoring, pattern making, fashion history, and computer-aided design. Students may also study human anatomy, mathematics, psychology, and business related courses. An associate’s degree program is an excellent way to start your fashion design portfolio and qualify you for entry level positions within the field. Many fashion design associate’s degree holders work as assistants to designers or perform technical work and sewing tasks in entry level positions.
A bachelor’s degree in fashion design is a 4 year program that aims to educate students in all areas of the fashion design industry. Coursework will be similar to the classes included in an associate’s degree program, but will be studied at a more intense level. Students will participate in many hands on projects and experiences that will prepare them for work in this field. Students will often host fashion shows to display their work.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-2009 Edition


