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Undergraduate Bulletin College of Arts and Sciences
Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design

Bachelor of Science in Apparel Merchandising

Students on Summer 2019, Fall 2019, or Spring 2020 requirements APMDBS1
The Bachelor of Science in Apparel Merchandising exposes students to every aspect of the retail cycle, from the research and manufacturing phases to merchandising and retail selling, allowing them to develop their creative and analytical skills. The Apparel Merchandising curriculum examines consumer-oriented and aesthetic components of the near environment and offers students a comprehensive examination of merchandising as it relates to the retailing industry of tomorrow. Coursework includes product basics as well as current industry trends, coupled with a minor such as one of the Kelley School of Business Minors, the Minor in Fashion Design, or other minor approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Students prepare for a variety of careers in retail buying, retail management, product development, consumer services, visual merchandising, fashion promotion, retail account coordination, wholesale sales, brand management, merchandising management, sourcing, product manufacturing, and merchandise analysis.

Requirements

The major requires at least 44 credit hours (60–66 with the Addenda requirements), including the requirements listed below.
  1. Introductory Courses.
    1. SOAD Pathways. One (1) course:
      • SOAD-A 100 Pathways: Introduction to Art, Design and Merchandising
    2. Introduction to Apparel Merchandising. One (1) course:
      • SOAD-M 109 Apparel Industries
  2. Apparel Merchandising Foundations.
    1. Materials for Merchandising and Fashion Design. One (1) course:
      • SOAD-F 203 Materials for Merchandising and Fashion Design
    2. Manufacturing and Quality Analysis. One (1) course:
      • SOAD-M 204 Manufacturing and Quality Analysis
    3. Principals of Retail Merchandising. One (1) course:
      • SOAD-M 315 Principles of Retail Merchandising
    4. International Textiles and Apparel. One (1) course:
      • SOAD-M 404 International Textiles and Apparel Trade
      • SOAD-M 405 International Fashion Consumers and Retailers
    5. Planning and Analysis. One (1) course:
      • SOAD-M 413 Planning and Analysis
  3. Advanced Electives. Nine (9) credit hours:
    • SOAD-F 202 Introductory Textile Science: Laboratory
    • SOAD-M 255 Digital Merchandising when taken prior to Summer 2024
    • SOAD-M 308 Brand Management and Advertising
    • SOAD-M 309 Strategies in Retail Promotion
    • SOAD-M 316 Retail Product Management
    • SOAD-M 327 Product Development
    • SOAD-M 328 Digital Product Development
    • SOAD-M 350 Omnichannel Innovation
    • SOAD-M 385 Case Studies in Merchandising
    • SOAD-M 409 Retail Industry Field Seminar
    • SOAD-M 410 Apparel Entrepreneurship
    • SOAD-M 412 Global Sourcing
    • SOAD-M 415 Seminar in Innovative Merchandising
    • SOAD-M 416 Sustainability in Product: Fashion Design, Merchandising, and Retailing
    • SOAD-M 427 Advanced Product Development
    • SOAD-M 450 Profiling the Apparel Customer
    • SOAD-M 455 Advanced Digital Merchandising
    • SOAD-M 485 Topics in Apparel Merchandising
    • Up to six (6) credit hours of the following:
      • SOAD-X 373 Internship in Professional Practice
      • SOAD-X 376 Practicum in the Retail Industry
      • SOAD-X 492 Independent Study in Retail
  4. Career Course. One (1) course:
    • SOAD-M 219 Professional Techniques in the Retail Industry
    • ASCS-Q 296 College to Career II: Navigate Your Arts and Sciences Experience
  5. Additional Requirements.
    1. Introduction to Business Computing. One (1) course:
      • BUS-K 201 THE COMPUTER IN BUSINESS
    2. Introduction to Economics. One (1) course:
      • ECON-E 201 Introduction to Microeconomics
      • ECON-E 202 Introduction to Macroeconomics
      • ECON-E 211 Applied Principles of Microeconomics: Creative Commerce
      • ECON-E 251 Fundamentals of Economics I
      • ECON-B 251 Fundamentals of Economics for Business I
      • ECON-E 252 Fundamentals of Economics II
      • ECON-B 252 Fundamentals of Economics for Business II
    3. Introduction to Psychology. One (1) course:
      • PSY-P 101 Introductory Psychology I
    4. Introduction to Sociology. One (1) course:
      • SOC-S 100 Introduction to Sociology
  6. Addenda Requirements*.
    1. Finite or Calculus Mathematics. One (1) course:
      • MATH-D 117 Introduction to Finite Mathematics II
      • MATH-J 113 Introduction to Calculus with Applications
      • MATH-M 118 Finite Mathematics
      • MATH-M 119 Brief Survey of Calculus I
      • MATH-M 211 Calculus I
      • MATH-M 213
      • MATH-S 118 Honors Finite Mathematics
      • MATH-S 211 Honors Calculus I
      • MATH-V 118 Finite Mathematics with Applications (approved topics: "Finite Math in Action"; "Finite Mathematics for the Social and Biological Sciences"; "Finite and Consumer Mathematics")
      • MATH-V 119 Applied Brief Calculus I (approved topic: "Applied Brief Calculus I for the Life Sciences")
    2. Minor Requirement.
      • Complete one (1) of the Kelley School of Business Minors (21 cr.)** or another related minor approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
  7. Major GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
    1. At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed in courses taken through the Indiana University Bloomington campus or an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program.
    2. At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed at the 300–499 level.
    3. Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the major.
    4. A GPA of at least 2.000 for all courses taken in the major—including those where a grade lower than C- is earned—is required.
    5. Exceptions to major requirements may be made with the approval of the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.