Are you fascinated by the world around you and “The Spirit of the Age” in which you live? Are you a well-rounded individual intrigued by current events, material culture, and the effects of movies, television, and world events on fashion of a particular time and place? In a large crowd, do you watch the people around you to see what they’re wearing, or when visiting people’s homes, do you study their furniture selections to learn more about them as individuals? If so, a career in merchandising could be right for you! A love of apparel or interiors and an interest in buying, selling, or promoting those products defines the merchandising major.

If you choose our apparel merchandising option, you will gain apparel product knowledge and merchandising skills necessary for diverse career opportunities within the fashion, textiles, and retailing industries. In your study of apparel merchandising, you will develop merchandising expertise that will enable you to function successfully in the dynamic and fast-paced fashion industry. When you graduate you could work in a department, specialty, or discount store as a retail manager, in corporate offices as an apparel buyer or product developer, at market centers as a manufacturer’s representative, or in support services such as visual merchandising or advertising and promotion of apparel products.

If you choose the interiors merchandising option, you will gain interiors product knowledge and merchandising skills necessary for diverse career opportunities within the interiors, textiles, and retailing industries. You will develop, promote, and sell products used in the design of residential and commercial interiors. When you graduate, you could work in stores carrying furniture, carpet, or other interiors products as a retail manager or equipment/lighting consultant, in corporate offices as an interiors buyer or product developer, at market centers as a manufacturer’s representative, or in support services such as visual merchandising or advertising and promotion of interiors products.

If Child & Family Studies is for you, visit our undergraduate programs.