Getting a Degree in Fashion Design

Associate’s Degree in Fashion Design

An associate’s degree in fashion design may take typical students about two years. You'll study fundamental and technical design skills and create a foundation for your career in fashion design. You can find a job after graduation or use it as a stepping stone for a bachelor’s degree in fashion design.

In an associate’s degree program in fashion design, you'll learn basic design, color theory, and may take Intro to Marketing classes. The New School, Southern New Hampshire University, and Genesee Community College are highly rated when looking for programs. For online programs, the New School, Mt. San Antonio College, and LIM College are all highly rated.

Jobs with an Associate’s degree in Fashion Design

• Visual Merchandisers, who help promote an image with products as well as services within retail businesses and other organizations, have an average salary of $38,656 according to Glassdoor.
• Retail Store Managers, who are responsible for the day-to-day operations of a retail store, have an average salary of $49,757, according to Payscale.
• Sales Reps, who showcase and sell a product or products to organizations, businesses, and government agencies, have an average salary of $54,758, according to Glassdoor.

Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Design

Getting your bachelor's degree would be a good idea if you want to pursue a career in fashion design. This will take four years, and you can do so online or in person, depending on what would work best for your schedule.

While working on your bachelor’s degree, you may have to have an internship, which would be in person. Some of the classes you could take would be sketching and illustration, principles of art and design, or CAD for fashion design.

The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), the New School, and Pratt Institute are highly rated when looking for programs. For online programs, the New School, Mt. San Antonio College, and LIM College are all highly rated.

Jobs you can get with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Design

• Fashion Designers, who design sketches and make textile patterns on a given theme and create prototypes and work with manufacturers to create clothing and accessories, have an average salary of $65,674, according to Payscale.
• Fashion Buyers, who decide which items to buy for inventory and find ways to increase profits, have an average salary of $65,000, according to Payscale
• Textile Designers, who take clothing and fabrics and create art from them, have an average salary of $59,840, according to Payscale.

Master’s Degree in Fashion Design

If you want to go further along the fashion design career path, you should go on to get your master’s degree in fashion design. Most programs will take around two years and you should be able to find either an in-person or online program.

In a master’s of fashion design program, advanced fashion design knowledge will be combined with business. Some classes students might take would be fashion journalism, advanced styling, and business management.

When looking for programs, the New School, Fashion Institute of Technology, and Savannah College of Art and Design, are all highly rated. For online programs, Thomas Jefferson University and LIM College are all highly rated.

Jobs you can get with a Master’s Degree in Fashion Design

• Costume Designers who design costumes for a film, stage production, or TV show have an average salary of $56,926, Glassdoor.
• Senior Fashion Designers, who create clothing, shoes, and accessories for companies or fashion lines, and manage a team to do the same, have an average salary of $99,470, according to Glassdoor.
• Art Directors, who coordinate visual imagery for a fashion company, have an average salary of $79,461 according to Glassdoor.

Doctorate in Fashion Design

There is also the option to pursue a Ph.D. beyond a master’s degree. You would most likely be able to pursue a Ph.D. in apparel design, fiber science, or textile and apparel management. Programs will take at least two years, and you could take classes such as fashion theory, portfolio development, or fiber science and analysis.

Those who get these types of Ph.D.s may become professors in apparel and design, work as a design director, or in another part of the fashion world. Cornell University, Iowa State University, and Ohio State University all have top-rated programs.

Related Majors

• Fashion Marketing
• Interior Design
• Studio Arts
• Marketing
• Theater Design
• Industrial Design

Fashion Design Scholarships

Getting your degree in fashion design means you can apply for certain scholarships for fashion design or similar majors.

FSF Case Study Scholarship 

The FSF (Fashion Scholarship Fund) scholarship applies to tuition, summer intern housing, study abroad, and more. Winners can join the FSF Mentor Program and select a mentor, be invited to the FSF Awards Gala in NYC, and have access to internships and full-time jobs. They will also be able to join the FSF Alumni Association. Students must be full-time sophomores, juniors, or seniors who are enrolled in an FSF member school. For more info, please go here.

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