Universities with fashion design programs

<p>Wondering if anyone knows of any strong universities that are not just all art, but that have fashion design programs...</p>

<p>Loly, I've seen your other posts. That you keep asking leads me to guess that you haven't found what you're looking for. Maybe you could try to articulate what your ultimate career goals are.</p>

<p>If you want to be a designer -- meaning a purely creative position -- then I'd suggest you choose a design school, like FIT, RISD, Parsons. Design studios tend to hire from the same schools that their top designers went to and these schools know how to place their students.</p>

<p>If you want the fast track start straight from high school. If you'd like the experience of a "full service" liberal arts college, then do that first, then spend a couple of years in design school. You might be a little older (I'm talking 25, not 62!) but you'll know more and your degree will be a plus.</p>

<p>If you're interested in one of the more technical sides of the fashion industry -- fabric performance, pattern making for example -- then you might choose one of the technical programs like North Carolina, Cornell or Texas. These are highly respected for technology, but not especially for creativity.</p>

<p>If you just like the idea of the industry and want a general executive or management position -- in buying, in merchandising, in product development, in sourcing -- then it really doesn't matter where and what you study for your undergraduate. Choose the college or university that's a good fit for your personality, study whatever appeals to you but be sure to seek out internships and summer jobs in the industry.</p>

<p>thank you very much momrath, that was actually really insightful. so for your last paragraph your saying to not necessarily go to a school with fashion design but choose a school that i like regardless if they have a fashion design program and then do fashion design stuff over the summer?</p>

<p>its like i would like to gain a sense of understanding of the fashion industry but i really want to go to a good overall school. i would love to go to a school in CA but the thing is that i cant find a good school that has a fashion design program, only those art institutes and stuff with only art have fashion in CA in seems like.</p>

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<p>Not exactly. If you want to be a designer, you should go to design school. I'm sure there are designers who don't have formal design training, but they are rare. Most of the top names (and no-names who support the top names) have a bonafide degree in fashion design.</p>

<p>So if you're interested in design you should either plan on starting at a design school or going to design school after you get a BA/BS degree at a liberal arts college or university. You might be able to double up over the summer, but it would be complicated.</p>

<p>If you're just interested in the industry in general and don't aspire to design then you have lots of other choices.</p>

<p>Besides the usual FIT, Parsons, Otis etc. you might want to look at University of Cincinnati, School of Design, Art, Architecture and Planning. Yes, I am not kidding.</p>

<p>They have two concentrations in fashion design- design track and fashion design- product development.Most importantly, however, is that they have paid coops for each concentration. They really have a surprisingly good program that is a somewhat "hidden" gem. However, I guess it isn't so hidden because it is hard to get into.</p>

<p>See: School</a> of Design</p>

<p>My niece is going to Marist College in NY state for fashion merchandising. She really likes it.
I think they have a fashion design major too. She's applying for internships in New York City for next summer. She's also studied fashion in London and Paris. It sounds like a great program.</p>

<p>Did she study in London and Paris through Marist?</p>

<p>If you’re a CA native check out UC Davis. They have a design major with different concentrations and fashion design is one of them.</p>

<p>CCA (California College of the Arts) in Oakland also has a fashion design major.</p>

<p>CORNELL!
haha well also Wash U in St Louis but they waitlisted me so not as cool i dont think </p>

<p>the fashion program (or, Fiber Science and Apparel Design with concentrations in Fiber Science, Apparel Design, and Management/Communications/Product Development) is awesome. but it is very time consuming and a ton of studio work on top of your difficult other academic classes. great resources and opportunities though, and the new building is going to be fantastic</p>

<p>those, however, were the only two places that I applied to for fashion. they were the only ones I could find that were not art schools, seemed to have strong fashion programs, and had strong academics as well. </p>

<p>i applied to other schools as a history major though, and had a difficult time choosing between tufts and cornell (the program ended up winning out)</p>

<p>i know i found it really stressful trying to find a school that fit what i wanted artistically and academically, so PM me if you have any questions!
¸</p>

<p>Alamode-
Just wondering if you considered FIT. I know the academics aren’t Cornell but I’m wondering if being in NYC and having FIT’s connections would be a bigger benefit to getting into the industry. I’m having the same problem you did–trying to get outstanding academics and a fashion design program.</p>