Apparel Merchandising and Textiles

Apparel Merchandising and Textiles (AMTX)

Professors:     Doze Y. Butler, Ph.D., MBA (Associate Dean), and Grace W. Namwamba, Ph.D. (Program Leader and Chair)

The Apparel Merchandising and Textiles program provides a basic foundation for entry-level positions in manufacturing, retailing, and related industries, both domestically and globally. The program prepares students for challenging and promising careers as store managers, designers, buyers, product developers, textile scientists, fashion stylists, visual merchandisers, fashion coordinators, merchandise managers and entrepreneurs, among numerous others. The curriculum also prepares students for graduate study in a merchandising and textiles program.

In addition to course work, students are encouraged to enhance their leadership skills by joining one of the organizations available to students in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences. The student organization specifically for AMTX majors is Designers of Tomorrow (DoT). Numerous experiential learning opportunities are offered. These include field trips and study tours. Annually, students have the opportunity to participate in Career Days in New Orleans and Dallas, which are sponsored by the Fashion Group International. In addition, the AMTX program sponsors an annual extravaganza in which students showcase their own original designs.

All students in the major are required to complete a senior level Internship. Two options are available:  an Internal Internship in Southern Niche, the student-run, retail store-laboratory; or an External Internship in which the students work a minimum of 150 hours in a manufacturing or retail setting. The Internship enhances academic course work while providing "real world" experiences. In addition to Southern Niche, graduates have interned at companies such as Americas Mart in Atlanta, David's Bridal, Dillard's, Express Women's, Gap, Kenneth Cole and Stein Mart.

The Bachelor's degree is conferred upon successful completion of a minimum of 120 hours of course work. Students pursuing this concentration are required to take the following 15 semester credit hours:

Required Courses
     Fashion Merchandising                        
     Apparel Selection                                 
     Textiles                                                 
     Global Trends in Apparel Buymanship   
     Apparel Marketing and Analysis            

Additional courses in the Apparel Merchandising and Textiles program include the following:

     Concentration Electives                       No. Credits
     Principles of Art and Design                       3
     Apparel Construction & Evaluation            3
     Computer Application in Design                3
     History of Fashion                                         3
     Apparel Production and Promotion           3
     Textile Evaluation                                          3
     Apparel and Human Behavior                    3
     Internship                                                       3
     Special Topics in Family &                         3
     & Consumer Sciences

Career opportunities in AMTX are numerous and varied. They include:
 
Apparel Production Manager                          Merchandise Manager
Consultant                                                          Quality Control Specialist
Designer or Assistant Designer                    Retail Executive Trainee
Fashion Buyer                                                   Retail store Area Manager
Fashion Consultant                                         Retail store Assistant Manager
Fashion Coordinator                                       Retail store Buyer Trainee
Fashion Promotions Specialist                    Retail store Manager Trainee
Fashion Stylist                                                 Textile Product Developer
Free Lance Designer                                      Visual Merchandiser
Image Consultant