Apparel Merchandise & Textiles

Apparel Merchandise & Textiles Program

Professor: Dr. Doze Y. Butler
Associate Professor: Dr. Grace W. Namwamba

The Apparel Merchandising and Textiles (AMTX) 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 Division of Family and Consumer Sciences. The student organization specifically for Apparel Merchandising and Textiles 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. The Internship is a minimum of 150 hours of work in a manufacturing or retail setting. The Internship enhances academic course work while providing "real world" experiences. Recent graduates have interned at companies such as Americas Mart in Atlanta, Foley's, Express Women's, Stein Mart, and David's Bridal.

The Bachelors degree is conferred upon successful completion of a minimum of 127 hours of course work.

Students pursuing this concentration are required to take the following 15 semester credit hours:

Required Course 

• 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
• Apparel Construction & Evaluation 
• Computer Application in Design
• History of Fashion
• Apparel Production and Promotion 
• Textile Evaluation
• Apparel and Human Behavior
• Internship
• Special Topics in Family & Consumer Sciences

Career opportunities in Apparel Merchandising and Textiles are numerous and varied. They include: