College Schools, Departments & Programs

School of Art, Architecture + Design

Fashion Design—B.A.
Purpose

The B.A. in Fashion Design educates students in the art, philosophy, theory, process, and product of fashion design. The curriculum provides an aesthetic and intellectual environment founded on the design process, enhanced by the interaction of technique, function, technology, and individual creative expression; and explores the art, process, and product of fashion design within a cultural context. The curriculum provides an aesthetic and intellectual approach to the design process, focusing on the interaction of technique, function, technology, and individual creative expression. Coursework concentrates on traditional and experimental techniques, as well as the history and theory of fashion as a significant aesthetic language.

IU's Fashion Design curriculum addresses the design process and its relationship to the retail cycle. Both involve a repetitive pattern of analysis and creativity. The program builds on the essential foundations of the arts and sciences, and encourages students to be creative, multidisciplinary thinkers, and skilled communicators. The range of potential employment opportunities includes—but is not limited to—the following: apparel design, accessories design, technical design, pattern making, product design, computer-aided and technical drawing, merchandising, theatrical costuming, and wardrobe management. Graduates from the program will be considered for entry-level positions in these areas in many geographic locales.

Requirements

Students must complete at least 37 credit hours of coursework, including the CASE Credit Hour and Residency Requirements and the following:

  1. Introductory Courses. Complete the following courses:
    • SOAD-A 100 Pathways: Introduction to Art, Design and Merchandising
    • SOAD-F 202 Introductory Textile Science: Laboratory
  2. Core Courses. Complete the following courses:
    • SOAD-F 203 Materials for Fashion Design
    • SOAD-F 207 Fashion Studio I
    • SOAD-F 213 Fashion Design I: Research and Illustration
    • SOAD-F 217 Fashion Design II: Ideation
    • SOAD-F 303 Fashion Studio II
    • SOAD-F 305 Fashion Studio III
    • SOAD-F 340 History of Fashion
    • SOAD-F 417 Fashion Design III: Presentation and Analysis
  3. Advanced Courses. Complete a--c below:
    1. One (1) Experimental Fashion Studio course at the 300--400 level selected from:
      • SOAD-F 306 Experimental Fashion Studio: Tailoring
      • SOAD-F 325 Experimental Fashion Studio: Shape and Foundation
      • SOAD-F 326 Experimental Fashion Studio: Accessories
      • SOAD-F 328 Experimental Fashion Studio: Digital Applications
      • SOAD-F 408 Experimental Fashion Studio: Draping
    2. One (1) Dress Studies course at the 300--400 level selected from:
      • SOAD-F 301 Dress Studies: Topics in Cultural Analysis
      • SOAD-F 311 History of Dress
      • SOAD-F 352 Dress Studies: Aesthetics Analysis
      • SOAD-F 402 Collection Management for Historic Textiles and Costumes
      • SOAD-F 406 Dress Studies: Theory and Analysis
      • SOAD-F 411 Dress Studies: Behavioral Analysis
      • SOAD-F 485 Advanced Special Topics in Fashion Design
    3. One (1) additional course at the 300--400 level selected from:
      • List 3a above (Experimental Fashion Studio)
      • List 3b above (Dress Studies)
      • SOAD-C 380 Topical Issues in Comprehensive Design
      • SOAD-C 381 Topical Issues in Collaborative Design
      • SOAD-C 480 Special Problems in Comprehensive Design
      • SOAD-C 481 Intensive Seminar in Comprehensive Design
  4. Additional Requirements. Complete a–c below (these courses are not counted toward the hours required in the major):
    1. Grade of C– or higher in MATH-M 118, M119, or equivalent. Higher courses may be substituted.
    2. Six (6) credit hours in courses chosen from the following:
      • Any SOAD-S course
      • SOAD-A 101 Creative Core: Color
      • SOAD-A 211 Cross-Disciplinary Workshops
    3. Six (6) credit hours in Art History (ARTH) courses.

Note that course prerequisites will be strictly upheld.

We strongly recommend that students select courses in material culture, aesthetics, and dress offered by related departments such as Anthropology, Folklore and Ethnomusicology, Theatre, Drama, and Contemporary Dance, and others to fulfill College of Arts and Sciences Breadth of Inquiry and Intensive Writing requirements.