There are opportunities in the State of New York for a student to obtain a master's level degree in the subject of fashion management. Five different options are discussed below, including relevant coursework, credit hour requirements, and pertinent details.
Universities in New York offering Master's Degrees in Fashion Management
Fashion Institute of Technology
The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) offers an MPS in Global Fashion Management. FIT partners with the Institut Francais de la Mode in Paris, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Centro in Mexico City to provide students with global seminar opportunities. Each city, including New York City, has a seminar theme ranging from artisanal products, small scale production, and retail to historical perspectives on the luxury industry. The seminars are 10 days in length. The entire degree is 45-36-credit hours and was designed to be completed in 3 semesters or up to 22 months. Students can go full time or can opt for part-time, three nights per week. This schedule is formulated to allow industry professionals to work while going to school. Some examples of coursework include global retail management, business policy, and politics and world trade today. A thesis is required for graduation.
Parson's The New School
The New School at Parson's is one of the most recognized names in fashion education and offers an MPS in Fashion Management. This 30+ credit hour program is designed to take around 12 months. Classes are broken into five-week courses and they can be taken online or at the campus in New York City. The program culminates in a capstone project. Some examples of core courses are; an introduction to fashion management, digital studio and branding, manufacturing and production, and retailing and service design.
Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (LIM) College
LIM College offers a variety of fashion MPS degrees including fashion marketing, fashion merchandising & retail management, global fashion supply chain management, and the business of fashion. LIM College offers an online option for fashion merchandising & retail management, fashion marketing, and the business of fashion. The MPS degree takes 30 credit hours to complete. Going full time, a student can complete the course of study in 3 semesters. Examples of course names include retail merchandise management, consumer behavior in fashion, fashion marketing management, and fashion branding and promotion. This course requires a capstone or special project in order to graduate.
Rutgers
Rutgers University offers an MS in The Business of Fashion. Full-time students can finish in as little as 2 semesters, although part-time options are available. It is a 30-credit hour, 10-course program. Examples of class titles include fashion law and supply chain compliance, digital marketing for fashion and beauty industries, branding of fashion, supply chain procurement for fashion, and entrepreneurial finance for fashion and beauty industries.
New York University (NYU)
NYU Stern offers an MBA in Fashion and Luxury. Examples of business course titles are economics, statistics, and accounting. The fashion core includes course titles such as retail operations & supply chain management, luxury marketing, and next-generation fashion. The experiential learning core includes immersions in Milan and NYC as well as fashion & luxury solutions courses. It requires 52 credit hours total and its four main components include experiential learning, business and fashion cores, and electives. The program can be completed in as little as one year.
Program Admittance Requirements for a Masters in Fashion Management
Students must have a bachelor's degree, preferably in a related field. Personal essays, test scores, transcripts, letters of recommendation, portfolios, and work in the fashion field, as well as a student's character may all play a part in the admission process. Scholarships may be available for high achieving students wishing to enter this program of study. Expect interviews to be a part of the admissions process.
The options for obtaining a master's in fashion management in New York are many. The degree options range from an MPS to an MS to an MBA. Five different schools offer diverse programs relevant to the fashion industry today.
