Career opportunities
Career paths include working within design as a stylist, textile designer/maker, consultant, buyer or within a related area. Some students also study further.
Professional Accreditation/Exemption
Associate Membership of the Chartered Society of Designers on successful completion.
A successful textile designer needs creative ingenuity, design world knowledge and confident technical skills. This intensive taught course helps design professionals and graduates to deepen skills and experience within the textile industry, through the support of leading international contemporary designers and academics.
The University’s location on the edge of the City and the East End provides a dynamic and creative community within which you can practice cutting-edge design through creative, technological and ideological innovation within a multidisciplinary community. Our facilities include extensive workshops in upholstery and soft furnishing, and specialist studios. Also in the University is Metropolitan Works, a unique centre which aims to help designers and manufacturers bring products to market through access to digital manufacturing, workshops, knowledge transfer, courses and exhibitions. Facilites incude rapid prototyping, laser cutting, CNC machining, 3D scanning and digital printing.
Admission requirements
In Master’s 1st year:
To hold a Bachelor’s in Design and Fashion Styling or a degree equivalent to Bac+3 or to have completed 180 credits.
In Master’s 2nd year:
To hold a Maîtrise or a degree equivalent to Bac+4 or to a Master’s 1st year.Career prospects:
With regard to employment, these sectors have been more and more opening their doors to skilled people; from the industrial cutter of fabric to the merchandizing officer and the creator.
The sector proposes a variety of professions: fashion designer, originator, textile designer and dress designer
This program leads directly to a few occupations; thanks to the priority given to practice, students may quickly access the job market, or head towards other tracks.
In terms of professional experience, the more practice, training and tests the student has, the more there are opportunities for presenting individual work (often in the form of book), and the more professionals and employers will be likely to judge and appraise the work. This is in addition to the experience that will be accumulated and to the awareness that will be acquired about the reality of the context of the profession.
Professional Opportunities
Many of the students continue their study at graduate schools either inside or outside of Korea. Students who complete the requirements for a teacher’s certificate will be eligible to take the teacher’s exam. Many graduates have landed in positions to which their major is relevant. Some have worked independently in their own studios and presented their works at shows such as the Eun Craft Art Show, hosted by alumni of Seoul Women’s University’s arts and crafts department. The most common careers the graduates have launched are those of ceramics/textile designer, middle school/high school teacher, various positions at craft producers, and planning and public relations officer in the corporate sector.
Advice when considering this major
The latest trend of Ceramics/Fiber Arts is to accentuate the characteristics of the materials that the objectives are made of. In practice, this has always been the priority of the craft arts. Ceramics/Fiber Arts have extended from the production of traditional tools to the creation of fine arts, which may help redefine the meaning of Ceramics/Fiber Arts. Today, we are living in an environment inundated with nameless designs and products manufactured by machine. The endless supply of mass produced goods are undermining our creative instincts. Ceramics/Fiber Arts will not only prevent the deterioration of our creativity, but also rekindle our creative inclination. With the help of Ceramics/Fiber Arts, you will be able to see the world in a new light and make people’s lives more fulfilling. Craft arts will be an integral part of the world to come. You are strongly recommended to study craft arts.
Career in Painting & Drawing
A career in the fine arts is a rewarding life’s work. Individually sharing your creative ideas with others through paintings, drawings, sculptures or prints is a challenging endeavor. It is entirely possible for talented and diligent young artists to earn a living as a fine artist.
Career Paths
Income levels for fine artists vary widely, with some earning 6-figure salaries. With a well-prepared portfolio and commitment to the profession, RMCAD graduates are also well-qualified for positions in a wide variety of industries. The following is a list of just some of the career possibilities:
independent artist
gallery director or owner
museum exhibition curator
freelance art writer
art critic
textile designer
art librarian
art supply buyer
auction house consultant
corporate curator
art buyer
portrait photographer
set designer
mural painter
art school administrator
Placement Rate
Of our 2004–2007 graduates from RMCAD’s Fine Arts program who are available for placement, 73% are working and/or are recognized in their field. The overall placement rate for all RMCAD graduates is 81%.
The Arts - Fashion Design
Today, Fashion and Textile industries are relying heavily on CAD in terms of the design and manufacture of the product and in the merchandising and marketing of that product.
In order to be prepared for the work force in the fashion and textile industries, students must have some familiarity with the CAD process.
Lindenwood University will proudly announce that Lectra systems have donated 3 million dollars worth of fashion and textile CAD software to the fashion design program.
This will open a new door for the Lindenwood fashion design students in the corporate world. Students will have an opportunity to get trained in patternmaking skills through the industry-approved software, Modaris.
Refinements and extensions of the technologies are constantly happening at all levels of design and production in the fashion industry.
Attributable to this are the new job positions being created throughout the fashion industry. A perfect example is the position of a textile designer.
A textile designer will use a textile design system to create the fabrics for the group or the line.
Lectra system has also donated U-4ia, a top level CAD system for textile design. Our students at Lindenwood will have an opportunity to learn how to create prints, patterns and woven textile fabric through this U-4ia system.
We currently have faculty members with several years of textile and fashion design experience through the fashion industry, this system will enable them to prepare students to work at the corporate level.
The fashion design department is delighted to announce that Lindenwood is the only University in the state currently implementing this top-of the line CAD program into their curriculum. with the privilege to have this industry approved CAD software. This is a great opportunity for the fashion design students to receive the most up-to date CAD experience. This addition to the fashion program will allow
Fashion design students to have more job opportunities Nationwide
More opportunity for students to have internships with big corporations i.e. (J.C. Penny, Target, Sears, Levi, Limited, Chico and May Co.)
Textile design
Students of “textile design” achieve the degree Bachelor of Arts (B. A.).
Tasks and occupational area
A designer’s tasks comprehend the conception and development of textiles by an ideal application of production and economic factors. The recognition and implementation of social trends considering aesthetic benchmarks is vital for the economic success of a modern product.
In working life textile design often means developing textile collections in a team, which represent - in the face of changing market conditions - the product range of a company. Success and existence of the enterprise considerably depend on the quality of this collections, which means a great responsibility for the textile designer.
The occupational area includes the classic work with clothing, home and object textiles as well as increasingly in technical areas like vehicle and aircraft construction. Furthermore textile designers work in all areas of surfaces and colour design like in the paper and wallpaper industry as well as in architecture and interiour decoration. It is also common to act as freelancer or self-employed designer.
Why study apparel merchandising and design at CMU?
The apparel merchandising and design program at CMU prepares students for careers in the apparel and textile industries. Consider these key features distinguishing this program at CMU:
Course work and hands-on experiences offered in state-of the-art facilities, including computer-aided design laboratories, textile testing laboratory, and apparel production laboratory
The only university in Michigan to have a body scanner to custom design clothing and the only environmental chamber in the state that can test clothing in a climate-controlled environment
Opportunities to receive credit for taking selected courses at New York City’s Fashion Institute of Technology, the American College in London, the Paris American Academy, and other institutions
Experienced faculty members who make teaching their top priority
Career outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, for all occupations through the year 2014:
Employers seek designers with a two- or four-year degree who are knowledgeable about textiles, fabrics, ornamentation, and fashion trends.
The best job opportunities will be in design firms that design mass market clothing sold in department stores and retail chain stores.
As technologies and engineering advancements in textile production are implemented, the need will arise for more highly skilled workers who can work in an increasingly high-technology environment.
Career options
Graduates of the apparel merchandising and design program at CMU will find a variety of career opportunities. Some of these may require additional education.
Apparel Designer
Catalog Development Specialist
Costume Designer
Entrepreneur
Fashion Illustrator
Merchandise Coordinator
Museum Curator
Technical Designer
Textile Designer
Trend Forecaster
Program Overview
The course listings below are a representation of what this academic program requires. For a full review of this program in detail please see our official online academic bulletin AND consult with an academic advisor. This listing does not include the General Education courses required for all majors and may not include some program specific information, such as admissions, retention, and termination standards.
(Click on the course name or number for a complete course description.)
Apparel Merchandising and Design Major:Apparel Design Concentration
(36 hours)
Core Courses
3
AMD 141 Apparel Design Analysis
3
AMD 155 Introduction to Textiles
3
AMD 246 Computer-Aided Design for Apparel
3
AMD 252 Dress and Culture
3
AMD 256 Introduction to Fashion Industry
2
AMD 330 Preprofessional Seminar in Apparel Merchandising and Design
3
AMD 346 Advanced CAD for Apparel
3
AMD 355 Textile Analysis
4
AMD 401 Internship in Apparel Merchandising and Design
3
AMD 457 Portfolio Techniques
3
AMD 550 Textiles and Apparel in a Global Economy
3
AMD 560 Apparel Product Development
(15 hours)
Required Courses
3
AMD 140 Introduction to Apparel Construction
3
AMD 240 Advanced Apparel Construction
3
AMD 241 Apparel Design: Illustration
3
AMD 345 Apparel Design Methods
3
AMD 547 Functional Apparel Design
(3 hours)
Electives
3
AMD 546 Experimental CAD for Apparel
Advertising Artist
Advertising Art Director
Art Historian
Art Conservator
Illustrator
Medical Illustrator
Graphic Designer
Web Site Designer
Commercial Printer
Printer/Printmaker
Photographer
Videographer
Film Editor
Production Designer
Set Designer
Interior Designer
Environmental (landscape) Designer
Furniture Designer
Jewelry Designer
Textile Designer
Fashion Designer
Television Graphic Designer
Web Designer
Package Designer Multi-media Specialist
Animation artists
Sculptor/Public Artist
Custom Framer
Art Education
Art Professor
K–12 Art Teacher
Art Administrator
Museums and Galleries
Museum Curator
Public Relations Officer
Registrar
Exhibit Designer
Art Consultant
Journalism
Photojournalist
Photographer Editor
Marketing/Sales
Art Supply Store Manager
Auction Gallery: Information Coordinator, Publicist, Customer Service
Typical Career Titles
CAD Technician/Specialist
CAD System Manager
Colorist
Designer (Head, Assistant, Jr.)
Fashion Coordinator
Fashion Sketcher/Illustrator
Fit Specialist
Pattern Maker
Graphic Designer
Materials Sourcing
Merchandiser
Product Development
Product Manager
Production Pattern Maker/Grader/Marker Maker
Production Assistant
Specification Writer
Style Manager
Textile Designer
Textile Stylist
Inventory Control Manager
Merchandiser
Piece Goods/Trim Buyer or Buying (Purchasing Agent)
Plant Manager
Product Manager
Production Manager/Assist.
Production Sourcing
Training Manager
International sales
Government service related to international trade
Materials Sourcing
Production Sourcing
Quality Assurance Manager
Quality Auditor
Quality Laboratory Manager
Quality Manager/Technician
Textile/Product Analysis