Family and Consumer Sciences: Fashion Merchandising Concentration (1219), B.S.F.C.S.

Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences (B.S.F.C.S.)

The mission of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences is to prepare professionals who help promote a better quality of life for individuals and families, enhancing the interrelationships of people and communities in diverse social, economic and physical environments. For graduates who wish further specialization, the curriculum prepares them for advanced training or degrees such as UT Martin’s Master of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences.

All students completing this major receive the degree Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences. The major is called Family and Consumer Sciences, and students will select one of the following seven concentrations:

Child and Family Studies
Dietetics
Family and Consumer Sciences Education
Fashion Merchandising
Food and Nutrition
Gerontology
Hospitality and Food Service Management

For more information about the major in Family and Consumer Sciences, please contact:

Keith Dooley
Department of Family and Consumer Sciences
wdooley@utm.edu
731-881-7100
utm.edu/fcs

Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences (B.S.F.C.S.) - Concentration in Fashion Merchandising

In the Fashion Merchandising concentration students have the choice of selecting unspecified elective courses to complete their degree, or they may choose to pursue a minor in a supporting discipline to complement the fashion merchandising concentration. For example, students may choose a minor in marketing, business administration, communications, sociology, psychology, to complete the FCS major. An important component of the curriculum that contributes to professional development is supervised field experience. The field experience offers each student an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the apparel industry while earning academic credit. Entry-level positions for new graduates may include department manager for a retail store, wholesale representative, and buyer for a retail store.

General Education	38 hours
Family and Consumer Sciences Core Courses	13 hours
Family and Consumer Sciences Component Courses	22 hours
Professional Development Component Courses	33 hours
Unspecified Elective Courses	14 hours
Minor	Optional
TOTAL	120 hours

For more information about the concentration in Fashion Merchandising, please contact:

Mercan Derafshi
Department of Family and Consumer Sciences
mderafsh@utm.edu
731-881-7112
utm.edu/fcs

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

University Degree Requirements

120 credit hours are required
Minimum 30 credit hours completed at The University of Tennessee at Martin
36 credits in Upper Division coursework (courses numbered 300-499)
Minimum 60 credits earned at an accredited four-year institution required.
A minimum overall GPA of 2.0 is required.
A minimum institutional GPA of 2.0 is required.
Must meet all General Education Requirements
Must meet all Major Requirements
If a Minor is required, must meet all Minor Requirements
Must meet all Exit Exam Requirements
- General Education Exam
- Major Field Test / Exit Exam
If a student is admitted to the University of Tennessee at Martin with documented entrance deficiencies OR is subject to mandatory placement requirements, then the student must meet those requirements.

COURSEWORK REQUIRED FOR THE DEGREE

General Education Core Curriculum Requirements

Note to students: Some degree programs include required courses for the major that are also options within the University-Wide General Education Requirements. If a student completes a course that simultaneously satisfies both a requirement for the major and a requirement for the University-Wide General Education Requirements, then the student may need to complete additional elective coursework in order to meet the minimum number of credit hours required for the degree.

Concentration in Fashion Merchandising (82 credit hours)

Program-Specific Degree Requirements

Minimum grade of C required in all major courses (excluding University-Wide General Education courses)
In order to qualify for a supervised field experience, students must have a minimum overall GPA of 2.5 in the semester immediately prior to enrolling in field experience courses
If a student needs to carry more than 20 hours at one time, special permission of the dean of the college is required
Family and Consumer Sciences majors minoring in another subject may count up to two courses that are common to both the major and the minor
A minor is optional

Course Requirements

Family and Consumer Sciences Core Courses (required for all Family and Consumer Sciences majors):

CFS 100 - Lifespan Human Development Credit(s): 3
FASH 300 - Clothing/Adornment and World Culture Credit(s): 3
FCS 100 - Family and Consumer Sciences Perspectives Credit(s): 1
FCS 400 - Senior Seminar Credit(s): 3
NUTR 100 - Introductory Nutrition Credit(s): 3
(may also satisfy University-Wide General Education requirements)

Concentration Fashion Merchandising

Family and Consumer Sciences Component Courses:

CRMG 302 - Personal and Family Finance Credit(s): 3
FASH 102 - Fashion Selection and Personal Image Credit(s): 3
FASH 200 - Introduction to Fashion Merchandising Credit(s): 3
FASH 206 - Visual Merchandising and Presentation Credit(s): 3
FASH 303 - Textiles Credit(s): 3
FASH 305 - Ready-to-Wear Quality Analysis Credit(s): 3
One additional Biological and Physical Systems General Education course (selected in consultation with advisor) Credits: 4

Professional Development Component Courses:

MKTG 301 - Principles of Marketing Credit(s): 3
Either MMSC 311: Interpersonal Communication OR MMSC 356: Communication in Professional Environments Credits: 3

Specified Electives: choose fifteen (15) credits from:

FASH 103 - Clothing Construction and Evaluation Credit(s): 3
FASH 307 - Fashion Promotion Credit(s): 3
FASH 308 - Buying Functions in Merchandising Credit(s): 3
FASH 309 - Fashion Merchandising Tour Credit(s): 1-3
FASH 405 - Fashion History Credit(s): 3
FASH 416 - Fashion Law and Media Credit(s): 3
FASH 425 - Computer Aided Design Credit(s): 3
FASH 480 - Product Development Credit(s): 3
Select alternative A or B to develop specialization

A. FCS 460: Orientation to Field Experience Credits: 2
FCS 485: Supervised Field Experience in Fashion Merchandising Credits: 5
FCS 495: Supervised Field Experience in Fashion Merchandising Credits: 5

or

B. Approved Upper-Division Electives (300- or 400-level, selected in consultation with advisor) Credits: 12

Unspecified Elective Courses:

Unspecified Electives (selected to meet student’s own interests and career goals) Credits: 14

A minor is optional.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

The department encourages all students to select the Supervised Field Experience whenever possible in order to gain valuable on-the-job experience prior to graduation.
Students are encouraged to pursue a minor in lieu of unspecified electives in order to develop further specialization for their career; additional hours may be required to complete the minor.