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All programs’ curricula are developed in response to Program Learning Outcomes, which signify what students learn within a degree program or emphasis area. All program learning outcomes respond to overarching Institutional Learning Outcomes. View the Fashion Design program learning outcomes


Fall - Foundation (Show All)
Course Course Number Credits
Life Drawing I or
Creative Practices I
FNDT180 or
FNDT172
3
Life Drawing I

Life Drawing I

Sequenced instruction provides rigorous training in the use of gesture, anatomy, and structural figure drafting. Drawing the human figure from the inside out fosters an understanding of complex visual relationships. Upon completion of the course, students are able to analyze the human form and to view it as a complex perceptual model for the larger realm of visual experience.

Recommended for students planning to select Animation, Game and Entertainment Design, Toy Design and Fashion Design as their major; open to students interested in any major.

Creative Practices I

Creative Practices I

A first semester Foundation course focused on studying, researching and exploring practices of creativity that bridge art/design disciplines. Through a variety of methodologies, lecture, research and discussion, Creative Practices I provides students opportunities to develop perceptual abilities in ways that incite curiosity and engagement with inquiry. Learning to ‘see’, students question their assumptions of what and how they observe complex visual relationships, locate bias, and develop awareness of context and intentionality of their own work and that of peers and exemplars. Projects are self-directed and non-discipline specific.

Recommended for students planning to select Product Design, Fine Arts, or Graphic Design as their major; open to students interested in any major. 

Principles of Design FNDT115 2
Principles of Design

Foundation Principles of Design

This course is a sequenced investigation of various organizing principles using traditional and contemporary media. Students learn fundamentals of value manipulation as determinants of visual order. Elements of visual literacy provide a basis for the study of compositional fundamentals, including focal point(s), directional elements, and visual weight.

Drawing and Building Form FNDT160 3
Drawing and Building Form

Drawing and Building Form

Students study form in both two-dimensional rendering and three-dimensional building through drawing and building objects. Skills of relational measurement, compositional organization, and the placement of form in space inform both drawing and form-building activities. Drawing techniques such as perspective and isometric projection facilitate successful form generation.

 

Writing in the Digital Age ENGL107 3
Writing in the Digital Age

Students will explore the ongoing cultural, technological and social changes that impact our ways of reading and writing, and what it means to be literate in the digital world. The class focuses on refining students’ critical thinking and information literacy skills, encouraging them to consider audience, context, and purpose when revising their writing. A minimum grade of “C-” is required to pass this course. 

Prerequisite: Successful completion of ENGL090 or placement through the Writing Placement Assessment.

Introduction to Visual Culture AHCS120 3
Introduction to Visual Culture

Introduces issues and theories that are critical to an examination of art, design, and the larger visual landscape. Students explore the importance of context in shaping how art and design are understood, and through a consideration of global concerns, learn to challenge the predominant canon of western art history.

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Spring - Foundation (Show All)
Course Course Number Credits
Creative Practices I or
Creative Practices II or
Life Drawing I or
Life Drawing II
FNDT172 or
FNDT173 or
FNDT180 or
FNDT182
3
Creative Practices I

Creative Practices I

A first semester Foundation course focused on studying, researching and exploring practices of creativity that bridge art/design disciplines. Through a variety of methodologies, lecture, research and discussion, Creative Practices I provides students opportunities to develop perceptual abilities in ways that incite curiosity and engagement with inquiry. Learning to ‘see’, students question their assumptions of what and how they observe complex visual relationships, locate bias, and develop awareness of context and intentionality of their own work and that of peers and exemplars. Projects are self-directed and non-discipline specific.

Recommended for students planning to select Product Design, Fine Arts, or Graphic Design as their major; open to students interested in any major. 

Creative Practices II

Creative Practice II

A second-semester Foundation course focused on exploring practices of creativity that bridge art/design disciplines. Students are exposed to a diverse range of concepts, materials, and methods for working creatively. In-class activities promote the documentation of individual creative processes and the synthesis of intuitive, culturally constructed, and personal impulses into inventive visual responses.

Recommended for students planning to select Product Design, Fine Arts, or Graphic Design as their major; open to students interested in any major.

Life Drawing I

Life Drawing I

Sequenced instruction provides rigorous training in the use of gesture, anatomy, and structural figure drafting. Drawing the human figure from the inside out fosters an understanding of complex visual relationships. Upon completion of the course, students are able to analyze the human form and to view it as a complex perceptual model for the larger realm of visual experience.

Recommended for students planning to select Animation, Game and Entertainment Design, Toy Design and Fashion Design as their major; open to students interested in any major.

Life Drawing II

Life Drawing II

Structural drawing and perceptual skills are expanded through study of the figure's relation to environment, life-scale, movement, and draping. Students discover individual sensibilities of mark making and aspects of personal vision, through a variety of traditional and experimental drawing media and techniques.

Prerequisite: FNDT180 Life Drawing I
Recommended for students planning to select Animation, Game and Entertainment Design, Fashion Design or Toy Design as their major.

Connections through Color and Design CAIL101 3
Connections through Color and Design

Connections Through Color and Design

A second-semester Creative Action studio course introducing students to contextually-based problem solving using fundamentals of color and design. Students learn Munsell color theory and practical aspects of color mixing such as value, hue, and chroma. Students apply these skills in solving problems that engage the larger community, trans-disciplinary practice, research, and collaboration. Prerequisite: FNDT115 Principles of Design

Form and Space or
Drawing Studio—Expanded Practices
FNDT161 or
FNDT162
2
Form and Space

Form and Space

Students employ acquired skills transferred from Drawing and Building Form to explore and exploit materials as well as to discover unique processes in creating novel form. The study of three-dimensional design expands to encompass meaning construction, composition and research as students engage the more complex issues of form and space.

Prerequisite: FNDT160 Drawing and Building Form
Recommended for students planning to select Fashion Design, Toy Design or Product Design as their major.

Drawing Studio—Expanded Practices

Drawing Studio

Students transfer and expand on observational drawing skills acquired from Drawing and Building Form with the application of color and addition of problem finding and complexity of idea. Acquisition of research skills, and the introduction of more varied drawing media, methods and materials fosters students’ realization of aspects of personal vision.

Prerequisite: FNDT 160 Drawing & Building Form

Recommended for students planning to select Animation or Game and Entertainment Design as their major​​​​​

Elective FNDT145 1
Elective

Foundation year students can pick any Foundation Elective to fulfil this requirement. Please see the Academic Advising Nest site for more information. Please note that elective offerings are subject to change each year. 

Birth of the Modern AHCS121 3
Birth of the Modern

This course explores how art and other forms of cultural production were impacted by the social and cultural changes that occurred in the modern world.

Ways of Knowing LIBS114 3
Ways of Knowing

Ways of Knowing is an interdisciplinary, participation-based course designed to explore the role narrative plays in shaping our understanding of our diverse personal and collective identities. The stories we tell ourselves and those we pass on to others, as well as the stories we inherit, actively contribute to our openness to cultural differences in local and global settings. Through the lens of the story and the culture from which it emerges, students will connect the emotion, language, and intellectual thought central to compelling storytelling to their exploration of the five LAS themes of identity, diversity, creativity, social responsibility and sustainability.

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Fall - Sophomore (Show All)
Course Course Number Credits
Sophomore Studio I FSHD202 4
Sophomore Studio I

Starting with basic principles of draping, patternmaking, and sewing construction, students will learn garment industry procedures and create 3-D design ideas.

Fashion Illustration FSHD210 3
Fashion Illustration

Students create a variety of figures as a basis for professional design sketches, and develop skill in drawing technical flats. Advanced rendering, presentation techniques, and introductory design comprise the second semester.

Digital Design I FSHD226 2
Digital Design I

Using a Mac, students learn about basic practices, internet usage, digital terminology, and related computer equipment including the scanner, printer, and the Wacom tablet. Students are introduced to Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, and learn how these skills can aid them in Design and Illustration. Students will be introduced to drawing basic garments in Adobe Illustrator.

History of Costume AHCS372 3
History of Costume

A survey of costume from prehistory to the 21st century. A study of historical and social forces in understanding costume history, how costume influences today’s fashions, how trends repeat themselves, and how the past functions as an aid in forecasting future fashion trends.

Required for Fashion Design majors.

Textile Science I NSCI311 2
Textile Science I

Study fibers, yarns, and fabrics, and acquire a practical understanding of how each affects the appearance

Creative Action Lecture * CAIL200 3
Creative Action Lecture
Creative Action Liberal Arts electives enable students to work in transdisciplinary teams with a community partner. Emphasizing collaborative methodology, synthesizing diverse perspectives, creativity, critical thinking, clear communication, and information literacy, students engage in issues that extend beyond the traditional classroom. See department for course offerings.
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Spring - Sophomore (Show All)
Course Course Number Credits
Sophomore Studio II FSHD203 4
Sophomore Studio II

Continuing with principles of draping, patternmaking, and sewing construction, students will learn garment industry procedures and create 3-D design ideas.

Fashion Illustration/Introduction to Design FSHD212 3
Fashion Illustration/Introduction to Design

Students create a variety of figures as a basis for professional design sketches, and develop skill in drawing technical flats. Advanced rendering, presentation techniques, and introductory design comprise the second semester.

Digital Design II FSHD323 2
Digital Design II

Using Adobe Photoshop and a Wacom tablet , students will advance their knowledge in drawing basic garments, known as “flats” in the fashion industry.

Prerequisite: FSHD226 Digital Design I or equivalent

Textile Science II NSCI312 2
Textile Science II

Study knit construction, its design possibilities, and how it affects the performance of the fabric and finished product. Knit swatches using a variety of stitches, combining yarns and varying gauge. Other topics include dyeing, printing, and finishes as processes that affect the aesthetic appeal of the finished product, and as functional finishes which enhance performance. The impact of these processes is examined.

Required for Fashion Design majors.

Lab Fee: $30.

Contemporary Issues AHCS220 3
Contemporary Issues

Addresses a variety of issues in art, design, film, and culture from 1960 to the present. Students may focus on fine art, mass media, or design, or popular culture. More than one course may be available, see the Course Catalog and consult the department and/or your advisor for more information.

LAS Sophomore Elective * LIBS214 3
LAS Sophomore Elective

More than one course may be available, see the Course Catalog and consult the department and/or your advisor for more information.

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Fall - Junior (Show All)
Course Course Number Credits
Junior Studio I FSHD300 5
Junior Studio I

Students focus on sewing and construction techniques of “moderately-priced” garments. This course provides practical application of draping, sewing, and pattern drafting. Visiting mentors guide and critique students’ designs on professional models during fittings. Students learn the design creation process from interpretation of original sketch to finished garment.

Prerequisite: FSHD202/203
Sophomore Studio I/II

Only FSHD301 will count for the
Sustainability Minor 

Digital Design III FSHD325 1
Digital Design III

Using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, students will learn to create prints, finishing treatments for polished flats, and Tech Packs.

Prerequisite: FSHD323 Digital Design II

Fashion Design and Illustration I FSHD353 5
Fashion Design and Illustration I

Students work under the direction of industry professionals in the moderate market to develop fabric stories, and sketches, and technical flats. One mentor project will focus on sustainability. Students pursuing the Sustainability Minor should elect to work on this project.

Prerequisite: FSHD212 / 213 Fashion Illustration / Introduction to Design

Creative Action Studio CAIL300 2
Creative Action Studio

An upper-division interdisciplinary studio course offering unique core content that shifts from term to term. This studio affords students the opportunity to engage with professionals from various fields and expand their notion of problem solving beyond their major in public site real world challenges.

A limited choice of CAIL300 courses will count for the Sustainability Minor.
Please see the Interdisciplinary Studies Director.

Math * MATH136 3
Math

Explores the connections between math and art in two and three dimensions. The class includes an exploration of Escher’s work, tiling the plane, fractals, and the golden ratio. It also covers topics such as graphing equations and geometric constructions.

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Spring - Junior (Show All)
Course Course Number Credits
Junior Studio II FSHD301 5
Junior Studio II

Students focus on sewing and construction techniques of “moderately-priced” garments. This course provides practical application of draping, sewing, and pattern drafting. Visiting mentors guide and critique students’ designs on professional models during fittings. Students learn the design creation process from interpretation of original sketch to finished garment.

Prerequisite: FSHD202/203
Sophomore Studio I/II
Only FSHD301 will count for the
Sustainability Minor

Digital Design IV FSHD425 1
Digital Design IV

In this advanced course, students create a group of technical flats based on their own designs in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, which evolve into a digital collection for their portfolios. Topics include flats, line sheets, fabric samples, type, layout, title/mood sheets and tech packs.

Prerequisite: FSHD325 Digital Design III

Studio Elective 2
Studio Elective

A Studio Elective is any art and/or design course with visual production (not a Liberal Arts and Sciences course) that may be offered within or outside a student’s studio major. Students must meet the course’s prerequisite or co-requisite requirements, class level, or other criteria specified in the Course Description. See the Course Catalog (pdf) for a complete list of courses.

Fashion Design and Illustration II ** FSHD354 4
Fashion Design and Illustration II

Students study better apparel in preparation for senior year and create a collection for the better market.

Prerequisite: FSHD353 Fashion Design and Illustration I

Social Science * SSCI210 3
Social Science

More than one course may be available, see the Course Catalog and consult the department and/or your advisor for more information.

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Fall - Senior (Show All)
Course Course Number Credits
Senior Studio I FSHD400 6
Senior Studio I

This course provides practical application of draping, classic tailoring, and couture sewing, finishing techniques based on the higher-priced “designer” market. Students learn the design creation process, from original sketch to finished garment. Visiting mentors guide and critique students’ work on professional models during fittings.

Fashion Design and Illustration III FSHD462 4
Fashion Design and Illustration III

Students design apparel alongside professional designers representing the designer/contemporary market. Working within the industry seasonal schedule, students design contemporary clothes in finer fabrics and finishing techniques. Illustration emphasizescomplex sketches, to capture a look appropriate to the mentor’s direction. Students will develop technical flats using traditional and digital methods.

Prerequisite: FSHD353 / 354Fashion Design and Illustration I / II

The Business of Fashion FSHD472 1
The Business of Fashion

Through field trips and lectures by industry professionals, this class provides an overview of the apparel manufacturing process outside the realm of the design room, and the marketing partnership of wholesale manufacturers and retailers. The semester culminates with job search strategies in preparation for a successful entry into the workplace.

Capstone * LIBS440 3
Capstone

A required senior- level course where students identify and critically reflect on a theme that intersects with their own studio practice, discipline, and/or identity and their work in Liberal Studies. The Capstone is the signature course and culminating expression of the Liberal Arts program.

A minimum grade of “C-" or better is required to pass this course.

Note that Creative Writing, Art History, Cultural Studies, Sustainability minors, and Fine Arts majors take specific Capstones. Please see department for courses.

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Spring - Senior (Show All)
Course Course Number Credits
Senior Studio II FSHD401 6
Senior Studio II

This course provides practical application of draping, classic tailoring, and couture sewing, finishing techniques based on the higher-priced “designer” market. Students learn the design creation process, from original sketch to finished garment. Visiting mentors guide and critique students’ work on professional models during fittings.

Portfolio Development FSHD476 3
Portfolio Development

Students develop professional portfolios, targeting a specific market in the fashion industry, and produce groups with concept boards, color story, fabrics, trims, illustrations and technical drawings. This course culminates with a portfolio review and critique by manufacturers.

Prerequisites: FSHD462 Fashion Design and Illustration III or FSHD463 Fashion Design and Illustration III

LAS Upper Division Elective * LIBS314 3
LAS Upper Division Elective

This course can be an upper division Art History or upper division Liberal Studies elective. See the Course Catalog (pdf) for examples of upper division elective offerings or see the Department and/or your Adviser for more information.

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* These courses may be taken in either the fall or the spring semester.

** FSHD354: Though the coursework is offered during the spring semester, students are encouraged to participate in an industry internship during the summer between junior and senior years.

Courses in gray are described in Liberal Arts and Sciences.


The curriculum displayed is meant to provide an overview of the current semester’s offerings in this department; it does not represent all degree requirements for the Major or Area of Emphasis. These can be found in each student’s Course Catalog (identified by the year in which one would have entered the college as a Foundation student), which can be found here. If you have questions regarding your specific curricular requirements and/or Course Catalog, please contact your department.