Oklahoma State University

1553

Design, Housing and Merchandising The mission of the Department of Design, Housing and Merchandising (DHM) is to be recognized leaders in Technology and Sustainable Design in partnership with industry and community. Three undergraduate options are available: fashion (apparel) design and production, interior design and fashion merchandising each requiring a summer internship between the junior and senior years. Students in apparel design and production are preparing for careers in the apparel and sewn products industries. The program emphasizes the integration of design principles, construction methods, consumer preferences and mass production strategies. Coursework includes principles of design, anthropometrics and pattern grading, apparel assembly and production, draping techniques, methods of mass production, quality assurance, properties and performance evaluation of textiles, patternmaking, computer-aided design and technology, entrepreneurship, and a required internship to acquire apparel design industry experience. The American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) Education Foundation has endorsed the undergraduate curricula, making OSU one of only 13 schools in North America recognized with an AAFA-approved apparel program. Career opportunities include apparel designer, technical designer, product development manager, accessory designer, patternmaker, textile designer, sourcing manager, quality assurance manager, production manager and apparel engineer. Students in interior design are preparing for careers as professionals who assist businesses and families in planning and solving problems relative to the function and quality of interior living and working environments. Coursework includes fundamentals of design, design analysis, ergonomics, concept development, space planning and programming, universal design principles, computer-aided design (CAD) and related aspects of environmental design. Students must pass the Proficiency Review Process at the end of their freshman year to be accepted into the professional level interior design program. Upon acceptance, students are expected to have their own laptop computer with sufficient capacity for graphics software used in the profession. Career opportunities include professional practice in interior design and architectural firms, lighting, design, facility management, historic restoration and preservation and product design and sales management. The undergraduate interior design program is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) and the program has achieved national ranking by the publication Design Intelligence. The merchandising program prepares students for careers at every level of the fashion industry: Analytic analysis, retail buying, wholesaling product lines to retailers, product development, trend forecasting, managers, visual merchandisers as well as auxiliary industries including fashion journalism, event planning and logistics. Coursework includes retailing, merchandise planning and analysis, sustainable design, visual merchandising and communication, market analysis, quality assurance, retail technology and global sourcing. Merchandising graduates are in high demand among retailers, manufacturers, product developers, supply chain and sourcing managers and designers. Students in all three options will develop business management, communication, creative problem solving and administrative skills. Minors are available in both merchandising and apparel design and production.

Admission Requirements Transfer students must meet the following minimum retention GPA requirements in order to be admitted to the DHM undergraduate program:

Total Hours Attempted Less than 31 hours

Minimum GPA required

2.00 2.25

31-45 hours Over 45 hours

2.50 Undergraduate Programs • Design, Housing & Merchandising: Apparel Design & Production, BSHS (p. 1556) • Design, Housing & Merchandising: Interior Design, BSHS (p. 1558) • Design, Housing & Merchandising: Merchandising, BSHS (p. 1560)

• Apparel Design and Production (ADP), Minor (p. 1555) • Merchandising (MERC), Minor (p. 1562) • Sustainable Design (SD), Minor (p. 1563) Graduate Programs

The Department of Design, Housing and Merchandising offers graduate work leading to the Master of Science in Design, Housing and Merchandising and the Doctor of Philosophy in Human Sciences with an option in design, housing and merchandising. The programs are scientifically based research and/or design oriented. Graduate degrees in the department are tailored to departmental areas of expertise, professional goals of the candidate and College of Human Sciences and Graduate College requirements. Graduate programs may focus on either merchandising or design. Students may investigate design and merchandising from the following perspectives: product development and evaluation, consumer and supplier behavior, business development and management, and constructed environmental and individual interrelationships. The Master of Science Degree The Master of Science degree is awarded in four options—Apparel Design and Production, Interior Design, Merchandising, and Retail Merchandising Leadership (offered online through the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance)—and is designed to prepare individuals for careers in business, industry, extension and post-secondary or college teaching. The thesis plan (research or design) is available for students in apparel design and interior design. For merchandising master students, research thesis and non-thesis options are available. For retail merchandising leadership master students a non-thesis plan is required. Programs of study are built around the academic background, experience, needs, special interests and professional goals of the student. The selection of courses that meet departmental requirements is made in consultation with the advisory committee. A minimum of 21 credit hours must be taken in the department. Additional courses may be selected from other areas of human sciences or from supporting areas such as marketing, sociology, history and physiology. If the undergraduate degree is not in the area of specialization, specific undergraduate courses in design, housing and merchandising will be required as prerequisites. The newest offering is an accelerated MS degree for current students in Apparel Design and Production and Interior Design where students can earn the MS degree in one year beyond the BS degree.