Nov 24, 2024

2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Merchandising, Apparel, and Textiles, B.S.

The Merchandising, Apparel, and Textiles program blends creativity with business components to develop graduates who are consumer and technology focused. Students study concepts and develop skills necessary for understanding market trends, retail strategies, and industry structures that facilitate the development, sourcing, marketing, and merchandising of consumer goods and services in the domestic and international marketplace.

The curriculum challenges students to exercise resourceful thinking in business operations, merchandising strategies, and the interrelationships of people, technology, and materials. Course work is designed to match industry expectations and intended to provide students with the knowledge and experience they will need to understand trends and applications in the merchandising, apparel, and textiles industries.

Internships are a required component of the program, which can lead to permanent professional placement. The internship provides students with first-hand experience in merchandising, apparel, and textiles related fields, allowing them to exercise classroom knowledge in a realworld setting.

Graduation Requirements

To earn the Bachelor of Science in Merchandising, Apparel, and Textiles, students must earn a minimum of 120 credit hours with a 2.0 grade-point average. A minimum of 45 credit hours must be from upper division courses (300 level and above). Remedial courses may not be counted toward the total hours required for the degree.

UK Core Requirements

See the UK Core section of this Catalog for the complete UK Core requirements . The courses listed below are (a) recommended by the college, or (b) required courses that also fulfill UK Core areas. Students should work closely with their advisor to complete the UK Core requirements.

VII. Quantitative Foundations

Recommended:

MA 123 - ELEMENTARY CALCULUS AND ITS APPLICATIONS Credit(s): 4
OR
MA 113 - CALCULUS I Credit(s): 4

VIII. Statistical Inferential Reasoning

Choose one

STA 210 - MAKING SENSE OF UNCERTAINTY: AN INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL REASONING Credit(s): 3
OR
STA 296 - STATISTICAL METHODS AND MOTIVATIONS Credit(s): 3

IX. Community, Culture and Citizenship in the USA

Recommended:

AFE 100 - ISSUES IN AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT Credit(s): 3

X. Global Dynamics

Recommended:

MAT 247 - DRESS AND CULTURE Credit(s): 3

UK Core hours: 32

Graduation Composition and Communication Requirement (GCCR)

RTM 425 - HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Credit(s): 3

Subtotal: Graduation Composition and Communication Requirement hours (GCCR): 3

Program Entrance Requirements

The minimum grade-point average for entrance of all students into the Merchandising, Apparel and Textiles program is 2.0.

Students must fulfill all prerequisites and achieve a grade of C or better in all MAT and RTM courses which are major requirements.

Premajor Requirements

AN 105 - BUSINESS APPLICATIONS OF SPREADSHEETS Credit(s): 1
OR
CS 101 - INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTING I Credit(s): 3
PSY 100 - INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY Credit(s): 4
SOC 101 - INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY Credit(s): 3
ECO 201 - PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMICS I Credit(s): 3
ECO 202 - PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMICS II Credit(s): 3
STA 210 - MAKING SENSE OF UNCERTAINTY: AN INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL REASONING Credit(s): 3
OR
STA 296 - STATISTICAL METHODS AND MOTIVATIONS Credit(s): 3

Subtotal: Premajor hours: 17-19

Major Requirements

MAT 114 - INTRODUCTION TO MERCHANDISING Credit(s): 3
MAT 120 - TEXTILES FOR CONSUMERS Credit(s): 3
MAT 237 - AESTHETIC EXPERIENCE IN RETAIL Credit(s): 3
MAT 247 - DRESS AND CULTURE Credit(s): 3
MAT 315 - MERCHANDISE PLANNING AND CONTROL Credit(s): 3
MAT 414 - MERCHANDISING STRATEGY ANALYSIS Credit(s): 3
MAT 510 - BRAND MANAGEMENT Credit(s): 3
RTM 340 - PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE/PRE-INTERNSHIP Credit(s): 1
RTM 345 - SERVICE MANAGEMENT Credit(s): 3
RTM 499 - RETAILING AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INTERNSHIP Credit(s): 6

Additional Courses

Plus an additional 15 hours of MAT or RTM courses. The student will choose, in consultation with an advisor, an additional 15 credit hours of MAT or RTM courses at the 300 level or above (6 credit hours MUST be at the 400 level or above) that will strengthen the program in an area of importance to the student. Courses outside MAT and RTM may be considered in consultation with an advisor and approval.

Subtotal: Major hours: 46

Professional Support: 27

ACC 200 - INTRODUCTION TO ACCOUNTING FOR DECISION MAKERS Credit(s): 3
ACC 201 - FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING Credit(s): 3
MKT 300 - MARKETING MANAGEMENT Credit(s): 3
MKT 320 - RETAIL AND DISTRIBUTION MANAGEMENT Credit(s): 3
MGT 301 - INTRODUCTION TO MANAGING ORGANIZATIONS Credit(s): 3
plus 12 credit hours at the 200 level or above (6 credit hours MUST be at the 300 level or above) to be chosen with approval of the academic advisor from such areas as business, communication, social sciences or additional MAT courses. Courses used to complete the major selection area may not be used to complete the professional support area.

Subtotal: Professional Support: 27

Electives

Electives should be selected to complete the minimum total of 120 hours required for graduation.

Merchandising, Apparel, and Textiles, B.S.

Graduation Requirements

UK Core Requirements

I. Intellectual Inquiry in Arts and Creativity

II. Intellectual Inquiry in the Humanities

III. Intellectual Inquiry in the Social Sciences

IV. Intellectual Inquiry in the Natural, Physical, and Mathematical Sciences

V. Composition and Communication I

VI. Composition and Communication II

VII. Quantitative Foundations

VIII. Statistical Inferential Reasoning

IX. Community, Culture and Citizenship in the USA

X. Global Dynamics

UK Core hours: 32

Graduation Composition and Communication Requirement (GCCR)

Subtotal: Graduation Composition and Communication Requirement hours (GCCR): 3

Program Entrance Requirements

Premajor Requirements

Subtotal: Premajor hours: 17-19

Major Requirements

Additional Courses

Subtotal: Major hours: 46

Professional Support: 27

Subtotal: Professional Support: 27

Electives

Subtotal: Minimum Elective hours: 3-5

TOTAL HOURS: 120