Fashion Merchandising & Marketing Courses

FMM 101 - Survey of the Fashion Industry

3-0-3
Credit Hours: 3

This course explores the history of fashion and the state of the fashion retail industry and introduces students to the functions of merchandising and marketing. Students learn methods used to design, develop, and market fashion products. As a foundational course, students learn industry terminology and standard industry practices as they explore career opportunities that exist in the fashion retail industry.

FMM 105 - Textiles

2-2-3
Credit Hours: 3

Examines the global textile manufacturing industry and the fundamental processes involved in producing natural and man-made fibers and fabrics as they relate to fashion product design and merchandising. Includes basic terminology and production processes as well as selection and evaluation of fabrics based on aesthetics, performance and care characteristics.

Additional course fee: $85
General Education Fulfillment: Cultural Analysis and Interpretation

FMM 110 - Merchandising and Marketing Professional Tools

2-0-2
Credit Hours: 2

Students practice design, technology and software skills that will support visual acuity and professional presentation for internal and external work experiences. These hands-on sessions will introduce students to design thinking, design terminology, design tools, merchandising and marketing technologies and software to enhance problem-solving skills. Tools provided are standard in the retail industry and will add valuable skills for employment and career opportunities. 

Prerequisite:

FMM 101, which may be taken concurrently. 

FMM 112 - Industry Explorations

1-10-2
Credit Hours: 2

Students apply knowledge and skills through internship. Students continue to accumulate information, strategies and soft skills that enable them to succeed in the workplace. Students apply knowledge and skills through internship opportunities in various fields within fashion merchandising and marketing. Offered summer only.

Prerequisite:

FMM 110

FMM 115 - Understanding the Customer

3-0-3
Credit Hours: 3

Applies contemporary behavioral science and buying psychology to consumer behavior and decision-making. The process of building customer profiles and the relationship between the efforts of business firms in marketing their products and the reactions of ultimate consumers are examined. 

Prerequisite:

FMM 101

FMM 120 - Professional Personal Selling

3-0-3
Credit Hours: 3

This course prepares students for a professional sales career and explores sales as a strategy. Through the course, students will learn the latest strategies and tactics in prospecting and qualifying, identifying customer needs, building personal relationships, using market trends to validate product and brand sustainability, negotiation and making sales presentations to ensure customer satisfaction while exploring Customer Relationship Management (CRM) to track and organize data.

Prerequisite:

FMM 101

FMM 125 - Experiential Retail

3-0-3
Credit Hours: 3

Examines brick & mortar retail operations, including understanding how trends in consumption, past, present, and future, determine a retailer's strategy and how the customer is enticed to enter, stay and buy. 

Offered Online: Yes
Prerequisite:

FMM 101

FMM 130 - Work Experience I

1-10-2
Credit Hours: 2

Students will apply skills and knowledge to an internal work experience opportunity that operates as a retail laboratory. Through the work experience, students will support special projects that focus on entrepreneurship, sales, merchandising, and marketing skills growth. Each work experience opportunity will log time in a workplace learning about a job role, company, or career sector.

Additional course fee: $85
Prerequisite:

FMM 110

FMM 135 - Fashion Product Promotion

3-0-3
Credit Hours: 3

This course examines the global aspects of product promotional strategies through the examination of the economic, political, and social/cultural trends of today's globalized marketplace. Various national and international regions are analyzed in terms of their market characteristics and current retail environment. Students research market information and analyze opportunities regarding merchandise positioning and brand imagery toward the development of a comprehensive promotional plan. 

Offered Online: Yes
Prerequisite:

FMM 105 and FMM 115.

FMM 140 - Buying & Private Label Development

3-0-3
Credit Hours: 3

Provides a working knowledge of merchandise planning, flow, and distribution in the retail setting. Covers profitable merchandise and assortment planning and control, in both conceptual and technical formats. Final project incorporates six-month financial, classification, and assortment planning. Apparel Management functions that exist between the merchandising, design, production and promotion elements of the apparel supply chain are examined.

Prerequisite:

FMM 105, FMM 115, FMM 125, FNMT 121 or FNMT 118 or higher MATH, and CIS 103.

FMM 145 - Work Experience II

1-15-3
Credit Hours: 3

Students will apply skills and knowledge to an external work experience opportunity. The external work experience will focus on collaborations and partnerships within various shopping zones throughout Philadelphia. Through the work experience, students will support merchandising and marketing special projects for local businesses, makers, manufacturers, business districts, and/or corridors. Students will be expected to use lab hours to work on-site. Each work experience opportunity will log time in a workplace learning about a job role, company, or career sector.

Offered Online: Yes
Prerequisite:

FMM 110 and FMM 130

FMM 150 - Material Directions

3-0-3
Credit Hours: 3

The course examines the area of non-woven textiles and other material applications and innovations and emphasizes the practical relationship between product design, the manufacturing industry, and the technical considerations that influence the choice of material and process for small batch and mass production in the fashion apparel, accessory, and gift product industry. 

Prerequisite:

FMM 105

FMM 155 - Digital Commerce

2-2-3
Credit Hours: 3

Students examine and analyze past, current, and future trends in ecommerce technologies that primarily support the back-end inventory, logistics and front-end operations of a retail enterprise. Ecommerce businesses require market research, planning, merchandising, and marketing strategies. Students synthesize the knowledge and skills acquired through the program as they master strategy implementation, evaluation, and analytics of retailers' digital footprint across merchandising and marketing functions.

Additional course fee: $85
Prerequisite:

FMM 135, FMM 140, ECON 181 (may be taken concurrently) , and PHOT 105 (may be taken concurrently).

FMM 160 - Work Experience III

1-10-2
Credit Hours: 2

Students apply knowledge and skills through internship Students continue to accumulate information, strategies and soft skills that enable them to succeed in the workplace. Students apply knowledge and skills through internship opportunities for the FMM retail laboratory, supporting the online and pop-up shops and special projects for Industry and Community Partners. Examples include: various forms of research, data collection and analysis related to retail and marketing in partner shopping zone, FMM Retail shop operations, product procurement, marketing, visual merchandising, product and marketing photography and graphics, sales, sales fulfillment. Students will master program information as they study for the NRF Retail Industry Fundamentals Certification, participate in practice tests and pursue the certificate option.

Prerequisite:

FMM 101, FMM 130, and FMM 145