Summary
The Fashion Design page for the 2026–2027 Academic Catalog outlines the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Fashion Design as a standard four-year, full-time program requiring 120–122 credits and a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0; it presents a semester-by-semester 4-year pathway listing foundation, studio, and lecture courses (e.g., drawing, 3D design, fashion fundamentals, illustration, collection design, tech pack design, brand management, trend study, and thesis collection studios) with major electives, general education and open electives, and notes on credit allocations (foundations 15 cr, general education 42 cr, major 57 cr) plus program details, approved course lists, and advising reminders that the plan is a guide and students must confirm requirements via Self-Service.
Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree Requirements
Catalog Year 26/27
Standard 4 Year Pathway (full-time status)
Total Credits 120-122
First Year
First Semester = 15-16 Credit Hours
| Course Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| SLP-007 CCS First Year Experience * | 1 |
| DFN-103 Drawing I: Materials & Methods | 3 |
| DFN-121 3D Design: Material & Methods | 3 |
| Select one (alternate courses): FAD-101 Fashion Fundamentals: Apparel FAD-102 Fashion Fundamentals: Accessories | 3 |
| WRT-101 Composition I (CR) † | 3 |
| AHV-100 Introduction to Material Culture (CR) | 3 |
Second Semester = 15 Credit Hours
| Course Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| DFN-104 Drawing II: Drawing As Studio Practice | 3 |
| DFN-120 Design Color & Context | 3 |
| DFN-119 Digital Techniques | 3 |
| Select one (alternate courses): FAD-102 Fashion Fundamentals: Accessories FAD-101 Fashion Fundamentals: Apparel | 3 |
| WRT-102 Composition II (CR) | 3 |
Second Year
Third Year
Fifth Semester = 15 Credit Hours
| Course Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| FAD-301A Tech Pack Design-Apparel | 3 |
| FAD-309 Fashion Brand Management | 3 |
| FAD-311A Junior Studio I-Apparel | 3 |
| Science Elective 200-400 (CE) | 3 |
| Humanities: Choose from approved list (CE) | 3 |
Sixth Semester = 15 Credit Hours
| Course Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| FAD-305 Fashion Trends | 3 |
| FAD-312A Junior Studio II-Apparel | 3 |
| Fashion Design Major Elective | 3 |
| General Education Elective 200-400 | 3 |
| Open Elective | 3 |
Fourth Year
Seventh Semester = 15 Credit Hours
| Course Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| FAD-401 Advanced Collection Design | 3 |
| FAD-411A Senior Studio Precollection-Apparel | 3 |
| Fashion Design Major Elective | 3 |
| AHV 200-400 Art History & Visual Culture Course (CE) | 3 |
| General Education Elective 200-400 | 3 |
Eighth Semester = 15 Credit Hours
| Course Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| FAD-402 The Collection | 3 |
| FAD-422A Thesis Collection Studio-Apparel | 3 |
| Fashion Design Major Elective | 3 |
| General Education Elective 200-400 | 3 |
| Open Elective | 3 |
Additional ”Program & Credit Requirement Details” attached; includes ”approved course lists” and ”recommended courses (RC)” for any requirements with noted selections. Enrolled students should view Self-Service (My Progress/Plan & Schedule) for complete program information; see catalog for additional course details and descriptions.
This plan is provided for use as a guide only and is based on full-time status with successful completion of credits outlined per semester. Degree Timelines and requirements may vary based on actual program, credits completed per semester and/or catalog year. Students are responsible for confirming completion of all requirements before graduating (use program/student resources to support degree progression). Minimum Cumulative GPA of 2.0 required.
Program & Credit Requirement Details
| Degree Requirements | Total credits required | Requirement Details |
|---|---|---|
| First Year Experience | 1.0 | SLP-007 is waived for eligible transfer students with 12.0 (or more) college. |
| Foundations | 15.0 | Required for all majors. Successfully complete listed DFN Foundation courses for enrolled major; requirements may vary per major. (TR) = Additional transfer consideration for DFN-138 & DFN-142, based on review of CDS majors. |
| General Education | 42.0 | Liberal Arts courses required for all undergraduate majors; total credits may vary per program. |
| General Education Undergrad CORE Requirements (CR) | 12.0 | Successfully complete WRT & AHV core general education prerequisites requirements (Composition pathways may vary based on completed assessments, test scores or transfer credits). |
| General Education MAJOR Requirements (MR) | 9.0 | Successfully complete major specific Liberal Arts. Requirements vary per major. |
| General Education Undergrad CORE Electives (CE) | 9.0 | Successfully complete core general education electives required for all UG majors (Science, Humanities, Art History & Visual Culture) as outlined on 4 year pathway/degree requirements: |
| 3.0 cr. Science: Successfully complete one course from the SCI subject; 200-400 level | ||
| 3.0 cr. Humanities Option: Successfully complete one of the following approved courses: LIT 239, LIT 203, DHS 201, DSS 215, DSS 240 or DPL 201 | ||
| 3.0 cr. Art History & Visual Culture: Successfully complete course from AHV subject, 200-400 level | ||
| General Education Electives | 12.0 | Successfully complete any non-required 200-400 level Liberal Arts course from subject codes: AHV, BUS, DHS, DPL, DSS, SCI, WRT, LIT (Total Gen.Ed Elective credits vary per major). |
| Major § | 57.0 | Studio and/or lecture courses specific to major focus. |
| Major Courses § | 48.0 | Successfully complete listed CDS courses in 4 year plan, by recommended sequence (based on prerequisites) |
| Major Electives | 9.0 | Non-required major courses with subject code CDS are considered major electives; exceptions require approval. |
| Open Electives | 6.0 | Successfully complete 100-400 level courses from any Undergraduate subject (Studio or Lecture). |
| Total Program Credits | 121.0 | Total credits required 120 – 122 ‡ |
| Undergraduate Bachelor of Fine Arts program, GPA minimum requirement = 2.0 | ||
Footnotes
* ELS 101 Composition I for Multilingual Students 4.0 cr.
† WRT 101/102 Self Placement Survey available.
‡ Based on SLP 007 (1.0 cr.) and ELS 101 (4.0 cr.)
§ Remaining Major course sequence impacts timeline to degree completion.