The Apparel Design and Apparel Merchandising specializations offer exciting opportunities for students to earn an associate arts degree by participating in a one-year liaison program with the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City.
FIT is a specialized college of art, design, business, and technology devoted to preparing students for careers in fashion and related professions. Accredited with the state of New York, FIT allows visiting SPU students to be enrolled full time at Seattle Pacific University, and — if in good academic standing — to earn both an associate of arts degree from FIT and a bachelor of arts degree from SPU by double counting coursework.
General education requirements and core courses of FCS and Apparel Design and Merchandising taken at SPU are transferred to fulfill those required at FIT; likewise, coursework taken at FIT transfers back toward total credit requirements for graduation at SPU.
FIT offers the following one-year programs in which SPU students or graduates can participate:
- Fashion Business Management: For careers in retail and wholesale organizations in buying, sales, merchandising, management, fashion coordination, advertising, publicity, styling, sales, or marketing.
- Fashion Design: For positions as designers, assistant designers, technical designers, stylists, or fashion executives.
- Advertising and Marketing Communications: For careers in advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion, and publicity/public relations, and journalism.
- Textile Development and Marketing: For positions as designers, colorists, stylists, studio directors, sourcing specialists and mill-liaison executives for screen- and machine-printed fabrics.
For more information contact Dr. Gwia Kim at gkim@spu.edu, or call the FCS office at (206)281-2195.