Fashion Design and Merchandising

  • BA
  • Major
Two students shaping a garment made of newspaper on a manikin.

Step into the fast-paced, ever-evolving world of fashion with Montclair State University’s Fashion Design and Merchandising program. We don’t just teach students how to design the garment of their dreams — we make sure they know how to sell it. The Fashion Design and Merchandising program prepares you to succeed in today’s multibillion-dollar global fashion industry by combining creativity with business savvy. You’ll learn to translate your ideas from sketch to showroom, while gaining insight into consumer behavior, brand strategy and market forecasting. 

See the curriculum.

Program Highlights

  • Three tracks: Design, Merchandising, or Combined 
  • Hands-on internships and industry partnerships 
  • Courses in both art and business 
  • Faculty and mentors with deep industry experience 
  • Access to NYC’s global fashion hub 
  • Student work regularly showcased in on-campus galleries 
  • National Association of Schools of Art & Design accredited program 

Launch your fashion future today—design it, brand it and bring it to market.

Fashion design student sketching on fabric.

Fashion Studies on Your Schedule

Montclair’s BA in Fashion Design and Merchandising is flexible to fit your life. With in-person, online and hybrid courses, it blends creativity and business with customizable tracks, NYC industry access and hands-on internships. Build your portfolio, master brand strategy, and launch your career in the global fashion industry.

Explore our Minors

Get hands-on experience in fashion. The Fashion Design Minor, housed in the Department of Art and Design, is ideal for students pursuing careers in the fashion industry. This focused program offers in-depth coursework that will help build your creative and business competencies—preparing you with the practical skills and industry insight valued by today’s fashion design employers.

The Fashion Design Minor offers hands-on experience in garment design, illustration, pattern-making and construction, Ideal for you if you want a career in the fashion industry; this program builds both creative and business skills that are highly valued by industry employers. 

See the curriculum.

This dynamic program delves into every stage of the fashion product lifecycle—from importing and advertising to buying and distributing. Students gain insight into how fashion brands are developed to resonate with specific demographics and how to forecast industry trends. Coursework also explores key aspects of business operations, including family-run businesses and franchising models, helping students build highly marketable skills for today’s fashion marketplace. 

See the curriculum.

As a fashion design major with a strong interest in the business side of the industry, it was refreshing to be surrounded by like-minded individuals.

Dyana Najdi

Program: Fashion Design

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Featured Faculty

Seven permanent faculty members and more than 12 visiting professionals mentor our MFA in Dance students through their time at Montclair State.

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Questions? We’re Here to Help.

Undergraduate Admissions Office

Whether you’re looking to begin an application, have questions about transferring to Montclair or trying to check your application status, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions is pleased to help you in any way we can.

Department of Art and Design

For more than five decades, the Department of Art and Design has educated artists and designers who interpret, impact and often shape the world as we experience it.