This program teaches you how to bring creative ideas to life by guiding apparel through the product lifecycle. You’ll learn to coordinate designers, merchandisers and manufacturers to turn concepts into viable products, ensuring they meet industry standards and consumer demands.
Gaining product development expertise can jumpstart your fashion career and open doors for growth. Exposure to the entire development process can further help you build industry connections and expand your skill set.
The knowledge and skills you’ll develop
Courses explore how to evaluate design choices for production feasibility, proper garment fit and suitability for mass production. You’ll develop an understanding of material sourcing and costing, as well as how to collaborate with merchandisers to position products for retail success.
The curriculum incorporates technology designed to enhance accuracy and efficiency in product development. You’ll use Optitex to develop patterns and analyze fit through 3D prototypes and Adobe Illustrator to create digital 2D technical drawings. Practical assignments also offer opportunities to gain proficiency in CAD, product lifecycle management systems and CLO 3D. Through this software and applied coursework, you’ll be able to:
- Apply the science of body sizing and scaling.
- Create production-ready tech packs (instructions for manufacturing garments).
- Develop grade rules that align with measurement charts.
- Use visual communication techniques in creative industries.
Choose the right fashion degree for your career goals
All fashion majors gain an understanding of the industry, from creative design and technical production to manufacturing, distribution, merchandising and retailing. The right specialization for you depends on your career goals and interests. Available concentrations include:
- Apparel product development
- Ideal for those who want to be involved in the entire product lifecycle from concept to consumer. As a generalist, you’ll focus on bringing products to market.
- Merchandising
- Designed for those interested in the core of the fashion business. You’ll study merchandising through the lens of branding, planning and buying.
- Technical design
- Best suited for those passionate about garment fit, construction and design. As a specialist in this field, you'll turn creative ideas into tangible products.
Learn to transform creative visions into market-ready products with this online Bachelor of Arts in fashion with a concentration in apparel product development from Arizona State University. This program equips you to thrive in the fast-paced industry by blending fashion, technology and business strategy. Upon graduation, you’ll be equipped to deliver apparel to market while meeting the needs of consumers and organizations.
This concentration emphasizes apparel development topics including concept creation, line architecture, material selection, technical specifications and garment construction. You’ll also explore graphic and print development, creative digital literacy, textile science and more. An internship with a minimum of three credit hours provides hands-on experience in a professional setting. The program concludes with two senior capstone courses and two portfolio development courses to solidify your preparation for a career in the fashion industry.
The Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts is home to world-class scholars, artists and designers who inspire students to shape the future. Research conducted by our faculty is grounded in the transformative power of art and its ability to change the world. Research areas include:
- Arts and design for social justice
- Arts, education and arts-integrated education
- Arts, entrepreneurship and cultural policy
- Community engagement and public policy
- Creative health collaborations
- Design, arts, science and engineering
- The study of creative work
ASU’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts is the home to top-ranked programs from a variety of disciplines ranging from the arts, media and engineering to film, dance and theater. We train artists and designers to leverage their creativity and problem-solving abilities to advance culture, build community and transform society.
students
internationally recognized faculty members
in arts, media and engineering, design, dance and theater, film and music
best graduate schools for fine arts, according to U.S. News & World Report, 2020
No, Arizona State University’s diplomas don’t specify whether you earn your degree online or in person. All diplomas and transcripts simply say “Arizona State University.”