Fashion Merchandiser at a clothing boutique

Online Associate Degree AS in Fashion Merchandising

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Register By: October 26 Classes Start: October 28

Pursue Your Love of Fashion with an Associate Degree in Fashion Merchandising Online

Combine your passion for trendsetting styles with a business-focused education that will be an asset in many industries with the online Associate of Science in Fashion Merchandising. This online AS program, with its focus on the application of retailing and fashion merchandising theory, could be the start to an exciting and rewarding career in fashion.

Earn your associate degree in fashion merchandising online and take courses in design and color theory, textiles, retailing and marketing. With an AS degree, you'll be prepared for entry-level careers in buying, visual merchandising, sales and vendor relations in retail or wholesale settings. Plus, if you want to continue your education, you don't have worry about applying to another school. SNHU offers an online BS in Fashion Merchandising. 

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See Yourself Succeed in Fashion Merchandising

In the AS in Fashion Merchandising degree program, you'll learn how to:

  • Apply basic design, fabric and color theory as related to fashion merchandising
  • Explain the effect of merchandising planning and purchasing on the financial performance of a fashion business unit
  • Conduct basic analyses of the merchandising components of sales promotion plans for fashion items or lines of items
  • Apply basic psychological principles to sales techniques

As a private, nonprofit university, SNHU has one mission – to help you see yourself succeed. The benefits of earning your associate in fashion merchandising online at SNHU include:

  • Affordability. Take advantage of some of the most affordable tuition rates in the nation
  • Convenience. Attend class when it’s convenient for you – online education means 24/7 access
  • Efficiency and flexibility. Complete your undergraduate degree at your own pace, over six 8-week terms per year
  • Expert instruction. Learn from instructors with relevant, real-world experience
  • Networking. Tap into our nationwide network of alumni for internship and career opportunities
  • Simple application process. Just fill out an online undergraduate application, and we’ll retrieve U.S. transcripts from your previous institutions and automatically complete an official credit evaluation. Plus, there’s no application fee
  • Student support. Count on the ongoing support of dedicated academic and career advisors specialized in your area of study
  • Transfer-friendly enrollment. Transfer up to 45 credits toward an associate degree

Career Outlook

Earning an associate degree in fashion merchandising online will prepare you for roles in buying, sales management, retail operations management, merchandising, retail promotions and vendor relations.

The demand for leaders in the retail industry is growing, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment among first-line supervisors and managers is expected to grow 5% through 2026.*

Curriculum

The associate degree in fashion merchandising online curriculum will help you build a solid foundation in merchandising and retailing principles and practices. This fashion merchandising curriculum, designed and taught by practicing professionals, includes courses in design, textiles, marketing, retailing and sales promotion to enhance a career in fashion.

This program has a required internship. The internship experience must be US based. Please ask your admission counselor or advisor for more information.

View Full Curriculum in the Catalog

AS in Fashion Merchandising

Courses May Include

ACC 201 Financial Accounting
Financial Accounting establishes the rules and regulations for preparing accounting information used by internal and external sources to evaluate the financial health of an organization. This course will develop the student's ability to interpret financial accounting information, to communicate this information and to understand the accounting system that produces this information.
ACC 202 Managerial Accounting
Managerial Accounting will explore the financial impact of alternative business decisions and the financial benefits of new business practices. After completing this course, the student will understand how accounting and other productivity information can be used to assess the past and improve the future performance of a business by giving managers essential information they need to make more informed decisions.
FMM 101 Basic Design and Color Theory
This course examines the basic principles of design, including balance, emphasis, proportion and rhythm. The art elements of line, space, texture and color are studied with special emphasis on how they relate to advertising layout and design and visual merchandising. This course is cross-listed with GRA-101.
FMM 114 Introduction to Fashion Merchandising
Fashion principles and procedures used in planning, selecting, pricing and selling fashion goods in retail stores, catalogs and on the Internet are studied. Merchandising systems, assortment plans and inventory control methods are analyzed.
FMM 204 Textiles and Color Theory
Textile information pertinent to merchandising is included in this course. Analysis of fibers, yarns and weaves, fabric recognition, and a detailed study of natural and man-made materials are emphasized.
FMM 225 Merchandise Planning
This course seeks to instill in students a complete understanding of the influence of merchandise planning and purchasing on retail profit. Students analyze profit and loss statement and demonstrate a complete understanding of the factors that influence the retailer's financial performance.
MKT 113 Introduction to Marketing
This course examines the organization's functions for creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers. These functions, designed to meet customers' needs and organizational goals, include marketing research, environmental monitoring, target market selection, product selection, promotion, distribution and pricing.
MKT 222 Principles of Retailing
This course studies the basics of retailing and emphasizes the development of retail institutions, store layout and design, merchandising, pricing and problems retailers experience in today's business environment.
MKT 230 Retail Sales Promotion
This course focuses on sales promotion in the retail sector. The specific needs of retailers in the areas of advertising, visual merchandising, personal selling, and special events planning are among the topics addressed. The culminating project will be a sales promotion plan that will include a major special event. This project is designed to be flexible to support the range of retailing interests represented in the class.
OL 125 Human Relations in Administration
The human relations skills that managers need to develop interaction skills that contribute directly to effective human resource management and the development of higher productivity are studied. Skill areas include leadership, motivation, communications, group dynamics, organizational development, management by objectives, and stress and time management. Students learn techniques for becoming more effective managers, subordinates, peers and persons. Students are introduced to the international aspects of human relations.

Total Credits: 60

Program Outcomes

Tuition & Fees

Tuition rates for SNHU's online degree programs are among the lowest in the nation. We offer financial aid packages to those who qualify, plus a 30% tuition discount for U.S. service members, both full and part time, and the spouses of those on active duty.

Online Undergraduate Programs Per Course* Per Credit Hour*
Degree/Certificates $960 $320
Degree/Certificates
(U.S. service members, both full and part time, and the spouses of those on active duty) 		$675 $225

*Tuition Rates are subject to change and are reviewed annually.

Additional Costs
No Application Fee, $150 Graduation Fee, Course Materials ($ varies by course)

University Accreditation

Southern New Hampshire University is a private, nonprofit institution accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education as well as several other accrediting bodies. More...

This program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). Student achievement data can be found on College Navigator.

*All concentrations associated with the program are also accredited through ACBSP.

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*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, on the Internet, at https://data.bls.gov/projections/occupationProj (viewed online December 15, 2017). Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.

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