Westwood College
Various Locations, United States; Online
The history of the schools that make up the current Westwood College system can be traced back many decades. Throughout its history, however, one thing has remained constant: Westwood has offered career-focused education in high-demand technical fields. As career challenges and opportunities are recognized, new programs are developed with the cooperation of industry leaders to meet the needs of our students, graduates and employers.
Westwood College was founded in Denver, Colorado in 1953. For many years the school was known as Denver Institute of Technology, offering diploma and degree programs in a variety of technical fields. Since then, Westwood College has expanded to offer its proven approach to career-focused education to a wider array of students. We have degree programs in Business, Design, Computer & Information Technology, Industrial Services, and Healthcare. Today, our schools include seventeen campuses: four in the Southern California area; two in Denver, Colorado; two in Atlanta, Georgia; four in the Chicago area; two in the Arlington/Annadale, Virginia area; two in the Dallas/Fort Worth area; and one in Houston, Texas; and our online campus Westwood Online (offered through the Denver North campus. Westwood Online enable students to complete selected programs without attending campus based courses.)
Westwood College and Redstone recruits recent high-school graduates, young adults, and working adults who want to acquire new skills to take advantage of growing opportunities in the professional workplace. Students come to our campuses from all across the United States, and from many countries around the world. Our students are highly motivated, hardworking, and committed to preparing for rewarding careers.
Fashion Merchandising
If your goal is to pursue a bachelor's degree and you are interested in the dynamic world of fashion, then an education through Westwood College's Fashion Merchandising Degree program could be perfect for you. The fashion industry is fast-paced, dynamic and exciting. Earning a Fashion Merchandising Degree from Westwood College is an excellent way to get your foot in the door and start earning money in this creative and fun field. Westwood helps to provide students in fashion merchandising with skills in business, marketing, consumer behavior, retail management and more. The education offered is comprehensive and diverse, blending together the business aspects, human aspects and creativity you need to thrive in the fashion world.
Westwood's Bachelor of Science in Fashion Merchandising Degree Program
All fashion merchandising schools differ in their curricula. Westwood College's program offers a diverse education in fashion merchandising, providing students with the varied knowledge needed to succeed. While working towards a fashion merchandising degree with Westwood College, students build a strong foundation of marketing, consumer behavior, retail management and business technology, giving them an edge on today's business trends. Students also take courses in fashion, such as Trend Forecasting, Fashion Product Development, Portfolio Review and Costumer Service. Westwood College believes that to make their education complete, students in a fashion merchandising school should take courses in art history, communication, public speaking and critical thinking, and that is just what our students do!
While there are many fashion merchandising schools to choose from, Westwood College provides a career-focused and varied education, creating multi-faceted graduates with a wide background of knowledge in their field. The Fashion Merchandising Degree program emphasizes the importance of communicating ideas both verbally and in writing, helping to prepare degree candidates for the challenges of the industry. Many tasks that well informed graduates of fashion merchandising colleges perform are:
- Examining, selecting, ordering and purchasing merchandise at a favorable price consistent with quality, quantity, specification requirements and other factors.
- Negotiating merchandise prices, discount terms and transportation arrangements.
- Analyzing and monitoring sales records, trends and economic conditions to anticipate consumer buying patterns and determine what a company will sell and how much inventory is needed.
- Interviewing and working closely with vendors to obtain and develop desired products.
- Authorizing payment of invoices or return of merchandise.
- Setting mark-up or mark-down rates and selling prices for merchandise.
- Conferring with sales and purchasing personnel to obtain information about customer needs and preferences.
- Consulting with store or merchandise managers about budget and goods to be purchased.
- Conducting staff meetings with sales personnel to introduce new merchandise.
- Managing a department or an entire retail store.
If a fashion merchandising school sounds like the path for you, then Westwood College may be your match. For more information on how Westwood College's Fashion Merchandising Degree program differs from those offered at other fashion merchandising colleges, click here or call us toll-free at 1.800.281.2978 today!
Fashion Merchandising Programs — Not All Objectives Are the Same
Fashion merchandising programs at Westwood College provide students and working professionals with and array of skills that are necessary to advance in a fashion merchandising career. The education provided by Westwood College enables students to advance in a career that emphasizes merchandising relating to fashion, marketing, consumer behavior, retail management and contemporary business technology. Trends in fashion change every day, but Westwood provides an education with flexibility and a wide scope, allowing graduates to adjust to the industry's fast and frequent changes.
Upon successful completion of Westwood College's fashion merchandising program, students should be able to:
- Describe and explain the creation of a fashion line from vision to design, product development and product production.
- Analyze and evaluate the fashion elements of apparel, wardrobe and textiles.
- Plan a fashion product from inception to delivery.
- Explain the process of fashion marketing and advertising from market and fashion trend analysis to the development and deployment of strategies to communicate to target markets.
- Display merchandise creatively and effectively.
- Research, analyze, synthesize and present information and data pertinent to successful merchandising.
- Plan and execute a fashion promotion.
- Demonstrate skill in basic business principles and practices of the retail environment.
- Select and use industry-standard business technologies.
- Create and use sophisticated databases for business application.
- Analyze and evaluate the use of the Internet in retail merchandising.
- Professionally communicate as thinkers, readers, writers, speakers and listeners.
- Apply interpersonal skills such as self-awareness and teamwork that support career success.
- Develop goals and strategies for career launching and enhancement.
- Write a resume, prepare for interviews and conduct a professional job search.
- Prepare and present a professional portfolio.
These are some of the things that students study at Westwood College's fashion merchandising program. They are both practical and important for advancement in a career in fashion marketing and fashion merchandising.
