Fashion Design

The goal of undergraduate design education at the School of Design in UC's College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) is to provide a foundation that will allow graduates to deal with diverse professional challenges appropriately and to master tools and media of the future. This foundation has three components: 1) an integrated  curriculum, rather than a collection of courses, concentrating on the design process rather than product, 2) one and one-half years of supervised experience in the design field through the professional practice (co-op) program, and 3) a structured liberal arts education.

Students spend their first year in foundation studies, which provide a concentrated study of basics related to color, drawing, and representing objects in space, creating an understanding of two- and three-dimensional organization. Emphasis is placed on the design process: inquiry, analysis, comparison, evaluation and a language. The foundation year is an introduction to tools, methods and materials, including development of basic technical ability.

The fashion design program explores both the realization and development of fashion. In the sophomore year, students take courses in both areas to develop a broad base of skills and to determine on which area they will focus in the future. In the third year, students begin to focus on realization or development.

Fashion realization courses help students develop a command of both creative and technical skills. Students are able to create and execute a design that emphasizes both function and beauty through the formation of three-dimensional, wearable design. In development courses, students are taught to understand the design process, the product development process, and the interaction of design with merchandising. Students research consumer behavior, develop an understanding of current merchandising concepts and functions, and cultivate merchandising skills for manufacturing and fashion retailing.

The fashion design program provides a broad liberal arts background as a basis for understanding economic, sociological and psychological influences of fashion. The curriculum includes basic art and design courses, fashion design courses, and technical courses in pattern-making, draping, trend development, and tailoring. Students must develop a knowledge of material specifications and cost analysis; have research, writing, presentation and computer skills, and possess critical-thinking skills. Electives allow the student to explore other areas of interest.

Year 1

• History of Art I (FA,HP)
• Foundation Drawing 1 (FA)
• Foundation 2D Design
• Foundation 3D Design
• English Composition (EC)
• Foundation Drawing 2
• Sources of Modern Design (HP)
• Introduction to Sewing
• Communication for Design Professional Practice
• Industry, Theory and Practice
• Introduction to COOP for Fashion
• Sociology elective (SS)

Year 2

• Fashion Drawing 1
• Design Methodology 1
• Textiles
• History of Fashion 1
• Intermediate Composition (EC)
• Introduction to Marketing
• COOP for DAAP (First Semester Experience)
• Fashion Drawing 2
• Draping 1
• Fashion Design 1
• Fashion Marketing and Brand Development
• History of Fashion 2

Year 3

• COOP for DAAP (Second Semester Experience)
• Design Communication 1
• Design Methodology 2
• Computer Aided Design Applications
• Trend Forecasting: Research Methodology and Development
• Focus area - course #1
• COOP for DAAP (Third Semester Experience)

Year 4

• Interdisciplinary User-Centered Design (SE,TI)
• Design Communication 2
• Collaborative Studio
• Focus area - course #2
• Math elective (QR)
• COOP for DAAP (Fourth Semester Experience)
• Interdisciplinary Research Methods for Design
• Interdisciplinary Global Design Issues
• Design Communication 3
• Knitwear
• Entrepreneurship

Year 5

• COOP for DAAP (Fifth Semester Experience)
• Design Communication 4
• Focus Area - Capstone
• Free elective
• Free elective

• Common Application and Writing Supplement
• Application fee or application fee waiver submitted via the Common Application
• ACT and/or SAT scores sent directly from the testing agency
• Official high school transcript
• Letter(s) of recommendation
• $100 application fee
• SAT/ACT 
• Proof of English Ability and Proof of Math Ability
• TOEFL: 79 iBT
• IELTS: 6.5
• SAT-I: 480 Critical Reading
• ACT: 20 English
• PTE: 53
• ELS: 112

Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• ✔️ Flexible study schedule
• ✔️ Experienced teachers
• ✔️ Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

Enroll in the course

Scholarships

• UC Global Scholarship