Fashion Design Programs for International Students

Do you love clothes, shoes, and accessories? Are you always on trend and embracing the latest styles? Consider turning your passion into a lucrative career! Designers introduce and innovate new styles for clothing, accessories, and footwear. They combine their creativity, knowledge of global trends, and understanding of the human body to take design ideas from sketch to reality. Roles can involve illustrating concepts, sourcing and selecting fabrics and materials, creating clothing prototypes, and overseeing the production process.

The clothing and apparel industry is a major contributor to the global economy and is expected to grow 9.36% by 2027. This creates strong job opportunities for aspiring designers and other industry professionals. 

These types of careers require a high level of creative skill and understanding of design principles, as work often involves producing aesthetically pleasing designs that are also functional. Whether you aim to work for a design house, brand, or run your own label, earning a university degree in this field can build a strong creative skill set, including an eye for detail, communication and problem-solving skills, and the ability to work under tight deadlines.

Career Possibilities for International Students

Taking a sketch to the runway (and/or store) involves a lot of work that extends beyond the design itself, encompassing marketing, sales, and business development. 

Careers in Fashion Design

Courses offer insights into the creative and technical aspects of creating patterns and clothing designs. These subjects are popular among students who want to take their style ideas from original concept to production. Instruction provides training in illustration, patternmaking, technical drawing, and computer-aided design. Some popular career pathways include:

• Creative director

• Apparel designer

• Graphic designer 

• Stylist

• Textile designer

Careers in Fashion Merchandising

These professionals work with designers to create clothing designs tailored to specific types of customers, plus determine the price of products and how many to sell. In this role, you will work in business and marketing roles specific to the industry. Careers can include:

• Account manager

• Marketing specialist

• Merchandise consultant

• Retail buyer

• Store manager

• Visual merchandiser

Careers in Fashion Technology

This field studies the chemical and material properties of both manmade fabrics and natural fibers to produce different types of clothing, from sustainable wear to specialized sports gear, among other types of attire. This role can be a good career option if you are more interested in the technical aspects of producing apparel. 

Some popular career options include:

• Quality control manager

• Technical designer

As in any industry, your skills can vary depending on the type of career you intend to pursue, but it is important to have a strong professional network and an understanding of fundamental technical, mechanical, and interpersonal skills. Shorelight universities give you the opportunity to develop these core skills while you build valuable connections with experts, participate in industry showcases, and get hands-on experience by working on design projects.

Let’s now take a look at several Shorelight universities with great programs for international students.

Shorelight Universities for International Students

Shorelight universities offer a variety of degree programs, courses, and electives that can build specialized skills related to the design, production, and sales of apparel and accessories. These programs are designed to equip you with the practical skills, industry knowledge, and real-world experience needed to work toward a successful career.

Belmont University

Located in Nashville, Tennessee, the O’More College of Architecture & Design at Belmont University is ranked among the top 50 fashion design schools in the US. The university’s state-of-the-art facilities and small class sizes provide students with personalized instruction from industry professionals, creating a comprehensive learning environment for aspiring designers. There are many unique and career-building experiential learning opportunities, including Belmont’s annual runway show, which allows students to build their portfolios, showcase their work, and connect with industry talent.

• Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) — The BFA program prepares students for career success through real-world learning opportunities that combine business, design, and technology. The curriculum offers a collaborative, mission-based approach: students create meaningful projects and build their professional network through study abroad and internship opportunities. 

Heriot-Watt UK

Heriot-Watt University UK is the eighth-oldest higher education institution in the UK, pioneering education in design and innovation for more than 200 years. Courses are taught at the Scottish Borders Campus, which lies close to the heart of Scotland’s rich textile industry, famous worldwide for its traditional tartan, cashmere, tweed, and knitwear designs. At Heriot-Watt, students have a unique advantage of learning everything from global high-street looks to Scotland’s textile heritage, all while having access to top-tier design and production facilities.

• Bachelor’s in Fashion — Curriculum provides a creative, academic approach toward learning UK-based and global trends within fully equipped apparel workshops, spacious studios, and Computer-Aided Design (CAD) suites. The program also gives students the chance to study outside of Europe for a full academic year.

• Master’s in Fashion and Textile Design — This program takes an interdisciplinary approach toward design, management, and innovation in the industry. The course can be taken part time or as a nine-month postgraduate diploma program, and includes a series of well-resourced workshops and a collaborative industry project.

Heriot-Watt Dubai

Heriot-Watt University Dubai, ranked #235 in the QS World University Rankings, has a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students representing 105 nationalities. The research-focused British higher education institute in the UAE provides cutting-edge programs taught by industry experts to give students the skills needed to succeed.

• Bachelor’s in Fashion Branding and Promotion — The program integrates communication, marketing, branding, and management in a highly personalized curriculum. Students can access maker labs, photography studios, design suites, and workshops, including opportunities to collaborate with high-end industry brands on live projects.

• Master’s in Design Management — This program offers a deep dive into courses such as design thinking, sustainable design and management, design technology, marketing, and project management. Students learn how to do product valuations through a hands-on professional learning curriculum with expert designers.

University of South Carolina

The University of South Carolina’s College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management offers a four-year degree program in retail management with a mandatory internship.

• Bachelor of Science in Retail Management — The program gives students an in-depth understanding of ecommerce and sales strategy to market new design trends and create engaging customer experiences. Students can also become members of the National Retail Federation and build their professional network by connecting with local distributors, while also accessing internship and work opportunities with retail giants like Amazon, Belk, Target, and Zappos.

• Bachelor of Science in Fashion Merchandising and Digital Innovations — Students gain a broad knowledge of the business, from product analysis to visual merchandising. The experiential learning curriculum offers opportunities to participate in behind-the-scenes field trips, join exclusive work opportunities, study abroad, and register for industry showcases and events. 

Career Pathways for International Students

According to Euromonitor, the global apparel and accessories market is one of the most important industries for driving worldwide value and generating employment. With this rising popularity, aspiring designers can find lucrative job opportunities across merchandising, sales, and marketing. 

Here’s a look at the salary potential of careers in key markets such as the US, Brazil, China, and India.

Sources: Payscale, Salary.com

By pursuing a degree at a Shorelight university, you can work towards becoming a successful professional with support every step of the way, from when you start applying all the way to your graduation. From application assistance to finding the best degree programs and internship opportunities, you can access our student support services and prepare yourself for a fulfilling career.

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