Cornell University Registrar

Program Description

The Fashion Design and Management major is unique in the Ivy League, combining a broad academic foundation with a focus on fashion design and the business of fashion.

Academic course work is enhanced by field and international experiences and significant opportunities to complete independent and research projects with individual faculty members. Gallery space provides a setting to display design work. The Cornell Fashion and Textile Collection, housed in the department, provides a valuable resource for classroom and independent study use. Students are encouraged to enter design and case study competitions.

Options

Students may select fashion design or fashion design management.

Option I: Fashion Design

The Fashion Design option relates the human need for fashionable and functional clothing and accessories to design principles and to the physical properties of textiles. Students take a sequence of studio courses, focusing on the manipulation by hand, eye, and computer of form, color, and fabric, as well as courses in the social, economic, historical, and cultural aspects of design.

Option II: Fashion Design Management

The Fashion Design Management option explores industry and consumer issues related to the product development, production, and life cycle of apparel and textile products. Courses focus on the processes used to develop, manufacture, and distribute apparel and textile products and examine topics such as business processes and strategies, communication, marketing, sustainability, globalization, and entrepreneurship.

Academic Standards

• A maximum of 15 credits of AP credit and in absentia credit can count towards the 120 total credits. 
• A maximum of 15 credits of Study Abroad/Exchange, Cornell-In-Washington or Capital Semester can count towards total electives.​​

Student Work

All apparel design work done as part of the academic program will be held by the department until it has been released by the instructor. Certain exceptional work may be used by the department to exhibit for academic purposes. The department is not responsible for the loss or theft of student work.

Academic Advising

All Fashion Design and Management majors are matched with a faculty advisor by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Students are strongly urged to discuss their goals, course selection and sequence, electives, and career plans with their faculty advisor. Students are free to change advisors; changes must be recorded with the Director of Undergraduate Studies. It is the student's responsibility to keep track of their courses and to make sure that the program meets graduation requirements for their major.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of Fashion Design and Management have found meaningful employment within apparel, fashion, and textile industries, including, apparel, shoes, accessories, beauty, media, museum curation, retail, and theater.  In addition, the program prepares students for graduate or professional study in apparel design, apparel or textile marketing, supply chain management, or business.

Graduates design for influential fashion houses and under their own labels. Graduates also pursue specialized design such as protective and athletic performance apparel, clothing for special populations such as children, senior citizens, and people with physical disabilities. They may use their creativity in positions in public-relations, theater or film, publishing, and promotion. Graduates are attractive candidates for leadership positions in fashion and other industries.

Program Information

• Program Mode of Delivery: In Person
• Program Location: Ithaca, NY
• Minimum Credits for Degree: 120

Program Requirements

In addition to college requirements, students in the Fashion Design and Management major must complete specific requirements listed here.

Fashion Design (Option I)

Core Courses

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
FSAD 1140	Principles of Design Computing	3
FSAD 1170	Fashion Graphics	3
FSAD 1250	Fashion, Art and Design Thinking	3
FSAD 1350	Fibers, Fabrics, and Finishes	3
FSAD 1360	Fiber and Yarn Analysis Laboratory	1
FSAD 1450	Introduction to Fashion Design	3.5
FSAD 2310	Fashion Product Management	3
FSAD 2370	Structural Fabric Design	3
FSAD 2640	Fashion Draping	3
FSAD 2650	Creative Patternmaking for Fashion Design	3.5
FSAD 2660	Activewear Design and Product Development	3
FSAD 3320	Product Quality Assurance	3
FSAD 3770	Experimental Fashion	3
Total Hours		38

Advanced Studios¹

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Select three of the following:
FSAD 3250	Color and Surface Design of Textiles	3
FSAD 3370	Introduction to Knit Textile Structure and Design	3.5
FSAD 3650	New Technologies for Fashion Design	3
FSAD 3770	Experimental Fashion	3
FSAD 3990	Smart Clothing: Design and Programming	3
FSAD 4370	Knitwear Design and Other Knit Applications	3.5
FSAD 4700	Online Fashion Promotion and Presentation	3
FSAD 4770	Negotiated Fashion	3

¹

Coursework taken for this requirement cannot double count for FSAD Additional Courses

FSAD Upper level Courses

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Take any two FSAD courses, 4000-6000, one of which must be at the 6000 level. 2		6-8

²

Coursework from FSAD Advanced Studios cannot double count here. FSAD 4000 Directed Reading, FSAD 4010 Empirical Research, FSAD 4020 Supervised Fieldwork, FSAD 4030 Teaching Apprenticeship, FSAD 4990 Honors Thesis Research cannot count here. 

Psychology

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Select one of the following:
HD 1130	Introduction to Human Development	3
HD 2310	How the Brain Makes the Mind	3
PSYCH 1101	Introduction to Psychology	3
DEA 1500	Introduction to Environmental Psychology	3

Social Science  (3 Credits)

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
One course from Anthropology (ANTHR), Sociology (SOC), or Global Development (GDEV)		3

Introductory Economics

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
ECON 1110	Introductory Microeconomics	3

Humanities

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
One Art History (ARTH) course of at least 3 credits 4		3-4

³

May be taken while abroad.

Quantitative Analysis

Must be taken at Cornell, AP credits are not accepted.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Select one of the following:
PUBPOL 2100	Introduction to Statistics	4
AEM 2100	Introductory Statistics	4
ILRST 2100	Introductory Statistics and Data Science	4

Natural Science I

If AP is not used to satisfy this requirement the course must be taken at Cornell.

Note: No lab is required.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Biology
Select one of the following:
BIOG 1140	Foundations of Biology	4
BIOG 1440	Introductory Biology: Comparative Physiology	3
or BIOG 1445	Introduction to Comparative Anatomy and Physiology, Individualized Instruction
BIOMG 1350	Introductory Biology: Cell and Developmental Biology	3
BIOEE 1610	Introductory Biology: Ecology and the Environment	3-4
or AP Biology score of 5

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Chemistry
Select one of the following:
CHEM 1560	Introduction to General Chemistry	3
CHEM 2070 & CHEM 2071	General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory	4
CHEM 2080 & CHEM 2081	General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Laboratory	4
or AP Chemistry score of 5

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Physics
PHYS 2207	Fundamentals of Physics I	4
PHYS 2208	Fundamentals of Physics II	4
or AP Physics score of 5

Natural Science II (3-4 Credits)

Must be taken at Cornell, AP credits are not accepted for Natural Science II. Choose any course with a PBS-HE, BIO-AS, PHS-AS, BIO-AG, or BSC-AG Course Distribution.

Ethics/Sustainability

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Select one of the following:
DEA 4220	Ecological Literacy and Design	3
FSAD 3200	Global Textile and Apparel Sustainability	3
FSAD 4021 & FSAD 4022	Textile and Apparel Production in India and Textile and Apparel Production in India	5
FSAD 4025	Design for Change: Imagining Decolonial Futures	3
FSAD 4682	Fashion, Politics, and Law in the United States	3
FSAD 4800	Ethical Design: Engine of Positive Change	3

Additional Distribution Coursework (9 Credits)

Any course with the Course Distribution code PBS-HE, ALC-AS, ETM-AS, HST-AS, SCD-AS, SSC-AS, SDS-AS, SMR-AS, BIO-AG, BSC-AG, SBA-AG, SBA-HE, KCM-AG, or KCM-HE, MQR-HE, LA-AG, LAD-HE, CA-AG, CA-HE, or HA-AG, HA-HE. Language courses may count here.

Outside Fashion Design and Management Requirement (11 Credits)

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Students must complete a minimum of 11 total credits from the subject areas listed below: 4,5
Design and Environmental Analysis (DEA)
Human Development (HD)
Human Ecology non-departmental (HE) at the 1500 level or higher
Nutritional Sciences (NS)
Public Policy (PUBPOL)

⁴

FWS, PUBPOL 2100, PUBPOL 3120, DEA 3550, HD 2830, HE 3400,  and Special Studies (4000, 4010, 4020, 4030) do not count.

⁵

Courses in this section may also double count with the following requirements: Humanities, Psychology, Social Science, Natural Science II, Ethics, Additional Distribution Coursework, and Free Electives.

Free Electives (Variable)

Any courses that are not taken in the above categories count as Electives.

Fashion Design Management (Option II)

Core Courses

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
FSAD 1140	Principles of Design Computing	3
FSAD 1250	Fashion, Art and Design Thinking	3
FSAD 1350	Fibers, Fabrics, and Finishes	3
FSAD 1360	Fiber and Yarn Analysis Laboratory	1
FSAD 1450	Introduction to Fashion Design	3.5
FSAD 2310	Fashion Product Management	3
FSAD 2370	Structural Fabric Design	3
FSAD 2660	Activewear Design and Product Development	3
FSAD 3200	Global Textile and Apparel Sustainability	3
FSAD 3320	Product Quality Assurance	3
FSAD 3330	Fashion Retail Buying and Merchandising	3
FSAD 4440	Global Fashion Management	3
FSAD 4660	Textiles, Apparel, and Innovation	3
Total Hours		37.5

Additional Courses (9-12 Credits)

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Choose any three additional FSAD courses, one of which must be at the 4000-6000 levels. 6		9-12

⁶

FSAD Special Studies including: FSAD 4000 Directed Reading, FSAD 4010 Empirical Research, FSAD 4020 Supervised Fieldwork, FSAD 4030 Teaching Apprenticeship, FSAD 4990 Honors Thesis Research cannot count here.

Introduction to Management

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Select one of the following:
AEM 1200	Introduction to Business Management	3
HADM 1810	Introduction to Management	3
ILRID 1700	Introduction to Organizations and Management	3

Marketing

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Select one of the following:
AEM 2400	Marketing	3
HADM 2410	Marketing Principles	3

Communications

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
One COMM course 7		3+

⁷

COMM 4970 Individual Study in Communication, COMM 4980 Communication Teaching Experience, and COMM 4990 Independent Research cannot count here.

Business Strategy

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Select one of the following:
AEM 3110	Design and Innovation	3
AEM 3121	Branding and Brand Management	3
AEM 3249	Entrepreneurial Marketing and Strategy	3
AEM 4080	Innovation And New Product Management	3
ILROB 4260	Managing for Creativity	3

Accounting

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Select one of the following:
AEM 2210	Financial Accounting	3
HADM 2230	Financial Accounting Principles	3
NBA 5530	Accounting and Financial Decision Making	3
NCC 5500	Financial Accounting	3

Psychology

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Select one of the following:
HD 1130	Introduction to Human Development	3
PSYCH 1101	Introduction to Psychology	3

Social Science

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
One course from Anthropology (ANTHR), Sociology (SOC), or Global Development (GDEV)		3

Introductory Economics

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
ECON 1110	Introductory Microeconomics	3

Humanities (3-4 Credits)

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
One Art History (ARTH) course of at least 3 credits		3-4

Quantitative Analysis

AP credits are not accepted.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Select one of the following:
PUBPOL 2100	Introduction to Statistics	4
AEM 2100	Introductory Statistics	4
ILRST 2100	Introductory Statistics and Data Science	4

Data Analysis

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Select one of the following:
AEM 2820	Introduction to Database Management Systems	3
AEM 2831	Excel VBA Programming for Non-Dyson	3
AEM 2841	Python Programming for Data Analysis and Business Modeling - Non-Dyson Majors	3
AEM 2850	R Programming for Business Analytics and Data Visualization	3
AEM 4410	Marketing Research	3
HD 2930	Introduction to Data Science for Social Scientists	3
INFO 2950	Introduction to Data Science	4
INFO 2951	Introduction to Data Science with R	4
PUBPOL 2070	Big Data for Big Policy Problems	4
SOC 3740	Analyzing Complex Data Structures: Network, Spatial, Multilevel, and Text Data	3
STSCI 1380	Data Science for All	4

Natural Science I

If AP is not used to satisfy this requirement the course must be taken at Cornell.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Biology
Select one of the following:
BIOG 1140	Foundations of Biology	4
BIOEE 1610	Introductory Biology: Ecology and the Environment	3-4
BIOMG 1350	Introductory Biology: Cell and Developmental Biology	3
BIOG 1440	Introductory Biology: Comparative Physiology	3
or BIOG 1445	Introduction to Comparative Anatomy and Physiology, Individualized Instruction
or AP Biology score of 5

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Chemistry
Select one of the following:
CHEM 1560	Introduction to General Chemistry	3
CHEM 2070 & CHEM 2071	General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory	4
CHEM 2080 & CHEM 2081	General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Laboratory	4
or AP Chemistry score of 5

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Physics
PHYS 2207	Fundamentals of Physics I	4
PHYS 2208	Fundamentals of Physics II	4
or AP Physics score of 5

Natural Science II (3-4 Credits)

Must be taken at Cornell, AP credits are not accepted for Natural Science II. Choose any course with a PBS-HE, BIO-AS, PHS-AS, BIO-AG, or BSC-AG Course Distribution.

Ethics

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Select one of the following:
DEA 4220	Ecological Literacy and Design	3
FSAD 4021 & FSAD 4022	Textile and Apparel Production in India and Textile and Apparel Production in India	5
FSAD 4025	Design for Change: Imagining Decolonial Futures	3
FSAD 4682	Fashion, Politics, and Law in the United States	3
FSAD 4800	Ethical Design: Engine of Positive Change	3

Outside Fashion Design and Management Requirement (11 Credits)

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Students must complete a minimum of 11 total credits from the subject areas listed below: 7,8
Design and Environmental Analysis (DEA)
Human Development (HD)
Human Ecology non-departmental (HE) at the 1500 level or higher
Nutritional Sciences (NS)
Public Policy (PUBPOL)

⁷

FWS, PUBPOL 2100, PUBPOL 3120, DEA 3550, HD 2830, HE 3400, and Special Studies (4000, 4010, 4020, 4030) do not count.

⁸

Courses in this section may also double count with the following requirements: Humanities, Psychology, Social Science, Natural Science II, Ethics, Additional Distribution Coursework, and Free Electives

Free Electives (Variable)

Any courses that are not taken in the above categories count as Electives.

University Graduation Requirements

Requirements for All Students

In order to receive a Cornell degree, a student must satisfy academic and non-academic requirements.

Academic Requirements

A student’s college determines degree requirements such as residency, number of credits, distribution of credits, and grade averages. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of the specific major, degree, distribution, college, and graduation requirements for completing their chosen program of study. See the individual requirements listed by each college or school or contact the college registrar’s office for more information.

Non-academic Requirements

Conduct Matters. Students must satisfy any outstanding sanctions, penalties or remedies imposed or agreed to under the Student Code of Conduct (Code) or Policy 6.4. Where a formal complaint under the Code or Policy 6.4 is pending, the University will withhold awarding a degree otherwise earned until the adjudication process set forth in those procedures is complete, including the satisfaction of any sanctions, penalties or remedies imposed.

Financial Obligations. Outstanding financial obligations will not impact the awarding of a degree otherwise earned or a student’s ability to access their official transcript. However, the University may withhold issuing a diploma until any outstanding financial obligations owing to the University are satisfied.

Additional Requirements for Undergraduate Students

The University has two requirements for graduation that must be fulfilled by all undergraduate students: the swim requirement, and completion of two physical education courses. For additional information about fulfilling University Graduation Requirements, see the Physical Education website.

Physical Education

All undergraduate students are required to take two credits (two courses) of Physical Education prior to graduation. It is recommended they complete the two courses during their first year at Cornell. Credit in Physical Education may be earned by participating in courses offered by the Department of Athletics and Physical Education and Cornell Outdoor Education, by being a registered participant on a varsity athletic team, or performing in the marching band.

Students with medical concerns should contact the Office of Student Disability Services. 

College of Human Ecology Graduation Requirements

Students are responsible for monitoring their progress toward graduation by regularly reviewing degree requirements and their official transcript. Official transcripts may be requested through the Office of the University Registrar.

Students are expected to plan their course selections carefully to ensure all major, college, and university graduation requirements are completed within eight semesters. Once all requirements have been satisfied, the College will confer the degree; students should therefore monitor their progress closely.

Minor programs, honors programs, research, and other enrichment opportunities are not considered degree requirements. Students who complete all university, college, and major degree requirements will have their degree conferred in the term in which those requirements are satisfied and may not extend enrollment solely to complete non‑degree requirements or activities.

Transfer students may be allotted fewer semesters depending on the number of transferable credits awarded at admission. Students who require additional time to complete degree requirements must meet with a Human Ecology College Advisor (1210 MVR Hall) and be approved through the formal petition process.

Credit Requirements

Cornell Credit Requirements

• To graduate, a student must earn a minimum of 120 academic credits. Physical education credits and 10XX courses do not count toward the 120 required credits.
• Of the 120 credits required to graduate, at least 60 credits must be earned at Cornell University (applicable to transfer students).
• Students who matriculate as first-years may apply a maximum of 15 non-Cornell credits earned prior to matriculation (including AP, IB, and approved college-level coursework) toward the 120 credits required for graduation.
• Transfer students may apply up to 60 non-Cornell credits earned prior to matriculation, as awarded at the time of admission. After matriculation, all students (both first-year and transfer) may apply a maximum of 15 extramural credits (coursework taken outside of Cornell) toward the 120 credits required for graduation.
• No college credit earned before matriculation and used to meet Cornell's minimum admission requirements may be counted in the 120 credits required for graduation. This policy does not apply to transfer students.
• Courses taught by a college in the high school setting or counted toward high school graduation are not allowed to count for either credits or fulfillment of requirements.
• Strict limitations exist on the number of credits that can be applied toward the 120-credit minimum for special studies courses (including but not limited to 4000, 4010, 4020), for 4030 courses, and for courses taken with an optional S–U grade. Details follow.

Human Ecology Core Requirement^1,2

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Core Courses
HE 1800	Blazing Your Trail in Human Ecology (Required in the first fall semester of matriculation to Human Ecology) 1
HE 1850	Introduction to Human Ecology (Required in the first spring semester of matriculation to Human Ecology)
HE 2000	Social Justice, Thriving, and the Human Experience 2

¹

Internal and external transfer students are exempt from HE 1800.

²

Internal and external transfer students must complete HE 2000 in their first fall semester in Human Ecology.

Human Ecology Distribution Requirement

Students must complete the college distribution requirements listed below. Each course applied to a distribution category must be a minimum of 3 credits, and the total credits in each category must meet the specified requirement (3 or 6 credits).  A list of courses that fulfill each Distribution Requirement code can be found on the College of Human Ecology Distribution Requirement Course List page of this catalog.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Natural Sciences 3		6
Courses that carry any of the following distribution codes will count toward the Natural Sciences requirement:
BIO-AG, BIO-AS, BSC-AG, PBS-HE, PHS-AS, PSC-AG
Social Sciences		6
Courses that carry any of the following distribution codes will count toward the Social Sciences requirement:
ETH-AG, ETM-AS, KCM-AG, KCM-HE, SBA-AG, SBA-HE, SSC-AAP, SSC-AS, SSC-HA
Humanities		3
Courses that carry any of the following distribution codes will count toward the Humanities requirement:
ALC-AAP, ALC-AS, ALC-HA, CA-AG, CA-HE, HA-AG, HA-HE, HST-AS, LA-AG
Quantitative Analysis		3
Courses that carry any of the following distribution codes will count toward the Quantitative Analysis requirement:
DLG-AG, DLS-AG, MQL-AG, MQR-AAP, MQR-HE
First-Year Writing Seminar (FWS) - Must be completed during the first two semesters at Cornell 4		6
Select one of the following options:
Two Knight Program First-Year Writing Seminar (FWS) courses
One Knight Program First-Year Writing Seminar course and a score of 5* on AP English Language or AP English Literature
One Knight Program First-Year Writing Seminar course and a score of 7* on IB English Literature or IB English Language

³

Courses with exam credit may not count.

⁴

Juniors, seniors, and transfer students may use ENGL 2880 Expository Writing to satisfy one First-Year Writing Seminar (FWS) requirement. For additional information on FWS courses and guidelines, please visit the John S. Knight Institute for Writing in the Disciplines.

45 Human Ecology Credit Requirement^4,5,6

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Students must complete a minimum of 45 credits from the following Human Ecology subject areas:		45
Design and Environmental Analysis (DEA)
Fiber Science & Apparel Design (FSAD)
Human Development (HD)
Human Ecology non-departmental (HE) at the 1500 level or higher
Nutritional Sciences (NS)
Public Policy (PUBPOL)

⁴

Courses that fulfill College Distribution or Major Requirements may not be taken S–U unless S–U is the only grading option available.

⁵

Courses taken S–U that count toward Electives may also be applied to the 45-credit requirement.

⁶

Students should refer to the S–U grading section for complete policy details.

Minimum Semester Requirements

Students enrolling in the college as first‑years must enroll in a minimum of one 3‑credit course each semester in HE for their first four semesters, excluding winter and summer sessions (i.e., fall and spring semesters only). Students must carry 12 credits each semester, excluding physical education.

Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirement for Graduation

Students must earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 (C) or better to graduate.

Degree Requirements by Catalog Year

 All degree requirements are based on the term in which the student matriculated to Human Ecology with no exceptions. If a student changes majors within Human Ecology, they should speak with the Human Ecology College Advisor or Registrar to discuss options. 

Special Studies

• A maximum of 12 credits of special study course work from Human Ecology or other colleges will count towards the 120 overall credits. Courses will be indicated on the class roster with a Component of either IND or RSC. Additional special study credits may be taken but will not be applied toward the student’s major, college, or university degree requirements.
• A maximum of 12 credits of 4000-4030 may count toward the 45 HE credit requirement.

10XX Courses

10XX‑numbered courses do not count toward graduation requirements but do count toward full‑time enrollment status.

S-U Grade Options

The S‑U grading option may not be used for College Distribution courses or required major courses unless it is the only grading option available for the course. S‑U grading may be applied to courses taken to fulfill the Outside‑of‑Major requirement and to elective courses.

Students may apply no more than 12 credits of S‑U graded coursework toward the 120 credits required for graduation. Required courses that are offered only on an S‑U basis do not count toward this limit. In addition, Honors Research (4990) taken S‑U is excluded from the 12‑credit maximum. Students may enroll in additional S‑U courses beyond this limit; however, those credits will not be applied toward graduation requirements.

Advanced Placement and Advanced Standing Credit