Two-Year Fashion Design Degrees Gaining Popularity
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by Joe Cooper
Fashion School Review Columnist

July 3, 2007

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With student fashion shows proliferating across the country, the number of students enrolling in fashion degree programs is rising. One of the most popular degrees is the two-year fashion degree, allowing graduates to enter the industry more quickly, or pursue a four-year degree with better preparation.

Fashion Degrees Gaining Steam
Fashion degree programs have been around since the 1940s, when students first started earning education toward becoming designers at a fashion design school in Washington. Today, fashion degree programs are popping up everywhere, at community colleges and four-year schools alike.

Many students opt for the two-year program for its flexibility, affordability, and shorter degree track. Students in a Pennsylvania two-year fashion degree program enjoy sketching and apparel classes as well as field trips to New York's garment district to find materials for their original designs. These students get to participate in student-produced shows, just like four-year degree students. The best preparation for a career in fashion is still a four-year degree, but a two-year degree is becoming a more and more viable option for future designers.

Fashion Degree Associate-Level Courses
Two-year fashion degree programs generally focus on developing basic skills in fashion, and also building students' backgrounds in industry terms and trends. Here are some example classes for a two-year curriculum:
  • Sketching and illustration
  • Fashion styling
  • Sewing and apparel construction
  • Garment sourcing
  • Fashion merchandising

To go more in-depth in these concepts, as well as learning the business side of fashion, including fashion marketing and retail management, four-year degrees provide good options. But for the basics, either to prepare for a bachelor's degree or qualify for some entry-level fashion design jobs, a two-year fashion degree can be a great idea.

About the Author
Joe Cooper is a freelance education and technology writer and edits medical literature. He holds a bachelor's in American Literature from UCLA.

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