Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The best way to decide if K-State's fashion studies program is right for you is to visit campus in person and tour our program. We recommend that you schedule a visit to K-State sometime during your junior year, or early in your senior year, of high school. Visits are organized through the university Admissions Office. Find more information on how to set up your visit by visiting the Admissions Office website. When you make your appointment, let the admissions representative know that you wish to visit the fashion studies program. They will coordinate a meeting with our Student Services Coordinator, a faculty member and one of our fashion studies student ambassadors. We will show you our facilities, examples of student design projects and answer your questions as a prospective student. If you visit while classes are in session, we encourage you to make make prior arrangements to sit in on a class to see how we teach. More importantly, you can speak candidly with your student guide and learn what it is like to be a student in our program.

All students receive a Bachelor of Science in Fashion Studies and specialize in the area of fashion business or fashion design. There are core courses in fashion studies that all students are required to take in addition to courses specific to each specialization. Our curriculum is based on a four year plan; however some students choose to complete both specializations in fashion studies, which requires additional coursework. Ambitious students in the fashion business specialization are able to complete the degree requirements in 3 years following this plan.

There are a variety of career paths available to our graduates depending on what specialization they choose. Career opportunities for design and production graduates include assistant/associate designer or technical designer positions, CAD (Computer Aided Design) artists, patternmakers, quality assurance technicians, and product developers. Career opportunities for marketing graduates include general marketing/advertising/public relations positions in the apparel and textiles industry, retail managers, small business owners, trend forecasters, merchandisers, buyers, stylists, fashion coordinators, and fashion journalists.

The starting salaries for new graduates is a variable number dependent upon the career path chosen, location and the amount of previous experience the graduate brings to the position. The Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks salaries for 800 occupations in 400 industries. Please visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics for information on salaries in the industry.

Students can gain employment in a variety of areas throughout the United States and internationally. While the primary hubs for the fashion studies industry in the United States remain in larger coastal cities such as New York and Los Angeles, there are many positions in the industry located throughout the country. Corporate retailers have established their headquarters and regional offices in mid-sized markets throughout the United States including Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Kansas City, Columbus, Miami, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Portland, San Francisco, and Seattle. Graduates interested in retail management or small business operations can find a position in the city of their choice.

The fashion studies program is designed to inspire students to envision fresh new approaches to the global challenges facing every aspect of the fashion industry. The program offers students an academic experience that includes faculty with diverse backgrounds, strong industry ties, required internships, faculty-led study tours within the United States and abroad, and events that connect students to professionals and alumni. In 2019, Fashion-schools.org reviewed over 200 similar programs of study and ranked K-State's apparel marketing specialization 17th (top 10% of schools considered) in the nation, 13th Nationally among public schools and colleges and 4th in the Midwest. K-State's fashion design specialization ranked 23rd (top 10% of schools considered) in the nation, 13th nationally among public schools and colleges and 5th in the Midwest.

While this figure will change from year to year, in addition to textbooks and other typical course related costs, many apparel and textile courses have additional costs associated with the purchase of required computer software programs and supplies for class projects such as presentation boards, printing costs, fabrics for design projects, illustration and production supplies, etc. Some of these costs will vary depending on your choices, project assignments and changes in the curriculum from year to year. This chart (pdf) provides approximate costs for the fashion design specialization, while this chart (pdf) provides an approximate costs for the fashion business specialization.

The university's Office of Admissions provides information about costs on its website.

When you apply to Kansas State University, you need to indicate that you are interested in applying for admissions to the fashion studies program in the College of Health and Human Sciences. Students interested in the fashion business (FB) specialization are automatically admitted to the program upon acceptance to K-State. Students interested in specializing in fashion design (FD) must apply for the FD specialization, and are chosen through a selective advancement process upon successful completion of selected courses and demonstration of skills. Students typically apply for admission to the fashion design specialization during the spring semester of their first year at K-State. More information regarding the FD selective advancement process can be found on the fashion studies undergraduate program website.

Fashion Studies faculty evaluate all but general education coursework. All AP courses and other college‐level coursework are evaluated by the University as part of the admissions process. They will determine how your work will be applied to fulfill general education or non‐restricted elective requirements. You should contact the Admissions Office if you have further questions about the process. General information about transferring AP courses can be found on the Admissions Office website.

See general information regarding transferring college course credit from other academic institutions.

We encourage you to take advantage of applying for scholarships as part of your K‐State application process. If you have a high GPA and ACT scores, you should apply as early as possible (the University recommends by December 1) and inquire about the availability of premier scholarships.

See information about K-State's scholarships and financial aid options.

Students from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio and Wisconsin who meet the program requirements receive discounted tuition from the Midwest Student Exchange Program.

The Department of Interior Design and Fashion Studies faculty and student services coordinator will work directly with students to determine how the courses taken at other institutions or at other programs at K-State will apply to the degree program. There is no automatic equivalency for Fashion Studies courses.