When it comes to charting your career path in fashion, Fashionista is here to help. Find more fashion school resources here and our full Fashion School Directory here.
Thinking about pursuing a career in fashion design? There are plenty of colleges and universities across the country (and the world!) with design-related curriculums, so we’ve rounded them up into one place for aspiring fashion designers to easily peruse.
Ahead, scroll through our list of schools in the U.S. and around the globe that currently offer degree programs in fashion design.
United States
Academy of Art University
Location: San Francisco, CA
Degrees offered: BFA, MFA and a certification in Fashion Design; BFA and MFA in Textile Design; BFA, MA and MFA in Costume Design
Examples of courses: Drawing for Fashion, Fashion Sewing Techniques, Color Science & Fabric Technology, Construction/Draping/Flat Pattern, Fashion Design Communication
Other details to note: remote learning programs available
Appalachian State University
Location: Boone, NC
Degrees offered: BS in Apparel Design and Merchandising
Examples of courses: Apparel and Consumer Behavior, Illustration, Apparel Design Studio, Survey of Fashion Merchandising, Consumer Textiles, Fashion Buying and Retail Math
Other details to note: also available as a minor, minor in marketing required
Baylor University
Location: Waco, TX
Degrees offered: BS in Apparel Design & Product Development
Examples of courses: Fashion Illustration, Apparel Design, Costume History and Design, Textiles, Introduction to Fashion Industry
California College of the Arts
Location: San Francisco, CA
Degrees offered: BFA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Media History: Fashion Design, Drawing 1, Fashion Illustration 1-4, Fashion Design 1-5, Sustainability Seminar
California State University Long Beach
Location: Long Beach, CA
Degrees offered: BA in Fashion Merchandising & Design with an option in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Introduction to the Fashion Industry, Fundamentals of Apparel Production, Fashion Industry Ethics and Social Responsibility, Apparel Tailoring
Other details to note: fashion design is offered as minor
California State University Los Angeles
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Degrees offered: BA and MA in Fashion, Fiber and Materials
Examples of courses: Introduction to Fashion, Fiber and Materials; Technology I in Fashion, Fiber and Materials; Social Engagement with Fashion, Fiber and Materials; Body, Appearance and Adornment
Other details to note: undergraduate certificate in Fashion, Fiber and Materials available
Centenary University
Location: Hackettstown, NJ
Degrees offered: BFA in Fashion
Examples of courses: Apparel Construction, Textile Science, Social Responsibility in Global Fashion, Design Studio, History of Costume
Other details to note: remote learning available
Central Michigan University
Location: Mount Pleasant, MI
Degrees offered: BA, BAA or BS in Fashion Merchandising and Design
Examples of courses: Introduction to Clothing Construction and Design, Digital Technologies and Craftsmanship for Apparel Design, Draping Fundamentals, Digital Pattern Development and Virtual Fit, Fashion Design Methods
Other details to note: remote learning available; fashion design concentration within major
Columbus College of Art & Design
Location: Columbus, OH
Degrees offered: BFA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Intro to Fashion Design, Writing & the Arts, History of Fashion, Systems of Drawing, Fashion Construction Techniques
Other details to note: Fashion Design available as minor
Cornell University
Location: Ithaca, NY
Degrees offered: BS in Fashion Design & Management; MA, Ph.D. in Apparel Design
Examples of courses: Fashion Draping, Structural Fabric Design, Fashion Product Management, Experimental Fashion, Creative Patternmaking for Fashion Design, Experimental Design
Other details to note: Fashion Studies available as minor
Drexel University
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Degrees offered: BS, MS in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Sustainable Practice in Fashion, Figure Drawing for Fashion, Textile Science for Fashion Design, Computer Aided Design for Patternmaking, Materials Exploration, Fashion Design in 3D Space
Other details to note: Fashion Design Technology certificate program available
Fashion Institute of Technology
Location: New York, NY
Degrees offered: AAS, BFA and MFA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Apparel Design: Structured Silhouettes; Haute Couture Sewing Techniques; Corsetry in Fashion; Computerized Pattern Design; Designing For Innovation
Other details to note: available as minor; BFA students can choose a concentration in children’s wear, intimate apparel, knitwear, special occasion or sportswear
Howard University
Location: Washington, D.C.
Degrees offered: BFA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Textiles, Fashion Studio, Fashion Illustration, African American Dress, Digital Photography
Iowa State University
Location: Ames, IA
Degrees offered: BS in Creative and Technical Design under Fashion Design and Merchandising
Examples of courses: Apparel Assembly Process, Patternmaking, Senior Design Studio, Technical Design Process, Fashion Illustration
Other details to note: A minor in Fashion Design and Merchandising is available.
Kent State University
Location: Kent, OH
Degrees offered: BA and BFA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Basics of Apparel Construction, Fashion Fabrics, Fashion Visuals, Fashion Drawing, Sustainable Fashion Thinking
Related: These Summer Fashion Education Programs Are Accepting Applications Now
Marist College
Location: Poughkeepsie, NY
Degrees offered: BFA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Fashion Trend Forecasting and Analysis, Digital Fashion Design, History of Modern Fashion, Apparel Development, Design Studio Techniques, Fashion Figure Drawing
Marymount University
Location: Arlington, VA
Degrees offered: BA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Apparel Design, History of Modern Design or Survey of Fashion, Fashion Illustration, User Centered Design, Digital Photography
Other details to note: minor in Fashion Design available
Massachusetts College of Art
Location: Boston, MA
Degrees offered: BFA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Digital Tools for Fashion Design, Creative Fashion Design, Fashion Illustration, Couture Design, Pattern Drafting
Other details to note: certificate in Fashion Design available
Michigan State University
Location: East Lansing, MI
Degrees offered: BFA in Apparel and Textile Design and a BA in Apparel and Textiles
Examples of courses: Textile Design, Three-Dimensional Form, Textile Materials, Knitwear Design, Specialized Design, Apparel Pattern Design
North Carolina State University – Wilson College of Textiles
Location: Raleigh, NC
Degrees offered: BS in Fashion and Textile Design
Examples of courses: Drawing, Fashion Design, Formation and Structure of Textile Fabrics, Fashion Illustration, Computer Aided Fashion Design
Otis College of Art and Design
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Degrees offered: BFA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Form and Figure, Contemporary Studio and Creative Action, Color and Design, Textile Science, History of Costume, Digital Design
Parsons School of Design
Location: New York, NY
Degrees offered: BFA and AAS in Fashion Design and MA in Fashion Design & Society
Examples of courses: Sustainable Systems, Design Studio, History of Fashion, Visual Communication Studio
Other details to note: The BFA in Fashion Design is also offered at Parsons Paris.
Pratt Institute
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Degrees offered: BFA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Fashion Illustration, Drape & Construct, Contextualizing Fashion, Design & Materiality
Other details to note: available as a minor
Rhode Island School of Design
Location: Providence, RI
Degrees offered: BFA in Apparel Design
Examples of courses: Intro to Apparel Studio, Histories of Dress, Tailoring Studio, Machine Knitwear
Savannah College of Art and Design
Location: Savannah, GA
Degrees offered: BFA, MA and MFA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: The Business of Fashion, Fashion Technology, History of Fashion, Advanced Fashion Sketching, Computer-Aided Fashion Design, Pattern Development
Other details to note: available as minor
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Location: Chicago, IL
Degrees offered: BFA and MA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Shape and Theory in Garments, Beginning Fashion Illustration, Footwear Design, Accessory Design, Fashion Construction
Stephens College
Location: Columbia, MO
Degrees offered: BFA in Fashion Design & Product Development
Examples of courses: Making & Materials, Mixed Media Expression & Fashion Ideation, Human Centered Design, Textiles, Building a Fashion Brand
Other details to note: remote learning available
Stevenson University
Location: Owings Mills, MD
Degrees offered: BS and MS in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Construction Fundamentals, Tailoring, Concept Development in Fashion Design, Product Development and Manufacturing, Computer-Aided Pattern Design
Syracuse University
Location: Syracuse, NY
Degrees offered: BFA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Tailoring, Accessory Design, History of Fashion Design, Digital Tools for Designers
Other details to note: available as a minor
Thomas Jefferson University
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Degrees offered: BS in Fashion Design and MS in Fashion Design Technology
Examples of courses: Fashion Design Research, Fashion Figure Drawing, Digital Fashion Design, History of Costumes and Textiles, Sustainable Concepts for Fashion Design
University of Cincinnati
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Degrees offered: BS and MA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Fashion Drawing, Flat Pattern and Draping, Apparel Analysis, Trend Forecasting, Global Fashion Issues, Intro to CAD for Fashion
Other details to note: five-year program; available as a Fashion Studies minor or a certificate
University of Delaware
Location: Newark, DE
Degrees offered: BS in Fashion Design and Product Innovation
Examples of courses: Foundations for Fashion Innovation, Fashion Drawing and Rendering, Apparel Design by Flat Pattern, Fashion Forecasting and Design, Intro to Fashion Business
University of North Texas
Location: Denton, TX
Degrees offered: BFA and MFA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Patternmaking, Fashion Drawing, Draping, Introduction to Industrial Sewing Techniques
University of Wisconsin, Stout
Location: Menomonie, WI
Degrees offered: BS in Fashion Design & Development
Examples of courses: Global Fashion Industry, Apparel Construction, Pattern Development, Digital Construction for Apparel and Footwear, Brand Development
Virginia Commonwealth University
Location: Richmond, VA
Degrees offered: BA and BFA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Textiles for the Fashion Industry, Fashion Drawing, Fashion Communication, Construction Techniques, Cultural Issues in Studio Practice
Washington University
Location: St. Louis, MO
Degrees offered: BA and BFA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: The Business of Fashion, Fashion History & Research, Fashion Promotion & Exhibition, Patternmaking & Production, Digital Fashion & Textile Design
Related: Fashion School Directory
International
Accademia Costume & Moda
Location: Rome, Italy
Degrees offered: BA in Costume & Fashion; MA in Alta Moda, Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Culture & Method, Development, Identity
Other details to note: three-year BA program, one-year MA program
Antwerp Royal Academy of Fine Arts
Location: Antwerp, Belgium
Degrees offered: BA and MA in Visual Arts: Fashion
Examples of courses: Fashion Design, Fashion Drawing, Fashion Graphics, Theories of Art, Fashion: Historical Research
Other details to note: not for exchange students, three-year BA program
Bunka Fashion College
Location: Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Degrees offered: Advanced Diploma in Creative Design
Examples of courses: Creative Apparel Design, Apparel Design Technique, Industrial Merchandising, Knitwear Design, Menswear
Other details to note: 70 locations throughout Japan; must speak Japanese
Central Saint Martins
Location: London, England
Degrees offered: BA in Fashion Design Menswear, Fashion Design Womenswear, Fashion Design Print, Fashion Design Knit; MA in Fashion; Graduate Diploma in Fashion
Examples of courses: Skills, Research and Creative Development; Fashion Critical Studies; Developing Creative Perspectives; Voice and Vision
Other details to note: three years full-time or four years full-time with Diploma in Professional Studies
Copenhagen Academy of Fashion Design
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Degrees offered: diploma in Clothing Designer
Examples of courses: Patternmaking, Technical Flats, Draping, Sewing, Textiles
Other details to note: two-year program; in Danish and English
ESMOD
Location: Paris, Rennes, Lyon, Roubaix and Bordeaux, France
Degrees offered: CNAM Bachelor in Fashion Designer; VAE in Creative Director or Fashion Designer
Examples of courses: Design, Patternmaking, Market and Consumer Analysis, Fashion English, Fashion Culture, Textiles
Other details to note: courses in French and English
FBI Fashion College
Location: Glebe, NSW, Australia
Degrees offered: diploma or certificate in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Advanced Fashion Illustration and Trade Sketch, Advanced Garment Construction, Alterations, Wholesaling, How to Set Up Your Own Fashion Business
Other details to note: remote learning available; diploma in 18 months, certificate 12 months; joint programs with fashion business
George Brown College
Location: Toronto, ON, Canada
Degrees offered: diploma (Fashion Techniques and Design)
Examples of courses: Fabric Analysis, Technical Illustration, World of Fashion, Fabric Science: Textiles, Fundamental Pattern Drafting, Design and Color for Fashion
Other details to note: sewing experience and access to a sewing machine outside of the campus facilities are expected; Fashion Techniques and Design is a two-year program
Hogeschool Van Amsterdam, Amsterdam Fashion Institute
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Degrees offered: BA in Fashion & Textile Technologies
Examples of courses: Design, Concepts and Trends, Construction and Materials
Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)
Location: Hong Kong, China
Degrees offered: BA in Fashion, MA in Fashion & Textile Design
Examples of courses: 3D Design and Virtual Fitting, Sustainable Fashion Design, AI in Fashion Design, Advanced Apparel Techniques
Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) Barcelona
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Degrees offered: BA, MA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Dressmaking, Women’s and Men’s Patternmaking, Styling, History of Fashion, Printing Process, Fashion Drawing
Other details to note: courses available in English
IED Milan
Location: Milan, Florence, Rome, Cagliari and Turin, Italy
Degrees offered: BA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Technical and Project Design, History of Fashion, Textile Culture, Figurative Anatomy, Pattern Making and Tailoring
Other details to note: three-year program, courses available in Italian and English
Institut Français de la Mode
Location: Paris, France
Degrees offered: BA, MA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Patternmaking, 3D Image Techniques, Fashion Illustration, Draping Techniques
Other details to note: BA is a three-year program available in French and English; MA (a two-year program) has design pathways in Accessory Design, Fashion Design and Knitwear Design.
Istituto Marangoni
Location: Milan, Italy; Paris, France; London, England
Degrees offered: BA in Fashion Design or Fashion Design & Accessories; MA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Pattern Cutting Fundamentals, Fashion Illustration, Personal Style Development, Research and Design Development, Fabric and Materials
Other details to note: BA is a three-year program.
JD Institute of Fashion Technology
Location: Bangalore, Kochi, Goa, Hyderabad and Vijayawada, India
Degrees offered: BA, MA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Fashion Styling, Textile Appreciation, Fabric Manipulation & Ornamentation, Fashion Thinking & Design Process, Art & Costume Appreciation
Other details to note: two-year program (BA), three-year program (MA)
Kingston University
Location: London, England
Degrees offered: BA in Fashion
Examples of courses: Design Process; Design Product; Design, Style and Image: Themes in Fashion History; Critical Issues in Fashion: Research and Practice
Other details to note: three- to four-year program
KOEFIA (International Academy of Haute Couture and Art of Costume)
Location: Rome, Italy
Degrees offered: BA in Fashion Design: Couture
Examples of courses: Couture Pattern Making, Tailoring, Styling
Other details to note: three-year program
La Cambre
Location: Brussels, Belgium
Degrees offered: BA, MA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Styling and Fashion Creation Workshop, History of Costume, Cutting and Sewing, Professional Practice
Lasalle College International
Location: Montreal, Québec, Canada
Degrees offered: DCS, ACS in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Composition of Simple Garments, Style Research by Draping, Fashion Concepts, Garment Construction and Computer, Trend Analysis and Presentation
Other details to note: DCS is a three-year program
LISAA School of Art & Design
Location: Paris, France
Degrees offered: BA in Fashion Design; MA in Fashion Design & Brand Creation or Fashion Design & Innovation
Examples of courses: Patternmaking, 3D Design, Knitwear Design, Sustainable Textile Design
Other details to note: courses available in French and English
London College of Fashion
Location: London, England
Degrees offered: BA in Fashion Design and Development, Bespoke Tailoring, Fashion Contour, Fashion Design Technology (Menswear or Womenswear), Fashion Pattern Cutting, Fashion Sportswear, Fashion Textiles (Embroidery, Knit or Print); MA in Fashion Design Management, Fashion Design Technology
Examples of courses: Product Development, Fashion Culture and Histories, Critical Issues in Fashion Research, Creative Technologies
Massey University
Location: Palmerston North, New Zealand
Degrees offered: BA in Fashion Design, Integrated Design or Textile Design
Examples of courses: Fashioning the Body, Designing with Stretch Knit Fabrics, Design Development for Woven Fabrics, Tailoring Methods
National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT)
Location: New Delhi, India
Degrees offered: B.Des in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Fashion Design Representation, Apparel Development, Sustainable Fashion, Design Concepts
Paris College of Art
Location: Paris, France
Degrees offered: BFA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Materials and Dimensions, Introduction to Digital Media, Fashion Drawing, 3D Pattern Development, Pattern Drafting, Textile Identification
Pearl Academy
Location: New Delhi, India
Degrees offered: BDes in Fashion Design or Textile Design, MDes in Fashion Design, 11-month short-term certificate in Fashion Design for Womenswear
Examples of courses: Drawing for Design, Fashion Design Process, Design of Materials, Visual Representation and Imaging, History of Design
Polimoda
Location: Florence, Italy
Degrees offered: BA in Fashion Design, Atelier Design; MA in Fashion Design, Collection Design, Textile Design
Examples of courses: Fashion Culture, Fashion Design, Atelier, Visual Thinking, Fashion Industry and Product
Raffles Design Institute, India
Location: Mumbai, India
Degrees offered: BA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Color Theory & Design Principles for Fashion, Fashion Draping, Couture Techniques, 20th Century Styles & Trends
Raffles Design Institute, China
Location: Shanghai, China
Degrees offered: BA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: 20th Century Styles & Trends, Developing Textiles, Introduction to Brand Management, Advanced Sewing Techniques, Menswear Workshop
Other details to note: nine-month to two-year programs, only available for Chinese students
Raffles Design Institute, Singapore
Location: Singapore
Degrees offered: BA in Fashion Design, MA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Pattern Drafting, Design Research, Fashion Draping, Fashion Drawing, Sewing Application, CAD 1 for Fashion Design Anatomy
Other details to note: six-month to 18-month programs
Ravensbourne University London
Location: London, U.K.
Degrees offered: BA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Research, Design and Portfolio; Form and Silhouette; Contemporary Tailoring; Product Innovation
Other details to note: three-year program
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Degrees offered: BA, MA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Introduction to Textile Materials, Fashion Communication Design, Fashion Design Reuse, Fashion Design Industry Techniques
Other details to note: three-year program for BA, two-year program for MA
Senai Cetiqt
Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Degrees offered: undergraduate, MA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Fundamentals of Fashion Product Construction; Methods and Processes in Design; Society, Culture and Fashion
Other details to note: remote learning available
Shenkar College of Engineering and Design
Location: Ramat Gan, Israel
Degrees offered: BA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Embroidery, Product Design, Styling, Visual Communications for Fashion Designers
Tafe NSW
Location: Sydney, Australia
Degrees offered: BA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Fashion and Culture, Fashion Illustration, Fashion Design Processes, Fashion Documentation
Other details to note: three-year degree
Toronto Metropolitan University
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Degrees offered: B.Des in Fashion Design, MA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Digital Patternmaking for Fashion Design, Knitwear Design, Digital Product Management, Human Centered Design, Responsible Fashion Design
Tshwane University of Technology
Location: Pretoria, South Africa
Degrees offered: diploma in Fashion Design and Technology
Examples of courses: Garment Technology, History of African Fashion, Design Studies, Pattern Technology
Other details to note: three-year program
University for the Creative Arts
Location: Farnham, U.K.
Degrees offered: BA in Fashion Atelier, Fashion Design; MA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Tailoring, Business of Fashion, Design Identity and Realization, Product Styling and E-Commerce
University of Applied Arts
Location: Vienna, Austria
Degrees offered: undergraduate, MA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Draft Drawing, Fashion Construction, CLO 3D, Design in a Functional Context, Fashion Communication
University of Brighton
Location: Brighton, U.K.
Degrees offered: BA in Fashion Design with Business Studies
Examples of courses: Fashion Fundamentals; Design and Culture Under Scrutiny; Fashion Concepts, Contexts and Market Awareness; Preparing for and Engaging with Business
Other details to note: three-year program
University of Westminster
Location: London, U.K.
Degrees offered: BA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Design Project, Preparation for Industry, Construction, Sustainable and Responsible Cutting and Draping
Whitehouse Institute of Design
Location: Surry Hills, Australia
Degrees offered: BA in Fashion Design
Examples of courses: Design Contexts, Digital Design, Illustration for Design, Fashion Design Methods and Processes, Fashion Workshop
Other details to note: two-year program
Check out our full Fashion School Directory.
Source: Fashionista.com
