What is the studies in fashion and design cognate?
The studies in fashion and design cognate program offers students a foundation for developing the basic skills to enter the field of fashion design. In this three-course sequence, you will be introduced to the art behind the creation of apparel and the basics of marketing strategy connected to fashion design. We’ll guide you as you develop your own creative process and design method while you also learn the basics of marketing and personal business. The cognate will help you combine your artistic vision with practical application so you can become a designer who has the skills to support your artistry.
Why pursue studies in fashion and design at UNH?
The studies in fashion and design cognate draws on faculty expertise from three departments at UNH –Art and Art History, Theatre and Dance, and Marketing, providing an exceptionally well-rounded approach to the art and business of fashion and design. You can put your learning into practice in one of our many annual theatrical productions and in our technically robust design and photography labs. This cognate provides a credential that can be shared with potential employers as you embark on your career.
Potential Careers
- Apparel or accessories designer
- Brand manager
- Costume designer
- Fashion buyer or consultant
- Garment constructer
- Manager of design company or fashion magazine
- Merchandiser
- Photoshoot stylist
- Marketer
- Public relations professional
- Retailer
- Stylist
Curriculum & Requirements
The studies in fashion and design cognate offers students a foundation for developing the basic skills to enter the field of fashion design. It introduces the art behind the creation of apparel and the basics of marketing strategy connected to fashion design. Students will be educated to develop their own creative process and design method while learning the basic knowledge of marketing and personal business. The cognate prepares students with a means to combine their artistic vision with practical application and helps them become designers who have the skills to support their own artistries.
Students complete coursework selected from three groups:
- Design Creation: Helps students to adapt their artistic skills to support conceptual ideas. It gives students the abilities in creating, analyzing, constructing and presenting works for costume creation. It aims to guide students in developing their own working process with a critical approach to problem solving. Students will be able to use terminology to communicate ideas in the fashion design industry.
- Design Skills: Gives students the options to understand and apply a skill class of their choice to helps students articulate their design ideas visually and digitally. It aims to offer students with the options to create visual merchandising for their design works through rendering hand skills, graphic design software, or photography.
- Marketing: Helps students to understand and incorporate the business aspect into their creative works. It aims to prepare students to promote and sustain their creative works independently as a personal business or within retail organizations.
Student must complete three courses (12 credits), one course in each group listed below.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Design Creation (select one of the following) | 4 | |
THDA 546 | Costume Design for the Theatre | |
THDA 458 | Costume Construction | |
| Design Skills (select one of the following) | 4 | |
ARTS 510 | Principles of Design | |
ARTS 552 | Introductory Digital Photography | |
THDA #651 | Rendering for the Theatre | |
| Marketing (select one of the following) | 4 | |
MKTG 530 | Survey of Marketing | |
MKTG 547 | Promotion and Advertising | |
MKTG 649 | Foundations of Personal Selling | |
| Total Credits | 12 | |
