About Our BFA Program

School of Fashion

About Our BFA Program

School of Fashion Student Gallery

It is the objective of the School of Fashion to provide students with a global vision that combines the design excellence of Europe with the energy of the United States and the technology of Asia. The School of Fashion has developed a strong curriculum in design, merchandising, textiles and knitwear providing opportunities for graduates worldwide.

Potential Careers: Fashion Design — Fashion Designer, Product Manager and Pattern Maker. Textile Design — Textile Designer and Forecaster. Knitwear Design — Knitwear Designer, Knitwear Merchandising and Knitwear Accessory Designer. Fashion Merchandising — Buyer, Store Manager, Store Planner, and Product Developer.

BFA Program Learning Outcomes

School of Fashion

Graduates of the School of Fashion will meet the following student performance criteria:

1. Verbal Communication

   • Ability to express ideas clearly utilizing a broad fashion vocabulary.
   • Knowledge of fashion/textile/knitwear terminology; metric (International) and standard (American) calculations.

2. Written Communication

   • Ability to express concepts and strategies in clear and professional English, with correct sentence construction and grammar for effective communication, regardless of the specific area of fashion concentration.
   • Knowledge of the difference between plagiarism and attribution.

3. Drawing Skills

   • Ability to translate a three-dimensional body to two dimensional paper.
   • Ability to apply knowledge of the human body (life drawing) in order to draw fashion (clothed figure).
   • Ability to apply understanding of exaggerations for a fashion drawing from the ‘real’ figure.
   • Ability to apply principles of composition, cropping, the negative space, and effective use of color when drawing.
   • Familiarity with drawing on the light box - not just tracing.
   • Ability to render fabrics, create mood boards, present croquis and finished artwork for the fashion portfolio.

4. Historical Content

   • Ability to apply knowledge of art history and fashion history - especially the twentieth and twenty-first centuries - to research.

5. Work Ethic and Time Management

   • Demonstrate punctuality and recognize the necessity of working long hours to meet deadlines.
   • Ability to prioritize tasks and effectively use time.
   • Knowledge of the demands and competitive nature of the fashion industry.

6. Research / Analytical Skills

   • Ability to continually research the fashion industry and apply that research to every aspect of their work, both in design and merchandising.

7. Collaborative Skills

   • Ability to collaborate at all levels among design, merchandising, and management teams.

8. Human Behavior (Psychology)

   • Understanding of the different consumer market segments.
   • Ability to determine a specific target market on which to focus.

9. Understanding of Trends

   • Understand of trend forecasting.

10. Understanding of Business Aspects

    • Ability to recognize that fashion is a business and to provide fashion products that are desired by the target consumer market.

11. Collaborative Skill Development

    • Understanding of the different areas of specialty work.
    • Ability to collaborate on projects to simulate a real life industry situation.

12. Sustainability in Fashion

    • Understanding of concepts of sustainability in the global context of the fashion industry (environmental, social and economic).

13. Specialty Tracks

    A. Fashion Design

    • Ability to utilize visual research as a key tool for inspiration story development for color, fabric, silhouette, proportion, details and mood.
    • Ability to create mood boards and presentation board building for presentation.
    • Ability to communicate design development ideas using quick sketch techniques.
    • Ability to build a balanced collection.
    • Ability to apply skills in fashion design sketch illustration for croquis and rendering.
    • Ability to apply skills in flat technical specification drawing by hand and by computer.
    • Ability to apply professional presentation skills for portfolio development.
    • Thorough understanding of the various international market segmentations.
    • Ability to design for different seasons and classifications.
    • Ability to use computer skills to industry standard for fashion illustration, rendering, flat sketching and presentation.

    B. 3-Dimensional Design / Technical Design / CDFP

    • Ability to apply broad and in-depth understanding of flat pattern making.
    • Ability to apply broad and in-depth understanding of draping and 3-dimensional cutting on a dress form.
    • Ability to take a 2-dimensional sketch or flat diagram of a garment and develop and produce this as a finished pattern and sample garment.
    • Understanding of lay plans, correct cutting techniques and how to cost a sample garment.
    • Ability to identify suitable and correct types of fabrics used for specific designs.
    • Ability to fit garments on a life fit model and adjust provisional samples and make any necessary corrections.
    • Ability to construct garments to a professional standard, using current industry techniques.

    C. Applied Textile Design

    • Ability to follow a textile design brief from research to completion of a successful project meeting all criteria in the time allotted.
    • Ability to draw and paint using a variety of mediums.
    • Ability to mix color and match color accurately.
    • Thorough knowledge of repeats and engineered prints both on paper and fabric.
    • Ability to design surface patterns for a wide variety of end products.
    • Knowledge of computer software used in industry.

    D. Knitwear Design and Construction

    • Mastery of single bed knitting and double bed knitting on hand flat machines.
    • Experience in programming and operating computerized industrial knitting machines.
    • Ability to develop their original design concepts from knit swatches through to garment design, illustrated and rendered to industry standards.
    • Ability to cut paper patterns for specifically for knitwear.
    • Ability to construct fully-fashioned as well as cut-and-sew knit garments to industry standards.
    • Understanding of the various gauges of knitting machines used in the Industry.
    • Understanding of the properties of a wide variety of fibers used in industrial knitting yarns.
    • Knowledge of widely used knit stitch structures and the industry terminology used to describe them.

Academy of Art University Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Academy of Art University will demonstrate the ability to:

1. Produce a body of work suitable for seeking professional opportunities in their chosen field of art and design.
2. Solve creative problems within their field of art and design, including research and synthesis of technical, aesthetic, and conceptual knowledge.
3. Communicate their ideas professionally and connect with their intended audience using visual, oral, and written presentation skills relevant to their field.
4. Execute technical, aesthetic, and conceptual decisions based on an understanding of art and design principles.
5. Evaluate work in their field, including their own work, using professional terminology.
6. Recognize the influence of major cultural and aesthetic trends, both historical and contemporary, on art and design products.
7. Learn the professional skills and behaviors necessary to compete in the global marketplace for art and design.

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