Fashion Studies
The Fashion Studies major offers an interdisciplinary course of study composed of courses from the disciplines of Art History and Visual Culture, Communication and Media Studies, International Management, with further options in Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies, and Visual Communication Arts and Studio Art courses. Fashion Studies at Franklin considers fashion a complex human and cultural phenomenon. Respective courses study the history of design and image making, the sociological and communicative processes of the making of fashion, the role of technological innovation, as well as theories of product management, branding, and marketing. The interdisciplinary major of Fashion Studies offers the possibility for students to construct particular emphases according to their interest in the field. The program prepares students for entry-level positions in careers of fashion as well as trend research in a variety of fields, including archives, museums, galleries, media, consulting, the publishing sector, retailing, distribution, design, and the fashion business. Students may also choose to pursue design careers or advanced research of fashion towards an M.A. or Ph.D. degree.
Major Requirements (42 Credits)
Foundation Courses (12 credits)
| AHT 103 | Introduction to Art History and Visual Culture II: High Renaissance to Contemporary Art | 3 |
| BUS 135 | Introduction to Business Systems | 3 |
| COM 105 | Introduction to Communication and Media Studies in the Global Context | 3 |
| FAS 100 | Introduction to Fashion Studies | 3 |
Required Courses (6 credits)
Two of the following:
| AHT 270 | Theories and Methods in Art History and Visual Culture | 3 |
| BUS 256 | Market Research Methods | 3 |
| COM 203 | Communication Research Methods | 3 |
Major Electives (21 credits)
Seven of the following (at least three courses must be at 300-level or above)
(Elective courses must come from at least three different disciplines)
| AHT 216 | Introduction to the History of Photography | 3 |
| AHT 219 | Art of Curating | 3 |
| AHT 222T | Design Studies | 3 |
| AHT 285T | Technology in Art, Visual Communication, and Fashion | 3 |
| AHT 320 | Anthropologies of Art | 3 |
| AHT 362 | Visual Semiotics: Signs and Symbols in Art, Architecture, Film, and Fashion | 3 |
| BUS 136 | Marketing in a Global Context | 3 |
| BUS 251 | Sustainable Luxury Management | 3 |
| BUS 285 | Integrated Marketing Communications | 3 |
| BUS 274 | Brand Management | 3 |
| BUS 385 | Consumer Behavior in International Marketing | 3 |
| CLCS 340 | Fashion and Visual Culture | 3 |
| COM 201 | Fundamentals of Media Studies and Criticism | 3 |
| COM 230T | Communication, Fashion, and the Formation of Taste (Italy) | 3 |
| COM 235T | Pizza, Spaghetti and Other Stories: Food Journalism and Culture | 3 |
| COM 238 | Strategic Communication and Social Media: Theory and Practice | 3 |
| COM 255 | The Culture of Made in Italy | 3 |
| COM 295 | Media Consumption, Fashion, and Identity | 3 |
| COM 304 | The Industrialization of Creativity from Mass Media to Platform Economy | 3 |
| COM 314 | Digital Journalism in a Global Context | 3 |
| COM 327 | Producing Digital Media: Communication and Media in Practice | 3 |
| COM 330 | The Digital Innovation and Media Strategies for a New Consumer Culture | 3 |
| STA 200 | Computer Graphics in Advertising | 3 |
| STA 211 | Intermediate Drawing | 3 |
| STA 220 | Heads and Bodies: the Human Head and Proportions in Art History, Theory and Practice | 3 |
| STA 300 | Computer Graphics in Advertising, Advanced | 3 |
| STA 311 | Advanced Drawing | 3 |
| VCA 120T | Documentary and Street Photography on Location: Munich | 3 |
| VCA 200 | Creative Publishing | 3 |
| VCA 212 | Design Thinking for Academic and Entrepreneurial Minds | 3 |
Capstone Requirement (3 credits)
One of the following:
| FAS 495 | Senior Project in Fashion Studies | 3 |
| FAS 497 | Fashion Studies Internship | 3 |