Fashion Marketing: Diploma
Description
The Fashion Marketing Diploma program combines fashion, communications and business knowledge and skills relevant to dynamic careers in fashion market research, trend forecasting, styling, visual merchandising, fashion writing, promotion, buying, sales and management at the wholesale and retail levels. The program includes hands-on activities as well as research and writing to promote critical thinking, analysis and synthesis of ideas. Work experiences, attending and participating in fashion events, and excursions to fashion companies and select fashion districts serve as portable classrooms and opportunities to create a broad network.Program outcomes include collecting, analyzing and interpreting data on economic and fashion trends, consumer demographics, buying habits, tastes and preferences, as well as market size, penetration and competitors as they relate to specific target clientele and fashion products or services from a globally competitive perspective.
Most people who apply to a fashion program have a passionate lifelong interest in fashion. A flair for fashion and good business sense are necessary ingredients for success in the field of Fashion Marketing. Applicants may come directly from high school, transfer from other KPU programs or other institutions, be mature individuals seeking a profession or making a career change, and retail sector personnel seeking upgrading. Applicants need to understand that a fashion marketing program requires extensive research, thinking, writing, computation and digital technology skills.
Fashion as a discipline is by its very nature connected with and impacted by culture and society. Therefore, emerging fashion marketers must be conversant with cultural and societal issues. Sustainable fashion and textiles are recurring themes throughout the fashion marketing diploma program courses as is awareness of the world through constant study of current events. Leadership and volunteer activities within the program play a role in the development of leaders and contributors to the world.
If seeking a business degree, Fashion Marketing Diploma program graduates may ladder directly to KPU's third year of the Bachelor of Business Administration program (B.B.A.) based on taking the required bridging courses as electives. If bridging courses are not completed within the Diploma program, they may be taken prior to entry to the B.B.A. If seeking a General Studies degree, Fashion Marketing students will need to consult with the B.A. advisor and should do so early in the program to determine appropriate electives. Direct laddering to a B.A. is not possible and therefore more bridging courses will be required upon completion of the Fashion Marketing Diploma.
Career Opportunities
Graduates can work for small, medium and large apparel companies (such as lululemon, Aritzia, Gentle Fawn, Arson/Orb, Flosport, and Bootlegger), apparel distributors, marketing companies and retail (management), as well as work freelance or run a service-oriented entrepreneurship. Career opportunities are extensive and can be singular or include any combination of the following: Buying, Merchandising, Visual Merchandising, Branding, Communication, Forecasting, Styling, Special Events Coordination, Retail sales, Store Management, Fashion Consulting, Catalogue Manager, Managing Marketing Strategies to name a few. This field allows for developing a wide range of creative business services.
Program Admission Requirements
In addition to KPU's General university admission requirements, including the undergraduate-level English Proficiency Requirement, the following program admission requirements apply:
- English 12 with a minimum grade of C+ (or equivalent)
- Letter of interest
Admission decisions to this program are based on interim grades therefore proof of grades must be submitted in accordance with the following deadlines:
- Applicants currently in high school must submit interim grades no later than March 31st with proof of final grades required as soon as they become available (no later than August 15th).
- Applicants currently taking English preparatory courses must submit interim grades by March 31st with proof of final grades required by April 30th.
- Applicants currently attending another post-secondary institution must submit a final official transcript and a Request for Transfer Credit form by March 31st.
- For all other applicants, proof of having met the program's English proficiency requirement must be provided by March 31st.
Any applicant who has not submitted proof of grades by the specified dates will be removed from the list of eligible applicants.
Letter of Interest
The letter of interest should be type-written (3-5 pages, single spaced, 12 pt. font) and must include:
- A summary of knowledge about the field of fashion marketing.
- A statement of personal goals for applying to the program.
- A brief write-up including personal examples related to as many of the following skills as possible (2-3 paragraphs for each): working in a team, working independently, problem solving, developing personal management, organizational and stress management skills. Examples could come from school, work, play, sports activities etc. It is recommended applicants ask people to write about an applicant's ability to carry out one or more of the skills listed.
- Transcripts from high school and any post-secondary institutions attended (Note: transcripts sent with your application for admission are not available to faculty – applicants must include copies with the letter of interest.
- A current resume as well as two letters of reference in addition to the letter of interest.
Note: Applicants who have completed FASN 1115 (The Apparel Industry), may be exempt from the letter of interest requirements.
Program Requirements
The Diploma program requires a minimum of 60 credits of post-secondary courses. The structure of the program will allow for a combination of full-time, part-time, day, evening, online and mixed-mode studies.
The program consists of 50% Fashion Marketing courses and 50% courses from the School of Business. As students will be taking courses from a variety of KPU program areas such as Marketing (MRKT), Business (BUSI), Accounting (ACCT) and Economics (ECON), they will be able to get a head start if so desired by taking many of the non-fashion courses at any time during the year as a General Studies student. KPU Fashion Marketing Certificate, Fashion & Technology, Marketing students, graduates and transfers from other institutions may enter the program at any stage, provided they meet the program's admission requirements. Some limitations may apply due to prerequisites and availability of courses.
In order to continue each semester as a fashion marketing diploma student and maintain priority registration status, students are required to take all of the Fashion Marketing (FMRK) courses offered each semester.
All FMRK courses are available on the Richmond Campus and available only in either the fall or spring semester as listed in the "Course Requirements" section.
Most required non-fashion and elective courses are available on all campuses, every semester, including summer session, and at a variety of times during the day and week. Some elective courses may only be available on the Surrey Campus.
Course Requirements
Semester 1 (Fall)
All of: |
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| FMRK 1105 | Computers for Fashion Marketing* | 3 credits | |
| FMRK 1115 | The Apparel Industry | 2.5 credits | |
| FMRK 1150 | Fashion Retail Work Experience | 2 credits | |
| MRKT 1199 | Introduction to Marketing* | 3 credits | |
One of: |
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| BUSI 1110 | Fundamentals of Business in Canada | 3 credits | |
| BUSI 1210 | Essentials of Management* | 3 credits | |
| BUSI 1215 | Organizational Behaviour* | 3 credits | |
And one elective (see below). |
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Semester 2 (Spring)
All of: |
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| FMRK 1205 | Visual Communications for Fashion Marketing | 3 credits | |
| FMRK 1215 | Textile Science | 3 credits | |
| FMRK 1250 | Fashion & Consumer | 3 credits | |
| MRKT 1299 | Consumer Behaviour* | 3 credits | |
One of: |
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| ACCT 1110 | Introductory Financial Accounting I* | 3 credits | |
| ACCT 1130 | Business Mathematics | 3 credits | |
| ACCT 2293 | Accelerated Introductory Financial Accounting* | 3 credits | |
| BUQU 1130 | Business Mathematics | 3 credits | |
Semester 3 (Fall)
All of: |
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| FMRK 2105 | Visual Fashion Merchandising & Promotion | 3 credits | |
| FMRK 2115 | Fashion Forecasting | 3 credits | |
| FMRK 2120 | Fashion Writing | 3 credits | |
And two electives (see below). |
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Semester 4 (Spring)
All of: |
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| FMRK 2205 | Fashion Buying | 3 credits | |
| FMRK 2215 | Fashion Events and Promotions | 3 credits | |
| FMRK 2240 | Fashion Marketing Work Experience | 1.5 credits | |
And two electives (see below) |
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Electives
Electives may be taken at any time based on availability and having met prerequisites where applicable.
Four of the five electives required (3-credit each for a total of 15 credits) must be selected from the following list.
One of the five electives required (3-credits) may be selected from any program or area of study including courses from the list below:
Either of: |
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| ACCT 1230† | Business Statistics | 3 credits | |
| BUQU 1230† | Business Statistics | 3 credits | |
Or any of: |
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| ACCT 1210* | Introductory Financial Accounting II | 3 credits | |
| BUSI 2390 | Business Law | 3 credits | |
| CBSY 1105† | Introductory Computer Applications‡ | 3 credits | |
| ECON 1150† | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 credits | |
| ENGL 1100† | Introduction to University Writing | 3 credits | |
| MRKT 1220 | Dynamic Selling | 3 credits | |
| MRKT 1235 | Small Business Essentials | 3 credits | |
| MRKT 2111 | Marketing Online | 3 credits | |
| MRKT 2321 | Retail Management | 3 credits | |
| MRKT 2333 | Marketing Management I | 3 credits | |
| MRKT 2340 | Marketing Research | 3 credits | |
| MRKT 2360 | Selling and Sales Management | 3 credits | |
| MRKT 2401 | Introduction to Integrated Marketing Communications - Advertising | 3 credits | |
| MRKT 2421 | Retail Buying and Merchandise Management | 3 credits | |
| MRKT 2430 | Marketing Simulation (under development) | 3 credits | |
| MRKT 2444 | Marketing Management II | 3 credits | |
| MRKT 2455 | International Marketing | 3 credits | |
Notes:
* For graduation purposes a maximum of 6 credits can be obtained for any combination of ACCT 1110, ACCT 1210 and ACCT 2293 (an accelerated course).
† Courses required to ladder into KPU's BBA program, along with the additional bridging requirement: CBSY 2205 - Management Information Systems (if FMRK 1105 not taken).
‡ If taken prior to fall 2010.
Credential Awarded
Upon successful completion of this program, students are eligible to receive a Diploma in Fashion Marketing.
