A career as a fashion designer ranks high on the list for people who imagine a thrilling way of life for themselves once they are out of school.  The truth is that the fashion design industry is extremely competitive.  If this is really what you hope to be spending your life doing, you need every advantage possible to get your foot in the door.  There are rare cases, as with any career, that exceptionally gifted individuals can get straight into the industry because they know the right people and have enough untrained still.  In a vast majority of cases, however, why major in fashion design is a simple question to answer in that your degree can assist you in getting your dream job like nothing else can.

Not only do you need the degree to give you credibility as you search for job opportunities after graduation, you need the information that will be learned through your higher education.  The knowledge and experience you can gain in classroom environments with projects that resemble realistic situations in addition to internship and other opportunities are ones you can receive no place else.  There are many chances to learn exactly what a fashion designer does from day to day that you may not be aware of.  The chance to delve into a preview of what life as a fashion designer will be like is another reason why major in fashion design.

In this career, you not only need an extensive knowledge of manufacturing and clothing—which includes textiles and sewing—you also need to be able to sketch and realistically render your designs on paper.  For this reason, a thorough knowledge of color and application is important.  You may have an innate skill for such things, giving you another reason why major in fashion design.  If not, or even if you think you do, you can refine your skills and learn even more with a major in fashion design.  The portfolio you have the chance to build over a two or four-year program will equip you with what you need to get started in the “real world” of fashion design.  These are the answers to the question, why major in fashion design.

There are two levels of undergraduate degrees, the first of which is an Associate’s of Applied Science degree.  The Art Institutes is a system of schools located all over the United States and Canada that offers a certificate, Associate’s, or Bachelor’s degrees in apparel and fashion design as well as fashion retail and management.  With nearly 50 schools and growing, The Art Institutes could be your answer to the question what are the top undergraduate fashion design schools.  At each location, there is a slight variance in programs offered, credentials required and scheduling options.  The International Academy of Design and Technology offers a similar opportunity to students all over North America.  Scheduling is very versatile, as you might choose to take day, evening or even weekend classes to complete your educational goals.

In addition to schools that offer Associate’s degrees in fashion design, there are also colleges that offer only Bachelor’s degrees.  These are classically four-year programs, though students often will space out their courses to a more manageable level.  However, Westwood College, which certainly could be an answer to what are the top undergraduate fashion design schools, is not like other higher educational learning opportunities.  Students at one of the 17 campuses located in six states can complete a Bachelor’s degree in only three years!  This allows you to learn everything you need in a shorter amount of time and begin your dream job earlier than you thought possible.

In addition to these great physically-situated schools, there are also many online opportunities to get your undergraduate degree in fashion design.  In fact, all of the schools highlighted here have an online campus in addition to their physical locations across North America.  You might choose to take online classes if your schedule is extremely full or if you want to study with a greater amount of flexibility and convenience.  While each of the schools emphasized here certainly provide you with an answer to the question, what are the top undergraduate fashion design schools, there are many more that also make the grade.  Applying to several schools in your desired locations will give you more options to continue your higher education.

There are many schools across the country that successfully answer the question, what are the best graduate level fashion design schools?  One that offers graduate level studies in fashion design is the Parsons New School for Design, which is located in the design capitol of the country, that of New York, New York.  Your courses in this school’s program include intensive studio-based projects that incorporate design research into them.  Such research could include sustainable design, global issues, study of the media and business management.  With an emphasis in new fabrics and construction techniques, you will be sure to have the highest degree of the most current, up-to-date education possible.  This will aid you in your efforts to enter the industry with a bang once you graduate.

On the other side of the country, in California, the Academy of Art University has a School of Fashion which combines a European approach to art with New York’s fashion knowhow.  The purpose of this program is to give you the knowledge you need to begin your own fashion line to rival that of Versace and Calvin Klein, which certainly succeeds in answering the question of what are the best graduate level fashion design schools.

Your master’s degree in fashion design, which cannot be achieved until you answer the question of what are the best graduate level fashion design schools, can be accomplished in an online setting as well.  There are many different emphases you have to choose from.  Perhaps your niche is in costume design, fashion marketing or merchandising.  No matter the exact concentration you hope to educate yourself in, you have the option to reach your highest potential with a graduate degree in fashion design.  Before you have the option to pursue a graduate degree, you must have completed an undergraduate degree, which means a bachelor’s degree.  Your creative skills should be well refined and you should have a solid background in art if you hope to succeed in graduate level courses.  Hopefully you now have a better understanding of the answer to what are the best graduate level fashion design schools.

As you are probably aware, not all higher education opportunities are created equal.  What makes one school rank higher than another?  The courses are one example of what makes a difference in a school’s placement on the list of top fashion design schools ratings and rankings.  Some schools simply offer a more challenging curriculum than others.  You might argue that a difficult curriculum accomplishes nothing more than making it more complicated for you to graduate with your degree.  This assumption is incorrect.  The top fashion design schools achieve such reputations because they are accredited with passing certain standards of educational quality.  The US Department of Education performs accreditation, giving schools a chance to prove their competence.  You can check for the top fashion design schools ratings and rankings with the State Postsecondary School Licensing Bureau.

Getting a quality education is important if you want to hit the ground running when you enter the fashion design industry.  Your ability to do so can be predicted when you compare the rate of job placements of graduating seniors from different fashion design schools.  If the alumni have gone on to become successful in the field, you can put a greater trust in the school’s ability to properly educate its students.  These figures are often included in the top fashion design schools ratings and rankings.

The schools that will be able to provide you with the best opportunity to enter the fashion design industry will offer job placement services.  Whether or not such services are offered by the schools you are considering can be enough to make or break your decision to attend there.  After all, what good does a quality education do if you do not have the ability to locate employment after graduation?  All these factors make up the top fashion design schools ratings and rankings.  Clearly, if you want an education that can get you the job of your dreams, you will need to consider much more than simply the school’s location and the cost of tuition.

1. Fashion designing is obviously the first on the top 10 fashion design jobs and career pathways.  This might be your choice if you sketch clothing well and have an innate skill for working with fabric.  Also, you need a refined fashion sense to design the latest trends.

2. Fashion illustration is another career pathway you may choose.  Most of the work conducted here is done with graphic design, making this a perfect pursuit if you prefer to digitally create your work and avoid dealing with the physical fabrics.

3. Fashion buying makes the list of top 10 fashion design jobs and career pathways if you are business savvy.  This is great for people who have a skill predicting future trends in the industry.

4. Pattern making is another career that can be achieved by fashion design majors.  This pursuit is ideal for graduates with great visualization skills, equipping them with the ability to duplicate patterns without losing quality.

5. Costume design is an interesting niche.  Often this route is forgotten, but picture the beautiful costumes that performers wear on Broadway and in Hollywood movies.  The show would not be complete without the costumes.

6. Fashion marketing is a career pathway which is perfect for people who have a solid business background.  The job of a fashion marketer is to increase the interest of the customer in the newest fashion trends.  This job is impossible to get into without a degree in fashion design.

7. Fashion merchandising combines the skills of advertising, retail knowhow and marketing with the creativity of fashion design, giving it a spot on the list of the top 10 fashion design jobs and career pathways.  The global demand for fashion is never ending, and with this job you can tap into all of it.

8. Fashion event planning is perfect for a designer who wants the glitz and glamour associated with fashion design.  If you have ever watched a fashion or bridal show, the event was organized by a fashion even planner.

9. Fashion styling is similar to event planning, but involves selecting clothing for photo shoots, commercials and advertisements on television, making this a candidate for the top 10 fashion design jobs and career pathways.

10. Fashion education is a great career path for designers who love to teach.  After all, once the current generation of designers is gone, the next must be educated to take the ball and run with it.

Like tips for applying for a job, tips to apply to fashion design schools requires you to have some foreknowledge.  You had better know how to draw and sew or be willing to learn quickly.  Many prospective students fail to recognize the importance of these skills in this major, so if you have them, you will have a leg up on the competition of other applicants.  Past experience in the industry is helpful when you are looking for recommendations.  Working part-time in a clothing store or fashion boutique will give you the perfect chance to ask your manager for a recommendation.

Firsthand experience is essential wherever you can get it.  Internships are great to accomplish this.  While this often requires you to work for free, the immediate knowledge and experience you can gain will help you build your portfolio when the time comes.  Also, remember that with any college, keeping your high school and transfer college grades up shows that you are dedicated and studious.  These are the kinds of people who will thrive in the competitive field of fashion design, so they will be the students who are accepted.  These important tips to apply to fashion design schools cannot be overlooked if acceptance into a fine program is what you are looking for.

Once you use these tips to apply to fashion design schools and complete your higher education at the institution of your choice, the time comes to search for a job with the presence of your degree and portfolio to back you up.  Getting a solid career within the industry can be difficult, but do not be discouraged.   There are more job opportunities opening in the world of fashion design all the time as the number of people becoming brand-conscious today continues to be on the rise.  After using the tips to apply to fashion design schools and getting into a great program, your hard work in completing your education will pay off when you have a fine portfolio and a head full of knowledge to help you get the perfect job.

First, you should recognize the cost benefit to studying fashion design online.  This kind of education cuts out many of the costs associated with school, like gas for the commute, a parking pass and other school-related items that add up in price.  Also, when you study online, you can tackle courses at your own pace and focus on your studies when you have time.  In response to the question, “Should I study at an online fashion design school?” you may find a great reason to do so if you have other pressing obligations.  This kind of education satisfies the needs of untraditional students, like mothers of young children, who need to focus a great deal of their time to aspects of their lives other than school.

Online courses are generally a mixture of self-study and e-textbook or workbook lessons.  You may have online modules you need to complete in order to continue to the next lesson.  You may or may not have a teacher for your courses.  Some classes can be conducted purely digitally, but many times you will have the opportunity to communicate with a real teacher and other students taking the course online in a chat room.  In an effort to answer the question, “Should I study at an online fashion design school?” for yourself, you should know there are no negative implications concerning your credentials if you choose to get your degree online.

Many of the online campuses are branches from educational institutions that run physical campuses as well.  Examples include Westwood College, The Art Institute and the International Academy of Design and Technology.  These and many more offer you the chance to earn your degree online.  You can even have the best of both worlds and take some classes online while benefiting from a physical classroom experience with other, more hands-on classes.  With this information, answering the question, “Should I study at an online fashion design school?” should be easy to answer.

There are several options you can look for concerning how to get scholarships for fashion design degrees.  The first is based on national competitions.  Students are given the opportunity to enter a unique project they have created based on topics like starting a new clothing line, marketing a fashion boutique or developing a promotional strategy for a new outfit.  Obviously, winning such awards requires you to have some prior knowledge about fashion.  This is exactly what scholarship benefactors are looking for.  They want to promote knowledgeable designers, helping them get into the field by backing their educational costs.  Sometimes certain criteria accompany these competitions, such as the school you plan to attend and your family’s current financial situation.

Scholarly merit is another basis for the awarding of scholarships.  Good grades, a history of involvement in the community and extracurricular activities are often indications of commitment and hard work.  These are important qualities for future fashion designers, as the industry is very competitive and requires dedication from those who wish to succeed.  Merit awards are often coupled with financial need.  Coming from a less-than-perfect personal economic background should not be a deterrent to receiving your desired higher education.  Being a studious learner and perhaps having financial need are two aspects that play a role in how to get scholarships for fashion design degrees.

Scholarships are awarded in many different sums of money for varying categories of students.  Some are specifically geared toward undergraduates in a major as particular as costume design.  When learning how to get scholarships for fashion design degrees, remember that certain eligibilities like race, ethnic background, prior service in the military or religion can play a role in winning a scholarship.  Many times, minorities and international students are granted a greater opportunity because of their position in society.  Even if you are in the majority, you can still be awarded financial assistance once you apply these tips concerning how to get scholarships for fashion design degrees.  After being awarded a scholarship, your dreams of being a well-known 

The first consideration you might make for how to choose among fashion design schools is whether a school offers a two or four-year program.  These will get you an Associate’s Degree or Bachelor’s Degree, respectively.  With the busy schedules that some people lead, two and four years are underestimations of the length of the programs.  With an Associate’s Degree, you can complete school faster and get into the field, but if your hope to realistically do so, you had better be dedicated during your schooling and build a phenomenal portfolio.  This industry is extremely competitive and most employers will probably be looking for a Bachelor’s Degree.

After making this decision, you can learn how to choose among fashion design schools more effectively by looking at other criteria.  The school’s location, options for other majors and minors, costs and track record for launching graduates into the field are all considerations you can make.  You may want to escape your home state, but remember that out-of-state tuition is usually much higher than in-state.  If possible, visit the top schools on your list to get a firsthand impression of the program and teachers.  Touring campus can give you a feeling of excitement or allow you to rule a school out of your list of possibilities.

When you have a small list left, perhaps of your top four or five schools, there is no need to narrow it down any further.  Applying to multiple schools allows you to have a fallback plan should you not be accepted by one or another.  If you are accepted by more than one, your final decision of how to choose among fashion design schools can be based on cost, exact location and whether you are offered a scholarship at one location or another.  Once you make your choice, prepare yourself for a great few years to come!  Now that you know how to choose among fashion design schools, you will be ready to embark on the biggest adventure of your life and prepare for the career of your dreams.

The two-year program is the first approach to answering how long does it take to finish a fashion design major? A given college will get you an Associate’s of Applied Science degree in fashion design after two years.  The exact field within fashion design that you choose to pursue will dictate the classes you will be required to take.  Every program, no matter where you go to school, will equip you with the basics of fashion design.  Your courses could include industrial sewing, textiles, history of fashion, Computer Assisted Design (CAD), and accessory design and concepts.  In addition to these clearly design-related classes, you will also take courses like management and business practices to prepare you for that side of the industry.

The next answer in response to how long does it take to finish a fashion design major is with the completion of a bachelor’s degree in fashion design.  This is usually accomplished after four years of study.  With the two additional years, you learn more in-depth details about garment design standards and practices concerning how to successfully run a business.  This kind of degree will give you a better background with which to begin your career as a fashion designer, especially if your goal is to eventually run your own business.

There are advantages and drawbacks to both answers to how long does it take to finish a fashion design major.  After only two years, you could have all you need to start a career, but in this incredibly competitive industry, you may want the extra two years of education and a higher degree to back you up as you apply for employment.  The bottom line is that more doors will open if you pursue a bachelor’s degree, but if you have a good amount of untrained skill and business experience, two years could definitely be enough to get you the dream job you have always wanted.  Either way, the outcome of how long does it take to finish a fashion design major will only be reached after you have begun the pursuit of your higher education.