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Department of Design and Merchandising
College of Health and Human Sciences

Design and Merchandising Study Tours and Education Abroad Gain a Global Perspective

Study Tour New York City

Offered every other academic year

The Department’s study tour of New York City offers exciting learning opportunities for students majoring in apparel and merchandising and interior architecture and design. Students who wish to participate enroll in a 3-credit semester course that involves classroom learning and a week-long field study in New York City. While in New York, students visit firms in the apparel and interior design industries and engage in a variety of cultural and entertainment activities, which may include visiting historic sites and museums, taking in a Manhattan dinner cruise, and attending Broadway shows.

Apparel and Merchandising students visit designer studios and showrooms, fashion forecasting and market research firms, accessory and textile companies, production facilities, fashion media organizations, and retail headquarters to learn about industry operations and career opportunities in the apparel industry. Interior Architecture and Design students visit architectural and design firms, tour project sites and showrooms, and network with design practitioners to advance their appreciation of industry practices and professionalism.

Study Tour International

The department also offers a variety of international study opportunities that provide students with an understanding of cultural, economic, environmental, political, and social issues across the globe.

Past study tours include visits to Guatemala, Hong Kong & Thailand, India, and the U.K.  Students who participate in international study tours learn about the many factors – aesthetics and design, labor and production, profitability, social responsibility, sustainability, and technology – that influence local and international business decisions and operations.

Please note: The Department’s ability to offer study tours is contingent upon student interest (i.e., enrollment) as well as economic and political factors.

 

A large group of students and two faculty members stand in a London clothing workshop

Upcoming Study Tours

Design and Merchandising: Sustainable and Slow Fashion in England and Scotland

This 14-day summer faculty-led program is sponsored by the Department of Design and Merchandising. Participants earn three (3) CSU credits through participation in spring class meetings and a summer international study tour. Students visit businesses and organizations related to the design, manufacturing, marketing, retailing and merchandising of ethical and sustainable textiles and apparel products, as well as major cultural sites in the cities of London, Bath, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Potential site visits include Selfridges Department Store, Prudence Millinery, Saville Row, Tartan weaving mill on Royal Mile, 21st Century Kilts, Eribe, Textile Towerhouse, and others.

buildings in london with british flags above a red double decker bus

First Year Seminar Abroad: Design and Merchandising in Italy

This CSU faculty and staff-led program introduces incoming first-year students in apparel and merchandising or pre-interior architecture and design majors to classmates and professional faculty and staff through meaningful domestic and international experiences. This First Year Seminar explores the foundations of design, merchandising, and interior architecture to help students shape their awareness within the disciplines and their CSU major. This seminar will build a skill base of successful academic strategies and investigates cross-cultural experiences in a small engaging learning environment abroad. Prior to the start of the fall term, participants will live and learn in Italy with a cohort of first-year design and merchandising majors. Students will meet on-campus during Pre-Departure Orientation and fly to Italy together. Upon returning home students will meet for class to follow up on this amazing experience.

a rooftop view of the Duomo in Florence, Italy

See the World Education Abroad

As part of the University’s mission to internationalize the educational experience of all students, Colorado State University offers students the opportunity to participate in a variety of education abroad programs. The education abroad experience provides students with knowledge and appreciation of cultures, languages, and perspectives critical for engagement in the global environment.

In recent years, our students have studied in Australia, England, France, Italy, New Zealand, and Spain and have participated in Semester at Sea.

To learn more about the education abroad programs and other international education opportunities, please visit with your academic adviser and the Office of International Programs.