Fashion Marketing and Management FMC
→ students work in a retail store on the London campus
→ two co-op work terms
(A Co-operative Education Program)
Moderate to high workload
- Eight courses in your first semester
- One hour of study or assignments required for each hour in class
- 19 hours of class (38 hr/week commitment minimum)
Holland Code: E (Enterprising)
What academic skills do I need to be successful in the program?
This list does not replace the admission requirements you must have for admission to the program. Please see website for details.
Arts & Literacy Grade 12 English not required, but recommended. Good preparation for this program includes: Grade 11 Fashion and Creative Expression AND/OR Grade 12 The Fashion Industry and/or Grade 11 or 12 Media Arts OR Visual Arts as well as any Grade 11 or Grade 12 Entrepreneurship.
Math Grade 11 Financial Accounting Fundamentals would be helpful preparation for this program
Technology Basic computer skills required (Microsoft Office, email, Internet)
What personal qualities should someone interested in this career have?
- Ability and maturity to try new ideas
- Patience
- Artistic ability and imagination
- A keen sense of fashion and trends
- Attention to detail
- The ability to work well with a wide variety of people
- The ability to work independently and in a team environment
- Confidence in their ideas combined with the flexibility required to accept other people's suggestions
- Good communication skills
- Good problem solving abilities
- The ability to remain courteous, patient and tactful when dealing with difficult customers
- Try new ways of accomplishing tasks
- The ability to organize and prioritize studies
- Able to remain calm under stressful environments
Useful background experience for this program would be …
Hobbies such as drawing, photography, reading fashion magazines, part time work in the retail industry.
What kind of work will I do when I graduate?
Graduates of this program may go on to become a
Sales and Line Representative, Retail Store Manager, District Sales Manager, Regional Manager, Fashion Show Producer, Event Coordinator, Visual Merchandiser, Store Planner, Photo Stylist/Stylist, Brand Development, Line Marketing, Buying/Assistant Buying, Personal Shopper, Brand Manager, Fashion Blogger, Digital Entrepreneur, or Social Media Manager.
Typical working conditions for this kind of work:
- Part time and shift work
- Must meet tight deadlines while maintaining a high level of quality and paying careful attention to detail
- Long periods of standing
- Lifting up to 5 kg
- climbing ladders
Places you may find yourself employed include …
Department stores and retail chains and independent retailers, media promotion companies, independent display companies, coordinators of fashion shows, shopping malls, or self employment.
Tasks a graduate may do in the workplace
- Arrange showcases, clothes racks, counters and display fixtures
- Design lighting and colour range of merchandise
- Teach sales staff how to colour co-ordinate clothes racks and counter displays
- Attend training sessions and corporate planning meetings to get new ideas for Fall and Spring launches
- Co-ordinate merchandising teams for major floor changes
- Unpack, sort and tag incoming merchandise for display
- Design, create and install merchandise presentations for seasonal and ongoing promotions
- Source and order mannequins, props, visual aids and trim needed for promotions
- Assist in display of merchandise presentation
- Monitor the condition of products on display
- Oversee the general cleanliness of the store inside and out
- Track rates of sale on the commodities they display
- Greet customers and discuss type, quality and quantity of merchandise or services sought
- Advise customers on use and care of merchandise, and provide advice concerning specialized products or services
- Calculate mark ups and mark downs, set credit terms, warranties and delivery dates
- Maintain sales records for inventory control
- Operate computerized inventory record keeping and re-ordering systems
- Research for trends
- Buy appropriate product for customer
- Write content for blogs for websites
- Prepare products for photography
- Source and buy products
- Design ecommunications for internal and external audiences
Helpful links for further research into this Fanshawe College program and career opportunity
Professional Credentials and Affiliations associated with this program
Opportunities for further development or education
- Credits from advanced diploma may transfer to a university degree at many different schools, and in Fashion Marketing and Management specifically at Ryerson University, Solent University. More information.
- The Fashion Marketing and Management Program offers study trips to Toronto, New York, Paris, and Italy.
Fanshawe’s library has prepared a subject guide for current students in this program. You may find the links and information provided very useful in learning more about this career.
NOC Codes
The National Occupation Classification (NOC) system is used by the Canadian government to provide detailed information on careers. Visit the National Occupation Classification website and use the NOC codes below to learn more about careers associated with this Fanshawe College program. Please note: These codes are listed here for information purposes only. Fanshawe College does not guarantee graduates careers in these fields.
- NOC Code 6211 Retail sales supervisors
The Canada Job Bank is an excellent resource for labour market information including wages, jobs available and career planning advice.
Career Outlook
Explore Fanshawe Career Coach to learn more about related careers, employment, job postings and current local data on wages.
Last Modified: January 15, 2024