UNIVERSITY OF
RHODE ISLAND
The Graduate
School
Curricular Report
from the Graduate Council
to the Faculty Senate
Report No.
2004-2005-6A
Post Baccalaureate Certificate
in Fashion Merchandising
At Meeting No. 401
held on 4
March, 2005 the Graduate Council approved the following proposal that
is now
submitted to the Faculty Senate.
BACKGROUND
INFORMATION
ABSTRACT
The Graduate Council
approved a
proposal from the Department of Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and
Design
(TMD) of the College of Human Science and Services for a
Post-baccalaureate
Certificate Program in Fashion Merchandising. The
program is intended for professionals who would benefit
from training beyond the bachelorÕs degree, but who are
reluctant to make the
commitment required by a full MasterÕs degree program such as
that offered by
the TMD Department. The program
will be made up entirely of existing courses that are offered by
current
members of the faculty.
BACKGROUND
The program requires
completion
of a minimum of 12 graduate credits and is designed to meet the need
for
professional development by providing students with a fundamental
understanding
of fashion merchandising. By
insuring that appropriate prerequisites are met, the program will be
able to
enroll both students who possess a bachelorÕs degree in a field
other than
fashion merchandising, and those who have earned bachelorÕs
degrees in the
textiles and apparel field and who wish further training.
It is anticipated that some students
will apply to the MasterÕs degree program upon completion of the
requirements
for the post-baccalaureate certificate.
The proposal was
reviewed under
the process established by the Faculty Senate in which the Graduate
Council
serves as the Coordinating and Review Committee. Announcements
of the receipt of the proposal were sent to
the Provost and the Council of Deans, the Budget Office, and Department
Chairs
and Directors.
Recommendations were sought from each of these.
The Budget Office reviewed the proposal
with the understanding that no additional budgetary resources would be
required
for its implementation. The
Council of Deans unanimously and enthusiastically endorsed the program. Comments remain on file in the
Graduate School.
SECTION II
RECOMMENDATION
The Graduate Council
approved
the proposal for the Post-baccalaureate Certificate Program in Fashion
Merchandising at its meeting number 401 on 4 March 2005, and forwards
it to the
Faculty Senate with a recommendation for approval in a category for
programs of
merit that require no new funding resources.
University of
Rhode Island
Kingston, Rhode
Island
A Proposal for a
Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Fashion Merchandising
A.
Program Information
1.
Administrative Unit:
Textiles, Fashion
Merchandising
and Design
2.
Title of proposed program:
Post Baccalaureate
Certificate
in Fashion Merchandising
3.
Intended date of implementation:
Fall 2005
4.
Anticipated date of granting first
certificate:
May 2006
5.
Intended location of program:
Kingston
6.
Description of the program
a. Rationale:
Changing environment
and
workforce needs have challenged universities to respond to college
graduates
who need to continuously acquire new knowledge and more complex skills
to
remain not just employable but also competitive in todayÕs
economy. However,
students often are reluctant to make the commitment required by a
full-fledged
Master's degree program such as the one currently offered by the TMD
Department. At the same time, the completion of non-degree coursework
provides
students with little recognition and, consequently, fewer incentives to
pursue
post-graduate education; therefore, students need more practical
programs that
could be obtained within one year. A Post Baccalaureate Certificate not
only
develops and supports a highly skilled labor force but can attract and
sustain
industries that depend on such a labor force.
This program is
designed to
provide students with a fundamental understanding of fashion
merchandising. Two
potential groups of students are targeted. The first group is students
who
possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher
learning
in a field other than fashion merchandising and
who, at the time of application, do not seek admission to the M.S.
degree
program or, at the time of application, seek to explore these fields of
study
with the option to later apply for admission to the M.S. degree
program. The
second group is students who have earned bachelorÕs degrees in
the textiles and
apparel field and wish to further their education by taking 400-level
fashion
merchandising courses. This group could include graduates of our own
baccalaureate programs (Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design and
Textile
Marketing).
b. Workforce
or professional development need:
We anticipate that the Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Fashion Merchandising will serve the needs of professionals preparing to meet business needs for fashion merchandising professionals. This program is designed to provide these individuals with the fundamental background relevant for positions in fashion merchandising.
c. Existing
graduate curriculum:
All courses in the
Post
Baccalaureate Certificate program are currently offered by the
Textiles,
Fashion Merchandising and Design (TMD) Department. The expertise and
personnel
to teach these courses are available within the current faculty.
d.
Other
potential benefits:
We expect that some
students
will apply to the Master's degree program subsequent to their
completion of
this Certificate. This program also can invite new audiences who have
degrees
in a different area but are seeking careers in fashion merchandising.
In
addition, this program may provide opportunities for those engaged in
full-time
graduate study in another field to explore interdisciplinary linkages.
e.
Admissions
requirements:
Admission to the
Certificate
program is similar to the existing Master of Science program. However,
the GRE
is not required for students who have earned
a 3.0 GPA or higher in undergraduate coursework. Applicants who do not
meet
this requirement should earn a combined score of 900 or above on the
verbal and
quantitative sections of the GRE.
f.
Completion
requirements:
Pre-requisites for
the
400-level courses include TMD 232 Fashion Retailing, 303 Textile
Science, 313
Textile Science Laboratory, and 332 Fashion Merchandise Buying (10
credits).
Students will be required to successfully complete a minimum of twelve
graduate
level credits. Students may choose from a list of six courses, one of
which
earns 1-2 credits. The total number of courses needed for completion
will be
four to five courses, depending on whether or not the 1-2 credit
seminar is
included.
Students
will be required to successfully complete the graduate level elective
courses
(12 credits) with an average grade of B (overall 3.00 GPA) or above. A maximum of three
credits of
graduate-level coursework from another institution will be accepted for
transfer credit.
g.
Faculty:
Courses offered for
the
Certificate program will be taught by the same faculty who normally
teach these
courses.
h.
Delivery format:
Initially
traditional, although
the TMD Department expects to explore the efficacy of alternative
delivery
formats in the future.
i.
Monitoring of student progress:
The specific program
of study
pursued by individual students will be geared to meet the student's
individual
needs and interests, as determined by the student in consultation with
the
Graduate Program Chair and/or participating faculty. The student's
progress
toward the completion of that program of study will be evaluated, and
the
student will be advised accordingly.
j. Administration of program:
The Post
Baccalaureate
Certificate will be administered in the TMD department. The increased
administrative responsibilities will be assumed by the person appointed
to
coordinate the program.
k. Assessment and Evaluation of Program Outcomes:
Program outcomes will be evaluated on the basis of application and completion rates and by successful employment in the field of fashion merchandising. In addition, the program coordinator will conduct exit interviews and follow-up surveys with students and employers.
Targeted outcomes
include (1)
student progression and achievement, (2) development of program
relevance and
satisfaction, (3) expansion of student and faculty scholarship, and (4)
provision of needed service to the industry.
7. Time Frame of Program Initiation and Approval Process:
Approval
Date
Departments/Programs/Colleges
November,
2004
Certificate Program
Development
Panel (CPD) December, 2004
Graduate Council (New Program Review Committee)
March,
2004
Faculty Senate
President
of the University
8. Additional Considerations
Transfer to the M.S. Degree Program:
The Post
Baccalaureate
Certificate may exist as a complete subset of a graduate curriculum and
as such
may create opportunities for participants to move from the Certificate
program
to the graduate program upon completion of the Certificate provided
they meet
all applicable admissions criteria.
Course List
Elective Courses
(select a
minimum of twelve credits)
TMD 402
Seminar
in Textiles and Clothing (1-2)
TMD 424 Fashion Theory and Analysis (3)
TMD 432 Fashion Merchandising Operations
Control (3)
TMD 433 Textile Markets (3)
TMD 442
Fashion Promotion (3)
TMD 452 Consumer Behavior in Fashion
Retailing (3)
Schedule of
course offerings
TMD 402 Ð Spring
TMD 424 Ð Spring
TMD 432 Ð Fall
TMD 433 Ð Fall
and Spring
TMD 442 Ð Spring
TMD 452 Ð Fall
- - - - - - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Addendum I
There are no
additional costs
anticipated for this program. The facilities and equipment in the
college will
be used. Faculty compensation for teaching courses is considered as a
part of
the faculty memberÕs course load.
Fall semester:
Elective courses
TMD 432 Fashion
Merchandising
Operations Control (3)
TMD 452 Consumer
Behavior in
Fashion Retailing (3)
Total 6 Credits
Spring semester:
Elective Courses
TMD 424 Fashion
Theory and
Analysis (3)
TMD 442 Fashion
Promotion (3)
Total 6 Credits