Fashion Marketing Associate's and Bachelor's: Degrees at a Glance
If you have a business savvy mind and a flair for creativity, a career in fashion marketing could be a good fit for you. Fashion marketing focuses on promoting fashion trends and selling current fashions to consumers. As a fashion marketer, you will be in charge of making sure that products are seen by the public and helping brands build and maintain a name for themselves within the fashion industry. A fashion marketing program will provide you with a comprehensive foundation in the principles of marketing and educate you in how to spot and promote rising fashion trends.
Most careers in fashion marketing are predicted to have average growth rates from 2010-2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). At the associate's level, you could end up working as an advertising agent for small companies. At the bachelor's level, you will qualify for higher paying jobs working with major design houses and fashion corporations as a marketing manager.
| Associate's | Bachelor's | |
|---|---|---|
| Who is this degree for? | Individuals who want to work as marketing associates for boutiques and small fashion retail stores. | People who want to work in higher level marketing positions for design houses or fashion corporations. |
| Common Career Paths (with approximate mean annual salary) | - Advertising sales agent ($55,000)* - Product promoter ($28,000)* | - Marketing manager ($126,000)* - Sales manager ($117,000)* - Marketing analyst ($67,000)* |
| Time to Completion | 2 years full-time | 4 years full-time |
| Common Graduation Requirements | - Roughly 60 credit hours of coursework in fashion marketing and business | - Roughly 120 credit hours of coursework in fashion marketing and business |
| Prerequisites | High school diploma or GED | High School Diploma or GED |
| Online Availability | Yes | Yes |
Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2011 figures).
Associate's Degrees in Fashion Marketing
An associate's program in fashion marketing will give you a foundation in the basics of advertising and marketing techniques. The program will center on marketing clothing, shoes and accessories to consumers. You can expect to get a background in design as well as the business aspects of the industry. Upon finishing an associate's program in fashion marketing, you will possess the skills to create effective marketing strategies and apply principles of business to marketing techniques.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- If you own your own fashion retail store, an associate's in fashion marketing could help you learn how to effectively market your business to attract new clientele
- Having an associate's degree could give you a competitive edge when applying for jobs that only require a high school diploma
- If you currently work in fashion retail, an associate's in fashion marketing could help you improve your sales techniques to sell more merchandise to customers
Cons
- The jobs you'll qualify for have a relatively low annual salary in comparison to the cost of some fashion marketing associate's programs (some programs cost the equivalent of a full year's salary)
- Most higher paying fashion marketing jobs require a bachelor's degree
- Many jobs in this field have only average or below average growth rates for the 2010-2020 decade, according to the BLS
Courses and Requirements
Associate's degree programs in fashion marketing are designed to provide students with a well-rounded education in the basics of marketing. When pursuing your associate's degree in fashion marketing, your coursework will be a combination of marketing classes and fashion classes. Some common courses you might take include:
- Targeting customers
- Trends in fashion
- Principles of design
- Marketing fashion
- Fashion forecasting
- Computers and fashion
- Professional selling
Online Availability
Fashion marketing associate's programs are available on campus, online and in hybrid formats that combine campus and online learning. The coursework you complete through an online program will be very similar to coursework offered by a campus program, and will still provide you with a firm grasp in the basics of fashion marketing. Online programs offer far more flexibility than campus programs, which may appeal to you if you work or have other obligations you cannot sacrifice in order to pursue your degree.
Stand out with this Degree
Internships are not always available at the associate level, but they do exist. Especially because you'll be competing against individuals with bachelor's degrees, participating in a fashion marketing internship will give you experience where you lack education. You can expect an internship to expand on the knowledge gained from your coursework and give you the opportunity to apply principles and methods of marketing you learned about in school to real-life work experiences.
Bachelor's Degrees in Fashion Marketing
Bachelor's degree programs in fashion marketing offer a far more in-depth learning experience for students in both elements of the fashion industry and principles of marketing. Upon completion of a bachelor's program in fashion marketing, you will have the skills you need to spot and predict fashion trends, analyze stages of the fashion cycle, create effective marketing strategies and design promotional advertisements for both small and large fashion retailers.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- A bachelor's degree in fashion marketing could lead to a career in marketing management or analysis, both of which are high paying fields in the fashion industry
- Holding a bachelor's degree will give you a competitive edge over applicants with a lower level education
- Allows you to experiment and utilize your creativity and you create new strategies to best market brands to consumers
Cons
- Very few careers in fashion marketing have faster than average growth rates according to the BLS, which could make finding a job difficult
- Marketing programs that are specifically catered toward fashion marketing are rare, so you may be limited in your choices for schools
- The fashion industry is fast-paced and stressful by nature
Courses and Requirements
Bachelor's level courses in fashion marketing are designed to provide students with a strong grasp of marketing techniques and fashion trends. Bachelor's programs include many of the same courses as associate's programs but expand on the concepts of marketing in more detail. Some general courses you can expect to take when pursuing your bachelor's degree in fashion marketing include:
- Visual merchandising
- Principles of marketing
- Merchandise planning
- Marketing accessories
- Behavior of consumers
Online Availability
Bachelor's programs in fashion marketing can be completed on campus or online. Some schools even offer a hybrid program that combines both settings to provide students with a flexible schedule while still retaining the structure of a campus-based learning environment. If you choose to pursue your degree online, you will find that the work is comparable to work offered by campus programs. An online fashion marketing degree will prepare you to pursue a career in the same positions as a campus program. An online program may be a better fit for you if you are busy with work, family or other life obligations and do not have the time to devote to a campus program. Some online programs even offer the ability to complete a bachelor's degree in three years instead of four.
Stand out with this Degree
Many bachelor's programs in fashion marketing are affiliated with internship programs within the fashion industry. A marketing internship will provide you with hands-on experience in fashion marketing and knowledge that can not be learned in a classroom setting. An internship will also provide relevant work experience to add to your resume that will make you stand out when applying for jobs after graduation.
