College for Women | School of Business
Stay a step ahead of the competition with St. Kate’s apparel design major, offered on our St. Paul, MN campus. Learn to transform inspiration into innovative design and make clothes for real bodies, while balancing sustainable, socially responsible practice.
Program Details
Take 32 credits per year to finish your degree in four years.
Design with a Focus on Ethics and Sustainable Fashion
You’ll learn how to design a collection, create eco-friendly fashion, and carry out ethical manufacturing. Upcycling, sustainable design, local sourcing, workers' rights, and fair trade are frequent discussion topics in classes.
Sustainable practice is incorporated at every level of St. Catherine University’s apparel design program curriculum, from repurposing textiles to creating looks from recycled material. So is technology. You’ll learn to be fashion-forward and digitally innovative!
St. Kate’s Apparel Design and Fashion Merchandising Advisory Committee ensures that our highly-ranked fashion programs are relevant and align with industry trends. In fact, this committee — made up of fashion leaders and lovers — is regularly invited to speak in classes.
You’ll graduate with three portfolios to share with future employers: a department portfolio, a student portfolio, and an e-portfolio — essential to marketing yourself in this age of information.
When pursuing a degree in apparel design, you'll gain a strong foundation in textile science, garment construction, fashion history, and sustainable design, as well as a global perspective on dress. With an apparel design degree, you can work as a:
- lead or senior designer for a major label
- freelance or independent designer
- buyer for a major corporation
- production or technical manager for a creative company
- costume designer for regional theater
- personal stylist
Getting a bachelor’s degree in apparel design also positions you for graduate work in fashion, design, or other fields, including business, international relations, journalism, cultural anthropology, or museum or archival studies.