• Explain how social, environmental, political, cultural, and economic systems, as well as geography relate to the planning, creation, production, merchandising, distribution, and consumption of textile, apparel, and footwear products and resulting company performance.
• Apply market research skills throughout the line planning and development process to establish line direction in terms of color, style, materials, separates/coordinates balance, and pricing.
• Development assortment plans that are in line with specific target markets, company location and/or selling format, marketplace trends, and performance goals.
• Develop merchandise budgets and analyze and update budgets to meet company performance goals.
• Use industry-relevant technology to formulate and communicate merchandising decisions.
• Apply visual and promotional strategies across different selling formats that would potentially enhance company performance.

Merchandising Management major requirements are divided into two parts—lower-division and upper-division. The lower-division design core program involves completion of courses within the first and second year (see core curriculum below) that build a solid foundation for the upper-division merchandising curricula. The lower-division design core coursework may be completed at OSU or any accredited college or university that offers equivalent courses transferable to OSU.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Summary of Requirements
The coursework completed must satisfy all degree requirements and total to a minimum of 180 credit hours to earn the degree
Lower Division		57-62
Design Core Courses (29-34)
Merchandising Management Course (4)
Art, Communications, Economics, Math, Statistics, and Writing (24) 1
Upper Division		68
Design Core Courses (41) 2
Merchandising Management Courses (27)
University General Education Requirements		25
Unrestricted Electives		25-30
Total credits required for graduation		180

MERCHANDISING MANAGEMENT PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS (180)

Design Core Curriculum (98-103)

The Design core curriculum provides students with a broad overview of design thinking and processes.

Plan of Study Grid

First Year		Credits
Students entering OSU on the Corvallis campus as their first college experience are required to participate in Innovation Nation, the College of Business Living-Learning Community (LLC). These students, as well as students who transfer in the winter term into the merchandising management major from another college or university, will complete the following three-course sequence during their first year:
BA 160	B-ENGAGED
BA 161	INNOVATION NATION--AWARENESS TO ACTION
BA 162	INNOVATION NATION--IDEAS TO REALITY
All other students will complete the following courses:
BA 101	BUSINESS NOW	6
Students should also complete:
ART 101	*INTRODUCTION TO THE VISUAL ARTS	3
COMM 111 or COMM 114 or COMM 218	*PUBLIC SPEAKING or *ARGUMENT AND CRITICAL DISCOURSE or *INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION	3
DSGN 121	COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN	3
MTH 111	*COLLEGE ALGEBRA	4
WR 121	*ENGLISH COMPOSITION	4
General Baccalaureate Core courses		20-23
Note: Students entering design programs should have basic art and illustration skills. ART 115 and ART 117 are highly recommended electives
	Credits	43
Second Year
All students should complete the following courses++: 3
BA 280	BUSINESS INSIGHTS (transfer students only)
DSGN 253	PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT	3
DSGN 282	DRAFTING YOUR CAREER BLUEPRINT	1
DSGN 283	CREATIVITY, CULTURE, AND THE WORKPLACE	1
DSGN 284	FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE I	1
++ Students who transfer from another college or university into the merchandising management major who have completed all lower-division design core course work should complete the following course:
BA 381	PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT	4
Second-year students should also complete:
ART 206 or ART 204 or ART 205	*INTRODUCTION TO WESTERN ART: NEOCLASSICISM TO CONTEMPORARY or *INTRODUCTION TO WESTERN ART: PREHISTORY TO HIGH MIDDLE AGES or *INTRODUCTION TO WESTERN ART: GOTHIC TO BAROQUE	3
BA 260	INTRODUCTION TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP	4
DSGN 244	COLOR INNOVATION	4
DSGN 255	TEXTILES	4
DSGN 281	DRAWING AND SKETCHING	4
ECON 201	*INTRODUCTION TO MICROECONOMICS	4
ST 201	PRINCIPLES OF STATISTICS	4
WR 222 or WR 323 or WR 327	*ENGLISH COMPOSITION or *ENGLISH COMPOSITION or *TECHNICAL WRITING	3
Baccalaureate core, minor courses, or unrestricted electives		5-7
	Credits	45
Third Year
ART 367	*HISTORY OF DESIGN	3
BA 315	ACCOUNTING FOR DECISION MAKING	4
BA 352	MANAGING INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM PERFORMANCE	4
BA 354	^MANAGING ETHICS AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY	4
BA 390 or BA 223	PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING or PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING	4
DSGN 311	FRAMING YOUR CAREER PLAN	1
DSGN 312	FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE II	1
DSGN 313	THE ORANGE AND BLACK CASE COMPETITION	1
DSGN 341	DESIGN THINKING AND PROCESS INNOVATION	4
MGMT 364	PROJECT MANAGEMENT	4
	Credits	30
Fourth Year
DSGN 411	NAVIGATING YOUR WORKPLACE	1
DSGN 412	FINANCIAL PLANNING I	1
DSGN 413	FINANCIAL PLANNING II	1
MRKT 492	CONSUMER BEHAVIOR	4
MRKT 495	RETAIL MANAGEMENT	4
Baccalaureate core, minor courses, or unrestricted electives		20
	Credits	31
	Total Credits	149

*

Baccalaureate Core Course (BCC)

^

Writing Intensive Course (WIC)

1

The ART, COMM, ECON, MTH, and WR classes above meet the university's baccalaureate core requirements for Mathematics, Social Processes and Institutions, Writing II, Speech, Western Culture, Literature and Arts, and Science, Technology and Society. All students must meet the other baccalaureate core requirements and the other requirements for baccalaureate degrees

2

Students are provided elective credits to enable them to achieve a degree of specialization and depth to match their interests

3

For students who transfer into College of Business business-related programs, the Blueprint transition courses meet the same outcomes as the professional development (Blueprint) course series accounting for the student’s academic year when they transfer into the business program

Merchandising Management Major 

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
DSGN 276	INTRODUCTION TO MERCHANDISING MANAGEMENT	4
DSGN 330	^FASHION FORECASTING AND MARKET ANALYSIS	4
DSGN 333	HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY FASHION	4
DSGN 356	SPECIFICATION AND EVALUATION OF PERFORMANCE MATERIALS	3
DSGN 372	MERCHANDISE PLANNING AND CONTROL	4
DSGN 377	RETAIL AND MERCHANDISING ANALYTICS	4
DSGN 471	RETAIL ENVIRONMENT STRATEGIES	4
DSGN 475	*GLOBAL SOURCING OF TEXTILES, APPAREL, AND FOOTWEAR	4
Total Credits		31

 

Degree plans are subject to change and the following is only an example of how students may complete their degree in four years. Students should consult their advisor to determine the best degree plan for them. Contact details for advisors can be found on the Academic Advising page.

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
FALL		CREDITS
BA 160	B-ENGAGED	3
MTH 111	*COLLEGE ALGEBRA	4
Bacc Core: Biological Science with Lab		4
Bacc Core: Cultural Diversity		3
Bacc Core: PAC		1
	Credits	15
WINTER
BA 161	INNOVATION NATION--AWARENESS TO ACTION	3
DSGN 121	COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN	3
WR 121	*ENGLISH COMPOSITION	4
Bacc Core: Physical Science with Lab		4
Bacc Core: Difference, Power & Discrimination		3
	Credits	17
SPRING
ART 101	*INTRODUCTION TO THE VISUAL ARTS	3
BA 162	INNOVATION NATION--IDEAS TO REALITY	3
COMM 111	*PUBLIC SPEAKING	3
HHS 231	*LIFETIME FITNESS FOR HEALTH	2
Bacc Core: Physical or Biological Science with Lab		4
	Credits	15
Second Year
FALL
DSGN 255	TEXTILES	4
DSGN 276	INTRODUCTION TO MERCHANDISING MANAGEMENT	4
DSGN 282	DRAFTING YOUR CAREER BLUEPRINT	1
ECON 201	*INTRODUCTION TO MICROECONOMICS	4
WR 222	*ENGLISH COMPOSITION	3
	Credits	16
WINTER
BA 260	INTRODUCTION TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP	4
DSGN 244	COLOR INNOVATION	4
DSGN 253	PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT	3
DSGN 283	CREATIVITY, CULTURE, AND THE WORKPLACE	1
ST 201	PRINCIPLES OF STATISTICS	4
	Credits	16
SPRING
ART 206	*INTRODUCTION TO WESTERN ART: NEOCLASSICISM TO CONTEMPORARY	3
BA 223	PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING	4
DSGN 281	DRAWING AND SKETCHING	4
DSGN 284	FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE I	1
Electives		3
	Credits	15
Third Year
FALL
ART 367	*HISTORY OF DESIGN	3
BA 315	ACCOUNTING FOR DECISION MAKING	4
DSGN 311	FRAMING YOUR CAREER PLAN	1
DSGN 330	^FASHION FORECASTING AND MARKET ANALYSIS	4
DSGN 341	DESIGN THINKING AND PROCESS INNOVATION	4
	Credits	16
WINTER
DSGN 312	FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE II	1
DSGN 333	HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY FASHION	4
DSGN 372	MERCHANDISE PLANNING AND CONTROL	4
Electives		6
	Credits	15
SPRING
BA 352	MANAGING INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM PERFORMANCE	4
DSGN 313	THE ORANGE AND BLACK CASE COMPETITION	1
DSGN 356	SPECIFICATION AND EVALUATION OF PERFORMANCE MATERIALS	3
DSGN 377	RETAIL AND MERCHANDISING ANALYTICS	4
MGMT 364	PROJECT MANAGEMENT	4
	Credits	16
Fourth Year
FALL
DSGN 411	NAVIGATING YOUR WORKPLACE	1
DSGN 471	RETAIL ENVIRONMENT STRATEGIES	4
MRKT 495	RETAIL MANAGEMENT	4
Electives		4
	Credits	13
WINTER
DSGN 412	FINANCIAL PLANNING I	1
DSGN 475	*GLOBAL SOURCING OF TEXTILES, APPAREL, AND FOOTWEAR	4
MRKT 492	CONSUMER BEHAVIOR	4
Electives		4
	Credits	13
SPRING
BA 354	^MANAGING ETHICS AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY	4
DSGN 413	FINANCIAL PLANNING II	1
Electives		8
	Credits	13
	Total Credits	180