JWU Online’s Bachelor of Science in Fashion Merchandising & Retailing can help turn a passion for retail trends and a business mindset into a rewarding career. This online program blends creativity with business and analytics skills, preparing students for roles across buying, merchandising, marketing, retail strategy and more. Explore how this program equips students with practical experience and industry knowledge to be successful in today’s fast-paced retail landscape.’
“The Fashion Merchandising & Retailing program provides a constructive and hands-on experience to prepare me for the fashion industry. Practical skills combined with academics are advancing my retail knowledge for working as an apparel team member and is preparing me to run my own fashion boutique in the future.”
– Elena Goines ’28, B.S. – Fashion Merchandising & Retailing
Experienced Faculty
Courses in the program are taught by faculty who bring their real-life experiences into the online classroom. Associate Professor Patricia Fisher is one of the lead faculty in the Fashion Merchandising and Retailing program. She connects with industry regularly to keep course content relevant, with 15 years of retail merchandise management experience and 30 years of higher education experience in teaching and leadership. As she notes, “I have a passion for buying as well as visual merchandising, which are two key areas I usually teach.”
In addition, adjunct faculty Nicole Hall has worked in the retail industry for over 15 years at companies including David’s Bridal, Kohl’s, Rue La La, J.Crew, Tory Burch, Lululemon and Staples. Hall teaches the Retail and Fashion lab course.
“I would like to give a special shoutout to Professors Nicole Hall and Pat Fisher for helping to guide me along the way. Their feedback and support have been invaluable to my success at JWU.”
– Carl E. Johnson ‘26, B.S. – Fashion Merchandising & Retailing
Studying Fashion Merchandising Online
Fisher notes that hands-on and experiential learning done in the classroom can also be done in the online format. Every graduate of JWU’s Fashion Merchandising & Retailing program develops a comprehensive portfolio throughout their studies, demonstrating their skills and accomplishments through real-world projects.
For online students, building their portfolio involves engaging with local communities. This often includes visiting neighborhood shops, museums and retail locations to interact with business owners, evaluate visual merchandising displays and share their observations through discussion board posts in the online classroom.
Hall notes, “JWU Online’s program emphasizes preparing students to enter the fashion and retail workforce confidently with real skills, a portfolio of work, and industry exposure that many competitors don’t emphasize as strongly.”
Many of JWU’s online students are already working in the industry and balancing full-time jobs while earning their degrees. As Fisher notes, “In general, you get a very diverse population of students from across the country and across the globe. Since a lot of them are working professionals, they can contribute also a lot to the class in the discussion boards.” Hall adds, “Discussion boards turn an online course from a solo experience into a collaborative one where learning happens through conversation.”
These classroom discussion boards allow online students to build professional connections before graduating — a unique advantage that differs from traditional on-campus courses.
To further these connections, Fisher helps foster networking opportunities and makes networking across the country more accessible for online students by staying active in the JWU alumni community, ensuring that current students can always reach out to find local connections. Additionally, JWU is a member of the National Retail Federation (NRF), and Fisher notes that the NRF’s virtual events can be a great resource for online students.
Job Outlook
Graduates of the B.S. Fashion Merchandising & Retailing program are well-prepared for a wide range of career paths, including merchandising (entering careers such as Buying, Visual Merchandising or Product Development); marketing (including PR and managing fashion brands’ social media) and even retail store management.
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Purchasing Manager, Buyer and Purchasing Agent jobs are projected to grow by 5% over the next 10 years — faster than the average growth rate for all other occupations.
“The Fashion Merchandising & Retailing program has helped me tremendously on my journey toward becoming a Boutique Manager for a luxury fashion house. I’ve had the opportunity to apply what I’m learning in class — and am one promotion away from becoming a Store Manager.”
– Carl E. Johnson, ’26 B.S. Fashion Merchandising & Retailing
Next Steps
Whether you’re seeking advancement or a new career in this exciting industry, JWU Online’s flexible program is designed to fit your schedule. Start building your future in fashion merchandising and retailing with the skills, support and connections to thrive in the field.
For more information about this program, complete the request information form, submit your free application or email [email protected].
