MRCH 3100 Global Sourcing and Supply Chain Management — 4 credits

A course focused on global sourcing and supply chain management in today’s agile industry. Students examine global trade factors, tariffs, and duties while analyzing sourcing, planning, buying, logistics, data-driven decision making, and profitability. Case studies and simulations explore sustainability, corporate responsibility, and how global supply chains operate. Offered in the College for Women.
Prerequisites: Sophomore or Junior standing.

MRCH 3200 Apparel Specifications for Product Development and Manufacturing — 4 credits

A product development course focused on apparel manufacturing, quality assurance, and industry standards. Students create technical packages, develop garment specifications, and analyze manufacturing processes and efficiency. Emphasizes sustainability through team-based projects centered on responsible sourcing, production, and the development of sustainable apparel collections. Offered in the College for Women.
Prerequisites: FASH 2100, FASH 2500, & FASH 3100.

MRCH 3300 Omnichannel Retail — 4 credits

A course examining omnichannel retail in the digital age, with emphasis on e-commerce and customer-centered retail strategy. Students analyze how digital platforms, mobile technology, social media, and physical stores integrate to shape the customer journey. Focuses on evaluating and applying omnichannel retail strategies across today’s evolving retail environment. Offered in the College for Women.
Prerequisites: MKTG 2302 or BUSI 2012, and Junior or Senior standing.

MRCH 3450 Visual Merchandising — 4 credits

This course explores the strategic application of design principles to the presentation of merchandise across physical retail, digital, and omni-channel environments. Students examine how visual merchandising influences consumer behavior, brand identity, and purchasing decisions through the use of window displays, in-store presentations, and virtual retail experiences. The course emphasizes retail space planning, planograms, store layout, and traffic flow, along with best practices for visual storytelling and product presentation. Students develop merchandising plans and execute displays using current industry techniques, retail standards, and sustainable visual merchandising strategies applicable to careers in visual merchandising, retail styling, store planning, and brand presentation.
Prerequisite: FASH 1000, FASH 2150W, FASH 3150, and junior standing.

MRCH 3994 Topics — 4 credits

The subject matter of the course is announced in the annual schedule of classes. Content varies from year to year but does not duplicate existing courses.

MRCH 4400 Sustainable Product Development — 4 credits

Sustainable Product Development is an application of design and merchandising perspectives to product development cycle from concept to production handoff for diverse target markets keeping sustainability at the forefront of design thinking. The course is designed to simulate real-life scenarios with a cross-functional team environment and industry partnership and guidance.
Prerequisite: INDI 2222 or Junior or Senior standing in a fashion major.

MRCH 4684 Directed Study — 4 credits

Directed study is provided for students whose unusual circumstances prohibit taking a regularly scheduled course but who need the material of that course to satisfy a requirement. Availability of this faculty-directed learning experience depends on faculty time and may be limited in any given term and restricted to certain courses.
Prerequisites: Faculty, department chair and dean approval.

MRCH 4850 Retail Planning & Allocation — 4 credits

This course introduces students to the core principles of retail buying, merchandise planning, and inventory management within the fashion and retail industry. Students develop analytical and decision-making skills related to assortment planning, demand forecasting, sales analysis, pricing strategy, and inventory allocation. Using retail-focused analytics and spreadsheet-based tools, students apply merchandising math to real-world scenarios involving budgeting, sales performance, stock optimization, and profitability. Emphasis is placed on data-driven retail strategies that support careers in fashion merchandising, retail buying, planning, and allocation. Offered in the College for Women.
Prerequisite: BUSI 2012 and sophomore standing.

MRCH 4953 Independent Study — 3 credits

Independent study offers students the opportunity for specialized research not covered in a course offering, by the action project or thesis. Students work with a faculty advisor to develop a learning contract, which specifies the content and objectives of the study as well as the requirements and procedures for evaluation. The amount of credit earned for the study also is included in the learning contract.
Prerequisites: Permission of the faculty and department chair or program director.

MRCH 4954 Independent Study — 4 credits

Independent study offers students the opportunity for specialized research not covered in a course offering, by the action project or thesis. Students work with a faculty advisor to develop a learning contract, which specifies the content and objectives of the study as well as the requirements and procedures for evaluation. The amount of credit earned for the study also is included in the learning contract.
Prerequisites: Permission of the faculty and department chair or program director.

MRCH 4994 Topics — 4 credits

The subject matter of the course is announced in the annual schedule of classes. Content varies from year to year but does not duplicate existing courses.