Skip to Content

This is an archived copy of the 2012-14 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.utexas.edu/.

Bachelor of Science in Textiles and Apparel

The Division of Textiles and Apparel is a place to get a broad-based education, well suited for career opportunities. Students in the Division of Textiles and Apparel enjoy a wide range of academic programs and career opportunities. They study the art of design, the science of chemistry and physics, and the application of retail and management principles, through the lens of history. Majors come in three packages: Retail Merchandising, Apparel Design with Conservation, and Fiber Science. Each program provides hands-on experience with rapidly evolving retail environments, intercultural practices and customs, consumer behavior, apparel and fashion design, computer-aided design, fashion show production and event organization, garment conservation and museum management, and fiber and fabric testing. Capstone retail merchandising and apparel design programs take students to high-profile venues and provide rich opportunities in honors programs. Internships are available to enhance the educational experience and ensure strong career opportunities. Basic research is being conducted in bio-based fibers and specialized fabrics, and 3D technology to address basic human needs. Research is also conducted involving the effects of change and new technologies on the development and distribution of creative textile products. The Division of Textiles and Apparel is a marvelous place to get a broad-based education, well suited for rewarding career opportunities.

Prescribed Work Common to All Options

  1. All students pursuing an undergraduate degree must complete the University’s Core Curriculum. The core includes courses in language, literature, social sciences, natural sciences, and fine arts.
  2. Two courses with a writing flag. One of these courses must be upper-division. Courses that carry a writing flag are identified in the Course Schedule available at http://registrar.utexas.edu/schedules. They may be used simultaneously to fulfill other requirements, unless otherwise specified.

Prescribed Work for Each Option

Option I: Apparel Design and Conservation

In addition, students following the apparel design and conservation option must complete the following degree-level requirements. In some cases, courses that fulfill degree-level requirements also meet the requirements of the core.

  1. Three hours of lower-division coursework in anthropology, economics, psychology, or sociology; and six hours of upper-division coursework in American studies, anthropology, cultural studies, psychology, or sociology.
  2. Mathematics 408C or 408N; and one of the following: Mathematics 316, Statistics and Scientific Computation 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, or Educational Psychology 371.
  3. Chemistry 301 or 301H, 302 or 302H, and 204; and either Biology 311C (for the apparel design specialization) or Chemistry 320M (for the conservation specialization).
  4. Accounting 310F, Management 320F, and Marketing 320F.
  5. Either (a) for the apparel design specialization, three semester hours of studio art, or (b) for the conservation specialization, Art History 303; and nine semester hours of upper-division coursework in art history or studio art.
  6. Textiles and Apparel 205, 105L, 219C and 119L, 325L, 325M, 352D, 260L, and 260M; Human Development and Family Sciences 322; and one of the following sequences:
    1. Apparel design specialization: Textiles and Apparel 212K, 212L, 316L, 126, 226L, 355C, 164K (Topics 1: Flat Pattern, 2: Draping, and 3: Advanced Apparel Design), 264L (Topics 1: Flat Pattern, 2: Draping, and 3: Advanced Apparel Design), and three semester hours chosen from Textiles and Apparel 303, 327, 328, 355D, 355N, 359H, 365, 376, 378H, and 379H.
    2. Conservation specialization: Textiles and Apparel 355D; three semester hours chosen from Textiles and Apparel 303, 327, 328, 355N, and 376; twelve semester hours chosen from Textiles and Apparel 126 and 226L, 352C, 355C, 359H, and topics of 164K and 264L, 365, 378H, and 379H; and six or seven semester hours chosen from Textiles and Apparel 212K, 212L, 316L, and 316Q.
  7. Thirty-six semester hours of upper-division coursework, of which at least eighteen must be within and at least twelve must be outside the School of Human Ecology. At least twenty-one semester hours of upper-division coursework must be taken in residence at the University.
  8. Enough additional coursework to make a total of 126 semester hours.

Option II: Retail Merchandising

In addition, students following the retail merchandising option must complete the following degree-level requirements. In some cases, courses that fulfill degree-level requirements also meet the requirements of the core.

  1. Six semester hours of economics and three semester hours of psychology, sociology, or anthropology.
  2. Mathematics 408C or 408N; and one of the following: Mathematics 316, Statistics and Scientific Computation 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, or Educational Psychology 371.
  3. Chemistry 301 or 301H, 302 or 302H, and 204; and Biology 311C and 311D.
  4. Art History 301.
  5. Communication Studies 306M, Accounting 310F, Marketing 320F, and Advertising 318J; and six semester hours chosen from Management 320F, Management Information Systems 302F, and Legal Environment of Business 320F.
  6. Forty-seven semester hours in the School of Human Ecology, including the following coursework:
    1. Textiles and Apparel 205, 105L, 212K, 212L, 315K, 316Q, 219C and 119L, 352M, 355P, 260L, 260M, 361, and 376; and nine hours chosen from Textiles and Apparel 303, 325L, 325M, 327, 328, 355D, 355K, 355N, 164K and 264L, 365, 378H, and 379H.
    2. Human Development and Family Sciences 322; Textiles and Apparel 361; and three additional hours in human development and family sciences or nutrition.
  7. Thirty-six semester hours of upper-division coursework, of which at least eighteen must be within and at least twelve must be outside the School of Human Ecology. At least twenty-one semester hours of upper-division coursework must be taken in residence at the University.
  8. Enough additional coursework to make a total of 126 semester hours.

Option III:  Textiles and Apparel Honors

  1. Breadth Requirement:  An approved calculus course and an approved statistics course (one of these must be honors); Chemistry 301H and 302H; Biology 315H and 325H. Credit earned by examination may not be counted toward this requirement.
  2. A section of Undergraduate Studies 302 or 303 that is approved by the departmental honors adviser.
  3. A section of Rhetoric and Writing 309S that is restricted to Dean’s Scholars.
  4. Textiles and Apparel 105L, 205, 327, 328, 260L, and 260M.
  5. Twenty-two semester hours selected from the three streams of Textiles and Apparel courses with at least three semester hours in each of the streams: Apparel Design, History and Conservation, Retailing and Merchandising, as well as Human Development and Family Sciences 322 with consent of the honors adviser.
  6. Six hours of Textiles and Apparel, including Textiles and Apparel 379H. In all cases, students will be required to conduct research and write a thesis. In some cases, this thesis will be accompanied by a portfolio of work.
  7. Six additional semester hours from biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, mathematics or physics. Courses designed for non-science majors may not be counted toward this requirement.
  8. Six semester hours of coursework in the College of Liberal Arts or the College of Fine Arts.
  9. Thirty-six semester hours of upper-division coursework. At least twenty-one semester hours of upper-division coursework must be taken in residence at the University.                                   
  10. Twelve additional semester hours of coursework approved by the departmental honors adviser.
  11. Enough additional coursework to make a total of 120 semester hours.

Special Requirements

Students must fulfill both the University's General Requirements for graduation and the college requirements. They must also earn a grade of at least C- in each mathematics and science course required for the degree, and a grade point average in these courses of at least 2.00. More information about grades and the grade point average is given in General Information.

To graduate under option III, students must remain in good standing in the Dean’s Scholars Honors Program must earn grades of at least A- in the departmental research and thesis courses described in requirement 8 above, and must present their research in an approved public forum, such as the college’s annual Undergraduate Research Forum.

Order and Choice of Work

The student should consult the faculty adviser each semester about order and choice of work and balancing the laboratory load. Students should also check prerequisite requirements carefully.

 


What Starts Here Changes the World