Graduate Courses
The faculty has approval to offer the following courses in the academic years 2013–2014 and 2014–2015; however, not all courses are taught each semester or summer session. Students should consult the Course Schedule to determine which courses and topics will be offered during a particular semester or summer session. The Course Schedule may also reflect changes made to the course inventory after the publication of this catalog.
Textiles and Apparel: TXA
TXA 392. Research Problems in Textile and Apparel Technology.
Directed research in various topics in the area of textile and apparel technology. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in textile and apparel technology, or graduate standing and consent of instructor.
TXA 394. Recent Advances in Textile and Apparel Technology.
An in-depth study of textile and apparel topics. Students may read original research papers and carry out fieldwork assignments. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or as required by the topic. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in textile and apparel technology, or graduate standing and consent of instructor.
Topic 1: Advances in Product Development and Technical Design. Development of specification, sizing, grading systems, and quality control methodology. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Topic 2: International Sourcing and the Global Economy. Economic, social, and public issues related to international production and sourcing of textiles and apparel. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Topic 3: E-Commerce and Direct Marketing. Recent developments and evaluation of nontraditional retailing of apparel. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Topic 4: Textile Instrumentation. Application of image analysis, neural networks, and wavelet transforms to textile and apparel products. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Topic 5: Digital Design and Printing. Principles and elements of digital design and printing. Recent developments in digital knits, weaves, prints, and nonwoven textiles. Two lecture hours and three laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Topic 6: Textile Functional Finishes. Study of the application and adaptation of functional finishes to textiles. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Topic 7: Textile Microscopy and Image Analysis. Basic techniques for characterizing fiber properties visually with a microscope and using technology and computer analysis. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Topic 8: Digital Modeling of Textiles. Recent developments in two- and three-dimensional modeling. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Topic 9: Production Mechanics and Properties of Woven Fabrics. The relationship between the mechanics of production and mechanical properties of woven fabric; the unit operations required to prepare yarns for weaving and the mechanisms employed in weaving; fabric structure, geometry, and mechanical properties; designing for specific fabric properties. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Topic 10: Global Textile and Apparel Business Dynamics. Elements of competitive strategy and planning methods within the textile complex, with an emphasis on the concepts of strategy in a mature industry, defining business in a global industry, allocating resources through strategic planning methods, and implementing strategy in single- and multi-business firms. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Topic 11: Market Research in Textiles. Study and analysis of quantitative methods employed in market research in the textile industry, including the function of market research and its proper orientation to management and decision making. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Topic 12: Color Science. The basis of modern techniques for color specification, measurement, control, and communication. Applications of color science to textiles, plastics, color reproduction, computer-based imaging, and display systems. Basic concepts are taught using computer color graphics. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
TXA 395. Seminar in Textiles and Apparel.
Lectures and discussions on current topics in textiles and apparel. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in textile and apparel technology, or graduate standing and consent of instructor.
Topic 1: Mass Customization of Apparel. The principles and implementation of newly developed three-dimensional technology for apparel mass customization.
Topic 2: Advanced Functional Textiles. Current science and technology concerning functional textiles. Emphasis is on the relationship between materials, development, structure, and properties.
TXA 698. Thesis.
The equivalent of three lecture hours a week for two semesters. Offered on the credit/no credit basis only. Prerequisite: For 698A, graduate standing in textile and apparel technology and consent of the graduate adviser; for 698B, Textiles and Apparel 698A.