This is an archived copy of the 2014-16 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: merchandising and consumer sciences; apparel, functional, and technical design; and textile conservation and museum studies. 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

All students pursuing an undergraduate degree must complete the University’s Core Curriculum .

In addition, students seeking the Bachelor of Science in Textiles and Apparelmust complete the following degree-level requirements. In some cases, courses that fulfill degree-level requirements also meet the requirements of the core.

  1. Two courses with a writing flag. One of these courses must be upper-division.
  2. One course with a quantitative reasoning flag.

Courses that carry flags are identified in the Course Schedule . They may be used simultaneously to fulfill other requirements, unless otherwise specified.

Prescribed Work for Each Option

Option I: Apparel, Functional, and Technical Design

  1. Mathematics 408C, 408N or Statistics and Data Sciences 332.
  2. One of the following: Mathematics 316, Statistics and Data Sciences 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, or Educational Psychology 371.
  3. Chemistry 301 or 301H, 302 or 302H, and 204; and Biology 311C.
  4. The following textiles and apparel courses:
    1. Core Courses: Textiles and Apparel 301, 205, 105L, 313, 214K, 214L, 328, 331, 260L, and 260M; and two of the following courses: Textiles and Apparel 325L, 325M, and 327.
    2. Option courses: Textiles and Apparel 316L, 126, 226L, 350, 352D, 355C, 164K (Topics 1: Flat Pattern, 2: Draping, and 3: Advanced Apparel Design), and 264L (Topic 1: Flat Pattern, 2: Draping, and 3: Advanced Apparel Design).
  5. Thirty-six semester hours of upper-division coursework, of which at least eighteen must be within 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.
  6. Enough additional coursework to make a total of 126 semester hours.

Option II: Merchandising and Consumer Sciences

In addition, students following the 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. Mathematics 408C, 408N, or Statistics and Data Sciences 332.
  1. One of the following: Mathematics 316, Statistics and Data Sciences 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, or Educational Psychology 371.
  2. Chemistry 301 or 301H, 302 or 302H, and 204; and Biology 311C.
  3. Economics 304K.
  4. The following textiles and apparel courses:
    1. Core courses: Textiles and Apparel 301, 205, 105L, 313, 214K, 214L, 328, 331, 260L, and 260M; and two of the following courses:  Textiles and Apparel 325L, 325M, and 327.
    2. Option courses: Textiles and Apparel 316Q, 219C, 119L, 151, 352M, 315K, 355P, 361, 376, and 377.
  5. 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.
  6. Enough additional coursework to make a total of 126 semester hours.

Option III: Textiles and Apparel Honors

  1. Mathematics 408C, 408N, or Statistics and Data Sciences 332.

  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 students in the Dean’s Scholars Honors Program.

  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, technical, and functional design; merchandising and consumer science; and textile conservation and museum studies, 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.

Option IV: Textile Conservation and Museum Studies

  1. Mathematics 408C, 408N, or Statistics and Data Sciences 332.
  2. One of the following: Mathematics 316, Statistics and Data Sciences 302, 303, 304, 305,306, or Educational Psychology 371.
  3. Chemistry 301 or 301H, 302 or 302H, 204, and 320M.
  4. Anthropology 302 and 304.
  5. The following textiles and apparel courses:
    1. Core courses: Textiles and Apparel 301, 205, 105L, 313, 214K, 214L, 328, 331, 260L, and 260M; and two of the following courses: Textiles and Apparel 325L, 325M, and 327.
    2. Option courses: Textiles and Apparel 219C, 119L, 151, 652C, 354C, 354D, 354E, 354F, and 355D.
  6. 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.
  7. Enough additional coursework to make a total of 126 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  the General Information Catalog .

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.