About This Program

The MAT program develops graduates who are consumer and technology focused. Students study concepts and develop skills necessary for understanding consumer and market trends and retailing and buying strategies. You will learn about industry structures that facilitate the development, sourcing, marketing, and merchandising of consumer goods and services in the domestic and international market place.

Courses

Coursework is composed of instruction and hands-on interactions designed to complement the internship opportunities that will help you achieve your individual career goals. You will be challenged to exercise creative thinking in business operations, merchandising strategies, and consumer issues.  You will gain the knowledge and experience you will need to understand current trends and applications in the merchandising, apparel, and textiles industries. Upon graduation, the knowledge you have obtained can be applied to business, management, and professional development settings.

Students complete several projects focusing on various aspects of merchandising, apparel, and textiles: Sourcing, Market Trends, Consumerism, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Retailing, Visual Merchandising, Textiles, and Brand Management.  Courses such as MAT 237: Aesthetics in Merchandising, introduces students to design principles which they later use to create window displays in Lexington retail stores.  In MAT 514: Retail Entrepreneurship, students learn concepts of business ownership and develop a business plan for their own retail store.        

Other industry-focused courses offered include:

• Dress and Culture
• Textiles for Consumers  
• Brand Management
• Merchandise Planning and Control
• Electronic Retailing
• Merchandising Strategy Analysis
• Color Theory

For a complete list of courses and their descriptions, please see our Curriculum Information.