School of Fashion | Columbia College Chicago

School of Fashion | Columbia College Chicago
School of Fashion
Take your first steps toward a career in the fashion industry by earning your degree at the School of Fashion. At Columbia, we’ll help you lay the groundwork to pursue your professional interests, whether it’s fashion design, merchandising, product development, or marketing. Here, you’ll learn the art and the business of fashion by participating in corporate competitions; working in studios for actual clients with real customer needs; joining fellow changemakers who celebrate body diversity and sustainability practices; and interning for companies such as Modern Luxury, Express, Wuensche USA, Boy Meets Girl, and Cotton Inc. Your creative career starts here.
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Undergraduate Programs
Fashion Studies Bachelor's Degree (BA)
Concentrations
Merchandising
Product Development
Fashion Design Bachelor's Degree (BFA)
Creative Professional Studies Bachelor's Degree (BA)
Graduate Degrees
Global Beauty Management Master of Arts Degree (MA |

Online)
Minors
Fashion for Game Art
The Schools of Fashion and Design have collaborated to create a hybrid course of study designed to expose students to the intersections of fashion and the video game industry.
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Fashion Studies
The Fashion Studies minor gives a broad overview of the industry, with courses in trendspotting, marketing fashion brands, apparel evaluation, fashion history from a global perspective, and approaches to fashion design. The minor is a great complement to degrees in fine art, design, or theatre design and technology.
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Fashion Styling
The minor in Fashion Styling will introduce students to the disciplines within this broader field. Students will learn about costuming for film, television, and theater, editorial styling, personal wardrobing, and styling for e-commerce. As part of collaborative teams, fashion students will work with students in adjacent disciplines such as photography, cinema, television, and theater to develop, analyze, and create still and motion imagery and scenes.
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Sustainable Fashion
The interdisciplinary Sustainable Fashion minor explores many facets of sustainability as it relates to the fashion industry including sustainable and zero waste design and merchandising; history and theory of environmentalism in fashion; textile science; labor issues; sourcing and supply chain; and the legal implications of sustainable and ethical fashion.
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Certificates
Inclusive Beauty Management Certificate
Columbia College Chicago’s Inclusive Beauty Management Certificate prepares professionals to lead brands and organizations that authentically serve diverse identities, cultures, and global markets.

This fully online, nine-credit graduate certificate focuses on inclusive strategy, culturally responsive market research, and values-driven leadership in the global beauty and personal care industries. Courses are delivered in seven-week sessions that blend synchronous and asynchronous learning. Students can complete the certificate in one semester by enrolling in all courses during the spring term.
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Sustainable Beauty Management Certificate
Columbia College Chicago’s Sustainable Beauty Management Certificate prepares working professionals to lead beauty and wellness organizations with environmental responsibility and ethical innovation at the core.

This fully online, nine-credit graduate certificate explores how sourcing, production, emerging technologies, and organizational leadership can prioritize people and the planet alongside profit. Courses are delivered in seven-week sessions that combine live (synchronous) and self-paced (asynchronous) learning. Students can complete the certificate in one semester by enrolling in all courses during the spring term.
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Learn what makes fashion education at Columbia stand out.
Faculty
Faculty are industry professionals, artists and scholars who are active practitioners in their field and share their real-world experiences in the classroom.
Facilities
Columbia College Chicago offers top-notch facilities designed to help fashion students explore their ideas, work on projects and collaborate with each other.
Alumni
Fashion alumni find success with hands-on experience that translates into work with major designers, retailers, boutiques, and galleries.
Student Work
At Columbia, students in the School of Fashion collaborate with real companies to serve their clients’ needs as well as realize their designer dreams by creating their own collections.
Virtual Tour
Launch Experience
News
Columbia Alum Darlene Mitchell ’13 Advances to “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Finale
Apr 15, 2026
Columbia College Chicago alum Darlene Mitchell ’13 is a finalist on the current season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
Columbia Students Recognized by Fashion Scholarship Fund and Virgil Abloh “Post-Modern” Scholars for Industry-Focused Work
Apr 06, 2026
Columbia College Chicago students earn national recognition as FSF Scholars, presenting industry-focused case studies at the FSF LIVE Gala in New York City.
April Events at Columbia College Chicago
Mar 31, 2026
A range of performances and experiences showcasing student and faculty artists from diverse backgrounds and disciplines.
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