Program at a Glance | What You'll Learn | Program Details | Career Possibilities | FAQ
A Fashion Business Degree Built for Creative Leaders
So, you want to be a creative director. A brand strategist. A buyer for a major retailer or the founder of your own label. This program is built to get you there. You'll start with a strong design-thinking foundation, then layer on brand strategy, creative direction, data and analytics, entrepreneurship and fashion business innovation: the exact skills fashion employers are hiring for right now.
You'll learn it all in Nashville, a major creative and entrepreneurial hub. Already famous for music and emerging fast in tech, this city is full of people making things, which means real companies to intern with, real professionals to learn from and one of the country's most exciting markets to launch your career in.
Fashion touches nearly every part of the global economy, from textile innovation and manufacturing to marketing, retail and e-commerce. So, our graduates go everywhere. You'll find them leading at Fortune 500 companies and brands like The RealReal, Veronica Beard, Marc Jacobs, Buck Mason, Madewell and Ann Taylor Factory, running flagship stores, managing production, directing brand campaigns and buying for major retailers.
Belmont's Fashion Business and Design Leadership BFA is a program for people who think creatively and lead boldly. Wherever you want to take that, we'll help you get there.
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Program at a Glance
- Four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts, in-person
- 128 credit hours, no minor required
- Coursework in branding, merchandising, entrepreneurship and creative strategy
- 100% internship rate
- Recognized among the top 50 fashion programs in the U.S. (FashionSchools.org)
- Graduates hired by The RealReal, Veronica Beard, Marc Jacobs, Buck Mason, Madewell and Ann Taylor Factory
What You'll Learn in Belmont’s Fashion Business Program
Fashion Business and Design Leadership is a four-year program that prepares you to lead in the global fashion industry, whether you're directing a brand, running a business or building your own. As a graduate, you will:
- Understand the business of fashion from every angle — its history, its players and where it's headed next
- Build advanced creative and technical skills that meet professional industry standards, blending the aesthetic, the functional and the strategic
- Apply marketing, fashion merchandising and management principles with the business acumen and ethical awareness the global marketplace demands
- Communicate persuasively across visual, verbal and written platforms to convey brand identity and business strategy
- Solve complex challenges with strategic, creative thinking
Use your creative gifts in service to others, meeting real-world needs through design
Curious about your coursework? View requirements for this degree in the course catalog.
Go beyond the classroom. In Nashville and around the world, you'll find opportunities to learn and grow.
- Learn from the industry, in the industry. Nashville's fashion and retail scene is growing fast, and the fashion department's relationships with local, national and international companies and community organizations bring real-world projects and professional connections into your education.
- Be part of the Fashion Show. O'More's annual Fashion Show is one of Belmont's signature events — and students across the fashion programs help bring it to life, from the runway to the business and production work behind it.
- Explore the world. Experience other cultures and fashion capitals through study abroad opportunities in London, Italy and beyond.
- Join a student organization. With more than 180 to choose from, there's no shortage of ways to get plugged in — including Belmont's chapter of the National Retail Federation Student Association (NRFSA), a great way to build industry connections before you graduate.
There is no portfolio requirement for admittance into the O'More College of Architecture and Design's programs. You are directly admitted into the Fashion Business and Design Leadership program if you are admitted to Belmont.
Each year, the O'More College awards a number of scholarships to incoming fall undergraduates majoring in one of its academic programs. These awards are renewable for four years (five for B.Arch. majors), provided the recipient maintains all required academic and citizenship expectations. To qualify, you must submit your Belmont application by Dec. 1.
A Fashion Business Degree That Goes Wherever You Do
Here's a question parents love to ask: "What will you actually do with a fashion degree?" The answer: almost anything.
Fashion Business and Design Leadership graduates build careers in fashion, retail, branding, merchandising, e-commerce, product development and entrepreneurship. You'll graduate with the eye of a designer and the mind of a strategist, prepared to lead across creative industries.
Fashion Design That Serves People First
At Belmont, we believe creativity is a gift meant to be used in service to others. That conviction shapes how this program teaches business: you'll learn to see every customer for who they truly are and put the people you serve at the center of every decision.
It shows up across O'More College, too. The fashion department regularly partners with Nashville nonprofits and community organizations, giving students opportunities to use their skills for real-world needs and a front-row seat to what mission-driven creative work looks like in action.
Community partners include:
- Gigi’s Playhouse
- Saddle Up!
- Move Inclusive Dance Studio
Career Possibilities
O’More fashion graduates lead at Fortune 500 companies and brands including The Walt Disney Company, GAP, Inc., White House Black Market, Tractor Supply Company, CAKE, and Bed, Bath, & Beyond, Inc. in roles like:
- Creative Directors
- Brand Strategists
- Brand Managers
- Retail Buyers
- Merchandise Planners
- E-commerce Managers
- Fashion Entrepreneurs & Brand Founders
- Marketing Managers
- Product Developers
- Production & Sourcing Managers
- Visual Merchandisers
- Retail & Flagship Store Managers
- Fashion Forecasters
- Wholesale Representatives
- Fashion Event Managers
Learn From Creative Leaders
Our faculty are designers, strategists and business professionals who bring industry insight into every course. They'll help you develop the creative vision, business acumen and leadership skills to thrive in today's fashion industry.
Jamie Atlas
Email: jamie.atlas@belmont.edu
Office Location: Hitch 200
Jessica Bornick
Nathan Chapman
Office Location: Hitch 402
Macey Graham
Star Grieve
Email: star.grieve@belmont.edu
Office Location: Hitch 402
Laura Horner
Email: laura.horner@belmont.edu
Office Location: Hitch 401
Jenny Kemala
Email: jenny.kemala@belmont.edu
Office Location: Hitch 408
Shannon North
Email: shannon.north@belmont.edu
Office Location: Hitch 402
Stephanie Reese
Email: stephanie.reese@belmont.edu
Office Location: Hitch 411
Doug Regen
Email: doug.regen@belmont.edu
Office Location: Jack C Massey Center 460
FAQ
A Fashion Business and Design Leadership degree combines fashion business, creative strategy and leadership training to prepare students for careers across the fashion industry. Students develop skills in areas such as branding, merchandising, marketing, entrepreneurship, trend forecasting and creative direction while learning how to lead teams, build businesses and shape the future of fashion.
With a Fashion Business and Design Leadership degree, graduates can pursue careers in fashion, retail, branding, marketing and entrepreneurship.
Common career paths include creative leadership, brand strategist, retail buyer, merchandise planner, e-commerce manager, product developer, fashion entrepreneur and marketing manager.
The difference between Fashion Business and Design Leadership and Fashion Design is that Fashion Business and Design Leadership focuses on leading, marketing and growing fashion brands, while Fashion Design focuses on creating apparel and accessories.
Students in the Fashion Business and Design Leadership program develop business, branding and leadership skills while building a strong understanding of design and the creative process.
Students in a Fashion Business and Design Leadership program learn creative, analytical and leadership skills used throughout the global fashion industry. These skills include brand strategy, trend forecasting, merchandising, marketing, entrepreneurship, creative direction, visual communication and business innovation.
A fashion business degree is a valuable choice for students who want to combine creativity with business and leadership skills. Fashion companies increasingly seek professionals who understand branding, consumer behavior, data, product development and business strategy, making these skills valuable across fashion, retail and other creative industries.
Yes, a fashion business degree can help prepare students to start and grow their own fashion brands or creative businesses. Through coursework in entrepreneurship, business strategy, branding and innovation, students gain the knowledge needed to bring new products and ideas to market.
Studying fashion business in Nashville gives students access to one of the country's most dynamic creative and entrepreneurial communities. Nashville is home to a growing network of fashion brands, retailers, entrepreneurs and creative professionals, providing opportunities for internships, networking and real-world industry experience while students are still in school.
Spring & Summer Enrollment
If you are considering applying for a Spring or Summer entry term, please contact your admissions coordinator "Sarah Augustyn" to discuss your academic plans before you apply.
Contact Us
O'More College of Architecture & Design
Sarah Augustyn
Admissions Coordinator
615.460.5329
Email Sarah
Plan Your Visit
There's no better way to experience Belmont than by visiting campus. Whether you attend an admissions event, take a student-led campus tour or explore Nashville while you're here, a visit helps you picture yourself as part of the Belmont community.