The Bachelor of Science degree in Textiles & Fashion Design is a unique program that combines experimentation with materials and techniques with a grounding in history, science, and contemporary design. The heart of the major lies in the hands-on studio courses where students learn to weave, dye, print, construct, pattern, illustrate, design, and innovate. This program nurtures students to become leaders in their chosen fields through responsible, resourceful, and research-driven approaches to design.
Going beyond technique, students are encouraged to intuitively make, analyze, and revise, leading to discovery and creative problem-solving. Special topics focus on environmental, economic, and cultural sustainability, as well as technology and entrepreneurship.
Coursework is enhanced by visiting lecturers, special projects with industry partners, and the on-site Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection. Upper-level students in the major are given the opportunity to professionally present their work to public audiences in an annual student showcase. Through capstone and thesis experiences in the final year, students are given time and mentoring to create and present their own unique body of work.
Our award-winning students are highly creative and superb craftspeople engaged in addressing real-world problems and offering sustainable solutions. Textile & Fashion Design students realize their creative visions in ways that are socially, culturally, ethically, and environmentally sensitive.
The Textiles & Fashion Design program highlights craft technique as a pathway to creative practice and prepares students for exciting and creative careers in industry, design, and art. While studies can focus on textiles or fashion, students are encouraged to explore both areas. The program emphasizes interdisciplinary partnerships and encourages "learning by doing" in studios, outreach projects, and sustainable practices. Through capstone and thesis experiences in the final year, students are given time and mentoring to create and present their own unique body of work.
Opportunity with the Fashion Institute of Technology
Students looking for additional industry experience can apply to the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City for their senior year. This experience provides students with industry-specific skills which, when paired with the creative liberal arts background, makes our graduates highly desirable and often recruited by industry leaders. Students apply to FIT in their junior year. If accepted, they participate in a visiting student program in one area of focus: Fashion Design, Textile Surface Design, Footwear & Accessories Design, Communication Design Foundation, Advertising and Marketing Communications, Fashion Business Management, Textile Development and Marketing.
Upon graduation, students who attend FIT are awarded a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in Textiles & Fashion Design with a named option in FIT. A named option is a formally documented sub-major within an academic major program. Named options appear on the transcript with degree conferral. FIT students also earn an associate of applied science (AAS) degree from FIT. Students attending FIT who are considered Wisconsin non-residents continue to pay out-of-state tuition, even if they reside in the state of New York.
How to Get in
Current UW–Madison Students
Students within their first 60 GPA credits at UW-Madison
| Requirements | Details |
|---|---|
| How to get in | No application required. All students who meet the requirements listed below are able to declare. For information on how to declare, see: https://go.wisc.edu/sohe-declare. |
| Courses required to get in | None. |
| GPA requirements to get in |
|
| Credits required to get in | None. |
| Other | Must be in good academic standing with their current school or college. |
All other students (who do not meet the declaration criteria above)
| Requirements | Details |
|---|---|
| How to get in | Application required. Meeting the requirements listed below does not guarantee admission. (https://go.wisc.edu/sohe-apply) |
| Courses required to get in | None. |
| GPA requirements to get in | None. |
| Credits required to get in | None. |
| Other | Must be in good academic standing with their current school or college. |
| Semester | Deadline to apply | Decision notification timeline |
|---|---|---|
| To apply for a fall start | The fifth Friday of the term. | Students will be notified about decisions approximately one month after the application deadline. |
| To apply for a spring start | The fifth Friday of the term. | Students will be notified about decisions approximately one month after the application deadline. |
| To apply for a summer start | This program does not accept applications to start in the summer. |
Fashion Institute of Technology
Students intending to complete their final year of study at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) must complete an additional application. Only students with a 3.0 or higher GPA in December of their third year in the program are eligible to apply for admission to FIT.
Prospective UW-Madison Students
All prospective UW–Madison students must apply through the central Office of Admissions and Recruitment.
Students who indicate interest in Textiles and Fashion Design on their UW–Madison application will be admitted to the major upon admittance to the University. In addition, students may indicate interest in Textiles and Fashion Design when registering for Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration (SOAR).
Additional Information
For transfer students, sequential courses and courses taught only once a year should be taken into account when calculating time toward completion of the degree, as graduation time may be extended.
University Requirements
All undergraduate students must complete both the following Core General Education (Core GenEd) and University Degree and Quality of Work requirements. The requirements below apply to students whose first term at UW-Madison or whose earliest post-high school college attendance at any institution is Summer 2026 or later.
Students whose first term at UW-Madison or whose earliest post-high school college attendance at any institution occurred before Summer 2026 should refer to the archived Guide for the requirements that apply to them.
Core General Education (Core GenEd) Requirements
| Civics & Perspectives | 3 credits of Civics & Perspectives coursework. |
| Communication & Literacy | 6 credits of Communication & Literacy coursework. This requirement may be partially satisfied by a qualifying placement test score. For more information see this tiny url: https://go.wisc.edu/qualifyingenglishplacement |
| Humanities & Arts | 6 credits of Humanities & Arts coursework. |
| Mathematics & Quantitative Reasoning | 6 credits of Mathematics & Quantitative Reasoning coursework. This requirement may be partially satisfied by a qualifying placement test score. For more information see this tiny url: https://go.wisc.edu/qualifyingmathplacement |
| Natural Science & Wellness | Complete both:
|
| Social & Behavioral Science | 3 credits of Social & Behavioral Science coursework. |
| Total Credits | 30 credits. |
For more information see the policy.
University Degree and Quality of Work Requirements
All undergraduate degree recipients must complete the following minimum requirements. Requirements for some programs will exceed these requirements; see program requirements for additional information.
| Total Degree | 120 degree credits. |
| Residency | Complete 30 credits in residence. A course is considered “in residence” if it is taken when in undergraduate degree-seeking status and:
|
| Quality of Work | Achieve at least the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, and/or academic program. |
| Math | Demonstrate minimal mathematics competence by: |
| English Language | If required to take the UW-Madison English as a Second Language Assessment Test (MSN-ESLAT), demonstrate minimal English language competence by:
|
| Language | Complete one:
|
| Major Declaration | Declare and complete the requirements for at least one major. |
School of Human Ecology BS Requirements
All Human Ecology majors share the requirements listed below. Each major has additional requirements. A single course can simultaneously count toward university, school, and major requirements if it carries the relevant designations
| Human Ecology Breadth | 6 credits in the School of Human Ecology (CNSR SCI, CSCS, DS, HDFS, INTER-HE) taken outside of the home department of the major. Excludes INTER-HE 202 or 601. |
| Communication A | Complete either:
|
| Communication B | One course with the Communication B designation. |
| Quantitative Reasoning A | Complete either:
|
| Quantitative Reasoning B | One course with the Quantitative Reasoning B designation. |
| Humanities/Literature/Arts | 9 credits with the Humanities, Literature, or Language designations. |
| Social Science | 9 credits with the Social Sciences designation. |
| Natural Science | 9 credits with the Biological, Natural, or Physical Science designations. |
| Ethnic Studies | 3 credits with the Ethnic Studies designation. |
Graduation Requirements
| Cumulative Credits | Students must earn 120 degree credits. |
| Quality of Work | Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.000 to remain in good standing and be eligible for graduation. |
| Residency | Students must complete 30 degree credits in residence at UW–Madison. |
Textiles and Fashion Design Requirements
A complete list of requirements is below. Students should follow the curriculum requirements in place at the time they entered the major. This requirement list should be used in combination with a DARS report.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Design Core | ||
| DS 101 | Introduction to Textile Design | 3 |
| DS 120 | Design: Fundamentals I | 3 |
| DS 150 | Visual Thinking - Pixels and Pencils | 3 |
| DS 151 | Craft & Construction for Garments | 3 |
| DS 251 | The Science of Textiles - Performance & Properties | 3 |
| DS 355 | History of Fashion, 1400-Present | 3 |
| or DS 430 | History of Textiles | |
| Textiles and Fashion Design Focus Area | ||
| Choose either the Fashion Sequence or the Textiles Sequence | 12 | |
| Choose 3 additional Textiles & Fashion Design courses for 21 total credits | 9 | |
| Fashion Sequence (must be taken in this order) | ||
| Fashion Design I | ||
| Patternmaking for Fashion Design I | ||
| Fashion Illustration | ||
| Patternmaking for Fashion Design II | ||
| Textiles Sequence | ||
| Textile Design: Printing and Dyeing I | ||
| Textile Embellishment I | ||
| Textile Design: Weaving I | ||
| Textile Design: Manual/Computer Generated Imagery and Pattern | ||
| Career Readiness | ||
| DS 252 | Design Leadership Symposium | 1 |
| INTER-HE 202 | SoHE Career & Leadership Development | 1 |
| INTER-HE 601 | Internship | 3 |
| Depth Courses | ||
| Choose 15 credits of depth courses from the areas below: | 15 | |
| Textiles & Fashion Design Studio Courses | ||
Choose 9-15 credits from the following courses: | ||
| Cloth to Clothing | ||
| Design Thinking for Transformation | ||
| Textile Design: Printing and Dyeing II | ||
| Textile Design: Weaving II | ||
| Wearable Technology | ||
| Global Artisans | ||
| Experimental Textile Design | ||
| Building a Sustainable Creative Practice | ||
| Design and Fashion Event Management | ||
| Textiles: Specifications and End Use Analysis | ||
Other Textiles and Fashion Design Courses (courses numbered 300 above) | ||
| Entrepreneurship and Consumer Science Courses | ||
OPTIONAL - Choose up to 6 credits from the following courses: | ||
| Introduction to Entrepreneurship | ||
| Introduction to Retail | ||
| Consumer Behavior | ||
| Consumer Strategy Consulting Practicum | ||
| The Global Consumer | ||
| Product Development Strategies in Retailing | ||
| Capstone Experience | ||
| DS 690 | Senior Thesis | 3 |
| DS 519 | Collection Development | 3 |
| or DS 529 | Building a Sustainable Creative Practice | |
Textiles and Fashion Design: FIT Option
Learning Outcomes
- Have grounding in the history and theory relevant to the human ecological perspective.
- Have intellectual skills for inquiry, creative thinking, and critical analysis.
- Have professional skills that prepare them for applying what they have learned to create new knowledge and solve problems in a real world setting.
- Textiles and Fashion Design students will have the ability to move beyond technique, taking creative risks to develop conceptually cohesive work through advanced knowledge of materials, processes, and an understanding of design principles.
- Textiles and Fashion Design students will have the ability to participate in professional discussions and critique that are informed by foundational knowledge of fashion and/or textile history, theory, and science.
Four-Year Plan
This is a sample four-year plan for Textiles & Fashion Design. It is intended as a general guide and may not reflect the most current course offerings or requirement designations. We encourage all students to work with their academic advisor to develop an individualized plan and to verify all degree requirements through their DARS report.
| Freshman | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| DS 101 | 3 | DS 150 | 3 | ||
| DS 120 | 3 | DS 152 or 228 | 3 | ||
| DS 151 | 3 | Communication B | 3-4 | ||
| Communication A | 3 | Quantitative Reasoning A | 3-4 | ||
| Human Ecology Breadth | 3 | ||||
| 12 | 15-17 | ||||
| Sophomore | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| INTER-HE 202 | 1 | DS 251 | 3 | ||
| DS 210 or 229 | 3 | DS 252 | 1 | ||
| DS 253 (or Additional Textiles & Fashion Design Course) | 3 | DS 227 (or Additional Textiles & Fashion Design Course) | 3 | ||
| Social Science | 3 | Additional Textiles & Fashion Design Course | 3 | ||
| Humanities | 3 | Social Science | 3 | ||
| Science | 3 | Ethnic Studies | 3 | ||
| 16 | 16 | ||||
| Junior | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| DS 327 or 353 | 3 | Depth Course | 3 | INTER-HE 601 | 3 |
| DS 355 or 430 | 3 | Depth Course | 3 | ||
| Quantitative Reasoning B (DS 451 recommended) | 3 | Social Science | 3 | ||
| Science | 3 | Humanities | 3 | ||
| Humanities | 3 | Science | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | 3 | |||
| Senior | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| DS 690 | 2-4 | DS 519 or 529 | 3 | ||
| Additional Textiles & Fashion Design Course | 3 | Depth Course | 3 | ||
| Depth Course | 3 | Depth Course | 3 | ||
| Human Ecology Breadth | 3 | Elective | 3 | ||
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 2 | ||
| 14 | 14 | ||||
| Total Credits 120-122 | |||||
Advising and Careers
Advising & Career Center
The Advising & Career Center (ACC) fosters undergraduate students' personal, academic, and professional development. Through advising, academic planning, and career education, we support students as they navigate the college experience—from exploring our majors as prospective students to becoming Human Ecology alumni.
Academic Advising
Each Human Ecology student is assigned to an academic advisor in the Advising & Career Center. Human Ecology academic advisors support academic and personal success by partnering with current and prospective Human Ecology students as they identify and clarify their educational goals, develop meaningful academic plans, and pursue their own Wisconsin Experience.
To explore academic advising resources or schedule an appointment with Human Ecology academic advisor, visit Academic Advising in Human Ecology.
Career Development
Each Human Ecology student is assigned to a career advisor in the Advising & Career Center. Active engagement in the career development process is a vital component of a student’s personal growth in college and future success as a lifelong learner, professional, and global citizen. Human Ecology career advisors help prepare students for life post-graduation through advising and integration of career readiness throughout our curriculum.
To explore career development resources or schedule an appointment with a Human Ecology career advisor, visit Career Development in Human Ecology.
For information about possible career paths related to this major, check out What Can I Do With A Major In Textile & Fashion Design?
Wisconsin Experience
Internships
Internships are a vital component of student career development and a highly valued part of the undergraduate curriculum in the School of Human Ecology. By bringing classroom theories to life in real-world settings, high-quality internships foster essential professional development. They provide a unique opportunity for students to explore careers related to their major, gain hands-on experience in a field of interest, and understand workplace expectations by performing professional tasks in their chosen field.
For Human Ecology majors, completing an internship is a required part of the undergraduate curriculum. To fulfill this requirement, students must meet the following criteria:
- Enrollment Requirements: Have at least junior standing (54+ credits) and taken INTER-HE 202 (SoHE Career & Leadership Development) before pursuing the internship.
- Time Commitment: Complete a minimum of 150 hours at the internship site to earn 3 academic credits.
- Eligibility & Approval: Secure an internship that is educational in nature, directly related to their major and career goals, and verified and approved by the Advising & Career Center.
- Note: Additional course prerequisites may be required for certain Human Ecology majors.
For more information and step-by-step guidance, please visit Human Ecology Internships.
Student Organizations
To see our active list of Human Ecology Student Orgs and for more information about joining, please visit Human Ecology Student Organizations.
Learn more about UW–Madison registered student organizations through the Wisconsin Involvement Network.
Resources and Scholarships
Scholarships
The School of Human Ecology (SoHE) awards many merit and need-based scholarships each year. Students can learn more about these opportunities on the Human Ecology scholarships webpage. To be eligible for these awards, scholarship recipients must be registered as full-time Human Ecology students. For further questions on the scholarship application, please contact the School of Human Ecology Scholarship Coordinator at scholarships@sohe.wisc.edu.
Support Resources
Human Ecology students experiencing personal, academic, or financial challenges should contact SoHE Academic Deans Services. Additional campus resources include the Financial Aid Basic Needs website, Office of Student Assistance and Support, and University Health Services.