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Humber introduces new fashion degree

A passion for fashion

Fashion isn't always swish and fabulous. Behind the supermodels and brand name designers are the men and women who prefer the bottom line to the hemline.

DAVID CHILTON

[ 2007-12-12 ]

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Models display the creation of Fendi Spring and Summer 2008 collection at the Great Wall of China transform to a catwalk stage during a fashion show in Beijing, China, in this Oct. 19, 2007, file photo. (AP Photo/Andy Wong/FILE)

They're fashion's managers and business types, and no less important than the Karl Lagerfelds and the Stella McCartneys of the world -- even if they're far less celebrated.

And the demand for them is growing. That's why Humber College is launching its four-year Bachelor of Applied Business in Fashion Management program next September.

Susan Roberton, Fashion Management co-ordinator, says, "Our industry has a need for (business) experts with a passion for fashion."

The new program is one of three new applied business degrees the school will introduce in 2008. The other subjects are International Business and Human Resources Management.

Pat Meek, an associate dean in Humber's School of Business, says the first two years of all three programs are built on a common platform. In years three and four students will chose their own area of specialization. Between the third and fourth year Fashion Management students will also have to complete a 14-week paid work placement.

Competition for the new fashion program is expected to be intense, with 40 places available. "If the number of calls I've received are any indication we won't have any difficulty in meeting that number," Meek says.

Humber's fashion degree is unlike any other in the country, says Roberton, who worked closely on its development and paid particular attention to the programs at the Fashion Institute of Technology and Parsons The New School for Design, both in New York City.

Although they don't offer degree programs, other colleges in Toronto such as George Brown and Seneca offer fashion management diplomas.

Rosa Fracassa, Fashion Studies co-ordinator at George Brown, says each year the school accepts 160 students in the two-year program, the only one in Canada to be accredited by the American Apparel and Footwear Association.

Fracassa says a sizeable number of George Brown students come directly from high school, but there are also strong contingents from university and abroad.

The basic requirement for admission into most fashion management programs is high school graduation, although Humber demands a Grade 12 university-level math credit, which is non-negotiable -- sort of. Students without the credit must pass an equivalent course at Humber within their first year. "I know that the math is a hard degree requirement," Roberton says. Students will also need a Grade 12 university-level English credit with at least a 65% average.

She expects a variety of students, be it from high school, transfers from other programs or someone working in the industry who's been encouraged to earn a degree.

Roberton also expects a good number of students to switch from Humber's two-year business-oriented Fashion Arts program (which will continue). She says they can move from a diploma to a degree in an extra two-and-a-half years.

Tuition for the various fashion management programs varies. Humber's degree program costs about $5,400 a year with its Fashion Arts course coming in at $2,800 and George Brown's program charging a bit more than that.

At those prices nothing's cheap. But as Fracassa says -- and she's been teaching at George Brown for 10 years -- "I have yet to have a student who couldn't get a job."