Product and Merchandising Management Undergraduate Major (BS, HBS)
This program is available at the following location:
- Corvallis
Options available:
Students in the Product and Merchandising Management program prepare for a variety of positions centered on researching, planning, and executing customer-right product assortments. Graduates can be found working for apparel, footwear, and hardline manufacturers as merchants who assist retailers in building product assortments, as product development coordinators who work with merchants and designers, as demand planners who predict what and how much product needs to be produced for a given season, and as product development support. They can also be found working for retailers as buyers who create on-trend product assortments, as planners who utilize data analysis to ensure the optimal product quantities are allocated to the locations and retail channels where shoppers expect them, as merchants who work with buyers and design teams to manage product inventories, as store managers who plan daily operations, and as visual merchandisers who execute the overall store environment and product displays.
Major Code: A014
Upon successful completion of the program, students will meet the following learning outcomes:
- Explain how social, environmental, political, cultural, and economic systems, as well as geography relate to the planning, creation, production, merchandising, distribution, and consumption of textile, apparel, and footwear products and resulting company performance.
- Apply market research skills throughout the line planning and development process to establish line direction in terms of color, style, materials, separates/coordinates balance, and pricing.
- Develop assortment plans that are in line with specific target markets, company location and/or selling format, marketplace trends, and performance goals.
- Develop merchandise budgets and analyze and update budgets to meet company performance goals.
- Use industry-relevant technology to formulate and communicate merchandising decisions.
- Apply visual and promotional strategies across different selling formats that would potentially enhance company performance.
Degree requirements include university core education, design and major curricula. The design curriculum provides students with a broad overview of design thinking and processes and incorporates foundational business coursework. The lower-division curriculum involves completion of courses within the first and second year that build a solid foundation for the upper-division curricula. Students entering design programs should have basic art and illustration skills. ART 115 and ART 117 are highly recommended elective courses.
Transitions to OSU and Introduction to Business coursework will depend on student type. At registration, an academic advisor will determine the most appropriate path.
- Students entering OSU as their first college experience after high school will take a 100 Transitions course, BA 160, and a BA 16X series;
- Students entering OSU COB as a second-year transfer student (approximately three years to graduation) will take a 300 Transitions course, BA 160, and BA 101Z; or
- Students entering OSU COB as a third-year transfer student (approximately two years or less to graduation) will take a 300 Transitions course and BA 101Z.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Summary of Requirements | ||
| Design Curriculum 1 | 108-112 | |
| Product and Merchandising Management Curriculum | 32 | |
| Unspecified Core Education 1 | 19-22 | |
| Unrestricted Electives 2 | 14-21 | |
| Total Credits | 180 | |
- 1
Some courses in the Design Curriculum double-count with Core Education categories. Unspecified Core Education credits are not shared with the Design Curriculum
- 2
Options and minors are available to provide specializations and fulfill unrestricted elective credits
Design Curriculum
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations of Design | ||
| Introduction to Business | ||
| Third-year transfer students may be eligible to waive BA 160. | ||
| BA 160 | +COB CAREER AND MAJOR EXPLORATION | 1 |
| Dependent on entry level, students will take one of the following: | 4-6 | |
| INNOVATION NATION--AWARENESS TO ACTION and INNOVATION NATION--IDEAS TO REALITY | ||
| LAUNCH PAD I and LAUNCH PAD II | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS | ||
| Art | ||
| ART 101 | +*INTRODUCTION TO THE VISUAL ARTS | 3 |
| ART 204 | +*INTRODUCTION TO WESTERN ART: PREHISTORY TO HIGH MIDDLE AGES | 3 |
| or ART 205 | +*INTRODUCTION TO WESTERN ART: GOTHIC TO BAROQUE | |
| or ART 206 | +*INTRODUCTION TO WESTERN ART: NEOCLASSICISM TO CONTEMPORARY | |
| ART 367 | *HISTORY OF DESIGN | 3 |
| Communications | ||
| COMM 114 | +*ARGUMENT AND CRITICAL DISCOURSE | 3-4 |
| or COMM 111Z | +*PUBLIC SPEAKING | |
| or COMM 218Z | +*INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION | |
| Economics | ||
| ECON 201Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS | 4 |
| Mathematics | ||
| MTH 111Z | +*PRECALCULUS I: FUNCTIONS | 4 |
| Writing | ||
| WR 121Z | +*COMPOSITION I | 4 |
| WR 323 | +*ADVANCED WRITING & ARGUMENTATION | 3-4 |
| or WR 227Z | +*TECHNICAL WRITING | |
| Design Core | ||
| BA 169Z | DATA ANALYSIS USING MICROSOFT EXCEL | 4 |
| BA 223 | PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING 1 | 4 |
| or BA 390 | PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING | |
| BA 252 | MANAGING INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM PERFORMANCE 1 | 4 |
| BA 315 | ACCOUNTING FOR DECISION MAKING | 4 |
| or BA 211Z & BA 213Z | PRINCIPLES OF FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING and PRINCIPLES OF MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING | |
| BA 354 | ^MANAGING ETHICS AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY | 4 |
| BA 361 | IDEATION AND CREATIVE THINKING | 4 |
| BA 396 | +MARKETS AS SOCIAL STATUS SYSTEMS | 3 |
| BANA 270 | INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS ANALYTICS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | 4 |
| DSGN 101 | DESIGN FUNDAMENTALS | 4 |
| DSGN 121 | COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN | 3 |
| DSGN 244 | COLOR INNOVATION | 4 |
| DSGN 255 | TEXTILES | 4 |
| DSGN 281 | DRAWING AND SKETCHING | 4 |
| DSGN 341 | DESIGN THINKING AND PROCESS INNOVATION | 4 |
| MGMT 364 | PROJECT MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| MRKT 492 | CONSUMER BEHAVIOR | 4 |
| Blueprint: Personal & Professional Development | ||
| Second Year | ||
| Third-year transfer students may be eligible to substitute BA 381 for second year Professional Development and Blueprint coursework. | ||
| DSGN 253 | +PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
| DSGN 282 | DRAFTING YOUR CAREER BLUEPRINT | 1 |
| DSGN 283 | NAVIGATING CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS IN THE WORKPLACE | 1 |
| DSGN 284 | FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE I | 1 |
| Third Year | ||
| DSGN 311 | +FRAMING YOUR CAREER PLAN | 1 |
| DSGN 312 | FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE II | 1 |
| DSGN 313 | A CASE FOR CIVIL DISCOURSE IN BUSINESS | 1 |
| Fourth Year | ||
| DSGN 411 | NAVIGATING CAREER TRANSITIONS | 1 |
| DSGN 412 | FINANCIAL PLANNING I | 1 |
| DSGN 413 | FINANCIAL PLANNING II | 1 |
| Experiential Learning | ||
| Select 2 credits from the following courses: | 2 | |
Any COB 004 Internship (e.g. DSGN 004) 2 | ||
Any COB 403 Thesis (eg. DSGN 403) | ||
Any COB 405 Reading & Conference (eg. DSGN 405) | ||
Any COB 406 Projects (eg. DSGN 406) | ||
Any COB 409 Practicum (eg. DSGN 409) | ||
Any COB 410 Internship (eg. DSGN 410) | ||
| INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE ORIENTATION and IMPACT OF CULTURE ON BUSINESS | ||
| Total Credits | 108-112 | |
- *
Baccalaureate Core course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in a catalog year up to 2024-2025
- +
Core Education course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in catalog year 2025-2026 and beyond
- ^
Writing Intensive Curriculum (WIC) course
- 1
Course requires a grade of C or higher
- 2
Students may substitute a COB 004 Internship (e.g. DSGN 004) course for the experiential learning requirement if they do not need an additional 2 credits to meet their 180 credit degree total
Product and Merchandising Management Curriculum
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| DSGN 276 | INTRODUCTION TO MERCHANDISING MANAGEMENT 1 | 4 |
| DSGN 330 | ^FASHION FORECASTING AND MARKET ANALYSIS | 4 |
| DSGN 333 | HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY FASHION | 4 |
| DSGN 372 | MERCHANDISE PLANNING AND CONTROL | 4 |
| DSGN 377 | RETAIL AND MERCHANDISING ANALYTICS | 4 |
| DSGN 471 | STORE DESIGN AND VISUAL MERCHANDISING | 4 |
| DSGN 475 | *GLOBAL SOURCING OF TEXTILES, APPAREL, AND FOOTWEAR | 4 |
| MRKT 495 | RETAIL MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| Total Credits | 32 | |
- 1
Course requires a grade of C or higher
Major Code: A014
Degree plans are subject to change and the following is only an example of how students may complete their degree in four years. Students should consult their advisor to determine the best degree plan for them. Contact details for advisors can be found on the Academic Advising page.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| BA 160 | +COB CAREER AND MAJOR EXPLORATION | 1 |
| BA 169Z | DATA ANALYSIS USING MICROSOFT EXCEL | 4 |
| COMM 111Z | +*PUBLIC SPEAKING or +*ARGUMENT AND CRITICAL DISCOURSE or +*INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION | 3-4 |
| MTH 111Z | +*PRECALCULUS I: FUNCTIONS | 4 |
| Core Ed: Transitions | 2 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Winter | ||
| BA 161 | INNOVATION NATION--AWARENESS TO ACTION | 3 |
| DSGN 101 | DESIGN FUNDAMENTALS | 4 |
| Core Ed: Arts & Humanities Global | 3-4 | |
| Core Ed: Difference, Power & Oppression Foundations | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| ART 101 | +*INTRODUCTION TO THE VISUAL ARTS | 3 |
| BA 162 | INNOVATION NATION--IDEAS TO REALITY | 3 |
| DSGN 121 | COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN | 3 |
| WR 121Z | +*COMPOSITION I | 4 |
| Credits | 13 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BA 252 | MANAGING INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM PERFORMANCE | 4 |
| DSGN 255 | TEXTILES | 4 |
| DSGN 276 | INTRODUCTION TO MERCHANDISING MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| DSGN 284 | FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE I | 1 |
| WR 323 or WR 227Z | +*ADVANCED WRITING & ARGUMENTATION or +*TECHNICAL WRITING | 3-4 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Winter | ||
| ART 204 | +*INTRODUCTION TO WESTERN ART: PREHISTORY TO HIGH MIDDLE AGES or +*INTRODUCTION TO WESTERN ART: GOTHIC TO BAROQUE or +*INTRODUCTION TO WESTERN ART: NEOCLASSICISM TO CONTEMPORARY | 3 |
| BA 223 or BA 390 | PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING or PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING | 4 |
| DSGN 244 | COLOR INNOVATION | 4 |
| DSGN 283 | NAVIGATING CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS IN THE WORKPLACE | 1 |
| Core Ed: Scientific Inquiry & Analysis | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| BANA 270 | INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS ANALYTICS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | 4 |
| DSGN 253 | +PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
| DSGN 281 | DRAWING AND SKETCHING | 4 |
| DSGN 282 | DRAFTING YOUR CAREER BLUEPRINT | 1 |
| ECON 201Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS | 4 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| ART 367 | *HISTORY OF DESIGN | 3 |
| BA 315 | ACCOUNTING FOR DECISION MAKING or PRINCIPLES OF FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING and PRINCIPLES OF MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
| DSGN 311 | +FRAMING YOUR CAREER PLAN | 1 |
| DSGN 330 | ^FASHION FORECASTING AND MARKET ANALYSIS | 4 |
| DSGN 341 | DESIGN THINKING AND PROCESS INNOVATION | 4 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Winter | ||
| BA 354 | ^MANAGING ETHICS AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY | 4 |
| DSGN 312 | FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE II | 1 |
| DSGN 333 | HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY FASHION | 4 |
| DSGN 372 | MERCHANDISE PLANNING AND CONTROL | 4 |
| MGMT 364 | PROJECT MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| Credits | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| BA 361 | IDEATION AND CREATIVE THINKING | 4 |
| DSGN 313 | A CASE FOR CIVIL DISCOURSE IN BUSINESS | 1 |
| DSGN 377 | RETAIL AND MERCHANDISING ANALYTICS | 4 |
| Core Ed: Scientific Inquiry & Analysis | 4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| DSGN 411 | NAVIGATING CAREER TRANSITIONS | 1 |
| DSGN 471 | STORE DESIGN AND VISUAL MERCHANDISING | 4 |
| DSGN 475 | *GLOBAL SOURCING OF TEXTILES, APPAREL, AND FOOTWEAR | 4 |
| MRKT 492 | CONSUMER BEHAVIOR | 4 |
| Credits | 13 | |
| Winter | ||
| BA 396 | +MARKETS AS SOCIAL STATUS SYSTEMS | 3 |
| DSGN 412 | FINANCIAL PLANNING I | 1 |
| MRKT 495 | RETAIL MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| Core Ed: Seeking Solutions | 3-4 | |
| Elective | 2 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| DSGN 413 | FINANCIAL PLANNING II | 1 |
| Experiential Learning | 2 | |
| Electives | 11 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Total Credits | 180 | |
- *
Baccalaureate Core course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in a catalog year up to 2024-2025
- +
Core Education course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in catalog year 2025-2026 and beyond
- ^
Writing Intensive Curriculum (WIC) course