Fashion designers experience a lot of competition but also a lot of professional and creative satisfaction through their work. Designers work as apprentices, creative directors, assistants, pattern makers, and managers of their own lines or companies. To become a fashion designer, you will need to be trained from a fashion or art school that can help you reach your specific career goals. Associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s programs are offered in fashion design and fashion merchandising through online programs, traditional four-year and graduate universities, art schools, vocational schools and fashion schools. If you want to start your own fashion or accessories line or own a fashion-related company, you may want to enroll in a program that offers concentrations or extra course work in business, fashion marketing or fashion merchandising. Many bachelor’s degree programs and MA programs will allow students to combine their art and design studies with these extra focus areas and feature course work in advertising and public relations, designing campaigns, finance and accounting, entrepreneurship and more.

Students who only want to study fashion design without any kind of business concentration should look into fine arts programs, which are offered at varying levels and include all kinds of majors. Some related courses of study include accessories design, fine arts, textile/surface design, menswear, fashion photography, jewelry design, fabric styling and others. Art schools and fashion schools will offer the greatest variety of majors, while traditional universities and online programs may only offer comprehensive fashion design or fashion merchandising degrees. Depending on your program, you may also be able to specialize in a particular area of fashion design through elective courses and an internship. Some of these specialization possibilities may include costume design, fashion journalism, styling, commercial design, and others.

The curriculum plans for associate’s, BA, BFA, MA, and MFA programs vary, but all students will learn about pattern making, draping, fashion history, sketching, textiles and materials, sewing, styling and fitting, and more. Many cutting edge fashion programs also encourage or require students to take some sort of computer design, graphic design or digital arts class as well. Studio work and internships is also incredibly important in gaining hands-on experience and networking for future jobs.

Top Online Programs

A.A. in Information Technology B.S. in Web Development B.S. in Communications	University of Phoenix – Associate's & Bachelor's Degree – The University of Phoenix prepares students for the rapidly evolving multi-million dollar industry of World Wide Web designing and interactive media. The programs offered at the institute teaches students everything from developing their skills in drawing and design to learning programming and scripting techniques.
B.S. in Web Development B.S. in Communication A.A.S. in Information Technology	Kaplan University – Associate's & Bachelor's Degree - Kaplan University offers a web design degree that could be completed in as few as 12 months. This allows students to earn their degree at an accelerated pace and be on their way to advancing in their career in web design.
B.F.A. in Web Design A.A.B.A. in Visual Communications B.F.A. in Digital Design	American InterContinental University – Associate's & Bachelor's Degree – For those interested in the exciting career of web design, American InterContinental Universitye will help them prepare with their staff of knowledgeable and skilled professionals who have had prior experience working in the web design industry. The program is a great choice for those seeking to pursue a career in web design, web development, graphic design, graphic art, or web publications designer.
A.S. in Web Design B.F.A. in Graphic Design B.A. in Fashion Merchandising	International Academy of Design & Technology – Associate's & Bachelor's Degree - Since 1977, the International Academy of Design and Technology Online has helped thousands of students prepare for a career in which their creativity and talents are respected and valued. Their affordable courses allow individuals with a passion for web design to advance in their career.
B.S. in Web Design & Multimedia B.S. in Visual Communications A.S. in Graphic Design & Multimedia	Westwood College – Associate's & Bachelor's Degree – Westwood College's programs consists of courses in design theory, web design, imaging and advanced web technology to help students build valuable portfolios for potential employers. They offer their programs completely online, allowing flexibility for working individuals or individuals with other time contraints.
A.S. in Web Graphic Design B.C.I.S. in Web Development B.C.I.S. in Web Game Programming	DeVry University – Associate's & Bachelor's Degree – DeVry University has helped thousands of students apply practical skills to produce high-quality graphics and develop many types of graphic media. They are ideal for many students because of their affordable and convenient programs available online.
B.A. in Visual Communications B.A. in Art History	Ashford University – Bachelor's Degree - Dedicated to helping intellectual, professional, and creative individuals, Ashford University offers one of the best web design degrees online. Their web design courses are very convenient and achieveablefor students who have restricting schedules.
B.S. in Web Design A.S. in Web Design Diploma in Web Design	The Art Institute of Pittsburgh – Associate's & Bachelor's Degree - The Art Institute of Pittsburgh provides students with the opportunity to learn the latest software and programming applications to compete in the highly competitive, yet rewarding, web design industry. They place special emphasis on the practical application of web development skills and how to effectively use them for organizations.