Textiles and Apparel Entrepreneurship

Admission to graduate study at Florida State University follows a two-step evaluation process. The Office of Admissions determines eligibility for admission to the University, while the academic department reviews applicants for admission into the degree program. Final admission is subject to approval by the Office of Admissions.

The minimum requirement for graduate admission is a bachelor’s or graduate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution, or an equivalent degree from an international institution. The Jim Moran College is currently waiving the GRE requirement. We admit students to our main-campus graduate programs for the fall semester only, and admissions decisions will be sent via email to the address provided in your application. Deadline: July 1.

• Complete and submit the University Admissions Office's Online Application.

  Materials to be submitted within the application include:
  
  ○ Current Resume or C.V.
  
  ○ Applicant Statement Questions (online form)
  
  ○ Two (2) letters of recommendation
  
    – At least one academic reference letter is required
  
    – Recommendation letters are submitted electronically through the online application
  
  ○ Pay a non-refundable application fee of $30

• Submit a completed Residency Affidavit.

  All applicants must submit this form, which is completed online through the application portal.

• Arrange for copies of official transcripts to be sent from each college or university attended.

  These must come directly from the institutions—student copies of unofficial transcripts are not acceptable for formal admission.

  ○ Unofficial or student copies may be used for application review, but official transcripts are required for final admission to Florida State University.
  
  ○ Current or recently graduated FSU students are not required to submit official transcripts unless they have attended another institution after graduating from FSU.

• Take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), or an equivalent nationally standardized graduate admission test.

  Request that test scores be sent to FSU.

  ○ GRE requirements are currently waived until Fall 2026.

• International applicants: TOEFL or IELTS scores are required for students who did not earn an undergraduate degree from an English-speaking country.

Students without an undergraduate major in Retail Entrepreneurship from the Jim Moran College at Florida State University, or an equivalent bachelor's degree program from an accredited university, will be required to complete undergraduate prerequisite courses before admission into the Textiles and Apparel master's program. Students without a prior undergraduate or graduate degree in an equivalent program should complete the following required foundation courses to be considered for admission:

1. CTE1410 Introduction to Textile Science (or an equivalent class) with a B- or better
2. CTE3055 Retail Computer Applications (or an equivalent class) with a B- or better

If you are a current FSU student and not enrolled in the Fashion, Merchandising, and Product Development (FMPD) Entrepreneurship major in the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, please complete our Textiles and Apparel Entrepreneurship minor that will meet the foundation course requirements. If you are a non-FSU student, please contact the T&A advisor to learn more about how to complete these requirements.

Applicants with substantial deficiencies in foundation courses/knowledge should contact the advisor to determine the best plan to satisfy the prerequisite requirements.

The MS in Fashion, Merchandising, and Product Development with a major in Textiles and Apparel Entrepreneurship (MS-TAE) degree requires 30 credit hours of coursework: 18 credit hours of core courses and 12 credit hours of electives. This program can be completed in one year (three semesters) if taken at a full-time capacity.

Core Curriculum

The current core curriculum (18 credit hours) required to be taken by all MS-TAE students includes the following:

• ENT 5216 Foundations of Entrepreneurship and Leadership (3 hrs)
• CTE 5911 Research Methods (3 hrs)
• CTE 5444 Quality Assurance Assessment (3 hrs)
• CTE 5445 Textile Technologies (3 hrs)
• CTE 5815 Retail Technologies (3 hrs)
• CTE 5890 Perspectives in Retail Entrepreneurship (3 hrs)

Elective Curriculum

Students are required to take 12 hours of elective coursework. Elective options include the following, but are not limited to:

• COA 5400 Consumers in a Complex Marketplace (3 hrs)
• CTE 5125 Design Thinking (3 hrs)
• CTE 5471 Sustainability and Human Rights in the Business World (3 hrs)
• CTE 5912 Supervised Research (3 hrs)
• CTE 5435 Textiles for Interiors (3 hrs)
• CTE 5906 Directed Individual Study (3 hrs)
• ENT 5908 Product Design (3 hrs)
• ENT 5942 Graduate Internship

International Experience Curriculum

An international program (IP) experience is highly encouraged. The following IP opportunities are available throughout the year:

• Textiles and Apparel in Florence, Italy
• Exploring Hospitality Entrepreneurship in Florence, Italy
• Supply Chain in Panama City, Panama
• Hospitality Management in Valencia, Spain

Salary Information: National Association of Colleges and Employers, Occupational Outlook Handbook

Representative Job Titles: Textile and Apparel Entrepreneur / Founder, Product Development Manager, Quality Assurance Manager, Merchandising Manager, Supply Chain Analyst, Brand Manager, Retail Manager, Fashion Consultant, Operations Manager, Buyer, Material Developer, Color Analyst

Representative Employers: Textile and Apparel Companies, Fashion and Retail Brands, Manufacturing Firms, Wholesale and Distribution Companies, E-Commerce Apparel Companies, Consulting Firms, Startups in Fashion and Textiles, Trade Associations, Design Studios, Global Supply Chain Firms