FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
New York, New York
The Institute
Today, to know the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) only by name is not to know it very well at all. The name reflects back sixty years to the college's origins, when it was devoted exclusively to educating students for careers in the apparel industry. But the name no longer tells the whole story.
A fashion college that offers programs in interior design, jewelry design, advertising and marketing communications, and even toy design, as well as a community college that offers bachelor's and master's degree programs in addition to the traditional two-year associate degree, FIT is an educational institution like no other.
FIT is rooted in industry and the world of work. Industry visits by students and lectures by many different leaders in the field provide a cooperative and creative bridge between the classroom and the world of work. Although the college is now associated with many industries and professions, FIT's commitment to career education is still its hallmark and a source of pride to an institution whose industry connection is an integral part of its history. FIT counts among its alumni such luminaries as Calvin Klein and Norma Kamali, as well as successful and talented professionals in advertising, packaging, television, the design fields, merchandising, manufacturing, public relations, retailing, and more.
Founded in 1944, FIT is a college of art and design, business, and technology of the State University of New York. Seventeen majors offered through the School of Art and Design and ten through the School of Business and Technology lead to the A.A.S., B.F.A., or B.S. degrees. The School of Graduate Studies offers programs leading to the Master of Arts or Master of Professional Studies degree. FIT is an accredited institutional member of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, and the Foundation for Interior Design Education Research. The nine-building campus includes classrooms, studios, and labs that reflect the most advanced education and industrial practices. FIT recently opened a new dining center, featuring a wide variety of food stations and freshly prepared entres. Below this facility is the college bookstore, Barnes & Noble at FIT. The Conference Center at FIT features the John E. Reeves Great Hall, a space suitable for conferences, fashion shows, lectures, and other events. FIT serves more than 6,500 full-time and 4,000 part-time students, who come not only from within commuting distances but also from around the nation and all over the world. Three dormitories serve approximately 1,250 students and offer a variety of accommodations. A fourth residence hall is scheduled to open in fall 2006. Student participation in campus life is encouraged through more than sixty campus clubs, numerous organizations, and several athletic teams.
With a consistent job placement rate of nearly 90 percent, FIT graduates are well prepared to meet employers' needs. Working with both undergraduates and graduates, placement counselors develop job opportunities for full-time, part-time, freelance, and summer employment.
Location
FITs urban campus is situated amidst the culture and excitement of New York City. FIT's location in the heart of Manhattan on Seventh Avenue at 27th Streetwhere the worlds of fashion, art, design, communications, and marketing convergepermits an exceptional two-way flow between the college and the industries and professions it serves. Students are encouraged to participate in the cultural activities of New York, where opera, dance, theater, and the visual arts are readily accessible. All of FITs programs and departments take full advantage of New York's special offerings.
Majors and Degrees
The college offers a two-year program leading to the Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree and upper-division programs leading to the Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. Associate-level art and design majors are offered in accessories design, communication design, display and exhibit design, fashion design, fine arts (with a career-exploration component), illustration, interior design, jewelry design, menswear, photography, and textile/surface design. In the business area, A.A.S. majors are offered in advertising and marketing communications, fashion merchandising management, patternmaking technology, production management: fashion and related industries, and textile development and marketing. Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees are awarded in accessories design and fabrication, advertising design, computer animation and interactive media, fabric styling, fashion design, fine arts, graphic design, illustration, interior design, packaging design, restoration, textile/surface design, and toy design. (Transfer students wishing to enter B.F.A. programs may have to complete the one-year A.A.S. program described below prior to entry into the upper division.) The Bachelor of Science degree is offered in advertising and marketing communications, cosmetics and fragrance marketing, direct marketing, fashion merchandising management, home products development, international trade and marketing for the fashion industries, production management: fashion and related industries, product management: textiles, and textile development and marketing. The B.S. program is open to students who hold an associate degree from the college or an equivalent degree from another accredited institution. Graduates of other accredited institutions of higher learning or transfer students who have a minimum of 30 transferable credits and can satisfy the liberal arts requirements may enter one-year A.A.S. programs in accessories design, advertising and marketing communications, communication design, fashion design, fashion merchandising management, jewelry design, textile development and marketing, and textile/surface design.
Academic Programs
Programs are designed to prepare students for creative and/or business careers in the fashion and related professions and industries. To qualify for the A.A.S., a student must be in degree status, satisfactorily complete the credit hours prescribed for a given major with approximately one third of all required credits in the liberal arts, achieve a minimum GPA of 2.0, and receive the recommendation of the faculty. To qualify for the B.S. or B.F.A., a student must be in degree status, satisfactorily complete the credit and course requirements prescribed by the major, and receive the recommendation of the faculty. A minimum of 60 approved credits is required; at least half of the credits required in the major area must be earned in residence at the upper-division level. If the student has an appropriate Fashion Institute of Technology associate degree, a minimum of 30 approved credits must be earned in residence at the upper-division level. Most majors offer internship programs in their courses of study.
Precollege programs (Saturday/Sunday Live) are available during the fall, spring, and summer. More than forty-five classes offer high school and middle school students the chance to learn in a studio environment, to explore the business and technological sides of the fashion industry, and to discover natural talents and creative abilities. Classes are taught by a faculty of artists, designers, and other professionals. High school credit may be earned at the discretion of each student's high school.
Off-Campus Programs
FIT's International Programs in Fashion Design and Fashion Merchandising Management/Florence and New York provide international experience for students interested in careers in the global fashion industry. Offered to full-time, matriculated FIT students as two distinct programs leading to the A.A.S. and B.F.A. degrees, the curricula are taught in both New York City and Florence, Italy, with students completing a year of study in each city.
Textile/surface design majors may apply for a semester abroad at the Winchester School of Art or Chelsea College of Art and Design near London, the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax, or Shenkar College of Textiles and Fashions in Israel. Fashion merchandising management majors may apply for semester-abroad study in merchandising at RMIT in Australia, Manchester Metropolitan University or University of Westminster in England, American University of Rome, CSIS Program in Florence, or Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Seventh-semester advertising design students may study at the London College of Printing's School of Graphic Design, Chelsea College of Art and Design, or Nottingham Trent University in England; seventh-semester students may also study international trade and marketing at the American University in Rome or Middlesex University in London. Advertising and marketing communications students may study for a semester at American University in Rome; CSIS Program in Florence; Institute Commercial de Nancy or Universit de Paris, La Sorbonne, in France; or Middlesex University in England. Selected upper-division students majoring in fashion design may study for one semester at Nottingham Trent University or Central St. Martins in England; at Esmod cole Prive de Modlists-Stylistes in France; at RMIT in Australia; or at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Graphic design students may study for a semester at Chelsea College of Art and Design, London College of Printing, or Nottingham Trent University. Brief off-campus courses are offered for credit during summer semesters and include fabric styling in Italy, fashion merchandising in London, fashion in France and Italy, international buying and marketing in Europe, and illustration in Italy.
Academic Facilities
A modern campus with outstanding facilities for studying all aspects of a dynamic industry, FIT comprises an entire city block in Manhattans Chelsea neighborhood. The Fred P. Pomerantz Art and Design Center offers up-to-date facilities for design studies: photography studios with color and black-and-white darkrooms, painting rooms, a sculpture studio, a printmaking room, a graphics laboratory, display and exhibit design rooms, life-sketching rooms, and a model-making workshop. The Shirley Goodman Resource Center houses the Museum at FIT and the Library/Media Services, with references for history, sociology, technology, art, and literature; international journals and periodicals; sketchbooks and records donated by designers, manufacturers, and merchants; slides, tapes, and periodicals; and a voluminous clipping file. The Gladys Marcus Library houses more than 290,000 volumes, including books, periodicals, and nonprint materials. FIT also has many computer labs for student use. The Instructional Media Services Department provides audiovisual and TV support and a complete in-house TV studio. The Museum at FIT is the repository for one of the world's largest collections of fashion and textiles (with an emphasis on twentieth-century apparel), and is used by students, designers, and historians for research and inspiration. The museum's galleries provide a showcase for a wide spectrum of exhibitions relevant to fashion and its satellite industries. The annual student art and design exhibition is shown here, as are other student projects. Student work is also displayed throughout the campus. Fashion shows featuring the work of graduating B.F.A. students occur each academic year.
The Design/Research Lighting Laboratory, an educational and professional development facility for interior design and other academic disciplines, features more than 400 commercially available lighting fixtures controlled by a computer. The Peter G. Scotese Computer-Aided Design and Communications Facility provides art and design students with the opportunity to explore technology and its integration into the design of textiles, toys, interiors, fashion, and advertising as well as photography and computer graphics. Also located on the campus is the Annette Green/Fragrance Foundation Laboratory, an environment for the study of fragrance development.
Costs
An unusual program of sponsorship, shared by the city and State of New York, makes a comparatively low tuition rate possible. The 200405 tuition per semester for New York State residents was $1450 for associate-level programs and $2175 for baccalaureate programs; for out-of-state residents, it was $4350 for associate-level programs and $5150 for baccalaureate programs. Dormitory and meal plan fees were $3175 per semester. Student fees were $145, books and supplies were $700, and personal expenses were about $500. Costs are subject to change.
Financial Aid
The Fashion Institute of Technology attempts to remove financial barriers to college entrance by providing scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study employment for students in financial need. Sixty-five percent of full-time, undergraduate, degree-seeking students who applied for financial aid in fall 2005 received some type of financial aid. The college directly administers its own institutional grants and scholarships, which are provided by the Educational Foundation for the Fashion Industries. College-administered federal funding includes Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Federal Perkins Loans, Federal Work-Study Program awards, and the Federal Family Educational Loan Program, which includes student and parent loans. New York State residents who meet state guidelines for eligibility may also receive TAP and/or Educational Opportunity Program grants. The college tries to meet students' needs by awarding a financial aid package from institutional scholarships and federal grants, loans, and Federal Work-Study Program awards. Financial aid applicants must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), on which they apply for the Federal Pell Grant, and should also apply to all available outside sources of aid. Other documentation must be requested from the Financial Aid Office. Applic:ations for financial aid should be completed prior to February15 for fall admission or prior to November1 for spring admission.
Faculty
Those who do, teach at FIT. Members of the FIT faculty have considerable experience and are at the forefront of their various fields and industries.
Student Government
The Student Council, the governing body of the Student Association, gives all students the privileges and responsibilities of citizens in a self-governing college community. Many faculty committees include student representatives, and the president of the student government sits on FITs Board of Trustees.
Admission Requirements
Applicants for admission must be candidates for or hold either a high school diploma or the General Educational Development certificate. Candidates are judged on class rank, grades in college-preparatory course work, and the student essay. Letters of recommendation from teachers and counselors are considered but not required. A portfolio evaluation is required for art and design majors only. Specific portfolio requirements are explained on FIT's Web site.
Transfer students from regionally accredited colleges must submit official transcripts for credit evaluation. Students can qualify for one-year A.A.S. programs if they hold a baccalaureate degree or if they have a minimum of 30 transferable credits from an accredited college, including a minimum of 24 credits that are equivalent to FIT's liberal arts requirements.
Students seeking admission to one of the upper-division majors leading to the Bachelor of Fine Arts or Bachelor of Science degree must hold an Associate in Applied Science degree from FIT or an equivalent degree from an accredited and approved college. They must also meet the appropriate prerequisites as required by the major and have completed FIT's liberal arts requirements. Further requirements may include an individual interview with a departmental committee, review of academic standing, and portfolio review for all applicants to B.F.A. programs. Any student who applies for transfer to FIT from a four-year program must have completed a minimum of 60 credits, including the requisite art or technical courses and the liberal arts requirements.
Application and Information
Candidates who have graduated from a New York State high school should obtain applications from their high school guidance office. Candidates from out-of-state high schools should obtain applications from FIT's Web site or by writing to the Office of Admissions.
