Fashion Institute of Technology
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The Fashion Institute of Technology is a State University of New York college of art and design located in New York City, New York, United States. It was founded in 1944. In 1951, it became one of the first SUNY community colleges empowered to grant the Associate of Applied Science degree. Today, FIT also grants Bachelor's and Master's degrees in fashion and fashion-related fields. These include some unique programs, such as the United States' only degree-granting program in Accessories Design, and the only baccalaureate program in Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing in the world.
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The Institute
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.
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. 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.
Location
FIT's 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 Street—where the worlds of fashion, art, design, communications, and marketing converge—permits 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 FIT's 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, 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 Université 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 École Privée de Modélists-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.
Clubs and Organizations
Number of registered organizations: 73
- Honor societies:
Phi Theta Kappa
- Religious organizations:
Christian Fellowship, Korean Christian Crusade for Christ, Chabad, Jewish Student Association, Muslim
- Minority and international student organizations:
Black Student Union, Filipino, Latin American Student Organization, BRAG, Italian, Scandinavian, South Asian, French
- Other organizations:
A. A. T. C. C. , Accessories and Millinery, Ad Group, Advertising Design, American Marketing Association, Athletics, Business and Ethics Research Society, Cheerleaders, Creative Showcase, Dance, D. E. C. A. , Direct marketing, Display, Dorms, Fabric Styling, Fine Arts, FIT Theatre Ensemble, Francophone, Gospel Choir, Handbook, Hellenic, Holistic Healing and Lifestyle, Home Furnishings, Illustration, Interior Design, ICON, Jewelry, KCCC, Manufacturing Management, Menswear, Merchandise Society, Model Workshop, Patternmaking, Photography, PRSSA, Radio (WFIT), Restoration, Snow Club, Student Council, Style Shop, Textile Design, Turkish Textile Design, West 27 (Newspaper), Yearbook
Academic Facilities
A modern campus with outstanding facilities for studying all aspects of a dynamic industry, FIT comprises an entire city block in Manhattan's 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. 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.
Alumni
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
- Calvin Klein, President/CEO, Calvin Klein, Ltd.
- Norma Kamali, President/Fashion Designer, OMO Norma Kamali
- David Chu, President/Designer/CEO, Nautica International, Inc.
- Byron Lars, Fashion Designer, Byron Lars Shirt Tales
- Marti Galovic Palmer, Producer, 60 Minutes/CBS News
- Carolina Herrera, President/Fashion Designer, Carolina Herrera New York
- Michael Kors, Fashion Designer
- Luis Antonio, Fashion Designer
- Daniel Vosovic, Fashion Designer, Runner-Up of Project Runway 2.
As well as successful and talented professionals in entertainment, advertising, packaging, television, the design fields, merchandising, manufacturing, public relations, retailing, and more.
FIT is not only known for it's fashion majors, but it also has an outstanding illustration department.
The Museum at FIT
The Museum at FIT is one of the world's largest and most important collections of clothing, textiles, and accessories. The Costume Department includes 50,000 garments and accessories dating from the 18th century to the present. The Textile Department includes 30,000 textiles dating from thte 5th century to the present as well as 250,000 textile swatches and 1,300 sample books from all over the world. The museum has three galleries and maintains an active schedule of exhibitions relevant to fashion and related industries. Exhibitions are free to the public.
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.
Trivia
- Among its inventive curricula, FIT has the unique distinction of providing the only accredited degree program for toy design in the United States.
- Forty percent of eligible students have converted FIT internships into full-time or part-time jobs upon graduation.
- FIT students come from all 50 states and from 64 countries.
- Eighty-eight percent of the students who register with FIT's Career Services Office find jobs following graduation — with 95 percent of these in the New York area.
- American socialite/model/designer Nicky Hilton attended the Fashion Institute of Technology but did not graduate.