Graduate Program Specifics
General Program Timeline:
Semester 1: The area of study and major professor are chosen
Semester 2: The Program of Study and AMDT Graduate Committee are chosen and thesis or project work begins
Semester 3: Thesis or project work continues
Semester 4: Thesis or project is finalized, you defend your work to your committee and a manuscript is prepared for possible publication
Standard requirements and coursework that all students must complete to earn the M.S. degree in Apparel, Merchandising and Textiles include a minimum of 30 hours of coursework which will include a minimum of 6 hours in research techniques (of which there must be a minimum of 3 hours of statistics) and a minimum of 6 hours of 700 or 702 credits. Students will choose to specialize in Apparel/Textile Product Development, Creative Scholarship and Design, Merchandising, or Consumer Studies and choose to complete a thesis or thesis project. Up to 6 credits of 400 level coursework can be part of the 24 credits of graded coursework for a thesis program of study. Up to 9 credits of 300-400 level coursework can be part of the 26 graded credits for a thesis project program of study.
Timing varies per student but averages two years. Students taking background courses may take longer. Typically, students complete 10-18 credit hours per semester.
The courses listed below are areas of study that graduate students must show competency (through an undergraduate degree or industry experience) in order to earn their degree.
| Option | Course | Title | Hours | Semester |
| All | AMT 210 | Textiles | 4 | offered fall and spring |
| All | AMT 314 | Fashion Forecasting | 3 | offered fall |
| Design | AMT 311 | Apparel Flat Pattern | 3 | offered spring |
| Design | AMT 312 | Apparel Draping, Fitting and Design | 3 | Spring |
| Merch | AMT 450 | Strategy Planning and Decision Making | 3 | Spring |
Required Core: 21 (24) – 22 (25) credits
| Course | Title | Credits | Semester |
| AMDT 508 | Environmental and Social Issues in the Apparel Industry | 3 cr. | Spring |
| AMDT 409/509 | Apparel Technical Fit* | 3 cr. | Fall |
| AMDT 515 | Textile Product Development and Innovation | 3 cr. | Spring |
| AMDT 517 | Theory and Methods of Culture, Gender and Dress | 3 cr. | Spring |
| AMDT 518 | Apparel Merchandising Analysis | 3 cr. | Spring |
| AMDT 519 | Research Methods* | 3 cr. | Fall |
| AMDT 520 | Apparel Functional Design | 3 cr. | Fall |
| Statistics** | 3 or 4 cr. | Every term |
* a conjoint course required for the students who choose apparel design focus
**Research competency courses
Complete master’s scholarship: 6 credits minimum
| Course | Title | Credits | Semester |
| AMDT 700 | Master’s Research, Thesis, and/or Examination or | Every term | |
| AMDT 702 | Master’s Special Problems, Directed Study | 6+cr. | Every term |
| and/or Examination (S/F grading) |
Select additional credits to reach minimum total 24 graded credits for a thesis option and 26 graded credits for a thesis project option and cumulative total of 30 credits.
| Course | Title | Credits | Semester |
| AMDT 512 | Apparel Design Graduate Studio | 3 cr. | Variable |
| AMDT 598 | Topics in Apparel and Textiles | 1-3 cr. | Every term |
| AMDT 600 | Special Projects or Independent Study | 1-18 cr. Variable | Every term |
*Washington State University supports both the master’s thesis option and master’s project option. Please refer to graduate school regulations when choosing an option. Anyone considering additional graduate study as in a doctoral degree, is expected to select the thesis option.
**These courses are offered every two years.