School of Art and Design
This Fashion Design BFA program in the knitwear concentration is offered in collaboration with the Politecnico di Milano. Students have a choice of attending the Milan program for either: 5th semester; 3rd year; and/or 4th year. The sequence of course offerings on this page represents two full years of study in Milan. Students attending 5th semester or 3rd or 4th year in Milan should refer to the Fashion Design New York–Knitwear program. Equivalent course substitutions offered in Milan fulfill major area course requirements. Students must complete IT 111 prior to attending the Fashion Design Program in Milan. Curriculum below is for the entering class of fall 2021.
| Semester 5 | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| MAJOR AREA | FD 342 - CAD for Fashion Design and Development | 2 |
| FD 357 - Introduction to Knitwear Design | 3 | |
| FD 381 - Stretch Fundamentals | 2.5 | |
| FF 311 - Lifestyle Collection Design or MetaDesign Project part A** | 2.5 | |
| Major Area Elective(s) or MetaDesign Project part B** | 3 | |
| LIBERAL ARTS | choice - see Requirements*: Liberal Arts/History of Art or Liberal Arts Elective(s)/Italian | 3 |
| Semester 6 | ||
| MAJOR AREA | FD 358 - Advanced Knitwear Design: Creative Development and Execution | 1.5 |
| FD 359 - Advanced Knitwear and Full Fashion Creative Design Development | 2 | |
| FF 322 - 20th Century Style for the 21st Century Aesthetic | 3 | |
| FF 353 - Advanced Knitwear Design | 2.5 | |
| choice - see Requirements*: Major Area Elective(s) | 1.5 | |
| RELATED AREA | TS 368 - Weft Knitting Principles | 2.5 |
| LIBERAL ARTS | choice - see Requirements*: Liberal Arts/History of Art or Liberal Arts Elective(s)/Italian | 3 |
| Semester 7 | ||
| MAJOR AREA | FD 356 - Fully-Fashioned Knit Design: Stoll M1 Plus | 2 |
| FD 453 - Simulated Knitwear Design | 2 | |
| FF 495 - Senior Portfolio: Knitwear Design | 2.5 | |
| RELATED AREA | TS 461 - Weft Knit Fabrication and Finishing Techniques | 2.5 |
| LIBERAL ARTS | choice - see Requirements*: Liberal Arts/History of Art or Liberal Arts Elective(s)/Italian | 3 |
| choice - see Requirements*: Liberal Arts | 3 | |
| Semester 8 | ||
| MAJOR AREA | FD 489 - Senior Thesis: Knitwear Design | 3 |
| FF 491 - Internship | 2 | |
| choice - see Requirements*: Major Area Elective(s) | 2 | |
| RELATED AREA | TS 491 - Senior Thesis Planning and Execution | 1.5 |
| LIBERAL ARTS | choice - see Requirements*: Liberal Arts/History of Art or Liberal Arts Elective(s)/Italian | 3 |
| choice - see Requirements*: Liberal Arts | 3 | |
| TOTAL CREDIT REQUIREMENTS | ||
| MAJOR AREA | 37 | |
| RELATED AREA | 6.5 | |
| LIBERAL ARTS | 18 | |
| Total Credits: | 61.5 | |
*Fall 2021 Requirements: See below.
Liberal Arts: 18 credits
- History of Art: 6 credits. CHOICE of one (1) HA course that meets the General Education Other World Civilizations requirement (G9) and one (1) additional HA course. See the full list of Art/Design History courses under HA: History of Art and Civilization
-
Foreign Language: 6 credits. Two semesters of the same foreign language, one of which must meet General Education Foreign Language requirement (G8)
Liberal Arts Elective(s): 6 credits. Select Liberal Arts courses (for which prerequisites have been met) from the following subject areas: CH (Chinese); EN (English); FI (Film and Media Studies); FR (French); HA (History of Art); HE (Health Education) 201, 301; IT (Italian); JA (Japanese); MU (Music); HI (History); MA (Math); LA (Liberal Arts); MC (Modern Languages and Cultures); PE (Physical Education and Dance) 215, 216, 217; PL (Philosophy); SC (Science); SP (Spanish); and SS (Social Sciences)
Major Area Elective(s): 3.5 credits. CHOICE of FD 386 Swimwear Design (2 cr.), FD 341 Design with High-Tech Fabrics (1.5 cr.), FD 475 Leather Apparel Design (2 cr.), FF 344 Digital Design Identity (1.5 cr.), or FD 342 CAD for Fashion Design and Development (2 cr.)
**MetaDesign Project parts A and B: 5.5 credits. The MetaDesign Studio course at FIT in Milan addresses the learning outcomes vital for creative fashion design collection building and merchandising a successful brand/product mix for a targeted customer group. It is taught as a true international exchange of design ideas with participation by students from FIT in Milan, the Politecnico di Milano, and Erasmus. Students conduct research independently on the brief, then must critically defend their ideas, edit, create cohesion, compile, and present their original multiple-product collection in a global collaborative team setting.
NOTE: The assortment of Major Area Elective and Related Area Elective courses available and offered during a given semester is subject to change. All courses will not be available or offered each semester. The list of course options may evolve over time; contact the Fashion Design Department for details.
FIT in Milan reserves the right to modify the order of these course offerings, or which courses are offered in Milan.
Students who successfully complete the Fashion Design BFA program will be able to:
- Create fashion collections that reflect creativity and innovation through the use of advanced techniques achieved through shape, color, silhouette, proportion and fabrication.
- Create original design collections for diverse fashion markets, demonstrating proficient artistic ability and utilizing advanced hand and digital rendering techniques.
- Independently select and apply appropriate, innovative technologies to conceptualize, create, produce and communicate fashion design and related concepts.
- Apply the knowledge of environmental, social, economic, and political impacts of climate change to design fashion using ethical and sustainable principles.
- Understand and apply advanced concepts of diversity, equity and inclusion in the fashion design development process that honor communities and people who have been marginalized and excluded from the dominant fashion discourse.
- Utilize information and communication technologies to research, evaluate, create, and communicate information as it relates to fashion design concepts at an advanced level.