Fashion Design/Milan BFA Degree Program

School of Art and Design

Applications accepted for fall only. NYSED: 00735 CIP: 50.0407

The Fashion Design BFA program in the sportswear concentration is offered in collaboration with the Politecnico di Milano. Studying abroad in Milan offers the opportunity for students to be immersed in the culture of one of the most fashion-forward countries in the world. Students enjoy learning in a city recognized internationally as one of the world’s most important fashion capitals and are able to tour the facilities of world-renown luxury manufacturers. Refer to the Fashion Design BFA degree requirements and to the department’s website at fitnyc.edu/fashiondesign for courses to be taken in New York and Italy and for other relevant information. Students may attend the Milan program for either fifth semester, sixth semester or third year; and/or seventh semester. Curriculum below is for the entering class of fall 2026.

Plan of Study
Semester 5		Credits
MAJOR AREA	FD 357 - Introduction to Knitwear Design	3
	FD 381 - Stretch Fundamentals	2.5
	FF 311 - Lifestyle Collection Design (New York) or MetaDesign Project part A** (Milan)	2.5
	FF 322 - 20th Century Style for the 21st Century Aesthetic	3
	Major Area Elective (New York) or Meta Design Project part B** (Milan)	3
LIBERAL ARTS	choice - see Requirements: Liberal Arts/History of Art or Liberal Arts Elective(s)/Italian	3
Semester 6		Credits
MAJOR AREA	Sportswear Only:
	FD 342 - CAD for Fashion Design and Development or FD 400 - 3D Garment Visualization	2
	FD 369 - Sportswear Development Concepts	3
	FF 363 - Design Directions in R-T-W	2.5
	choice - see Requirements: Major Area Elective(s)	2
RELATED AREA	Related Area Elective (New York) or Technologies for the Fashion Product*** (Milan)	2
LIBERAL ARTS	choice - see Requirements: Liberal Arts/History of Art or Liberal Arts Elective(s)/Italian	3
Semester 7		Credits
MAJOR AREA	Sportswear Only:
	FD 462 - Designer Sportswear Incubator	2.5
	FF 497 - Senior Portfolio: Sportswear Design	2.5
	choice - see Requirements: Major Area Elective(s)	2
RELATED AREA	choice - see Requirements: Related Area Elective(s)	2
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		Credits
MAJOR AREA	Taken in New York:
	FD 485 - Senior Thesis: Sportswear Design	3
	FF 491 - Internship	2
	choice - see Requirements: Major Area Elective(s)	1.5
RELATED AREA	PH 162 - Photographic Styling	2
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
	LIBERAL ARTS	18
	Total Credits:	61

Fall 2026 Requirements: See below.

Major Area Elective(s): 5.5 credits. CHOICE of FD 341, FD 343, FD 386, FD 475, or FF 323

Liberal Arts and Sciences Course Content Requirements
(24 AAS credits* + 18 BS credits = 42 credits total)

English: 6 credits.
- EN 131 meets SUNY GE: Communication-Written (COMW) and Communication-Oral (COMO)*
- CHOICE any 200- or 300-level EN literature or speech course.*
Mathematics: 3 credits.
- CHOICE of any MA that meets SUNY GE: Mathematics (MATH)*
Natural Sciences: 3 credits.
- CHOICE of any SC that meets SUNY GE: Natural Sciences (NSCI)*
Diversity: 3 credits.
- CHOICE of any course that meets SUNY GE: Diversity: Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice (DVRS)*
History of Art: 12 credits.
- Any HA course*
- Any HA course*
- Any HA Course
- Any HA course that meets General Education SUNY GE: World History and Global Awareness (GLBL) See the full list of Art/Design History courses under HA: History of Art and Civilization.
World Languages: 6 credits.
- Two semesters of the same foreign language, one of which must meet SUNY GE: World Languages (WLNG)
General Education: 3 credits*. CHOICE of one additional SUNY General Education Area:
- The Arts (ARTS)
- Humanities (HUMN)
- Social Sciences (SOCS)
- U.S. History and Civic Engagement (USCV)
- World History and Global Awareness (GLBL)
- World Languages (WLNG)

Liberal Arts Elective(s): 6 credits. Select Liberal Arts courses from the following subject areas: AB (Arabic); CH (Chinese); EN (English); EL (English Language and Literacy); FI (Film and Media Studies); FR (French); HA (History of Art); HE (Health Education) HE 201, HE 301; IT (Italian); JA (Japanese); HI (History); MA (Math); MC (Modern Languages and Cultures); MU (Music); PE (Physical Education and Dance) PE 215, PE 216, PE 217, PE 220; PL (Philosophy); PO (Portuguese); SC (Science); SP (Spanish); and SS (Social Sciences).

**MetaDesign Project parts A and B: 5.5 credits. The Meta Design 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.

***Technologies for the Fashion Product (Milan): 2 credits. This course may be used as a Related Area Elective substitute for MG 301 (students should not take both MG 301 and Technologies for the Fashion Product)

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 course offerings, or which courses are offered in Milan.

*Credits from AAS will apply as appropriate

FIT’s 2+2 degree structure requires an earned AAS or equivalent plus all the BS or BFA degree requirements. For more information, please see Requirements for Degree Completion.

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.