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The minor in Sustainable Apparel and Textile Innovation engages students in interdisciplinary learning that supports social change; rethinks the fundamental ways apparel and textile businesses and industry operate; and tackles the chemical, energy, waste, and water challenges associated with textile materials and manufacturing. This minor will give students the chance to take what they learn in other disciplines, beyond Fashion and Apparel Studies courses, and think more rigorously and imaginatively about how to use knowledge from other fields to impact deeply embedded social and environmental challenges.
The minor requires eighteen credit hours. Similar to interdisciplinary minors in environmental humanities and integrated design, the minor requires a core set of courses and then electives selected from three areas that will broaden disciplinary perspectives.
As a core, two 3-credit courses are required: FASH 210 and one section of FASH 417. These required core courses allow students to assess the challenges the industry faces and how they have been addressed from the product and/or business/process innovation.
Students choose three credits of electives from each of three subject areas: Design and Social Change, Business and Industry Innovation, and Science and Engineering Innovation. A fourth three credit elective can be chosen from any of the subject areas. Courses must be selected from at least three different departments and only nine credits may be counted toward both a student's major requirements, other minor, and the Sustainable Apparel and Textile Innovation minor (i.e. "double-dip"). An advisor for this minor will be assigned to each student.
Elective courses may or may not incorporate content on the apparel industry, but instead allow students to bring broad and relevant disciplinary perspectives to bear on sustainability problems.
Degree Requirements
All courses included in the minor must be completed with a grade of C- or better. At least nine credits must be at the 300-level or above. Substitutions for the above courses may be made with permission of the program director. Independent studies and special problems courses may also count toward the minor with the director's approval.
