People attracted to the excitement of employment in the fashion industry may begin their preparation at one of the many top fashion schools offering a wide variety of courses. Clothing styles continue to change in urban areas worldwide, causing the area of fashion to be in constant flux. As classic styles return, new trends also appear, often influenced by pop culture.

Students seeking information on top fashion schools which won’t require them to relocate to a campus will be interested in The Art Institute of Pittsburgh’s Online Division. This facility offers degrees and diplomas while attending class anytime, day or night. Their Fashion & Retail Management program may be of specific interest to fashion students looking for instruction in sales strategies including buying, merchandising, inventory control and cost analysis.

The Academy of Art University in San Francisco offers a fashion major online or on campus. A particular attraction of this school is that the instructors also work in their industries, providing the ability to relate real life experiences as they apply to the courses. Students choosing to study on campus will also benefit from the immersion in the diverse fashion center of San Francisco.

The Art Institutes offer fashion programs at their 14 different locations spread across the US, with emphasis on the areas of Fashion Design, Fashion Marketing and Visual Merchandising. There are Art Institute campuses at major fashion centers such as Los Angeles, Miami and New York as well as at somewhat more diverse locations like Schaumberg, IL and York, PA.

Of course there are also top fashion schools overseas. The American Intercontinental University at London hosts a culturally diverse and geographically dispersed student body, enhancing a student’s personal and academic growth. Most of the schools Bachelor degree programs provide two internationally recognized degrees: a British and an American bachelor’s. There’s an Associate of Arts program in Fashion Marketing and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion Design, Fashion Marketing and Fashion Design and Marketing.

Students interested in a scientific approach to fashion may want to learn more about the Department of Fiber Science & Apparel Design at Cornell University, at Ithaca, NY. This school offers an Undergraduate Major concentrating on apparel design, apparel textile management and fiber science. Their graduate program offers four degrees within two majors: Apparel Design (MA and Ph. D. programs) and Fiber Science (MS and Ph. D. programs).

When considering top fashion schools, the Texas Women’s University should not be overlooked. Their fashion courses are taught at the Denton campus. The department of Fashion and Textiles offers degree programs leading to a Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design and a Bachelor of Science degree in Fashion Merchandising. Each year several Fashion and Textile majors become members of the Honor School Program, which is one of the ten most selective in the state of Texas.

Whether a student aspires for a career in fashion design, the manufacturing of clothing or the merchandising of ever-changing fashion trends, an informed choice of institution from a researched list of top fashion schools will provide the first step toward a rewarding career in this exciting industry.