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Essential Information
Merchandising students learn to oversee the selling of various products. Graduates often find careers in retail management, product development, advertising, or promotions for large and small companies. Distance learning programs in merchandising typically provide flexibility for students who work or have other obligations and feature both fully and partially online formats. Bachelor's, master's, and certificate programs are available in this field, offering majors in both merchandising and consumer science and merchandising.
Colorado State University
Colorado State University's online merchandising certificate and degree programs are administered through the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance (Great Plains IDEA). This is a consortium of five state universities in the area, meaning students sign up for courses at Colorado State, but take classes from the top faculty members of the discipline across the five universities. Classes are asynchronous, though they are taught within the confines of the school semester, and deadlines must be met as mandated by the courses.
Merchandising Graduate Certificate
Students in this program learn about basic merchandising concepts, such as ways consumers make purchasing decisions and factors that influence their decisions. Courses cover topics such as:
- Retail theory and current practice
- Professional advancement
- Consumer behavior
M.S. in Merchandising
Students who have completed the online graduate certificate program can apply their credits toward the online master's degree. These online merchandising education courses prepare students for careers in retail management and product promotion. Sample courses include:
- Historical and contemporary issues in trade
- Product design and development
- Consumer behavior
- Research methods in merchandising
University of Houston
The University of Houston's distance learning merchandising career education programs are similar to their on-campus counterparts. Students who live in the Houston area can complete the program partially online and partially in the classroom. University of Houston also uses Blackboard to manage course materials.
Certificate in Consumer Science and Merchandising
These courses familiarize students with ways to sell products through effective marketing and product displays. The online merchandising certificate includes courses like:
- Merchandising and consumer science
- Visual merchandising
- Apparel analysis
- Merchandising systems
B.S. in Consumer Science and Merchandising
The online bachelor's program in consumer science and merchandising provides students with career training in merchandising and modern technology. Students gain practical consumer and retailer knowledge in retailing, online sales and customer service. Other course topics include:
- Public relations
- Consumer behavior
- Merchandising processes
- Entrepreneurship
The University of Colorado and the University of Houston are two examples of schools in the country featuring online merchandising programs. Between them, students can pursue education in the form of online bachelor's and master's degrees, as well as undergraduate and graduate certificates.
