Curriculum

Master's Degree - Merchandising

Core Courses

This course offers an evaluation of psychological, sociological, and cultural theories of consumer behavior through the examination of factors influencing consumers' decision-making process.
This course is an advanced study of financial trends in the merchandising industries. This includes implications related to sole proprietors, partnerships, franchises, S corporations, and C corporations. The course focuses on financial implications of recent advances in the field of merchandising of importance to graduate students as they embark on careers in academia and/or merchandising industries.
Introduction to the theory, principles, and practices of sustainability. Examination of environmental, social, and economic sustainability at both the global and apparel and textile industry levels. Exploration of innovative practices and social change strategies for the furtherance of sustainability.
In this course students gain comprehensive understanding of theory, practices, and trends on international merchandise management. Students analyze global retail systems and the methods of distribution to consumers in various countries.
This course is an advanced study of issues and management strategies necessary to design and produce a competitively priced product while offering visibility over material procurement and apparel production practices including the treatment of workers. Students examine the role of globalization, sustainability, and rapidly changing technology in the development of a successful product.
Students in this course examine integrated marketing communications to understand promotional strategies and techniques and pursue cultural and global awareness, social responsibility, and ethical decision-making.
In this course, students learn the research process and use various methods to conduct a consumer research study. Students also analyze the practical and theoretical issues involved in the designing, conducting, and evaluating of research used in the industry. Prerequisites: Graduate level course in statistics and completion of MERCH 500-level courses.
In this course, students learn to evaluate effectiveness and/or appropriateness of retail theories and current practices. Students learn to assess internal and external environmental forces impacting strategic decisions by retail firms and to synthesize past and present trends in order to forecast probable future patterns. Prerequisite: Retail Management course.
This course is an examination of the executive planning process used to develop successful corporate strategies with emphasis on the importance of a market orientation for building customer value and sustaining a competitive advantage. Prerequisite: Instructor's permission.
This course uses quantitative data from the merchandising industry to support managerial decision making including how to format and analyze typical consumer data. This course will strengthen your decision making and analytical skills while providing you with new perspectives and approaches to apply quantitative techniques and methods to solve real-world business problems.

Practicum/Creative Component/Thesis

Program Summary
Cost per credit hour:

2023-2024: $600
2024-2025: $610
Learn more about Tuition and Cost

Average time to complete:
Master's degree: 26 months
Graduate certificate: 12 months

36 Hours


12 Hours

University Contact
These campus coordinators can help you navigate Great Plains IDEA. Click on the university name to learn more about how Great Plains IDEA works at that campus. Ashley Schultz
Stacy Duffield
Rae Ann Montgomery
Melisia Bieber
Faculty
University Members
Members of the Great Plains IDEA are universities accredited by a regional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Member universities recruit, admit and graduate students, teach in an academic program and contribute to the leadership and maintenance of the alliance. Membership in the alliance is a selective process that engages institutional leadership at all levels.

Macy Burgess is a graduate of the family and community services degree.I made the decision to switch specializations in my master’s program mid-way through my degree. This change took me from the traditional on-campus experience to the Great Plains IDEA online experience. The switch seemed intimidating to me but it ended up being an incredible experience that I would not have gotten if I'd taken all classes at one university. Getting to dive into courses offered at schools all over the country was beneficial as it opened pathways for communication and sharing of knowledge with students and faculty I would not normally have interacted with. 

– – Macy Burgess, Family and Community Services Graduate Student,
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