LIM College Says Fashion Needs More STEM
To keep up with the evolving landscape of the fashion industry, LIM College has given some programs a makeover. The Manhattan school dedicated to the business of fashion expanded its master’s degree program curricula and gave it a new name to go with the upgrade.
“My grandfather, Maxwell F. Marcuse, was an innovator when he founded LIM College 84 years ago,” Elizabeth S. Marcuse, LIM College president, said. “The groundbreaking, experience-based approach to learning the business of fashion and lifestyle that Maxwell created remains the foundation of LIM College today.”
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The Marcuse School of Graduate Studies—the founder’s name now given to all graduate-level studies at the college—will see three existing programs enriched for the Fall 2024 semester to provide students supplementary science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-designated business degree options as well as chances to get degrees with specializations in arenas like sustainability and digital media marketing.
“Officially naming graduate studies in his honor, while simultaneously deepening our commitment to master’s degree programs is fitting,” Marcuse said. “Students and employers around the world value the LIM brand of industry-immersive education, our New York City location, and incredible network for employer connections. These curricular changes will better position graduates to meet employer demands in the rapidly evolving fashion and lifestyle industries.”
A Master of Science (MS) in global fashion supply chain management, a STEM-designated business program, will be offered next fall with new STEM-focused courses added to the existing Mater of Professional Studies (MPS) curriculum. LIM said it’s the only school in the U.S. that offers a fashion-focused supply chain program, preparing learners for careers in supply chain, logistics, inventory control and material management.
Another STEM-designated business program, an MPS in fashion marketing, will also be available with more technology and analytics-focused courses added to “reflect the digital transformation in both marketing practice and consumers’ lives,” LIM said. This coursework falls under one of two specializations, strategic and digital marketing or digital media marketing, and is designed for people who want to work in potential roles in digital, social media and content.
LIM will continue its other STEM-designated programs, which are an MS in consumer analytics, an MPS in the business of fashion and an MPS in the business of cannabis. These graduate programs can all be completed in one year and, depending on the program, are offered fully online, in person, or on a hybrid basis.
An MPS in fashion merchandising and retail management will be available with four specializations: product development and sourcing, buying and operations management, sustainability in fashion, and fashion and lifestyle. Graduates will be ready for roles like vendor management, trend analysis, product selection, inventory and store management, pricing, sustainability and licensing, the college said.
Working with LIM’s faculty to restructure selected curricula with the goal of better reflecting current trends and talent needs via a focus on technology and analytics, Eda Sanchez-Persampieri—who became dean of graduate studies earlier this year—championed the changes, which the New York State Education Department approved to go into effect by Fall 2024.
“Our new business STEM coursework and specialized program tracks will continue to give students knowledge and experience in the most relevant topics in the business of fashion and lifestyle, making them eminently employable in a wide range of roles and positioning them to lead our industry into the future,” Sanchez-Persampieri said.
STEM-designated programs are of particular interest to international students who are eligible for the 24-month STEM Optional Practice Training (OPT) extension that potentially allows them to stay on a U.S. visa for an extra two years upon completing STEM-based degree programs, LIM said. Plus, international master’s degree students now have the option to begin Curricular Practical Training (CPT)—which gives temporary employment authorization for F-1 visa non-immigrant foreign college students—if they take up an internship during their first semester, as opposed to the last semester of their program. “Day 1 CPT” allows these students to work up to 20 hours a week in pre-approved internships relevant to that student’s studies.
“LIM master’s degree programs are designed to help move careers forward,” Sanchez-Persampieri said. “Students are immersed in the business and fashion capital of the world, learning directly from, and making key connections with, the professionals who make fashion and lifestyle happen.”
