Retail Management

A degree in retail management will prepare you for a career in merchandising, management, and/or marketing in traditional retail settings and e-commerce environments. Job opportunities are excellent in marketing, consumer relations, advertising, market research, sales, publicity, and merchandising analysis.

Supplement your plan of study by adding the Optional Apparel Design Concentration or applying to attend a program abroad or the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City during your junior year. These courses may be applied to degree requirements at Purdue and the FIT program leads to an Associate in Applied Science degree in either Fashion Business Management or Fashion Design upon satisfactory completion.

Career Options

• Buyer
• Corporate Recruiter
• Human Resources Manager
• Marketing Director
• Merchandiser
• Product Development
• Sales Manager
• Sales Promotion Specialist
• Store Manager
• Stylist
• Supply Chain Manager
• Visual Merchandiser

Experiential Learning

• Gain real-world experience through a required retail internship or field experience.
• Participate in the National Retail Federation or YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund case study competitions to earn scholarships, industry professional development opportunities, and internships.  
• Attend a program abroad such as a summer or semester program at the London College of Fashion or Hong Kong Polytechnic Institute
• Spend your junior year at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City and earn your associate’s degree. Students in the Retail Management program are qualified to apply if they've earned a 3.00 cumulative GPA at the time of the application.

Coursework

• Buying of Merchandise
• Consumer Behavior
• Customer Relations Management
• E-Commerce & E-Retailing
• Fundamentals of Negotiations
• Leadership Strategies
• Marketing
• Principles of Industrial Selling
• Retail Management
• Textile Science
• Visual Merchandising

Degree Requirements & Academic Advising Worksheet 

How do I switch my major?

If you are interested in switching your major to Retail Management, please visit the Change to an HHS Major page to learn more about the process to enter the College of Health & Human Sciences.

How do I transfer to Purdue?

If you are interested in transferring to Retail Management from another college or university, please visit the Future Transfer Students page to learn more about the steps needed to finish your degree at Purdue University.