Merchandising Major Related Careers
The following careers are directly or indirectly related to the study of this major. Click the job title to learn more about it. To search for more career options, visit OnetOnline.org.
Merchandising
In the Eskenazi School at IUB, Merchandising is where creative vision meets analytical precision! Merchandising prepares students for careers in buying, planning, allocation, product development, digital merchandising, social media, wholesale showroom, and store management in the rapidly emerging retail, fashion, and service industries. The Merchandising program offers an innovative and relevant curriculum that promotes both creativity and analytical skills while providing a solid foundation of industry knowledge. Students learn concepts of materials, manufacturing, buying and selling, creating a business plan, consumer behavior, and international markets. Students explore merchandising through various channels including digital technology, omnichannel innovation, retail analytics, product development, sourcing, branding, consumer engagement, and sustainability. Students will be career-ready in a liberal arts setting that engages them in the arts, humanities, and sciences.
Students can choose from two concentrations: Digital Merchandising, where they build digital competency and learn to make data-driven decisions in a dynamic, information-rich and social media-driven retailing environment; and/or Product Development, which immerses students in the foundations of global manufacturing and introduces the complexity of the product development cycle from initial idea to final sale. To supplement the major courses, Merchandising majors must also complete one of the following: a Kelley School of Business minor, the minor in Fashion Design, or another minor approved by the SoAAD Director of Undergraduate Studies with popular options being Fashion Media and Media and Creative Advertising.
For more information about this major and degree requirements visit the departmental website and the College of Arts and Sciences Academic Bulletin.
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Academic information
University Division's Explore Programs tool is the place to go for academic information about any IUB major, minor, or certificate.
Open in Explore Programs- Fashion Designers
- Advertising and Promotions Managers
- Art Directors
- Curators
- English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary
- Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers
- Film and Video Editors
- Graphic Designers
- Interior Designers
- Marketing Managers
- Purchasing Managers
- Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products
Career Interests
John Holland developed a theoretical framework consisting of six general themes that describe broad areas interest relating to self and the working world. If you are interested in discovering your career interests, visit our Learn more about yourself page to learn about the Strong Interest Inventory.
This major consists of the following themes:
- Realistic
- Artistic
- Enterprising
Merchandising Major Related Skills
Below is a sampling of skills related to this major mapped from the Skillscan Driver Assessment. The SkillScan assessment provides a simple 3-step process to help you learn about your strengths and weaknesses, the skills you enjoy and want to use in a career and those skills needing development. Consider taking the SkillScan assessment to better understand your skills as it relates to majors at IU.
Analytical
- Solve Problems
Relationship Skills
- Collaborate
Communication
- Listen
Management or Leadership
- Manage Projects
- Coordinate
Creative
- Create Images
- Design
- Brainstorm
- Conceptualize
Career Guides
Our unique IU Career Guides offers the A-Zs of each field’s preferred educational backgrounds, as well as employment opportunities and insider tips, industry-related interview questions, and a lot more. Below are related career guides for this major.